Tools display defaults

[chbrooking]

Every time I look up a word in a dictionary, it defaults to "Greek Content". I would very much like the default to be "Greek Entry" and then be able to change it as I need to.

 

Very often, a word is included in a resource as content, but there does not even exist an entry for that word in that resource. That requires me to change it to "Greek Entry", search, discover that there is no entry, and then I have to go one by one through my resources to find which ones have an entry. Including an option for changing this default action in the Tools Display would really be very helpful.

[Rick Bennett]

Can you give me an example of the resource you're seeing this in, and your workflow?

 

For each tool there is a hierarchy for how it is searched when you amplify to it. As a rule, Greek Entry is searched first, then a secondary Greek field, usually Greek Content. If the word is not found in Greek Entry it will automatically 'default' to Content. But, if you are using an extensive lexicon like BDAG, this should not be happening as you describe. So, more details will help to figure out what's going on.

[chbrooking]

I have a hierarchy of resources. It looks through Trench, then TDNT, then BDAG, and several others, though it almost never gets that far.

As far as I can tell, if I right click a word and say look up in a dictionary, it appears to first search Trench's synonyms. If it doesn't find any, it moves on to TDNT. If it doesn't find any, it moves on to BDAG and so on. But invariably, what comes up is found under "Greek Content", not "Greek Entry."

 

I'll give you an example. Right now, I have Luke 18 up. In verse 13, I right click on ἱλάσθητί.

Then I choose Look up > Dictionary.

What shows up is Trench, page 393, with "Greek Content" chosen:

 

As you can see, it's an article on ἔλεος, οἰκτιρμός.

 

*** Here's what comes up:

14. ἔλεος, οἰκτιρμός.—Fritzsche (in Rom. ix. 15): ‘Plus significari vocabulis ὁοἰκτιρμός et οἰκτείρειν quam verbis ὁ ἔλεος et ἐλεεῖν recte veteres doctores vulgo statuunt. Illis enim cum ἵλαος, ἱλάομαι, et ἱλάσκομαι, his cum οἴ et οἶκτος cognatio est. Ὁ ἔλεος aegritudinem benevole ex miseria alterius haustam denotat, et commune vocabulum est ibi collocandum, ubi misericordiae notio in genere enuntianda est; ὁ οἰκτιρμός aegritudinem ex alterius miseria susceptam, quae fletum tibi et ejulatum excitet, h. e. magnam ex alterius miseria aegritudinem, miserationem declarat.’

****

 

 

Now, to actually look up ἱλάσθητί (ἱλάσκομαι), I have to change "Greek Content" to "Greek Entry" and hit enter. It beeps at me and brings up a word selection box, since Trench doesn't actually have an article on ἱλάσκομαι. I hit cancel, and then choose the next dictionary on my list. Then the next. then the next. If they have an article, it goes there. If not, it beeps at me again and I have to cancel and move on.

 

As you can imagine, this is an awkward process. If Accordance is smart enough to actually look through tools according to a hierarchy, it seems I ought to be able to limit the first run through to "Greek Entry".

 

As evidence that it goes from Trench to TDNT, etc., if I follow the process right clicking Προσέφερον in v. 15, it jumps to TDNT (not Trench), and ... low and behold ... this is rare ... "Greek Entry" is chosen. Okay ... so it happens occasionally.

 

So ... I guess what's happening is that it goes through "Greek Entry" for my first dictionary. Then it looks for "Greek Content" etc in that dictionary. Then it moves on to the next one.

 

So ...

Let me modify my request.

Allow me to NOT search "content" at all ... unless I specifically choose to.

That way, if Trench has an article, I get that.

If not, then it goes to TDNT.

If not, then it goes to BDAG.

 

I hope you can appreciate what I'm doing.

If one word is being discussed alongside a synonym, I want to see that first.

Beyond that, if some fine German scholars have discussed the word ad nauseum, I'd like to see that.

If there are no paragraph-style discussions of the word, then I want to go to BDAG.

I'm going to BDAG anyway, but I wanted it to check the others first.

 

I guess I can just put BDAG first, but I was trying to use the natural workflow to my advantage.

If I could eliminate the "Greek Content" option altogether, it would work.

If I want to search "Greek Content", I can just check that, just as I can check English gloss, etc.

But on the context-menu generated search, I'd like to be able (have the option) to JUST SEARCH the Entries.

 

Thanks,

chb

[Steve King]

My understanding is that Accordance will only move to the next dictionary in the list if it finds no hit at all on any of the classes. For what you want to do a better way might be to do one of the following:

 

1. Set up a group (in 'My Groups') of the dictionaries you are interested in (one group for Greek maybe and another for Hebrew) and then search all against them for the word you are interested in (e.g. select the word and use the context menu). This will provide a list of classes available against each dictionary so you can select the most appropriate. OR

 

2. Set up a specific workspace with all the dictionaries you are interested in and then amplify to that workspace from the word (either using the context menu or the main menu or the toolbar)

 

Then you will get all the information in one go and can quickly select the most relevant dictionary. With the second one you could set up the workspace in the best way for you to get the information you want. So if you are using just three dictionaries and your screen is large enough they could all be displayed next to one another or you could have them tabbed.

[chbrooking]

Thanks,

I'll give it a shot. #2 sounds like a great suggestion.

But I'm an Accordance 'sophomore'. I'm confident with complex searches and stuff, but never really learned to use multiple workspaces like this.

So ... I sure hope it's fairly intuitive.

Thanks again,

-chb

[Steve King]

It's pretty straightforward.

 

Create new workspace.

Add the tools that you want from the library

If it is just dictionaries you want then you can remove the text pane.

Save the workspace with an appropriate name

Add the workspace to your favourites

Then you should be able to use the context menu to amplify to the workspace.

 

Once you have created it you can change it and re-save it until it is formatted how you want it.

Any issues just let us know and someone will be able to help.