NBS11+ dictionary content in english

Question

I have the same ressource (update) of NBS11+ as my translator. For me the dictionary definitions show up in french, for him in english ( while some other gloses in french). What can be the source of this problem? He really needs the french.

Answer 1

That’s great that this has been solved. Can someone clarify, however, what resources those are exactly? When I download/install resources, I don’t see an SDBG or SDBH file in the list in Paratext.

I also tried a little experiment… I closed Paratext and moved those two files (SDBx.mdv1z) to a different place, then opened Paratext. It gave me this message:

image698×228 60.7 KB

For those that don’t speak French… It says I can’t use Enhanced Resources until I get these two files, and tells me to go to Download/Install to get them, clicking on the “Update” button to get all updates. (The enhanced resource window shows up with an error at this point, and doesn’t display anything.)

I followed these instructions, but found the User Interface to be a bit clunky. Those two items, the Semantic Dictionary something, are not even on the list. Initially, no items are selected, and the Download/Install button is not active. But all of the enhanced resources say “Update”. If I check anything on the list, (even if I didn’t check any of the enhanced resources,) it will download those two Semantic dictionaries. Then, if I restart Paratext, my enhanced resources will work again.

So Paratext seems to be using the Download/Install resource dialog to download things that are hidden if they are missing. That seems a little weird. I assume those files would normally be installed/updated with Paratext updates, but if somehow they go missing, this is a mechanism to get them back.

I would think it would be better, if those files are missing or need an update, to temporarily add them to the list of things that you can download (and NOT mark all of the enhanced resources as having an “Update”). Then the user can actually see what Paratext is intending to download and how big they are.

@John+Wickberg The Download/Install Resources dialog already has “Images and maps” to support the enhanced resources. Wouldn’t it be better to make the Semantic Dictionaries the same sort of thing, where they show up in the list of items that can be installed and updated? Then Paratext won’t be downloading resources that you aren’t expecting. Maybe you would want (exceptionally) to not be able to Remove/Uninstall that resource, and maybe as mentioned above they would only show up in the list when they are missing or there is an update. Anyway, some food for thought.

Comments

When Enhanced Resources was implemented, we put all the ER related data on a server - ER data is not installed with Paratext. So, the Download/Install resources dialog needs to be used to get the files.

There are some required data files for ER’s that we don’t list in the dialog, but will be downloaded if missing - SDBH and SDBG are the two required dictionaries - these are not the same as similarly named Source Language Tool dictionaries.

For images, there is a required file that contains thumbnails that is not listed. The listed image files are optional - the user gets to select which quality of image they want.

So, I guess we thought that listing files that would always need to be checked would just be confusing, but maybe hiding them is also confusing. Not sure which is better - you can send in a feature request if you would like this to be changed.

John+Wickberg

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John+Wickberg:

So, I guess we thought that listing files that would always need to be checked would just be confusing, but maybe hiding them is also confusing.

Thanks for your feedback, John+Wickberg. Now that I know what’s going on, I’m not so bothered about it. But it is confusing to have Paratext download things that I didn’t request. And it’s confusing that all of the ERs say they have an update, when it’s really the dictionaries. For example, I had checked all of my ERs in my testing, since they said they had an update, and then was surprised when Paratext didn’t actually download them. In fact, it seems like the progress bar for downloads only went part of the way across (like it was expecting to have to download the ERs), and all of a sudden it was done.

I’m also curious about what you said that ER data is not installed with Paratext. So if I have a clean install of Paratext, and I download one resource that is NOT enhanced, will it still download those dictionary files? If that’s the case, I think it would be good to tell the user what’s going on. They might have selected a small resource, and all of a sudden Paratext is downloading 30Mb of stuff I didn’t request.

What about adding an extra item at the top of the download list when there are extras to download, which gives a brief idea of what it is downloading. The item could be checked by default, and maybe even can’t be unchecked? And if the user tried to uncheck it, it gives a message “This is a required component for Paratext and must be downloaded for Enhanced Resources to work.” But then if they don’t have any ERs, should those files (and the thumbnails) actually be required? So maybe you should be able to uncheck it to avoid the download if you don’t need it.

Just brainstorming a bit here, and wondering if anyone has other suggestions…

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The Download/install resources dialog is used for DBL resources and ER resources. If you get a DBL resource, no ER required files will be downloaded. They will only be downloaded the first time that an ER is selected for downloading.

We sometimes display a “banner” at the top of a dialog or window for warnings or information. Maybe doing that with a summary of the required files that will be included would be an option.

To get this considered, someone will need to send a feature request - I rarely create issues.

John+Wickberg

Answer 2

When displaying dictionary data for an Enhanced Resource, the search order for glosses is: language of ER, UI language and then English.

So when a French ER is displayed and a dictionary entry is appearing in English that should mean that no French data for the entry is available.

If you give more details about the passage you were looking at, I can check the data.

John+Wickberg
Paratext support

Comments

Hi John+Wickberg,

Thank you for your willingness to help me out with this problem.

My problem is that for the same gloss in the same bible verse, it shows up in french on my computer and on the computer of my translator in english. That does mean that the gloss is available in french, but there is a reason why his computer does choose the english.

SO if you can explain what ER and UI means I might look this up. For sure, his interface language for Paratext and windows is french.

Salutations cordiales / warm greetings,

anon057624

Answer 3

anon057624 - another thing to check is that you are both on the same version number of Paratext AND that you have both updated your resources (under Download/Install Resources). There are regular updates to the resources that could impact what information you see.

Comments

We are both on version 9.3.103.8 and have both NBS11+.mbv1z updated on 14/01/2023.
So again, that does not answer the question!

Salutations cordiales / warm greetings,

anon057624

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The dictionary data is obtained from SDBG.mdv1z for the NT and SDBH.mdv1z for the OT.

Are those files the same on your two machines?

If not, you can delete these two files and the NBS11+ and then use Download/Install resources to get the latest version of all 3 files.

We have been using a new update process for the Enhanced Resources (the ER abbreviation in my previous message) and I think there is a problem with the version numbers getting correctly incremented and that’s why I’m asking you to delete the files to make sure the newest version is downloaded.

John+Wickberg

Answer 4

Thanks John+Wickberg, this has solved the problem!

Answer 5

John+Wickberg:

f you get a DBL resource, no ER required files will be downloaded.

I’m not sure that this is correct. I believe in one of my tests, I deleted the dictionaries, then in Download/Install Resources I selected one resource that was not an ER, and it downloaded that one resource, but also the dictionaries.

Anyway, I have sent in a feature request from Paratext.