instance-and-group-assignment.md

Instance and Group Assignment

Note: this is a comprehensive explanation of how instance and group assignment works, for the curious. The details below are complicated, but can be simplified as a handful of simple rules.

You may want to follow that link if you aren't concerned with the gory details!

There are four categories of instrument calls in Alda. Each category either has an alias or doesn't, and either has multiple instances or doesn't.

foo:

• If foo refers to a previously named instrument or group, e.g. piano-1:...

  • ...refers to that instrument or group.

• If foo is a stock instrument, e.g. piano:...

  • ...and we don't have a piano yet in the score...
    • ...creates a new instance of the stock instrumentpiano.
    • ...subsequent calls to piano will reference that instrument.
  • ...and we already have a NAMED piano in the score...
    • ...throws an ambiguity error. (Any additional pianos must also be named.)
  • ...and we already have exactly one piano, and it doesn't have a name...
    • ...refers to that piano.

• Else, throws an "unrecognized instrument" error.

foo "bar":

• foo is expected to be a stock instrument. If it's not, an error will be thrown.

• If "bar" was already used as the alias of another instance, throws an error.

• If there is an existing, unnamed instance of foo in the score, throws an error. (All instances of foo must be named.)

• Creates a new instance named bar of type foo, e.g.:

  • piano "larry": creates a new instance of the stock piano named "larry"
  • Subsequently in the score, larry: refers to that instance.

foo/bar:

• If foo and bar are the same named instance, e.g. foo/foo...

  • ...throw an error because that doesn't make any sense.

• If foo and bar are the same stock instrument, e.g. piano/piano...

  • ...throw an error because the next time you call piano:, it won't be clear which one you mean.

• If both foo and bar refer to previously named instrument instances...

  • ...refers to those instances.

• If both foo and bar are stock instruments, e.g. piano/bassoon:

  • ...follows the foo: rules above to select and/or create instances.
    • (new instances will be created for any instruments that don't exist yet in the score)

• If e.g. foo is a named instrument and bar is not, or vice versa (e.g. foo/trumpet:):

  • ...throws an ambiguity error. (aliases should be used for creating new instances or grouping existing ones, not both.)

foo/bar "baz":

• If foo and bar are the same named instance, e.g. foo/foo...

  • ...throw an error because that doesn't make any sense.

• If foo and bar are the same stock instrument, e.g. piano/piano...

  • ...throw an error because if you wanted to call baz.piano: to refer to one of the pianos, it won't be clear which one you mean.
  • So the moral of the story is, if you want a group containing two of the same instrument, you have to name both instances individually first.

• If both foo and bar refer to previously named instrument instances...

  • ...refers to those instances.
  • ...creates an alias "baz" which can now be used to refer to those instances as a group.
  • ...subsequently, baz.foo and baz.bar are available to reference the group members, although you could also just keep calling them foo and bar.

• If both foo and bar are stock instruments, e.g. piano/guitar "floop":...

  • ...creates new instances for each group member.
  • ...creates an alias "floop" which can now be used to refer to those instances as a group.
  • ...subsequently, floop.piano and floop.guitar are available to reference the group members.

• If foo is a named instrument and bar is a stock instrument or vice versa, e.g. foo/trumpet "quux":...

  • ...throws an ambiguity error. (Groups should be used for creating new instances or grouping existing ones, not both.)