On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 8:42 AM, dhbailey
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>  I think
> there may be a programming issue where underlying changes in the way the
> program works might have made internal tracking or control of more than 4
> staff lists difficult.
>

I do not know any more about how this function evolved than anyone
else on this list. I could speculate that they may have originally
planned to have only hard-wired staff lists (i.e., completely
uneditable), then thought better of it. What makes me say this is that
you can find 4 names that look like they may be staff list names in
the datafile that are currently not used. They are generic names that
match up with the category names fairly closely. Furthermore, nothing
about the data structures that I can see as a plugin developer
precludes the possibility of lifting the artificial limit.

If they lifted the limit, there is definitely more programming work
they would have to do, mainly to do with libraries. I do not believe
the staff lists get copied with an expression library: only the 1, 2,
3, 4 assignments are copied. If they opened up staff lists, they would
have to be included in expression libraries.

That said, I have not heard one iota of a word from MM that the limit
has anything to do with programming priorities or time constraints.
I'd feel better about it if I had. On the contrary, MM so far has
steadfastly justified it as a designed and planned "enahancement" to
the program. That is why it is incumbent upon us users to disabuse
them of their folly.

You know, the limit of 4 is not the only problem. I would like to have
the option of *fewer* staff lists than 4. Many of my pieces require
only 1, and the rest are just clutter. Why force us to have any
certain number of them?
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