On Fri, Sep 01, 2023 at 07:27:13PM +0200, Mats-Olof Liljegren wrote: > Hello! > > I'm a beginner with Lilypond but have decent programming knowledge. > Something I haven't managed to figure out is how to best organize > my projects. It becomes a very long file if everything is in the > same one, so I've tried splitting it into separate `.ly` files for > lyrics, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and so on. It works, but I'm > guessing there are smarter ways to organize scores and lyrics. [...]
It really depends on your workflow. In my smaller projects (piano pieces) I just keep everything in one file, with LH/RH parts as separate variables outside the \score block. Or, in more complex works, separate voices in separate variables outside the \score block. For small orchestral works, I keep the structural stuff (\score blocks, \StaffGroup's, \Staff's, \midi blocks) in separate files, but the notes themselves in a single file, one variable per instrument. Yes, the file for notes does get very long, but it's manageable using a decent editor with good navigational tools (one-key bookmarks, quick search function, find-matching-braces) and helpful practices such as consistent naming of variables (fluteIPart, fluteIIPart, violinIPart, violinIIPart, etc.), and dividing input paragraphs of 4 or 8 bars each, with searchable comment markers (e.g., `% Intro`, `% Exposition`, `% Development`, `% Episode 1`, inserted before the corresponding paragraphs in each instrument's part -- that way I can just search for "hornIIPart" then "Development" to find the corresponding place to, say, the celloPart in the same passage). The reason I keep the \score blocks separate is because generating the conductor's score vs. individual parts is very different, but once set up you almost never need to change it. Putting it in different files reduces the clutter in the notes file that I spend most of the time on. T -- "How are you doing?" "Doing what?"
