COMMAND

humdrum — general syntax checker for Humdrum files

SYNOPSIS

humdrum [-v] [inputfile ...]

DESCRIPTION

The humdrum command identifies whether an input conforms to the Humdrum representation syntax. Error messages are issued where appropriate. If the input conforms to the Humdrum syntax, then the humdrum command produces no output, unless the verbose (v) option is invoked.

Formally, a Humdrum representation may be defined as any ASCII input containing zero or more comments, data records or interpretations — with the restriction that no data records or local comments appear without a prior exclusive interpretation, and that the file maintain a coherent spine organization.

Humdrum comments are records (lines) that begin with an exclamation mark (!). Local comments begin each active spine with a single exclamation mark, whereas gobal comments begin with two exclamation marks (!!) at the beginning of the record.

Humdrum interpretations are records that begin with an asterisk (*). Tandem interpretations begin each active spine with a single asterisk, whereas exclusive interpretations begin the record with one or more asterisks and have at least one active spine beginning with two asterisks. Spine-path indicators are special types of interpretations that include any one of the following tokens: *+ *-, *v, *^, or *x. Spine-path indicators cannot appear on the same line with a tandem or exclusive interpretation.

Any record that does not begin with either an exclamation mark of asterisk is a data record.

The following table defines some of the pertinent Humdrum terminology.

Some Humdrum Definitions

The following files may satisfy the Humdrum syntactical requirements:

• a file containing data records preceded by at least one exclusive interpretation
• a file containing only comments and interpretations
• a file containing only interpretations
• a file containing only global comments
• a totally empty file.

Additional interpretations may be added throughout the file. Global comments may appear anywhere in the file. Local comments and data records can appear only after a spine has been initiated via an exclusive interpretation.

Illegal constructions in Humdrum include the following:

• Empty record (i.e. a record containing only a carriage return or newline).
• Record containing only tabs.
• Any record beginning with a tab.
• Any record ending with a tab (except in a global comment).
• Any record containing two successive tab characters (except in a global comment).
• Any data record with fewer or more spines than the immediately preceding data or exclusive interpretation record.
• Spine-path record containing only one join-spine indication.
• Spine-path record containing only one exchange-spine indication, or containing more than two exchange-spine indicators.

SPINE ORGANIZATION

A Humdrum file must maintain a coherent spine organization. Spines are columns of information separated by tabs. Each spine must be labelled with an exclusive interpretation. If the number of spines varies in a given file, spines must be added, terminated, split, joined, or exchanged using the appropriate spine path indicators. Spines may (1) start, (2) terminate, (3) split (into two), (4) join (n-into-one), and (5) exchange.

Spine-path Indicators

The use of various spine-path indicators is illustrated below:

**one	**two	**three
1	2	3
*	*+	*
*	*	**four	*
1	2	4	3
1	2	4	3
*	*	*-	*
1	2	3
*	*-	*
1	2	3
*	*^	*
1	2a	2b	3
1	2	3
*	*v	*v
1	2&3
1	2&3
*x	*x
2&3	1
*-	*-

More complex examples:

**one	**two	**three	**four	**five
1	2	3	4	5
*	*-	*	*-	*
*v	*v	*v
1&3&5
*-

**one	**two	**three	**four
1	2	3	4
*	*	*v	*v
*	*x	*x
*v	*v	*
1&3&4	2
*-	*-

**one	**two	**three	**four
1	2	3	4
*v	*v	*^	*^
1&2	3a	3b	4a	4b
*	*v	*v	*	*
*	*	*v	*v
*-	*-	*-

**one	**two	**three	**four	**five
1	2	3	4	5
*	*-	*	*	*
*v	*v	*	*
*	*^	*
*	*	*+	*
*	*	*	**six	*
1&3	4a	4b	6	5
*	*v	*v	*	*
*-	*-	*-	*-

OPTIONS

The humdrum command provides the following options:

The v option invokes the verbose mode which provides summary information and statistics concerning the input file. A list of all of interpretations found in the file is output. In addition, an inventory of all of the ASCII signifiers (characters) found in the data records is output. The total number of data records is also provided, as well as the number of null tokens encountered.

The verbose summary also produces a number of statistics related to the spine-organization in the Humdrum file. Both the minimum and maximum number of spines are identified. The paths of the various spines through the file are also summarized. Specifically, humdrum indicates the number of terminated spines, the number of new spines introduced, the number of joined spines, the number of split spines, and the number of exchanged spines.

EXAMPLES

The following is a sample input that conforms to the Humdrum syntax.

```humdrum
!! This is a global comment.
!! The following line specifies three
!! interpretations called "inter":
**inter	**inter	**inter
!! The next line has three local comments.
! flute	! oboe	! fingering
We	are	ASCII
data	tokens	.
We are	data as	well.
!! The above three lines are data records.
!! More examples of data records:
76.3	x+y	L(-)%4^
___	__	_____
>	<	|||
!! The next data record contains
!! only null tokens:
.	.	.
!! Some spine-path exchanges:
!Spine1	!Spine2	!Spine3
*x	*x	*
*	*x	*x
!Spine2	!Spine3	!Spine1
Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
4:00	5:00	6:00PM
!! Some null comments follow:
!!
!	!	!
!! New exclusive interpretations:
**foo	**bar	**ding
!! A tandem interpretation in spine #2:
*	*bop	*
More	data	tokens.
!! Some spine-path terminators:
*-	*-	*-

Where the verbose -v flag has been selected, the corresponding output for the above file would be:

Inventory of Interpretations: HUMDRUM FILE SUMMARY

Interpretations Occurrences
**inter 3
**foo 1
**bar 1
**ding 1
* 2
*bop 1

Inventory of data token signifiers: %()+-.034567:<>
ACILMPSTW^_
adeklnorstuwxy

Number of global comments: 14 Number of local comments: 4
Maximum # of concurrent spines: 3 Minimum # of concurrent spines: 3
Number of data records: 10 Number of null tokens: 4


Changes in number of spines:
New spines: 0
Terminated spines: 3
Split spines: 0
Joined spines: 0
Exchanges spines: 4

FILES

The humdrum command uses a kornshell script to invoke an executable. In order to avoid conflict, the executable file is named humdrum_.exe (humdrum_ on UNIX) rather than humdrum.exe.

PORTABILITY

DOS 2.0 and up, with the MKS Toolkit. OS/2 with the MKS Toolkit. UNIX systems supporting the Korn shell or Bourne shell command interpreters, and revised awk (1985).

SEE ALSO

census (4), proof (4)

DIAGNOSTICS

The following list tabulates all of the potential errors and warnings issued by the humdrum command. ``

Potential errors and warnings issued by humdrum.