8 replies to this topic

[nicklaurence]

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, 19 September 2012 - 06:14 PM.

[Michael J. Bolesta]

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

[nicklaurence]

Many thanks, that's done the trick.

[Michael J. Bolesta]

"Been there, done that."

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

[David Lang]

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.

[Michael J. Bolesta]

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, 21 September 2012 - 02:17 PM.

[nicklaurence]

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.

[Michael J. Bolesta]

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."

[Joel Brown]

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