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Verse slider


Nick Laurence

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Something is annoying me in Accordance 10, and there must be a way of solving it, but I can't find it.

 

Every time I enter a verse to be displayed, instead of simply displaying the verse, it displays a ton of verses around it, which makes it really hard to actually find the verse I've asked for. Really irritating! I can deal with this relatively simply, because I just need to slide the verse slider all the way to the left. But Accordance doesn't retain this, and I have to use the slider each and every time, which you can imagine is really quite a nuisance. I'm sure Accordance 9 didn't do this - it must be a new "feature"!

 

How can I turn this "feature" off? Permanently!

 

Many thanks

 

Nick.

Edited by nicklaurence
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Open preferences and select the "Search Tabs" section on the left. In the window uncheck the box in the upper right "Add automatic context"

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"Been there, done that."

 

Not sure about the default being "Add all context," but what it is, it is.

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We made automatic context the default to make life easier for new users. We found that many entered a verse or chapter intending only to jump to that chapter. They would then get confused when Accordance only displayed that chapter and verse without any context. So if you enter a single verse or chapter, automatic context sets the context to all.

 

If you enter a string of non-contiguous verse references, you usually want to see just those verses, so the context is set to none.

 

Likewise, when you do a search, you want to skim the search results without a lot of intervening context. So again, the context gets set to none.

 

That's the rationale behind the auto-context feature, but if it doesn't work the way you work, you can happily turn it off.

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We made automatic context the default to make life easier for new users. We found that many entered a verse or chapter intending only to jump to that chapter. They would then get confused when Accordance only displayed that chapter and verse without any context. So if you enter a single verse or chapter, automatic context sets the context to all.

 

David

 

Point taken, but jumping to a point in the text is the specific function of the "go to" box in the navigation bar. On the other hand, there are many ways to do the same thing in Accordance.

 

This tweak (defaulting to show all context) is a feature that may accommodate new users, but it confused many experienced users. It is somewhat analogous to Apple's introduction to "natural scrolling" in Lion: the behavior was different and unaccustomed. Some will like this, but others will turn it off.

 

Anyway, thanks for the explanation.

Edited by Michael J. Bolesta
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We made automatic context the default to make life easier for new users. We found that many entered a verse or chapter intending only to jump to that chapter. They would then get confused when Accordance only displayed that chapter and verse without any context.

 

I don't understand this. If I type in 'Jos 6' with the slider to the left (i.e. no context) then that's what I get - the whole of chapter 6 of Joshua. So if you have slider to left (no context) then Accordance obeys your instructions, and you get what you expect. Slider to the right (default position - context) you now get the unasked-for and confusing result. Or, to put it another way, if I want context I'll do searches that specify it (e.g. chapter searches like 'Jos 6'); conversely if I don't want context, the programme should allow me to be as specific as I wish and not impose unwanted results on me.

 

Surely the way Accordance is handling this now by default is muddled.

 

I could add to the analogy Michael's added above. A few years ago Microsoft Word changed the behaviour of the numbered list and bullet point buttons/menu options. Subsequently when you select these, instead of simply giving you a numbered list or bullet pointed list, it also indented. Microsoft hasn't, unfortunately, rescinded on this unwarranted imposition. For me, I want my programmes to do the function I ask them to do, and nothing additional that I have to undo later (particularly as you have to search so hard to undo it).

 

I guess I'm okay now thanks to the excellent and helpful responses on this forum, but I do think new users are going to find this imposition of unasked-for-context very confusing and probably irritating.

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David

 

Perhaps the preferences could be changed to include a default slider so users can dial in the amount of context desired for new search tabs. I like zero as my default, but could see that some might prefer something else.

 

On the other hand, sliding as necessary is okay (but changing from all to none every time was annoying); the current arrangement is fine with me now that I could uncheck the box and obtain the desired default of "no context."

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Unless I'm misunderstanding you, isn't that what the preference popup 'Add context' right above the Automatic Context checkbox, is for?

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  • 9 months later...

I found that after the upgrade to 10.2 Accordance was again giving me tons of verses before and after the one for which I was searching. I had to search the forum again for the answer as to how to get the slider defaulting back to "no additional content". Perhaps it's only me, but just in case everyone is searching for how get the slider back to the left again, here's Michael Bolesta's answer from above:

 

 

 

Open preferences and select the "Search Tabs" section on the left. In the window uncheck the box in the upper right "Add automatic context"

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  • 3 years later...

I have to search his every time I get super frustrated for a couple months after installing accordance in a new computer. The menu is not very helpful since there is that option that says "Add context" and even if that is changed to "None"; if the "add automatic context" is clicked you get everything for context. It is very frustrating.

 

I think that if one selects the "Add context -> none" logically one would expect zero extra verses as context when searching for a verse. Unless I am missing something, I think that having the "add automatic context" option in addition to the other is not helpful at all if you already have "Add context" option.

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Since we are debating the way accordance works. I think the way it works now is best. No change required.

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Since we are debating the way accordance works. I think the way it works now is best. No change required.

 

Maybe my frustration came across stronger than I thought. Just curious, can you explain how is supposed to work. I honestly don't know how if you select "Add context->none" the other options still shows all the verses. Not trying to start a debate, I want to know what I am missing.

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Remember that every dialog has a Help button, and every window has its own Help page accessible from the Window menu or option-command-? (alt-control-?).

 

The Help should detail the action of every option available, as, for example, in this case:

 

Add automatic context: If selected (default setting), the Context slider automatically adjusts for each search, as follows:

  • Word searches are set to the default context set in the Preferences.

  • Contiguous verse searches (such as Romans or 1John 2:4) display all context, with the hit verse(s) at the top of the pane.

  • Non-contiguous verse searches (Gen 1:1, 4) display no context.

So the behavior that bothered you is exactly what the automatic context is designed to do. I think it was added because so many users would enter a single verse reference in the entry box (instead of using the GoTo box at the bottom) and not know how to get the entire text back in the display.

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I now follow the logic and understand the reason of the extra menu option. I still think that renaming one of those options, or simplifying it into one menu would be a good idea. If one has to read a help page to figure out something that seems to be self explanatory in the menu, something went wrong. 

 

The language in this particular case is just confusing and not intuitive. Because when you see the "Add context" menu with very intuitive options; but the results are different since Accordance is not really following that context menu when searching verses. The logical conclusion is not... "Ohh, maybe there is something else that is modifying what this menu clearly says, because what this says is not what you think it means."

 

Maybe the menu's language can be more specific to exactly what one is adding context to and what one is not. A good brainstorm with more users could yield good ideas.

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We'll consider your request, but to clarify, you are talking about the options in the Preferences pane, not in any menu.

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We'll consider your request, but to clarify, you are talking about the options in the Preferences pane, not in any menu.

 

Yes. Thank you very much.

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