Exporting, using the inbuilt “Configured Dictionary” in XHTML format.
Using DAB 5.4 and importing the normal way via the wizzard, very early in a “new app” process.
The entire app-building works, no errors during rendering, and the app looks good on my phone.
But: inside RAB the page called “Fields” is entirely empty. I see headings like Show, Name, Type and Label but I see nothing to populate this page.
Other users are discussing how to colour or style certain fields. And I do not see any fields. Is this page only meant for “special fields” from Flex like Bibliography or Etymology?
Is there any documentation? Do I need to configure something somewhere?
Thank you for any input.
When we did a proof of concept Webonary project, we worked a lot on our CSS and made very clear distinction between the local language and French. And we got rid of all abbreviations, because paper was no issue and our output looked much more approachable and inviting to users.
I would like to make a very clear and good looking dictionary app now, and I suppose all that goodness is accessed via “Fields”, yes?
Just to say that as people develop nice output formats, anything that could be shared with the community (preferably with screen shots) would be appreciated!
Comparing a LIFT source DAB project to a XHTML source project. The Fields section relates to LIFT, giving you the ability to leave out fields. For the XHTML you do that in Fieldworks.
Today I noticed for the fist time, that in my project in DAB on the “Lexicon” page, the “Number of Entries” is mainly showing “-” although I do have entries and although the final app on the phone does show them.
Sometimes when I click around in DAB and come back to the Lexicon page, the Number of Entries changes and will show an actual number. Right now it shows 5396 entries, which looks right to me. I could not find a pattern, why this display goes on and off.
Thank you Ian, that was helpful. I had downloaded the Sena sample project for my FieldWorks and had seen the same blank window.
Now I am at ease. And will configure all my fields via Flex. I am glad that a few years back their team gave us the option to keep several different named dictionary setups. Because an app has different visual needs than a print or web output.
I’d like to see your dictionary layout. Also your setup in Fieldworks.
I find it easier to use LIFT sources as there is less to tweak. I like its default spread out look. I don’t think we need abbreviations and crammed up cryptic layouts for web or apps.
I will write you off-list for an invite to our Google Play beta test.
Presently I am struggling with the hundreds of styles I find in DAB. When developing for web, I can right-click anything and have powerful “inspect this element” tools to help me find what to teak.
In DAB I have to guess or do rounds of trial and look to find what style does what. This is not a complaint. I am just saying here is one user who would like to tweak the visual presentation. Seems that colours coming from the Flex export CSS are being overriden by DAB.
Also certain styles give me a color option and others do not. This needs researching. Or is there any deeper documentation, which would help me see the structure of what goes where? For example how do the different tabs in the Styles window relate to the different CSS files which I find inside a DAB project folder and in the folder where I point to my exported data.
I had the spent time back then and had a niceish layout for Webonary CSS. But Wordpress evolved too rapidly and our self-hosted Webonary went plouff (long story). So I do read and write CSS but normally I would have an HTML file where I can see what gets called by who and where and when.
I am trying for the moment to “stay in the system” and not do any hacking in the CSS tabs, rather use the inbuilt colour schemes and assign TextColor1 and TextColor2 to certain languages.
So not much to show this morning, but some colours are emerging in my app.