Interlinearization problem

[Lena Terhart]

Hi,

I am a student assistent in a documentation programme and my task is
to bring a somewhat chaotically designed Toolbox project into order:

The project was designed in Shoebox, but we are now working with
Toolbox, so it has to be converted in Toolbox.
There are two dictionaries and several text files, that I shall
interlinearize.

First of all, I had to change some "invented" markers into ones that
are compatible with the MDF settings. With some of the markers there
was no problem, but others would fail to merge (I got the message:
"Cannot merge markers"), but I somehow managed to change all.
But now one of the dictionaries converted into a "read-only" file, so
I cannot add any records anymore.
And the other one doesn't contain the whole set of MDF markers anymore
(I think it only shows the ones in use), so I cannot get the MDF
hierarchy right (e.g. we are currently not using the \sn Sense Number
marker, so it doesn't show in the list, anyway according to the
hierarchy rules, most of the markers should be lower in the hierarchy
than \sn).

My second big problem is with interlinearization:
- I would like to use both dictionaries as a source for
interlinearization, but if I try to insert both of them into the
"Database to Search" (Database - Properties - Interlinear, modify -
Lexicons) I get the message "Cannot insert database because all
databases must be of the same type" Is that due to one dictionary
being a read-only file?
- My \mb line behaves exactly like the \tx line, that is: It shows
exactly the same text as the \tx line (without aterisks or anything)
and if I right-click on a word in the \mb-line it either jumps to the
record in the dictionary or shows the message "No matches for jump"
just as in the \tx-line. After clicking on the interlinearize button,
a piece of text looks like this, although at least two of the words
are in the dictionary:


\ref Candelaria.001
\tx ver visiripa to šep - visiripawor
\mb ver visiripa to šep - visiripawor
\ge *** *** *** *** - ***
\ps *** *** *** *** - ***
\ft ya tostamos el chive para hacer chicha

Do you have any ideas how this can be solved?

Lena

[ToolboxSupport]

Dear Lena,

There are several issues here...

1) Merging markers... I don't have an answer for that one. Other than
not being able to merge anything into the "record marker" (the first
in the record), I can't remember what causes this problem.

2) Dictionary converted to Read-Only. This happens sometimes when
Toolbox crashes. It can also happen if you run two of the same project
and close the first one that was opened first. See the recent
discussion topic "Editing Disabled" for the cure.

3 & 4) "the other dictionary doesn't contain the whole set of MDF
markers anymore". Are you sure it used to? This combined with
Interlinear not allowing you to use both dictionaries tells me that
you have one of the database type MDF and one that is something else.
To determine the database type, place your cursor in the non-MDF
dictionary and do Database, Properties. The title bar of the dialog
box will be "Database Properties: (name of database type)".

If the data has \lx as the first field and mostly other MDF markers,
then do a plain Standard Format export of the file. This will strip
off the Toolbox information that specifies the database type. Then
open the file with Toolbox and it will ask you to specify which
database type is to be used. Choose the MDF type. That should solve
the problem of the "missing" markers as well as the interlinear
problem of incompatible dictionaries.

5) One of the interlinear options if the parse fails is to "Output
original word". It sounds like perhaps that is checked instead of
"Output failure mark". To locate this do Database, Properties,
Interlinear tab, select the Parse process, Modify... these checkboxes
are on the left side, under the Lexicons button.

Give these a try and let us know what else is happening.

Toolbox Support

[Lena Terhart]

Dear Toolbox Support,

I repaired my dictionaries, it was exactly as you told me, thanks for
that.
The interlinearization problem remains. The "Output original word"
wasn't checked, and I had a look at all the other options to check,
too: everything is just as it comes by default in a new Toolbox
project.
Despite of this, my \mb line still behaves like a \tx line: if I right-
click on a word I either jump to the dictionary entry or get a message
"No matches fo jump" or a "Multiple matches" dialog opens, but it
won't do any glossing nor is there an option to insert words in the
dictionary.

Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Lena

[ToolboxSupport]

Dear Lena,

Problems like this are difficult to diagnose without looking at the
data. Please send your project folder to me at Toolbox @ sil.org.

Toolbox Support