Lilypond error: Loose column does not have right side to attach to

Question

in every song that I compile there is the message: "programming error: " but at the same time Frescobaldi says: "Completed successfully in 1.9" Why that error?

Lilypond code below:

% LilyBin
\version "2.18"
\language "english"

hide-barline = {\once \undo \hide Staff.BarLine \bar "|"}
hide-barline-period = {\once \undo \hide Staff.BarLine \bar "|."}
fine = ^\markup { \italic "              fine" }% add space to align
dcfine = ^\markup { \italic "D.C. al fine" }% add space to align

\header {
  title = "Ami tomar shudar"
  subtitle = " "
  opus = "22 November 1975"
  composer = "Sri Chinmoy"
  tagline = ##f % hide footer lilypond
}

global = {
\key gf \major
\override Score.MetronomeMark.Y-offset = 5 \tempo "Slow" 4 = 80 % adjust in vertical direction of tempo
  \override Glissando.style = #'trill
  \override Score.SpacingSpanner.base-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/1)
  \override Score.GraceSpacing.common-shortest-duration = #(ly:make-moment 1/132)
  \set includeGraceNotes = ##t 
}

\layout {
  \context {
    \Score
    \remove "Bar_number_engraver"
     defaultBarType = "" }} % hide bars

\layout {
  \context { 
\Staff 
  \remove "Time_signature_engraver"
}} % hide time

\layout {% to align 
  ragged-last = ##f
  line-width = 185 % or some other number
  indent = #0
}
\layout {
  \set includeGraceNotes = ##t % text from grace note
}

melody = \relative c'
 {\global
 %1
 ef8 ef4 f8  f4 \melisma ef8\melismaEnd f8  gf2 \glissando \melisma af2. \glissando gf4.. \melismaEnd gf16 gf2.\fine \bar "||"\break
%2
 f8 f8 af4.. af16 af4. gf16 \melisma af  \melismaEnd bf4.  cf16 bf (bf4.)  \bar "|"\break
 %3
 bf8 cf4. cf16 cf (cf4.) cf8 \grace cf16\glissando  (df4.) cf16 bf (bf4.) \bar "|"\break
 %4
 \tuplet 3/2 {\override TupletBracket.bracket-visibility = ##t gf8 af bf } cf4. \glissando f,8 gf4. \melisma f16 ef f8. [ef16] df8 [\melismaEnd df]  ef2.\bar "|"\break
 %5
ef8 [ef] f af4. bf8 cf4.\melisma  bf16 af  gf4. f16 ef f4  \glissando af2 \glissando \melismaEnd gf4 gf1\dcfine\bar "|."}

\addlyrics {
%1
A -- mi  to -- mar __ su -- dhar __ dha -- ra
%2
ta -- i -- to a -- mai  da -- ke ta -- ra __ 
%3
da -- ke shă -- shi __ da -- ke __ ră -- bi __ 
%4
da -- ke  dhă -- rar ri -- shi __ kă -- bi
%5
da -- ke jo -- gi ban -- dhăn __ ha -- ra
 }


 \paper {
top-margin = 10
right-margin = 10
left-margin = 10
}
\paper {
  #(define fonts
    (set-global-fonts
     #:roman "Latin Modern Roman"
     #:sans ""
     #:typewriter ""
     #:factor (/ staff-height pt 18) 
    ))
}% font and dimension

  \score {
 \melody
  \layout { }
  \midi { }
}% midi     

Answer 1

The smallest example that I can muster to bring about this error is the following:

\version "2.22.0"
\layout {
  \context {
    \Staff
      \override BarLine.break-visibility = #center-invisible
  }
}
{ c'1 d' e' }
{ r2 c'1 d' e' }

Processing `example.ly'
Parsing...
Interpreting music...
Preprocessing graphical objects...
Interpreting music...
Preprocessing graphical objects...
Finding the ideal number of pages...
Fitting music on 1 page...
Drawing systems...
programming error: Loose column does not have right side to attach to.
continuing, cross fingers
programming error: Loose column does not have right side to attach to.
continuing, cross fingers
programming error: Loose column does not have right side to attach to.
continuing, cross fingers
Converting to `example.pdf'...
Success: compilation successfully completed
Completed successfully in 1.4".

My best guesses:

1. It could be related to attempting to print a duration of a note that will cross over a bar line that is not visible. For instance, this error will not appear if you remove the \override above.
2. It could be related to attempting to “find” a bar line that should have appeared (and usually would, automatically) but did not. For instance, this error will not appear if you add \bar "" between the notes of the second example or make the time signature \time 4/1.

Maybe it’s a combination of those two, and it’s having trouble reconciling the need to not show bar lines with the need to properly position notes whose durations are breaking the rules of the meter.

---

Since I see that you posted the code while I was answering, I can tell you that the culprit is defaultBarType = "". If you remove that, the errors will not appear and are likely just noise in this case.