ABC: DS al Fine - DC?

Subject: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: NightWing
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 01:47 PM

Hmm, I guess it's D.C. al Fine.

Can you do stuff like this with ABC? I know I can make the generated tune (or .MID) play the music, but can you put these symbols in the output score?

How about fermatas, too?

BB,
NightWing

P.S. While I'm asking, I know what they MEAN. But what's the actual Italian that they are short for?

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: Bagpuss
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 01:57 PM

DC is da capo

DS is da what ever the word for the s shaped sign is...

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: mousethief
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 02:01 PM

DC = de capo = from the top (literally from the head)

DS = de signo = from the sign

al fine = to the end

Alex

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: Sorcha
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 02:04 PM

I'm not sure you can, you may have to figure out where the music wants you to DC and use the repeat,1st and 2nd ending symbols. Snuffy is the ABC expert, you could PM him.

"Fine" means the end.

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: mousethief
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 02:04 PM

Pardon my spelling!

It should be:

da capo
da segno

Alex

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: IvanB
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 03:20 PM

As far as playback, it depends on the program. For printing, some of the regulars on the ABCusers list have done their own modifications to ABC2PS to have the printed music output the proper symbols. This seems to be one area where abc is in a state of flux right at the moment. There's been a lot of discussion on the list about the 'flow control' symbols, but they haven't made it into the standard yet. Of course that doesn't preclude anyone from programming nonstandard forms, as long as they have the ability, and more and more of that seems to be happening.

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: NightWing
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 03:29 PM

Well, I definitely don't have the ability.

I guess while I'm at this I might as well ask: Can you make a .GIF out of the score?

BB,
NightWing

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: IvanB
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 03:57 PM

Guess I should expand on my last post. First, for more than you ever wanted to know about ABC, here's the abc Home Page:

Click here

Seriously, it has links to a lot of abc-related stuff and is a good starting point.

Next, a site where you can download John Atchley's jaabc2ps program. John has been one of those agitating on the users' list for sybols to be included in the standard, and I believe this latest compilation has them. I haven't used it, so I can't tell you for sure, but it's not a real big download (252K), so it's worth trying. You'll need a PostScript program of some sort (Adobe Acrobat Reader or, preferably, IMO, GhostScript) to see and print your output.

Click here

Finally, in relation to your GIF question, I understand that John Chambers' ABC Entry and Conversion page allows you to drag your own abc file onto the converter and produce a GIF image (John also makes a wry comment that you'll be donating your tune to his archive in the process, but what the hey!). The converter is referenced with a link on this page:

Click here

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: IvanB
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 04:17 PM

Having just looked at John Chambers' converter page, I realized I have used it before. I was wrong, you can't drag a file onto the converter, it's actually a form which must be manually filled in. However, the information to fill the form could certainly be cut and pasted from a text file. And the GIF converter does a nice job. It also has converters for producing PS or MIDI output. And, technically, you wouldn't have to donate your file to John's archives since that doesn't happen until you hit the 'Submit' button.

Subject: RE: ABC: DS al Fine - DC?
From: M. Ted (inactive)
Date: 05 Dec 00 - 04:56 PM

I use Barfly, and there, you can pull down the file menu, and go to Print Preview, when the preview image comes up, there is a button that allows you to save it as a PICT, which you can then open in a program such as Graphic Converter, and then save again as a GIF or JPEG or whatever you like.