Re: Including input files via command line

[Benjamin Bruce]

Actually the second solution (passing a variable via Scheme) works great! 
Basically I have multiple template files to render a score in different ways 
(paper sizes, etc) and this way I can use the same base file to generate PDFs 
using the different templates without editing the base file every time.

And you're right--I did go over that page in the manual, but that part must 
have escaped me. Thanks for your help.

Benjamin


𐑪𐑯 2024-01-16 𐑨𐑑 12:39, Aaron Hill <lilypond@hillvisions.com> 𐑮𐑴𐑑:
> On 2024-01-16 10:12 am, Benjamin Bruce wrote:
>> Is there a way to compile multiple input files into one output file via 
>> the command line? Currently I am using \include, but I would like to be 
>> able to choose the included file on the fly without editing the main 
>> file.
>
> If I recall correctly, LilyPond will process each source file included 
> on the command-line individually.  You could use the shell to 
> concatenate all your sources together and pass them via standard input.  
> (Pass the filename "-" to LilyPond to instruct it to read from STDIN.)
>
>
>> Another thought I had was maybe there is a way to pass a value to the 
>> .ly file via the command line and use Scheme to choose the appropriate 
>> file to import based on that value. But that may be even more 
>> far-fetched.
>
> You could do this, but my Spidey-Sense™ tingles and suggests this may be 
> an XY problem.  But I simply do not have enough information about what 
> you are needing to accomplish.
>
> But for reference:
>
> lilypond -e '(define-public a 42)'
>
> Then within your .ly source, you'll need to bring in the guile-user 
> module:
>
> %%%%
> #(use-modules (guile-user))
>
> %% The variable `a` should now be in scope.
> %%%%
>
> ----
>
> NOTE: All of the above is documented in the first sections of the Usage 
> manual.
> https://lilypond.org/doc/v2.24/Documentation/usage/command_002dline-usage
>
>
> -- Aaron Hill