In call-position compositions, you specify calls using letters that represent standard calling positions, or by using numbers that indicate where the observation bell will be at the lead end AFTER the call has been made. It is not generally necessary to specify plain leads, though there are some instances where specifying a plain lead can help Abel resolve an ambiguity.

By default, the calling positions use the tenor as the observation bell. If you want to change this, type the number (or letter, for higher numbers) of the bell that you want to be the observation bell followed by an exclamation mark ‘!'. These must be the first characters of the composition other than comments, before you add any calls or method changes. For example, 2! means "use the 2 as the observation bell for this composition".

The standard calling positions that Abel understands are:

H = Home, defined to be when the observation bell will be in N^ths place after a call, where N is the number of bells that are changing. For example, 8^ths place in major.

W = Wrong, defined to be when the observation bell will be in N-1^ths place after a call. For example, 7^ths place if you are ringing major.

M = Middle, defined to be when the observation bell will be in N-2^ths place after a call. For example, 6^ths place if you are ringing major or 8^ths place if you are ringing royal.

I = In, defined to be the observation bell in 2^nds place after a call.

O = Out, defined to be the observation bell in 3^rds place after a call.

Case is not significant, so you can use either H or h for Home.

Other calling positions take numerical values (but, ringers on more than 18 bells, note that H and M always mean Home and Mid, and cannot be used for 19th and 23rd place). For example, the common calling of "fifths, fourths" is represented as "5 4". Of course, you can also use numerical values for the ‘standard' calls as well – so you can use ‘6' for Middle if you are ringing major. This won't however work if you then use the same composition for Royal, so be careful!

By default, bobs are assumed for calls, so "WH" means "bob Wrong, bob Home". You can modify any call by placing one of the following letters in front of it:

P = Plain

S = Single

X = Call X, which you define according to your own preference

Y = Call Y, which you define according to your own preference

For example, "WsH" means bob Wrong, single Home. Once again, case is not significant, so both S and s can be used for Single. You may find it easier to read if you stick to one case for calls and another for calling positions.

Note that you never need to use ‘B' for bob (or "before"), and in any case B means "make a call when the observation bell is in 14^th place".

Method changes are indicated by inserting the method identifier for that method. You must do this by double-clicking the method you want at the appropriate point; you cannot type method identifiers. If a method change happens at a lead end where there is not a call, you need to specify that it is to be a plain lead: for example, "WpH CAM" means bob at Wrong, followed by a switch to Cambridge at the next Home.

As for lead-end compositions, white space (spaces, tabs, newlines) are ignored, which allows you to lay out your compositions neatly.

Similarly, comments are allowed. A comment is introduced by a ‘#' and runs to the end of the line. These also can be very useful for making compositions legible – for example, by labelling the calling positions at the top of the composition.

Multipliers are allowed, which let you repeat a section of a composition. A multiplier consists of a single digit in the range 2 to 9, followed by a bracket, followed by the calls to be repeated and then a closing bracket. Any of the bracket characters are allowed – ( ), [ ] or { }, and you can include repeated sections inside other repeated sections. So 3(H) means 3 bobs at home. Or you could write out a 720 of Plain Bob Minor as 2( 3[WHW] sH ), which says "call wrong-home-wrong three times, then a single at home; repeat the whole thing", or, more conventionally, "wrong-home-wrong, five times repeated, single half way and end".

Like lead-end compositions, if you want to make the composition specific to one particular method, include that method's identifier at the start of the composition by double clicking on the method name. If you are entering a touch of spliced, double click each method with your cursor at the point in the composition you want to change method.

See Examples for some examples of call-position compositions.

See also:

  Adding compositions
  Editing compositions
  Deleting compositions
  Call position compositions
  Random compositions