"\*" =
#(define-music-function (n mus) (index? ly:music?)
#{ \repeat $repeat-shorthand $n { #mus } #})
Instead of debating a default repeat type and function, why not provide access
to repetition as a music function with a clear name like
\repeatFunction type n music
And let the user decide how to abbreviate it?
x = \repeatFunction unfold \etc
Maybe it helps to give some context: The discussion started with the
problem of skipping notes in lyrics (using \addlyrics {} / \lyricsto {})
in the documentation. In order to skip multiple notes, the documentation
currently suggests ugly things like
\repeat unfold 2 { \skip 1 }
that
a) are very cumbersome,
b) contain a mandatory-yet-unused duration argument.
I think b) can be remedied by using "" instead of the skip (I'm not sure
yet if it's really equivalent), which leads to
\repeat unfold 2 ""
And I think it would be nice to have an even more natural variant for
that; I think it's reasonable to provide & show/recommend convenient
solutions for standard tasks (rather than say "you can define your own
abbreviation here if you know how to do so") - for example,
\*2 "" or \x2 ""
which would be my favourite.
Lukas
