Re: [musicxml] Suppress the 'non-controlling' attribute in measures

Hi Bern,

Thank you very much for your comments.

When proposing this change I was aware of multi-metric music and of 
the typical Don Giovanni example. But, certainly, I was not aware of 
any 'barline alignment' problem. In my software, barlines are 
naturally aligned by the same rule used for aligning noteheads: all 
barlines at the same position in time must go aligned. In a 
multi-metric score this implies than only common barlines for all 
parts will be aligned. This is what human engravers have always done 
for years without the need to create new concepts for balines.

This brings to my mind the MusicXML issue of distinguishing between 
left and right barlines (what are they? in music there are only 
barlines, and no one book on music engraving says a word about 
left-barlines or right-barlines!. The position of a barline, at left 
or are right is just an issue for a local observer, i.e. a note. Even,
 in MusicXML certain barlines (repetition) are splitted into two 
barlines!! In my opinion (just one un-informed opinion, I'm not an 
expert) the issue of barlines in MusicXML should be revised. Probably,
 as with natural languages, representation languages condition what 
can be easily managed and what can not. And probably the problem of 
'barline alignment' that you mention and I still not see, is something
 related to the MusicXML barlines model. MusicXML relies on using the 
concept of 'measure' for organizing music. But this is a derived 
concept: a measure is just what is inside between two barlines. 
Therefore, barlines is all what is needed. The program can determine, 
if necessary, what is the content for a given measure. Many music 
notation programs are organized in the same way, around measures. 
Therefore, they need tricks for dealing, for instance, with music with
 no time signatures, typically non-visible barlines. Or, as you 
mention, they need tricks for dealing with music not ended in a 
barline.

In my software, the music internal model does not need the concept of 
'measure' as a primary concept and I do not find problems for aligning
 barlines, for dealing with multimetric music, for dealing with music 
without time signatures or for dealing with music without a final 
barline. But I do find problems for exporting MusicXML barlines: when 
should I export a barline as left barline or as right barline? when a 
barline is non-controllig? Must I artificially split a repetition 
barline into a left and a rigt barline?

If the suppression of the 'non-controlling' attribute could cause 
barline alignment problems or other, please close this issue. But in 
that case I would appreciate clear rules for exporting this attribute.
 In Don Giovanni example there is only one part in 2/4 time signature,
 but if there were more, then all the barlines in parts in 2/4 must go
 aligned! Should the non-controlling attribute still be used?:

* If yes, how to represent that the non-controlling attribute relates 
olny to parts not in 2/4 but that these non-controlling barlines must 
go aligned with other left barlines in parts in 2/4?
* If no, this implies that the software can deal properly with 
multi-metric without using this attribute!

MusicXML has done a great job by facilitating not only a good de-facto
 standard for interchanging music between notation applications, but 
also for grouping around its forum and working groups all the people 
interested in music notation representation. Thank you!!!

Best regards,
Cecilio

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Received on Friday, 15 January 2016 10:07:48 UTC