musixser: Voice-wise Music Entry For MusiXTeX      Version 1.1a
===============================================================

(C) Rainer Dunker (rainer.dunker@ebe-online.de), 1999


musixser (MusiXTeX SERial input) is a small TeX macro collection -
meant as an add-on to MusiXTeX - which changes MusiXTeX's coding style
from chord or "column" oriented to voice oriented. Each voice of a
score (which nevertheless is allowed to contain chords) is entered as
a separate "thread" of musical events, thus imposing a polyphonic
flavour on music coding.

musixser is no MusiXTeX preprocessor like PMX or M-Tx. It neither
makes any layout decisions nor saves any typing work; it merely
rearranges the input and passes everything over to MusiXTeX. The
underlying idea is the desire to combine the following two properties:

1. Provide an easier, more intuitive, polyphonic way of entering and
   editing MusiXTeX code.

2. Retain the full expressive power of the MusiXTeX language and its
   typesetting capabilities in direct user access.

musixser is meant as an option for MusiXTeX users who - for whatever
reason - can't or don't want to use any available preprocessor. Before
you begin using it you should be familiar with "plain" MusiXTeX.

Main features are:

- no inherent limitations concerning the number of voices total or per
  staff

- easy rearrangement of scores including (to some extent) part extraction

- support for arbitrarily long scores


Main new features of this version
---------------------------------

- "pattern" expansion (similar to TeX macro expansion) for recurring
  musical structures
  
- automatic beam and slur number management

- simplified specification of barline-related items (voltas,
  meter/signature changes, repeats, ...)
  
- easier tracing of rhythmical mistakes

- complete documentation in LaTeX/DVI format


Usage
-----

Included in this package is a user's manual in DVI format - containing
many music examples - along with its LaTeX source. Even in case of
difficulties with the music fonts it should be possible to read the
plain text in order to learn how musixser is installed and used.


All kinds of comments, including suggestions and problem reports, are
welcome. Please send them to:

rainer.dunker@ebe-online.de