Extensible constraint syntax through score accessors

Abstract : We present in this paper our recent developments dealing with constraint-based programming. Our focus is in a new syntax that extends the pattern-matching part of our rule system. The syntax allows to refer to more high-level entities in a score than before, resulting in compact rules that use only a minimal set of primitives. The system can be used to define a wide range of cases ranging from melodic, harmonic and voice-leading rules. The compiler can be extended to support new score accessor keywords by special compiler methods. The new syntax is explained and demonstrated with the help of a large number of rule examples.