dottes/abc2xml/Changes.txt

Version 58
- grammer for I:score instruction replaces ad hoc parsing.
- voice merging, part grouping and grand staffs are derived by transformation of the parse tree of I:score.
- also move clef redefinitions after [I:staff +/-n].
- avoid a false beam break when [I:staff +/-n] is used within a beamed note group.
- absolute ABC staff numbers in [I:staff n] are mapped to MusicXML grand staff numbers (when possible).
- added translation of the [+-^_]15 octave clefs.
- no default channel/panning/volume in <midi-instrument> elements.

Version 57
- grand staff implemented.
- in an [I:score] instruction recognize a braced voice group as a grand staff when the opening brace is followed by an asterix ('{*' no space allowed).
- also recognize a normal braced voice group as a grand staff when precisely one of the braced voices has a name.
- the name of a staff or part is taken from the first of its voices (in ABC source order) for which a name is defined.
- within a grand staff notes and directions preceded by [I:staff +/-n] are moved n staffs upwards or downwards.
- accept voice ids with a leading asterix in I:score instructions (for the time being the asterix is discarded, however)

Version 56
- the <grace/> element should come before the <chord/> element in a note. (previously caused syntax warning with FinaleNotepad)
- translates the _8, ^8 variants of the clefs in addition to the +8, -8. Also translates octave= argument of V: and K:
- part names are left empty when not explicitly given using V:id name="<part name>" (previously id was used in that case)
- transpose= was only honoured when a typed clef= definition was present, now is works in any V: or K: field.
- a tempo definition in the ABC header (Q:) is treated as an inline tempo ([Q:]) for the first voice.
- repeated occurrences of [I:MIDI] in a voice are translated into a MusicXML instrument changes for that voice.
  Neither Finale nor Musescore recognize the relevant MusicXML elements (<sound/midi-instrument> and <note/instrument> yet.
- new cue=on/off attribute for K: and V: definitions, to mark sections of cue notes in a voice.
  Neither Finale nor Musescore handle cue size for directions, yet (<level size="cue">).
- normally whole measure rests are discarded when merging staffs. Use option -r to keep these rests in the merged results.

Version 55
- replaced info message text: "leeg" with "empty voice", when skipping an empty voice.
- avoided exception when ABC voice has only one measure containing only a volta number
- do not output an xml-backup element when it has zero duration

Version 54
- allow gracenotes within chords
- discard unbalanced chord brackets (caused a syntax error previously)
- chords containing only rests caused an exception
- ABC-code like: B2 1 caused an exception, now interpreted as: B2/1

Version 53
- tie to a chord with a single note caused an exception.
- a first line with a single measure and only a left bar line caused a syntax error.
- a first line with a single measure with only chords and no bar lines caused a syntax error.
- option -z or --mxl writes an additional compressed xml file with extention .mxl
- better treatment of barlines with spaces interspersed.
- dot after note right before barline caused syntax error (now only warning and skip)

Version 52
- accept and translate chords in a grace sequence (caused an exception previously)
- corrected bug when parsing %%score without space between voice number and left bracket, like %%staves 1(2 3)

Version 51
- treat abc file without any X: as a single tune and prepend X:1
- recognize alto4 as alternative notation for tenor clef

Version 50
- corrected translation of the clef octave change notation (i.e. +8, -8 suffix)

Version 49
- ties between different pitches are converted to slurs (previously the tie in 'A-B A' would extend
to the second A, now there will be a slur between A and B).
- do not add accidentals to tied notes even when present in ABC code.
- use consistent voice numbering in XML when merging ABC-voices with overlays.

Version 48
- M: field with more than one slash caused an exception.
- limit shortest note durations to 1/64
- skip redundant closing slurs (caused exception previously)
- check instrument id when generating MIDI elements (caused exception when errors in %%score)
- issue warning message when illegal user defined characters are used (X,Y,Z,x,y,z)
- use correct xml-syntax for credit elements (was wrong in version 47)
- translate explicit alterations for non traditional keys
(non traditional key signatures not supported by MuseScore, but note alterations are correct)
- skip more illegal symbols in stead of issuing parse error

Version 47
- translate middle=<pitch> in clefs
- translate transpose=<semitones> in clefs (also %%MIDI transpose is recognised)
- translate subname= in V: fields (name= was already translated)
- translate "%%MIDI program" and "%%MIDI channel" (multiple instruments per staff supported)
- an abc file with multiple tunes can be converted to a set of musicxml files.
- new command line option "-m SKIP NUM" to set the range of tunes to be converted for large abc files.
- leading dot was skipped when parsing a float in page format settings (.5in -> 5in)
- accept [r:] syntax for remarks (caused syntax error previously)
- relax syntax for user defined symbols (allowed character set was needlessly restricted)
- all abc meta-info fields are translated to credit tags (with type)

Version 46
- warn when unit length is a single integer and assume L:1/8 (caused exception previously)
- translate tune with only header fields (caused exception previously)
- translate tunes where first voice definition appears in the middle of the body (caused exception previously)
- skip illegal characters in chords and issue warning (caused syntax error previously)
- skip illegal U: field in body and issue warning (caused syntax error previously)
- more illegal characters between elements are skipped but with less specific warnings.
- line endings with only <cr> were not handled properly
- add check for text without any abc code in it (caused exception previously)
- conversion of pObj to string caused exception when it contained non latin-1 characters (e.g. in warning messages)

Version 45
- ignore old style continuation when next line is w:
- replace illegal durations by the nearest smaller legal one (caused exception previously)
- when multiple stave mappings keep only first one and issue warning
- accept start of next tune (X:) when not preceeded by an empty line (caused syntax error previously)
- warn when unit length is no fraction of integers and assume L:1/8 (caused exception previously)
- raise meaningful exception when the tune is empty (e.g. empty line after K:)
- broken rhythm involving a rest was not translated

Version 44
- translate volta brackets with quoted text (in addition to numbers and number ranges)
- when error in M: field assume 4/4. (caused exception previously)
- allow voice names with underscore
- bug in parsing %%score when no space between two stave groups, like: (v1 v2)(v3 v4)
- corrected merging of voices of unequal length (caused exception previously)
- user defined symbols with '()<>.' chars were not accepted
- when p was a user defined symbol also !p! was erroneously seen as used defined
- skip random text before tune starts (caused syntax error previously)

Version 43
- more non standard bar lines recognized (e.g. :])
- accept X: fields when the tune number is followed by non-numeric chars.
- allow complex meter (M:2+2+3/8)
- warn for illegal L: fields (like L:1/6) and use 1/8 instead
- accept and skip E: field
- wedge close was not recognized when written with old '+' notation (bug was in fixSlurs)
- remove * and ** at end of line (probably old notation for right adjustment)
- accept and ignore a Q:-field with only text
- replace "Expected end of text at .." message from parser by "Syntax error at .."

Version 42
- translate tempo from Q: field
- translate -8 in key or voice field (temporary fix)
- accept empty text annotations
- in addition to !<(! also accept !crescendo(! and the same for diminuendo
- ignore line continuation after information field
- in lyrics treat isolated tildes as note skips
- encode parse error message in utf-8 and when that fails in latin-1
- limit length of misplaced symbol message to 80 chars
- put text between K: and first V: into the header (was skipped previously)
- bug in %%score when no spaces around '|'-character
- added "o" as alternative for dim ("Edim7" = "Eo7")
- in chord symbols "+" and "-" were not always translated correctly
- tuple abbreviation (n:: and (n::m were not translated correctly
- dotted barlines translated (: .|)

Version 41
- translate (multi-)measure rests: Z, X
- discard misplaced broken symbols (no more exceptions)
- discard misplaced octave suffices (warning, no parse error)
- discard misplaced header fields (warning, no parse error after K:)
- show location of misplaced symbols
- only parse header if it is not empty (-> better error messages)
- accept score/stave-directives and page formatting also in body

Version 40
- when reading a file with multiple tunes only translate the first one
- command line option added for scale, page size and margins
- all %% directives are changed into I: fields
- translate scale, page size and margins from ABC directives, but command line overrides

Version 39
- accept and discard rests in chords
- accept and discard accidentals before rests
- spacer is treated as a normal note but discarded
- accept chords with only one note
- invisible rests (x) are translated as invisible in xml too.

Version 38
- also recognise ma and mi in chord symbols (e.g. Cma7, Cmi7)
- replace tildes in lyrics by spaces
- accept syllabi starting with a tilde
- accept space after V: 1

Version 37
- accidental elements are written whenever an explicit accidentals are present in ABC (for finale, mscore does not need them)
- tuplet notation elements are written to mark begin and end of tuplet (for finale, mscore doet not need them)
- normal-type elements are written when tuplets are irregular
- issue understandable message when metre is not recognized
- take (compound) metre into account when translating tuplet shorthands (as described in ABC 2.1)
- do not add beaming-elements into rest-elements (still break beam when long rest in beamgroup).

Version 36
- volta-stop elements were somtimes (recognised at and) put into a left-bar element, which
is not valid MusicXML. These elements are now put into the right-bar of the previous measure.
- accept volta's without barline: "abc [1 def" is read as: "abc |[1 def"
- accept volta's after redundant left barline: "abc |\n|[1 def" is read as "abc |\n[1 def"
- changed document order of repeat and ending elements (MusicXML order requirement)
- xml output to stdout is also encoded in utf-8 (was erroneously done in latin-1)
- prevent finale detecting the string "xml" in the <software>-tag (finale quirk)
- only issue a <supports>-tag when abc code really uses explicit linebreaks

Version 35
- recognise and translate (nested) braces and brackets in both %%staves and %%score
- translate more keys (maj, min, mix, dor, phr, lyd, loc and none)
- recognise and skip [I:...] in body
- invisible bar lines translated
- silently skip slur end when there is no corresponding slur begin
- also accept user defined symbols delimited by +
- limit length of syntax error message (in a way compatible with pyparsing internal administration)
- add <identification/encoding/supports> tag, because Finale seems to expect it.

Version 34
- removed copy() from 2 parse expressions because it did not appear to work on Linux
- recognize, warn and skip misplaced accidentals and ties
- bug in old style continuation when there was nothing left to continue with.
- limit syntax error output to 80 chars, with error in the middle.

Version 33
- added !coda!, !segno!, !fine!, !dacoda!, !dalsegno! etc.
- move coda and segno when just before a barline to next measure
- added several ornaments and articulations.
- recognize (and skip) '<' and '>' position markers for text expressions
- fall back to text expression for unrecognized chord symbols.
- recognize (and skip) alternative chord symbols between brackets
- interpret expressions like "ABC" as text expression and not as misspelled chord symbol.
- beam detection improved (grammar)

Version 32
- grammar for both linebreaks ! and $ without ambiguities!
- remove commandline option for linebreak (also I:linebreak not needed anymore)
- accept both + and ! for deco's
- accept (and skip) empty fields
- accept ']' in all header fields
- strip leading and trailing spaces from header fields (T: title -> T:title)
- also translate inline fields before a left barline
- recognise volta after forward repeat
- translate dashes to comma's in volta ([1-3 -> [1,3)
- recognise slurs after broken rhythm symbols i.e. replace (ab>>)c -> (ab)>>c
- skip P: fields
- allow lines with a single measure without barline
- combine ~-syllabi (multiple syllabi under one note)
- skip W: lyrics because no musicXML equivalent
- translate longa and breve

Version 31
- bug in treatment of double-repeat when it is at the end of a voice-lyrics block
- added <DOCTYPE> declaration because Finale seems to need it.
- added identification/encoding element so people can see what software made the file

Version 30
- voice overlays
- merging voices rewritten: lyrics renumbering, measurewise merging
- linebreak after left-bar is output directly (i.e. not postponed to the next measure)

Version 29
- implementation of beaming
- insert line breaks at start of next measure
- keep only one line break per measure when mapping multiple voices
- renumber slurs when clash occurs during voice mapping
- syntax error message is encoded in latin-1
- bug in recognition of presence of open tie

Version 28
- all chord symbols were erroneously recognized as text annotations (wrong syntax priority)
- Recognize (and skip) redundant left side bars
- don't stumble on a double repeat (::) when it occurs at the and of a voice/lyrics block
- better error message when header fields appear after the first K:
- output of non latin-1 strings on stderr uses repr()

Version 27
- Initial release