"Many users have switched to it from other popular music notation programs, despite its text-format interface and command-line operation. LilyPond's output quality really is that attractive.
"Because of its plain ASCII text interface, many users are on the lookout for an effective GUI for LilyPond. Most of the programs reviewed in this article can be considered as LilyPond front ends, but they vary in the kind and degree of their support for LilyPond. They range from specialized text-editing environments to notation-based sequencing, but in all cases, LilyPond is the engine that drives their notation capabilities. In some cases, a working knowledge of LilyPond is required, while others entirely hide LilyPond's presence from the user.
"Music Notation Software: General Remarks
"Music notation software poses some considerable problems for application developers. A full-featured notation program involves complex graphics mechanisms, flexible audio and MIDI I/O, and support for importing and exporting a variety of file formats. Additionally, developers must decide whether their software falls into the category of composer's helpmate or music typesetter. This distinction determines many important aspects of the program's basic design, especially at the user interface level."
