The Nedj Nedj databases 2 THE BIG PICTURE 2.1 Overview / 2.11 Occurrences panels

2. THE BIG PICTURE

Each database has a number of screens, or layouts, which enable the information to be looked at in different ways. In the Hierolex database there are two principal screens.

2.1 OVERVIEW

‘Overview’ is the most used screen for the database. It presents words or sentences up to 20 characters in length in the glyph display at top right. In the instance below, only five glyphs are active. 

The ‘instant searcher’ panels occupy the central part of the screen, but are not active in the view below.

Fig. 2.11 The ‘Overview’ screen of the HIEROLEX database, for ‘neKHet: strong’

The aim of the Overview screen is to present as much information as possible on a single viewing without need to go hunting elsewhere for it.

This screen might appear confusing at first sight, but is in fact not much different from learning your way around a house. Each section is like a room, with certain characteristics, as will be shown next, where the same screen is presented diagrammatically.

Fig. 2.12 Analysis of the ‘Overview’ screen

The main parts of the screen are:

— the top right-hand corner coloured pink: ‘GLYPHS’; 

— the ‘searcher’ panels in the centre;

— and the lower-third section: the records.

There are approaching 25 000 records in this database in 2013, only about half a dozen being on view at any time in the Overview screen (other screen views show more). 

An outline of each of the areas on the Overview screen follows.

2.11 OCCURRENCES PANELS

Three ‘occurrences’ panels are presented in top top left-hand corner of this screen.

These show occurrences in the database of elements of the record being looked at. The colours give a clue as to the essential character, or element concerned, in each of these three panels. 

Occurrences: respelt. The brown panel shows all occurrences of the respelt version of the record, in this case all occurrences of the word neKHet in the database. As there are more occurrences than there are lines in the panel, a scroll bar on the right enables all to be accessed. All respellings in the database are in a brown field.

Occurrences: English JSM. The yellow occurrences panel shows all instances of a particular EngJSM version of the word, in the case of the present record being looked at this word is ‘strong’. The {English JSM} field is yellow.

Occurrences: glyph sequence. The third, lilac coloured occurrences panel shows all occurrences of a particular glyph sequence. In the present instance the sequence being shown is one of the renderings of neKHet, <water branch string bun stander: stick>. neKHet can be rendered in a variety of glyph sequences, but this panel will show only the specific <water branch string bun stander: stick> arrangement.