Extending LilyPond: 2.5.1 Markup construction in Scheme

### 2.5.1 Markup construction in Scheme

Markup expressions are internally represented in Scheme using the `markup` macro:

>     (markup expr)

To see a markup expression in its Scheme form, use the `\displayScheme` command:

>     \displayScheme
>     \markup {
>       \column {
>         \line { \bold \italic "hello" \raise #0.4 "world" }
>         \larger \line { foo bar baz }
>       }
>     }

Compiling the code above will send the following to the display console:

>     (markup
>       #:line
>       (#:column
>        (#:line
>         (#:bold (#:italic "hello") #:raise 0.4 "world")
>         #:larger
>         (#:line
>          (#:simple "foo" #:simple "bar" #:simple "baz")))))

To prevent the markup from printing on the page, use ‘`\void \displayScheme markup`’. Also, as with the `\displayMusic` command, the output of `\displayScheme` can be saved to an external file. See Displaying music expressions.

This example demonstrates the main translation rules between regular LilyPond markup syntax and Scheme markup syntax. Using `#{ … #}` for entering in LilyPond syntax will often be most convenient, but we explain how to use the `markup` macro to get a Scheme-only solution.

LilyPond | Scheme
`\markup markup1` | `(markup markup1)`
`\markup { markup1 markup2 … }` | `(markup markup1 markup2 … )`
`\markup-command` | `#:markup-command`
`\variable` | `variable`
`\center-column { … }` | `#:center-column ( … )`
`string` | `"string"`
`#scheme-arg` | `scheme-arg`

The whole Scheme language is accessible inside the `markup` macro. For example, You may use function calls inside `markup` in order to manipulate character strings. This is useful when defining new markup commands (see New markup command definition).

#### Known issues and warnings

The markup-list argument of commands such as `#:line`, `#:center`, and `#:column` cannot be a variable or the result of a function call.

    (markup #:line (function-that-returns-markups))

is invalid. One should use the `make-line-markup`, `make-center-markup`, or `make-column-markup` functions instead,

    (markup (make-line-markup (function-that-returns-markups)))

#### LilyPond — Extending v2.24.4 (stable-branch).