5.5 Error messages

Different error messages can appear while compiling a file:

Warning

Something looks suspect. If you are requesting something out of the ordinary then you will understand the message, and can ignore it. However, warnings usually indicate that something is wrong with the input file.

Error

Something is definitely wrong. The current processing step (parsing, interpreting, or formatting) will be finished, but the next step will be skipped.

Fatal error

Something is definitely wrong, and LilyPond cannot continue. This happens rarely. The most usual cause is misinstalled fonts.

Scheme error

Errors that occur while executing Scheme code are caught by the Scheme interpreter. If running with the verbose option (-V or --verbose) then a call trace is printed of the offending function call.

Programming error

There was some internal inconsistency. These error messages are intended to help the programmers and debuggers. Usually, they can be ignored. Sometimes, they come in such big quantities that they obscure other output. In this case, file a bug-report.

If warnings and errors can be linked to some part of the input file, then error messages have the following form

       filename:lineno:columnno: message
       offending input line

A line-break is inserted in offending line to indicate the column where the error was found. For example,

     test.ly:2:19: error: not a duration: 5:
       \notes { c'4 e'5
                        g' }

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