Choose Text(s)

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How to get here

This function is accessed from the File menu in the Controller and the Settings menu or New menu item (Start) in the various Tools.

 

choosing_text_files

 

The two main areas at left and right are

files to choose from (at left)
files already selected (at right)

 

The button which the red arrow points at is what you press to move any you have selected at the left to your "files selected" at the right. Or just drag them from the left to the right.

 

The list on the right shows full file details (name, date, size, number of words (above shown with ?? as WordSmith doesn't yet know, though it will after you have concordanced or made a word list) and whether the text is in Unicode (? for the same reason). To the right of Unicode is a column stating whether each text file meets your requirements.

 

If you have never used WordSmith before (more precisely if you have not yet saved any concordances, word lists etc.) you will find that a chapter from Charles Dickens' Tale of 2 Cities has been selected for you. To stop this happening, make sure that you do save at least one word list or concordance! See also -- previous lists.

 

choosing_text_files_OK_buttonThis puts the current file selection into store. All files of the type you've specified in any sub-folders will also get selected if the "Sub-folders too" checkbox is checked. You can check on which ones have been selected under All Current Settings.

 

Clear unstore

As its name suggests, this allows you to change your mind and start afresh. If any selected filenames are highlighted, only these will be cleared.

 

tog_minus        More details

 

File Types

The default file specification is *.* (i.e. any file) but this can be altered in the window above the big blue arrow or set permanently in wordsmith.ini.

 

Tool

In the screenshot above you can see choosing_text_files_specifically_concord -- we are choosing texts for Concord. There are alternatives available (WordList, KeyWords etc.).

 

Select All SelectAll

Selects all the files in the current folder.

 

Drives and Folders

Double-click on a folder to enter it. You can re-visit a folder if its name is in the folder window history list, and easily go back with the standard Windows "back" button folder_back. Or click on the folderbutton to choose a new drive or folder.

 

Sub-Folders

If checked, when you select a whole driveful or a whole folderful of texts at the left, you will select it plus any files in any sub-folders of that drive or folder.

 

Test for Unicode unicode

This button checks the format of any files selected. In the screenshot above, no tests have been done so the display shows ? for each file. If the text file is in Unicode, the display shows U, if Unicode big-endian it'll show UB, if plain ASCII or Ansi text it will show A, if it's a Word .doc file, D. If it is in UTF-8, 8. If you get inconsistency you'll be invited to convert them all to Unicode.

 

Favourites

Two buttons on the right (Save and Outopen) allow you to save or get a previous file selection, saving you the trouble of making and remembering a complex set of choices.

 

 

tog_minus        Type of text files

 

In WordSmith you need plain text files, such as you get if you save a Word .doc as Plain Text (.txt). Any Word .doc files will look crossed out and should not be used: convert them to .txt first. Don't choose .pdfs either, they have a very special format.

 

choosing_text_files_but_not_word

 

 

tog_minus        Advanced ADVANCED

Opens a toolbar showing some further buttons:

 

The buttons at the top left let you see the files available as icons, as a list, or with full details (the default) instead.

 

View search

Allows you to browse within the currently selected file so as to check whether to include it. Any accented characters (e.g. æ, é) or currency symbols such as £, ¥, ¢, and tags will appear according to current Text Characteristics settings. You can change these while viewing the file.

Sorting

By clicking on Name, Size, Type, Words, Unicode or Modified you can re-sort the listing. The red and yellow button (random) re-orders the files (on both sides) in random order.

View in Notepad Notepad

Lets you see the text contents in the standard Windows simple word-processor for text files, Notepad.

Get from Internet ws-16-webgetter

Allows you to access WebGetter so as to download text from the Internet.

 

Zip files

If you double-click on a zip file you can enter that as if it were a folder and see the contents. You can view these too.

 

 

 

See also : Step-by-step online example, Finding source texts.

Page url: http://www.lexically.net/downloads/version5/HTML/?textchoose_dlg.htm