"Spatium" vs. "Space"
Layout → Page Settings calls it "Space"
Inspector for Images calls it "Spatium" (as does the disabled dialog for OMR and one translator hint)
I think "Space" is the term to use in English (but Spatium in German).
So I've made this part of PR #1385
Or call it "staff space", like SMuFL (or "stave-space", like Gould)?
On IRC I've been asked to poll for opinions here...
Comments
I've never encountered the word spatium, and I doubt most English speakers have either. Your reference to SMuFL makes me think that it is a term of art - possibly borrowed from medical vocabulary, where its very limited usage seems most prevalent.
In reply to 'term of art'? by [DELETED] 448831
"Spatium" is the (German) term for the space used in the printing press business.
See http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatium
In reply to "Spatium" is the (German) by Jojo-Schmitz
English, too, but again a term of art.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/spatium
In reply to 'term of art'? by [DELETED] 448831
As an another native English speaker, I concur that "spatium" meant nothing to me the first time I saw it in MuseScore. However, I would also say that the word "space" - while entirely accurate to describe the distance betwene two adjacent staff lines - is far too broad. It means too many other things for the "Space" setting in Layout / Page Settings to be very intuitive. It seems obvious once you are told that is what it means, but for whatever reason, I think most English speakers upon seeing a setting "space" in a layout dialog assume it has to do with distance betwene staves or page margins or something else. Which is to say, I don't know that any one single term is going to eliminate questions - we will have continue to hope people use the tooltips or other documentation.
What _exactly_ does the 'space' value represent? Is it the measured distance between staff lines?
While Spatium seems like an reasonable description of how it's being used, once you go and read various definitions, it's also obscure on this side of the pond. However Space doesn't seem to have the right connotations either... maybe Spacing, Scaling.
Regardless, what this value is and how it's used needs to be described better in the handbook. In the local 1.3 handbook Spatium is only mentioned in one place.
In reply to What is Spatium by schepers
The toolTop for the existing "Space" dialog item says "Distance between two lines on a normal staff". Sorry, should have mentioned this in the initial post.
In reply to The toolTop for the existing by Jojo-Schmitz
Note that we also need a short term for it. It's used as an unit a bit everywhere.
Music Notation (Berklee Guide) calls it staff space too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0793508479/
Anyone has one of the reference books listed here, and not already quoted: http://musescore.org/en/node/17242
In reply to The toolTop for the existing by Jojo-Schmitz
Ah, took me a while to find where to put the mouse to see that definition. What is a "normal staff", or its inverse an "abnormal staff"? Perhaps "standard 5-line staff" would be a better description.
In reply to Ah, took me a while to find by schepers
Yes, it would. I'd add that to the change
In reply to Yes, it would. I'd add that by Jojo-Schmitz
Jo-jo, your recent commit is subtly wrong: you wrote "5-lines staff" and it should be "5-line staff".
In reply to Jo-jo, your recent commit is by schepers
oops...
corrected
In reply to oops... by Jojo-Schmitz
As an aside, I also see there are 2 tool tips per item being updated: toolTip and WhatsThis. One is with the mouse on rollover (toolTip?), where's the other seen?
In reply to As an aside, I also see there by schepers
No idea, I think it is only visible on the Translation server as a hint?
In reply to No idea, I think it is only by Jojo-Schmitz
I see where it is. When you right-click on/around the "Space" text, a "What's This" context menu comes up. Select it and you see the description again. On Page Settings, the Scaling region is the only one with tips defined.
In reply to I see where it is. When you by schepers
Ah, right-clicking it! Never noticed.
Guess many more toolTip and WhatThis are needed.
In reply to Ah, right-clicking it! Never by Jojo-Schmitz
One's transient, one's a small window. I wonder why there's both for twice the work?
Ok, I think we agree that a proper toolTip is needed, but what term to use?
All the above as 'sp' like it currently is, when used as a unit postfix in spinboxes
In reply to Ok, I think we agree that a by Jojo-Schmitz
I'm not sure exactly where we are talking about making changes. If it's just about what to call the field in Layout / Page Settings, I like "Staff Space" (currently it's just "Space") with a tooltip saying "Distance between staff lines" or something like that. And indeed, keep "sp" where used in spinboxes.
In reply to I'm not sure exactly where we by Marc Sabatella
It is this and the term "Spatium" in the Inspector dialog for images
In reply to Ok, I think we agree that a by Jojo-Schmitz
"Staff space" is clear, "spatium" is jargon (and not a standard music term) so should be avoided if possible, and "space" is vague. So "staff space" is a good choice imho.