Editing LilyPond (section)

==Overview of input syntax==
The native input language for LilyPond is comprehensive, and consists of many [[Command (computing)|commands]] needed for expressing any sort of articulation, dynamic, meter, etc. It is similar to that of [[TeX]]. The ability to embed Scheme code within a LilyPond [[Source code|source file]] permits arbitrary extensions to the input language and assists with [[algorithmic composition]].  Some general syntactic features are listed below.

* Single-line [[comment (computer programming)|comments]] begin with a percent sign <code>%</code>.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/learning/working-on-input-files |title=LilyPond Learning Manual: 1.2.2 Working on input files |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>
* [[Musical note|Note]]s are represented in ''pitch-duration'' format: ''pitch'' is specified with [[Helmholtz pitch notation]], and ''duration'' is specified with a [[Numeral system|numeral]] based system.  The semantics of the ''pitch-duration'' format change depending on the active input mode; this is explained in depth in the LilyPond manual.  For example, in absolute mode, <code>a'4</code> is an A, one octave up from the base A (A3 in [[scientific pitch notation]]), of quarter note length.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/writing-pitches |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.1.1 Writing pitches |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>
* Commands usually begin with a backslash (such as <code>\time</code>, or <code>\slurUp</code>).  The function of the command in question determines where the command is placed; for example, if the command is used to indicate a fixed [[Dynamics (music)|dynamic]] on a specific note, it is placed ''after'' the note.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/expressive-marks-attached-to-notes#dynamics |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.3.1 Expressive marks attached to notes |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>
* Some common commands are represented symbolically to ease typing.  One example is with [[Slur (music)|slurs]], where <code>(</code> and <code>)</code> indicate the beginning and ending of a slur, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/expressive-marks-as-curves#slurs |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.3.2 Expressive marks as curves |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>  Another example is with manual [[Beam (music)|beaming]], where <code>[</code> and <code>]</code> indicate the extent of the beam.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/beams#manual-beams |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 1.2.4 Beams |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>

LilyPond's interface with [[Pango]] requires the input [[character encoding]] to be [[UTF-8]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lilypond.org/doc/v2.18/Documentation/notation/special-characters#text-encoding |title=LilyPond Notation Reference: 3.3.3 Text encoding |access-date=March 21, 2015 }}</ref>  One benefit of this is that more than one language can be included in the same source file.