SN0,33TW31FF5PT12NB 4.0/LINGUA: INNOVATIONS, MISSING FEATURES, TROUBLES AND BUGS
DC1=1.1.1. SSHX1,rt=7,ip=0,8,ts=8SSHX2,rt=7,ip=3,3,ts=6SSHX3,rt=7,ip=2,10,ts=10SSHX4SSHX5DC0=IDC1=1.1.1.DC4=(1) SSEX0SSEX1SSEX2SSEX3SSEX4SSEX5SSHXSSHSXRHA- PN -


PT10
Itamar Even-Zohar
Porter Chair of Semiotics
Tel Aviv University
Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
e-mail: B10@vm.tau.ac.il

Edited November 14, 1992
PT10
LS1.07
MDBIC0. Innovations and improvementsMDNM

C1. MDBOAutomatic video installationMDNM
Nota Bene 4.0/Lingua detects the video display hardware and installs the necessary files for it. Thus, the same fonts file adapts itself to a number of supported monitors. Similarly, the various display parameters are automatically regulated.

There are some disadvantages in this development for customization. See below, "Customization problems".

C1. MDBOLanguage switchingMDNM
Language switching has undergone a revolution in this version of Nota Bene. Instead of the large number of print modes (MDGN, MDCN, MDHN, etc.), one now has got LAn for the various languages ('n' currently standing for 1-4). This simplifies multilingualism greatly.

MDBONoteMDNM: The various print modes in fact have not been eliminated from Nota Bene. Rather, they have become invisible, working behind the scenes in printer tables, etc. The advantage is that they no longer impose on the user's memory. The disadvantage is that a user who wants to customize Nota Bene still must learn about them and know how to use them. One more disadvantage is that if you wish to replace print modes selectively (for instance, Nota Bene standard Hebrew fonts do not include italics, but all the other languages have got them), you must be very cautious, or perhaps unable to use the `change invisible' function altogether.

C1. MDBOMultilingual <-> Mono/Bi-lingual switchingMDNM
NB 4.0/Lingua in principle allows switching between various multilingual and mono, or bi-lingual modes (F1->Set->Symbol set). This is very useful when one wishes to work in a less loaded environment.
This feature will make it possible to develop bi-lingual modules for Nota Bene (Roman/Hebrew, Roman/Greek, Roman/Russian).
MDITNote:MDNM There are, however, reports that the program gets stuck with one mode. See below.

C1. MDBOMultilingualismMDNM
Easy and sophisticated multilingualism is one of the greatest achievements of NB 4.0/Lingua. Not only all Roman alphabets, and a multitude of transliteration characters, but also Greek, Slavonic, and Hebrew are available. Greek allows fully accented characters, and Hebrew is fully vocalized, which is unique. These functions are supported by first rate printer fonts (at least for the laser printers), designed by the renowned Samuel Gutman.

The accessibility of signs (fonts) is simplicity itself. If you cannot remember where they are located on your keyboard, they can be generated by pressing sign1AF61Amnemonic. In this way you can even generate sign not included in the ready-made assortment.
MDITNoteMDNM: The method used by NBI for implementing this successful multilingualism also generates some troubles on a variety of levels. See especially problems with Ibid text with accents, and Hebrew files (below).

C1. MDBOHELP file(s)MDNM

C2. MDBOBetter organizationMDNM. The HELP file is now far better organized. Pull Down menus make it easier to access various options on a number of levels.

C2. MDBOMore featuresMDNM. HELP now allows controlling a larger array of functions and defaults.

C2. MDBOSecondary HELP filesMDNM. A new feature enabling quick switching between the primary HELP file (NB.HLP) and a number of other HELP files makes it possible to customize a user HELP file without editing the primary help fle.
MDITNoteMDNM: This feature, however, is available only to users who may have read about it in the Nota Bene electronic user group ("list")

C2. MDBOImproved, or new editing featuresMDNM. The various HELP files now contain many easy possibilities for entering editing functions. To name only a few:

C3. MDITEasier cross-referencingMDNM. A screen allows you to view all labels in file for correct referencing in notes, text, counters.
PG54
C1. MDBOImproved commands and featuresMDNM

C2. MDBOAlternative `enter'MDNM MDBO(AE)MDNM. The alternative `enter', AE, which worked partially (as an undocumented feature) in NB 3.1, is now a built-in feature (inserted by ALT-ENTER).

C2. MDBOEDMDNM. ED now calls a file immediately in the expanded mode. This is more than helpful for programming with XPL.

Note, however, that calling a file with ED does not insert the filename into the file stack (`file list' invoked with CTRL-ALT+F7).

C2. MDBODate formatsMDNM. More flexible date formats are available.
For example, you can type 'today mm-dd-yyyy' to get the date format 10-18-1992, 'today mm/dd/yy' to get 10/18/92, etc. The same holds for the virtual dates (with DA). This makes Tyson's screen basically superfluous.

MDITNote:MDNM However, no languages other than English are available. Thus, my dates screen for customizing French, Swedish, and Hebrew format dates is still needed, if you wish to have quick insertion of dates in these languages.

C2. MDBOFormatting tables of contentsMDNM
There are new interesting features for formatting table of contents. 'Soft code' rather than 'hard code' (actual signs) now can control various formats of the table of contents headings via the definitions in the various SS deltas. For example, the format of the heading number is controlled by RT=n (where 'n' stands for any of the numbers 1-8); spaces between the heading numbers and text can be controlled by TS=, and IP=, rather than by inserting actual spaces or tabs.


C1. MDBOStacksMDNM
Various useful stacks have been added:

C2. MDBODeletionMDNM
You can now undelete 5 previous deletions (CTRL+Grey+, or Grey+ alone).

C2. MDBOSearchMDNM
You can now recycle 10 last searches.

C2. MDBOCommandsMDNM
You can now recycle commands typed on the action (command) line, by pressing up-arrow or down-arrow. However, this does not always work.

C1. MDBOCustomizationMDNM
A major characteristic of Nota Bene, customizability, perseveres in this version, too. With various aspects, it is even easier than before, as the user can customize a ramerkable number of features via HELP (such as cusror shape, cursor speed, the way 'enter' operates in HELP screens, etc.). HELP, keyboards, and programming are still powerful tools of customization, with a few significant innovations in the structure of the help files.

Unfortunately, a very important feature, printer tables (drivers), is barred in the Lingua version. Hopefully, this will change to allow modifications as in previous versions.
PG
MDBIC0. Missing features ; LacunaeMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.DC9=[i]
C1. MDBOInadequate conversion to ASCIIMDNM
NB 4.0/Lingua texts are not adequately converted to pure ASCII if the text contains 3-bytes sequences. This causes problems with using 4.0 material in 3.0/3.1, exporting to other programs, or for ASCII environments (e-mail, etc.).

It is urgently desirable to have substitution tables, which can be activated via drivers, accepting conversions of strings to either single characters or other strings.

C1. MDBOFinding a footnote by footnote numberMDNM
This feature must still be implemented by running Itamar Even-Zohar's FN-NUM.RN.

C1. MDBOEliminating duplicates from a text (a list)MDNM
This feature must still be implemented by running Even-Zohar's REMOVE.RN, or REM-FAST.RN.

C1. MDBOGenerating table of contents with virtual page numbersMDNM
This very elementary feature, which can be easily integrated into NB.HLP, must still be added by installing Itamar Even-Zohar's add-on. (This add-on modifies NB.HLP.)
PG
MDBIC0. Problems, troubles, and bugsMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.DC9=[i]
C9 MDITGeneralMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBOSwitching modesMDNM
Switching modes / symbol sets (F1-Set-Symbol set) does not work properly on a number of monitor cards. Oddly enough, all reports I have seen (on the Notabene electronic "[list"]) are by users with an HGC+ card, Nota Bene primary card.

Here is what happened when I tried to execute switching on a number of computers, and with repeated installations:

C4 When I installed NBLINGUA, then tried Set->Symbol set->ASCII, I was switched to correct ASCII mode (with adequate display). However, when I wanted to return to NBLINGUA, I was required to INSTALL it (the installation screen appeared).

C4 When I installed (actually, reinstalled) Lingua, then tried to switch to ASCII again, the display was inadequate. This means: the screen got filled with horizontally stretched lines (including the command line). I know this phenomenon from working with HGC+ in previous versions. When this occurred before, I used to reload a display set that would be compatible with the new HGC+ state ("4k ramfont set"). I know that this also what is taking place, but I guess that the correct display set is hidden in NBVIDEO.EXE, and therefore I am left with an inadequate screen and no possibility to adapt it to ASCII mode.
MDITIn short:MDNM I was locked into NBLINGUA mode.

C4 In another installation, the very opposite took place. I installed NBLINGUA, then reloaded. I got a screen filled with Hebrew and Greek fonts (no Roman fonts). I could go to Set->Symbol set->ASCII (guessing my way), then got inadequate ASCII mode, although Roman fonts showed on screen. I then switched to (3), and got inadequate display (this time it looked like switching from "4k ramfont mode" to "48k ramfont mode" without loading an adequate display set; i.e., parts of the screen were illegible, or flashing). I then quitted, reloaded, got inadequate #3 display, but when I switched to ASCII, I finally was back into an adequate display. When I tried to switch to Lingua, the screen became again filled with Hebrew and Greek fonts.
MDITIn short:MDNM I was locked into ASCII mode.

C9 MDITWord-ProcessorMDNMMDNM
MDITMDNMDC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBOCR in autoreplace abbreviations locks computer.MDNM In the Autoreplace mode an expansion containing an ASC11 13, which in NB3 comes out in expansion as a CR, in NB4 locks up the computer, making a reboot necessary. (Anthony Woozley)

C1. MDBOCapitalizationMDNM. Impossible to capitalize a word that begins with an apostrophe or inverted commas: 'skin' will not be transformed to 'Skin' with CS+spacebar. (This did not work in previous versions either.)

C9 MDITThesaurusMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBODisplayMDNM. Already in previous versions, in multilingual environment, the word upon which the cursor stood in the thesaurus became invisible. This persists in NB 4.0. The only way to see the word is to use the left arrow (cursor left key); a line then appears above the word. This is a very clumsy way to use the thesaurus, because it takes extra keystrokes to get to the desired word (on the other know which it is in the first place!).

C9 MDITIbidMDBIMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBOAccented charactersMDNM. When saved, the 3-bytes combinations transform regular accented characters to other characters (for example, ea is transformed to  [alpha]). This makes it difficult to work with Ibid in 3.1 or NB 4.0.

Having put the extension DAT into the list of exceptions in NBCUSTOM.SET does not seem to help. The only way to cure this is MANUALLY storing the DAT files (possibly without the /X switch, if the extension DAT is defined NBCUSTOM.SET as an exception extension).

This point is, however, not fully clarified. There are contradictory reports from various corners.

C1. MDBOLocation of Ibid main filesMDNM
While creating separate subdirectories for 'spell', 'orbis', 'ms', 'library', etc., a bulk of Ibid files was left in the main NB 4.0 subdirectory. Would it not be more in line with the new design to put it all Ibid main files in a separate \NB\IBID subdirectory?

C1. MDBOCreating temporary bibliography filesMDNM
In 3.1, NBBP= allowed telling Ibid to create the temporary bibliography files in the same subdirectory as the bibliography data files. In 4.0 it seems that the only place where such temporary bibliographies can be created is the main NB subdirectory. I can't find any trace of NBBP.

C9 MDITOrbisMDBIMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.
Orbis, being a pre-release, is already a success. However, the most badly missing feature right now is the possibility to collect all retrieved instances (or direct them into a file, copy them, etc.).

Orbis files are also remarkably large. This is a bit disappointing in comparison with the previous textbase relatively small index and records files.

In addition, in contradistinction to TB, Orbis cannot handle Hebrew files yet.

C9 MDITHebrewMDBIMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBOCalling Hebrew ASCII filesMDNM

Files that have been imported to NBLINGUA from versions 3.0/3.1 (ASCII Hebrew) normally get expanded, i.e., corrupted, or are only partly read as Hebrew files. Sometimes only the /x switch makes these files readable.

Using the /h switch, which worked in the previous beta version almost adequately, is of no use either. Calling an ASCII Hebrew file written in version 3 with the /h switch expands it.

The expansion procedure for Hebrew files is exasperating, since every single character gets expanded!

C1. MDBOWildcards do not work in HebrewMDNM
DC4=(1)A number of Nota Bene wildcards do not work in Hebrew.

C4 MDBOWS (wild separator)MDNM. WS finds character rather than next/previous separator. This is a serious bug, since it entails failure with a number of Nota Bene features, such as 'jump to next/previous phrase' (see below).

C4 MDBOWA (wild alphanumeric)MDNM. (a) In Hebrew files called with the /x switch WA finds next NUMBER; (b) In Hebrew files called 'normally' WA finds next Roman character.

(It could be useful to have a special wildcard for finding the next non-Hebrew character, but I'm afraid this was not done deliberately.)

MDBONoteMDNM: Needless to say that this difference between 'files called with /x' and 'files called normally', especially since this feature is imposed without the user's wish (as you could realize from the relevant section above) is untenable.

C4 MDBOWL (wild letter)MDNM. WL (wild letter) finds next Roman character in labels and print modes and style delta Roman text in the expanded mode.

C1. MDBOIncorrect grammatical phrase jumpingMDNM
SHIFT+CTRL + CR or CL do not work in Hebrew at all; instead of a grammatical phrase jump you get a word jump. The reason for this failure is more general -- 'find separator' (WS) does not work in Hebrew.
Note that this has nothing to do with my attempts to customize multilingual jumping.

C2. MDBOGrammatical units - jumping directionMDNM
When in Hebrew, the arrows must work as a mirror of the Roman arrows. In Shapirit, we simply used the separate CTRL etc. tables to define these jumps accordingly. Later, I wrote a simple XPL program which could evaluate the language environment and behave accordingly. (I had to load this program on an ampersand, because activating it from the HELP screen turned out to be disturbing: the ruler oscillated with each jump.)

I have proposed NBI several times to adapt this solution for 4.0 (it was an easy matter, I believe, to integrate this little XPL program into one of your new OVR files). I'm sorry to realize that not only does the old system persist, but there are no CTRL or CTRL-SHIFT tables where you could reverse the directions. In addition, as I reported above, the phrase/clause jump does not work in Hebrew at all because of a bug with wild WS.

(I am not lamenting the absence of these tables: indeed, there is no need for separate Hebrew+CTRL and Hebrew+CTRL+shift tables, unless you use these tables for the 'primitive' jumping method.)

I've written a new multiple-cursor XPL program, loaded it on phrase 799, then customized this to NB.HLP with the letter 'z' as hf code. It works now with at least temporarily acceptable ruler or screen oscillations. I believe it can be used as a basis for writing a procedure in one of the overlays in such a way that oscillations might be eliminated.

C1. MDBOAutomatic Uppercasing replaces charactersMDNM
Automatic uppercasing should NOT work in a Hebrew environment! It does, and this causes a lot of trouble, since the letters are converted to completely different ones (as you know, there is no uppercasing in Hebrew). It is not conceivable to turn AU off each time you go to Hebrew, then turn it on when you go to Roman. Please disable AU in Hebrew.
(I could nowhere locate a definition of a lowercase--uppercase set [what used to be UC<, undocumented, in previous versions].)

C2. MDBORepercussions for other features of uppercasingMDNM. This bug also have serious repercussions for a number of other Nota Bene functions: (a) Indexes, (b) Tables of contents, and (c) Ibid. In each of these, either wrong characters, or wrong sorting order, or both, take place. In Ibid., capitalization in all other fields than title, generates wrong results which are irreversible (you cannot use 'ci' for curing).

C1. MDBOAbbreviations expandedMDNM. If a file is created not with the /x switch, Hebrew abbreviations (activated via auto-replace) are expanded. This makes it imperative to have all Hebrew files created and stored with /x. The abbreviation feature in Nota Bene is too useful to be given up.

C1. MDBODisplayMDNM

C2. In pitch 10, right margin is rugged even when LOMO is on. Whenever dashes, parentheses, and inverted commas are entered in a line, the next line has an incorrect right margin.

C2. When style deltas (USxx) are inserted at the end of a Hebrew line, the line does not display correctly (it did, or partly did, in previous versions).

C1. MDBOSearching/ ReplacingMDNM
Samekh-schewa cannot be searched/replaced correctly; it turns into a Final Nun instead. I have not checked yet other characters.

C1. MDBOLabelsMDNM
Labels are completely unreadable in Hebrew files, which is a MDBOgreat griefMDNM! I have been using labels for years in Hebrew files for orientation (see my style sheets), editing, remarks, etc. I've preferred most of the times labels to prompts because of their visibility. Now, any Hebrew text in the labels is displayed in Roman accented characters (and if you move the cursor to the right, the display on the status line often is a row of ASCII 8 instead of text). This is MDBOveryMDNM distressing, like any feature that used to be available and is gone.
(I would not have grieved this detail so much had I known that when moving from the multilingual to the bilingual environment, the labels would be readable again; but as things stand now, I will have to give up a major editing feature.)
I can understand that the display on the status line cannot be fixed, but at least it seems plausible to me to make it possible to fix it in file.

C1. MDBOFootnotesMDNM
In previous versions (3.0 and 3.1), once you were in Hebrew, a footnote opened in Hebrew mode. Since 3.0, there was no need any longer to put LR0 or MDHN in the footnote itself. Various commands in the FM deltas (LR=, MD=) perfectly controlled the shape of the footnotes.

In NBLINGUA, though you can enter commands in the FM deltas, these commands are not implemented in the footnotes. For Hebrew, LA4 must be entered manually into each footnote.

When you open a footnote (with CTRL-F10), even when Hebrew is customized, the cursor stands on the RP delta, instead of standing on the first empty space; when you begin to write, the annoying right arrow is unnecessarily inserted.

Again, all of this does not occur in either 3.0 or 3.1. I consider is an absolute setback.

In addition, the RP delta must follow the LA4 code. If it precedes it, the space between the footnote number and the text is not implemented. Instead, the number itself is pushed from the right margin.

C1. MDBOHebrew keyboardMDNM
In the absence of a standard Israeli Hebrew keyboard layout, I've created one (ISRAEL.KBD).

I didn't like the use of SHIFT with the upper numbers row for vocalization, because these symbols are used and needed, so I've customized the RIGHT-SHIFT for vocalization. Unfortunately, this has disabled the CAPSLOCK key (I've tried to cancel Greek or Russian, but this didn't help). The CAPSLOCK key is of course not a big loss (especially when a simple XPL program can replace it), but many users cannot do without. Can anything else be eliminated yet the separate Rshift kept?

For an XPL replacement for CAPSLOCK, please see CAPSLOCL.NBL.

C1. MDBOHebrew export and importMDNM
Exporting a Hebrew file with 3-bytes sequences is impossible. It would be desirable to solve this problem as soon as possible.

C1. MDBOPrinting problemsMDNM

C2. MDBOWrong point sizes Hebrew+Roman - HPiiiMDNM
In mixing Hebrew with Roman, the size of the Roman 10 and 8 points is too small; 10.5 and 9 HPiii should be customized instead of 10 and 8. In this version, since printer tables are blocked, no fix can be done by user.

C2. MDBOInadequate indentationMDNM. With certain offsets, indentation does not work properly in justified texts. The line to be indented is only partly indented. It does not reach the left margin as it should. This used to be a bug in 3.0, cured by modifying the offset via trial and error.

C2. MDBOLine transgressionMDNM
At various occasions, in justified texts, strings transgress the left margin. This is a randomal occurrence, so it does not seem to be curable by changing any specific parameter.

C2. MDBOPrinting a vocalized text without vocalizationMDNM
For various users, it may be necessary to make it possible to print vocalized Hebrew as plain Hebrew (for example, with matrix printers with a Hebrew chip, if the user cannot, or would not, use downloaded fonts). This requires that a different type of substitution table be available.

C9 MDITXPLMDNM
LA1DC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBODisappearance of va$drMDNM
~Va$dr, one of the most valuable XPL values has disappeared. This is a real loss for a large number of programs.
In addition, the use of $dr locks the computer. This can be fatal for users who may innocently try running XPL utilities where $dr is used.

MDITNote:MDNM The loss of $dr is however curable by the new `OV gx' function, which can practically speaking achieve the same results, although not in such an elegant way as $dr.
(The existence of `OV gx' became clear to me only on November 21, 1992, which is why I could not report about it earlier. I wish NBI had told me about it when I complained. I have already re-written most of the XPL $dr procedures for NB 4.0.)

C1. MDBOASCII characters in HELP screensMDNM
When using SHIFT-ALT+pad to create ASCII characters in HELP screens, various control codes are no longer available. For example, instead of ASCII 13 (which in some screens appeared as 0D), you get a textual (literal) ASCII 255+0D. In order to transform this sequence to actual CR, a conversion procedure must be added.

The same holds for ASCII AE and AF, which used to replace command brackets in HELP screens and menus. Here, too, a conversion procedure must be added to an XPL program, whether independent or embedded in a HELP screen.
See USERG3 for an example of this.

C9 MDITCustomization problemsMDBOMDNM
DC1=1.1.1.
C1. MDBOLimitations on videoMDNM
There are some disadvantages in the fact that Nota Bene 4.0 now automatically regulates the display. Replacing the fonts, loading different fonts, or customizing different display modes (for the various print modes) is not as simple as in previous versions. In fact, they do not take place via open customizable files (like the older SET files).

C1. MDBOBlocked Printer TablesMDNM
NBLINGUA printer tables are currently blocked (barred), which is a real misfortune. We know how unrealistic it is to expect NBI to offer ongoing service to hundreds of users. In the past, users could not only solve problems by themselves, but created new printer tables for new fonts. With the new tables, one cannot even fix wrong printings (substitution tables are barred).

C1. MDBOHELP screens with ASCII 1MDNM
HELP screens using ASCII 1 (for insertion of text) must now be executed with the cursor in file. If this is not done, the text will not be inserted into the file, but on the command line, which will cause beeps and bells. I do not know how this can be cured in general for screens run via HELP.

If the particular screen is run via an HL key (which, by the way, has been eliminated from NBI's keyboard), then HL must be preceded by a GT. This will force the cursor into the text area.

