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<title>GNU LilyPond Learning Manual: 4.2.3 Types of properties</title>
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<tr><td valign="middle" align="left" colspan="1">[<a href="Tweaking-output.html#Tweaking-output" title="Beginning of this chapter or previous chapter"> << Tweaking output </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="center" colspan="3">[<a href="index.html#Top" title="Cover (top) of document" rel="start">Top</a>][<a href="index_toc.html#SEC_Contents" title="Table of contents" rel="contents">Contents</a>][<a href="LilyPond-index.html#LilyPond-index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>][<a href="index_abt.html#SEC_About" title="About (help)" rel="help"> ? </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="right" colspan="1">[<a href="Working-on-LilyPond-projects.html#Working-on-LilyPond-projects" title="Next chapter"> Working on LilyPond projects >> </a>]</td></tr><tr><td valign="middle" align="left" colspan="2">[<a href="Properties-found-in-interfaces.html#Properties-found-in-interfaces" title="Previous section in reading order" accesskey="p" rel="previous"> < Properties found in interfaces </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="center" colspan="1">[<a href="The-Internals-Reference-manual.html#The-Internals-Reference-manual" title="Up section" accesskey="u" rel="up"> Up : The Internals Reference manual </a>]</td><td valign="middle" align="right" colspan="2">[<a href="Appearance-of-objects.html#Appearance-of-objects" title="Next section in reading order" accesskey="n" rel="next"> Appearance of objects > </a>]</td></tr></table>
<a name="Types-of-properties"></a>
<h3 class="subsection">4.2.3 Types of properties</h3>
<a name="index-property-types"></a>
<p>So far we have seen two types of property: <code>number</code> and
<code>symbol</code>. To be valid, the value given to a property
must be of the correct type and obey the rules for that type.
The type of property is always shown in brackets after the
property name in the IR. Here is a list of the types you may
need, together with the rules for that type, and some examples.
You must always add a hash symbol, <code>#</code>, of course,
to the front of these values when they are entered in the
<code>\override</code> command.
</p>
<table>
<thead><tr><th width="20%"><p> Property type
</p></th><th width="45%"><p> Rules
</p></th><th width="35%"><p> Examples
</p></th></tr></thead>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Boolean
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> Either True or False, represented by #t or #f
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>#t</code>, <code>#f</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Dimension (in staff space)
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A positive decimal number (in units of staff space)
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>2.5</code>, <code>0.34</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Direction
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A valid direction constant or its numerical equivalent (decimal
values between -1 and 1 are allowed)
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>LEFT</code>, <code>CENTER</code>, <code>UP</code>,
<code>1</code>, <code>-1</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Integer
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A positive whole number
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>3</code>, <code>1</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> List
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A set of values separated by spaces, enclosed in parentheses
and preceded by an apostrophe
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>'(left-edge staff-bar)</code>, <code>'(1)</code>,
<code>'(1.0 0.25 0.5)</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Markup
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> Any valid markup
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>\markup { \italic "cresc." }</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Moment
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A fraction of a whole note constructed with the
make-moment function
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>(ly:make-moment 1 4)</code>,
<code>(ly:make-moment 3 8)</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Number
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> Any positive or negative decimal value
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>3.5</code>, <code>-2.45</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Pair (of numbers)
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> Two numbers separated by a ‘space . space’ and enclosed
in brackets preceded by an apostrophe
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>'(2 . 3.5)</code>, <code>'(0.1 . -3.2)</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Symbol
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> Any of the set of permitted symbols for that property,
preceded by an apostrophe
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>'italic</code>, <code>'inside</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Unknown
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A procedure, or <code>#f</code> to cause no action
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>bend::print</code>, <code>ly:text-interface::print</code>,
<code>#f</code>
</p></td></tr>
<tr><td width="20%"><p> Vector
</p></td><td width="45%"><p> A list of three items enclosed in parentheses and preceded
by apostrophe-hash, <code>'#</code>.
</p></td><td width="35%"><p> <code>'#(#t #t #f)</code>
</p></td></tr>
</table>
<a name="See-also-10"></a>
<h4 class="subsubheading">See also</h4>
<p>Learning Manual: <a href="Scheme-tutorial.html#Scheme-tutorial">Scheme tutorial</a>.
</p>
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