[MEI-L] Lyrics: Extender lines

[Micah Walter]

According to the Guidelines, @con="u" indicates that "[a]n underscore sign (indicating prologation of the syllable) is used as a connector between syllables". Later in the same section, the Guidelines state the following:

"Occasionally, a word or a final syllable needs to be extended across multiple notes. In this case an ‘extender’ is provided. An extender is a continuous line drawn at the text's baseline from the end of the syllable associated with the first note until the last note to be sung with the syllable. The" [the paragraph abruptly breaks off here]

Is there a difference between the "underscore" and the "extender"? Will the extender only be added if @con="u" has been encoded?

Here is the link to the relevant section: http://music-encoding.org/documentation/guidelines2013/lyricsDesc

Thanks,
Micah Walter