New SignBank Features added...

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
October 4, 2003

Dear SW List:
I am writing to tell you of a new development. We have added three
additional layouts to the SignBank Editor, for those who are creating
their own dictionaries in SignBank:

1. Linguistics Layout
2. Sign-Word Data Listing (new way to view the data)
3. Sign-Pict-Word Data Listing (new way to view the data)

Linguistics Layout
Please see the attached diagram. As you can see, there are six text
fields on the left side, with different names over them, like French,
or text etc...Why? Because linguists and teachers can now add long word
desriptions about signs. These flexible additional text fields (on the
left of the layout) are so flexible, that you can change the title of
each text field. For example, if you are a teacher, you might want to
state that the sign belongs to specific groups or themes, such as
animals, fruits, countries etc...and in these flexible text fields you
can choose your own themes. You can even make each text field another
spoken language, giving you the ability to create multi-lingual
dictionaries with one Sign Language and at least 7 spoken
languages...(we already have ways of doing multiple Sign Languages on
another layout)...but this gives us more spoken languages...so I know
that will be useful for people....

PLUS...notice the three large graphics containers to the right and on
the top...two say "SignSentence" and another says
"Illustration"......they are places for pasting in complete
sign-sentences in SignWriting that relate to the sign in question...you
could paste in different sentences showing how the sign is used in a
sentence, or you could actully create "sign-definitions" of the sign in
question, giving us, for the first time, the ability to create
dictionaries without ANY spoken language, with the definitions for the
sign in Sign Language, not spoken language...it would be a dictionary
that is on ASL, described in ASL! No English for that format...

I know there is a learning curve with all of this, but I am already
starting to create dictionaries of this nature, and I am really happy
about it - We have a bright future...It is just a matter of everyone
adjusting to the new software ;-)...grin....Val ;-)




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