4. Built-in Dictionaries

Appendix 1. Size Error Analysis

• "always" – a dictionary-based approach. This way, you won't miss instances where function words are stressed. But it's a lot of work to discard monosyllabic words that don't affect the rhythm of the verse, and to avoid confusing function words with meaningful ones.

• "strictly by type" – monosyllabic conjunctions and prepositions are always considered unstressed, while the rest are stressed. But there's still a lot of work involved in filtering out the insignificant.

• "selectively" – in addition to the above, monosyllabic pronouns and adverbs are considered unstressed if they don't fall into ictus positions, and stressed if they do. These words are also considered stressed if they immediately precede the ictus position occupied by a word of the same type. A small trick, but less hassle with filtering. But in general, control is indispensable – too often, formal analysis is impossible due to the fact that the same word can carry different functions in a sentence.

5.1.3. Saving and Relevance Mode

The first checkbox in this group ("Prompt to review after saving file in 'Save As' mode") allows you to quickly check the quality of the exported file. This works for all file types except ".htm", and only if the system has a default application set to open files with the specified extension.

"Confirming before overwriting an existing file" is a natural precaution when working with data, just like "Create a copy (BAK file)" or "Autosave". The autosave interval, however, is a matter of personal preference. However, there's an opposing opinion: confirming is an unnecessary click, BAK files are rarely used, and autosaving can backfire – if you use a file as a basis, don't make a copy, start editing it, and then run away from the computer for a second, the original will be corrupted... May Saint Connectius grant you a clear head and a sound memory when working at your computer! But there are also objective factors – from long-legged blondes to drunk electricians. Therefore, it's a bad idea to leave your timeless work completely unprotected. Furthermore, autosaving (if a file name is specified) saves a ton of time and effort when switching between forms or exiting the program – the file is saved without any unnecessary questions.

The usefulness of a list of previously opened files is unlikely to be in doubt. Size, of course, is a matter of taste. Some people like a file to open from the position it was last opened in, while others don't...

"Create a copy (BAK file)" allows you to keep a copy of the file at the time it was opened. If you switch to another file, then reopen the previous one and change it, the program will create a BAK file from the time it was last opened.

Opinions differ on keeping the program (and database) up to date. Most will undoubtedly leave "Notify me of new versions of the program and database" checked, but some will prefer to work with a trusted version. That's what the option is for – everyone has their own reasons. In any case, the update won't happen without your consent. By disabling this option, you'll get rid of the annoying (if you don't want to agree to it) offer to upgrade. However, if you have an internet connection, the check will still run, and the update unicorn will impatiently paw at the screen...

"Force program quit" only makes sense if it takes too long to close on your computer.

"Clear cache after program quit" refers to the waste generated by MS Edge WebView2 when servicing the built-in browser, which occurs when opening online dictionaries or using internet voices.

5.2. Buttons

Currently, the standard interface for working with toolbars is a drag-and-drop interface for moving objects from the active to the unactive list, and vice versa. In this program, I used a simple "panels + buttons" list:

The functionality is the same. Those who prefer to work without buttons altogether (only the menu) can disable all button panels with a single click.

Note: The winged unicorn has a habit of popping up on the main window, even when the "Miscellaneous" panel is closed, and waving its hoof indicates the availability of program or database updates.

You can shuffle groups of buttons around the screen and play with the button design. By default, the background of an inactive button is a fluffy ball. When you hover over it with the mouse, the background changes to a laurel wreath. The user can change the functions of these background images or remove the background altogether (although some buttons will then appear a bit washed out).

5.3. Editing

Let me reiterate: don't be intimidated by the sheer number of settings! If they interest you, or you can't stand the program's appearance, go through the settings step by step and try them out. If not, use the default settings...

The editing settings tab includes a fragment of the main program window with a sample filled in, designed to demonstrate the results of customizing its appearance (not all, but most). I tried to divide the parameters according to the structure of the editing window, but this wasn't possible with the line end panel, since some of its parameters depend on the rhythm indicator window settings.

Each section contains logical, numeric, text, and color parameters, which can be changed by opening the standard color selection dialog (by double-clicking the corresponding square or the first item in its context menu) or by entering a sixteen-digit value in RGB (red-green-blue) format via the second item in the context menu.

5.3.1. Source Text Window

The following can be configured:

Colors (by column):     • text character color;     • underline color for web links;     • line number change symbols "//" color;     • wavy line color for spelling errors;     • wavy line color for sonority errors;     • background color.

5.3.2. Line Characteristics Panel

Parameters configurable for the line characteristics panel:

5.3.3. Symbols and Colors

These settings apply partly to the panel and partly to the rhythm display window. The specified symbol is typically used when displaying rhythm using conventional symbols on the panel, while the text color and background are used in the rhythm display window. The caesura line is displayed graphically in the specified color in both panels, and the foot grid is similarly displayed (when the toggle is enabled).

The "Analysis" toggle is also located here, allowing you to configure automatic detection of stressed syllables outside their designated position and cases of stressed syllable competition with ictus.

5.3.4. Rhythm Display Window

You can set:

Note: The rhythm display method is: by syllables (in which case an additional setting is available – equal-width columns) or by conventional symbols (to save space; however, there is also an alternative – disable the rhythm display window and use the panel's options).

Rhythm display window color:

Syllable ruler background in prose lines:

5.3.5. Review Window

The following can be configured:

5.3.6. Auxiliary Elements

These include buttons for exiting settings and refreshing the screen (left), tooltips (top right), and tab settings (in standard format and with the author's preferences)

Below is a sample editing window for the current settings.

5.4. Printing and Exporting

The "Save As" operation allows you to export a file in txt, htm, mht, html, rtf, doc or docx format (see p/2.2.1, the "File" Button Panel). These settings determine the format of the resulting document when printed or saved to a file. Their purpose is to allow the output document to be different in appearance and content from the one being edited. This approach, common when working with databases, is implemented to some extent, where the data and ease of processing are one thing, but the resulting form is quite different.

5.4.1. Table Format

These options are most fully available when exporting as tables for all file formats except txt:

The top section of the settings allows you to set the page orientation and document area boundaries. Below is the document structure, with the ability to customize the font and some specific parameters for each section.

The presence of a line number area depends on whether numbering is enabled during editing. The information in the panel corresponds to what you had when editing the document.

The rhythm section of the output has a number of additional settings:

Some Features

The "End of Line" column, like the "Review" column, even if the appropriate settings are selected, is only generated if at least one row contains the requested information (is not empty).

The "Sheet Orientation" setting is only valid for MS Word.

The "Prevent Table Fragmentation" setting is only useful if the work has fragment boundaries, but the user wants a document consisting of a single table. Typically, the resulting document is divided into parts based on the number of fragments. Each part has its own number of columns (depending on the poetic meter and the presence of comments).

The specified boundaries are displayed correctly for .htm files, but they do not always work satisfactorily for MS Word documents.

5.4.2. Text Format

The text format outputs only the text of the poem.

For this minimal operation, it's quicker to copy the text via the clipboard, but for those who want a finished document and have some understanding of html or document formatting in Word, the following settings are available:

5.4.3. Web-Friendly Format

A non-lyrical description. The text of the work is stored by the program in an .htm file with some redundancy, which allows this file to be used for pasting onto web pages with minimal modifications. However, there is one limitation: if the user does not use tabs. Although tab characters import perfectly into MS Word and are recoded as "&#9;" for .htm files, these codes are not displayed in browsers. Using the "<pre>" tag is unsuitable, as it only allows monospaced fonts. The suggested solution is to save files for online use with the "html" extension, not the "htm" extension. This recodes tab characters into spaces ("&nbps;") according to the current settings.

I suspect the previous paragraph wasn't very helpful, and not all portals allow their users to freely work with tags. The following settings are intended for this situation:

Poetry portals don't always allow the "code" tag, and a fixed-width font isn't always available. Therefore, the outline is placed before the text to ensure its characters are displayed more evenly. Of course, there's no perfect solution achievable in tables, but it's close enough. In any case, it's easier to motivate colleagues to understand the rhythm of the work being analyzed using such text.

In this case, the additional settings include "All accents" (indicate stressed syllables in the text) and "Bold" (highlight stressed syllables), as well as the ability to reconfigure the symbols for stressed and unstressed syllables.

The rhythm scheme has columns (according to the settings in the main window panel): the first is the line number, the second is the number of syllables per line, the third is the actual scheme (stressed syllables are denoted by "!", unstressed syllables by "-", rhythm breaks by "?", and caesuras by ":"), the fourth is the rhyme scheme (only catches more or less accurate rhymes), and the fifth is the text with stress marks (for controlling the diagram). In this case, only symbolic symbols for the panel are available as additional settings.

And to make it easier to review individual lines, the "+text" option is provided. This option duplicates the verse after lines with a rhythmic scheme (and possibly stress marks), preserving only the line numbers. All that's left to do is comment on individual lines, deleting unnecessary ones.

Using this is not too difficult:
  • set the export mode to "code" in the settings;
  • export to an "HTML" file;
  • accept the offer to view the result in a browser;
  • select and copy what you need.

If you export to a file type other than "HTML" (for example, "DOC"). The result will be the same as in "Text" mode, but with accent marks and text repeating with numbers (if these options are checked).

5.4.4. Graphic Format

If the entire poem fits on the screen, you can do it even easier – send an image. The standard screenshot obtained by pressing the Print Screen button sometimes contains unnecessary information, so I've inserted its equivalent in the menu. The settings are minimal:

Settings:

5.5. Dictionary Settings

This section defines the appearance and updating mode of dictionaries:

By disabling "Fill dictionaries as new words are added", you can switch to a fully manual mode for adjusting the rhythm display window. This is useful when analyzing text on unfamiliar topics and containing words you don't want to clutter your dictionaries with.

Only those who are completely confident in their actions and don't get tired should enable the "Do without confirmation when editing words" option. Or those who find it easier to correct a mistake than to constantly confirm their actions.

Some people prefer to see dictionary lines numbered.

The following two groups of switches are usually also available when updating dictionaries. It makes sense to touch them if you want to maintain a dictionary for the user, or have a separate dictionary for a specific work (the name and location of the work's dictionary should be indicated below.) Here you also indicate whether you want to maintain a complete orthographic (spelling) dictionary or whether you will make do with a dictionary of all encountered word forms.

The transcription window settings pertain to the spelling dictionary and determine its degree of colorization (the colors of various elements), as well as the fonts for the headers, the word forms themselves, and their orthoepic appearance (transcription). The most colorful element is the word form, where you can specify the color of the base part, stressed vowel (syllable), and ending.

Online Dictionaries

Online dictionaries themselves require no configuration, as they are displayed in the format intended by their developers. You simply choose from a list of dictionaries for each category – spelling, explanatory, synonym or pronunciation dictionary.

Whether to open dictionaries in the built-in browser or the system's default browser is your choice. Furthermore, the latter option is not available for all external dictionaries listed, but only for those marked with asterisks. However, if the dictionary view provided by the built-in browser (Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge) doesn't suit you, you can switch to the system one. There's a button in the built-in browser for this.

The list of suggested dictionaries includes what I found online. Of course, online dictionaries are (or should be) much more complete and reliable than the version I built into the program. However, they have one drawback: they can suddenly stop opening (partially or completely). Please let me know about this (and about candidates for addition to the list) to keep this list up to date.

Starting with v6.1, Edge is used as the built-in browser (if it's installed on your computer, which you can check via Main Menu - Help - Related Resources – Microsoft Edge WebView2 should be listed). On the one hand, Internet Explorer is long outdated and no longer displays many websites adequately, while on the other hand, Edge consumes truly titanic amounts of disk space. What can you do – that's the price of progress...