The Linguist's Shoebox
Integrated data management and analysis for the field linguist
MDF files
The Multi-Dictionary Formatter (MDF) is an "export process" in Shoebox that depends on several kinds of files, including database types, language encodings, and change tables. The following table supersedes the information in Appendix G of Making Dictionaries.
Note that Shoebox has Consistent Changes built in. It doesn't use the stand-alone CC program for DOS, Windows, or Macintosh that you may have on your computer. However, you will need to have Microsoft Word installed on your computer to print a dictionary or reversed index (finderlist) that you export from Shoebox using MDF. The default location for exported document files is same the user data folder that contains your lexical database file.
Location: The Shoebox Setup/Installer program copies most of the MDF files to both the user settings folder (My Shoebox Settings) and the MDF folder. In the following table, that is the default location for files. The files in the user settings folder are the ones that you will actually use for your dictionary. The copies in the MDF folder (which is contained in the Shoebox folder) are provided in case you need to revert to the original version of a file that you have customized. The MDF folder contains the MDFSampl subfolder. You can open the sample files in Shoebox to practice exporting and also to consult as examples, but do not add your own lexical data to these files. The Making Dictionaries book is available in Portable Document Format (PDF) as an "extra" on the Shoebox CD-ROM.
| File name | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Information | ||
| MDFNotes.txt | MDF Release Notes | MDF |
| MDFields.db | On-line Helps for MDF Lexical Database Standards | MDF |
| MDF_2000.pdf | Making Dictionaries | CD-ROM |
| Samples | ||
| MDFSampl.prj | sample Shoebox project | |
| MDFSampl.db | sample lexical database file | MDFSampl |
| Sago.pcx | sample graphic picture for a lexical entry | MDFSampl |
| MDF_AltH.db | sample lexical record in the alternate hierarchy | MDFSampl |
| Settings | ||
| MDF.typ | MDF lexical database type | |
| MDF_AltH.typ | MDF lexical database type for alternate hierarchy | |
| MDFields.typ | database type for MDFields.db file | |
| MDF_HTML.typ | database type for temporary formatted file in HTML | |
| MDF_RTF.typ | database type for temporary formatted file in RTF | |
| Date.lng | language encoding for \dt dd/Mmm/yyyy | |
| Date.cct | used by date.lng for year-2000 compatibility | |
| Default.lng | used by auxilliary database types | |
| English.lng | English language | |
| n_lang.lng | MDF national language (see also French.lng) | |
| phonetic.lng | language encoding for \ph (see also IPA93.lng) | |
| r_lang.lng | MDF regional language | |
| v_lang.lng | MDF vernacular language | |
| Change tables used by MDF export processes | ||
| MDFDict1.cct | select data fields for dictionaries | |
| MDFDict2.cct | format data fields for dictionaries in RTF | |
| MDFDictH.cct | format data fields for dictionaries in HTML | |
| MDFLinkH.cct | format hypertext links for dictionaries in HTML | |
| MDFList1.cct | select data fields for finderlists | |
| MDFList2.cct | format data fields for finderlists in RTF | |
| MDFListH.cct | format data fields for finderlists in HTML | |
| MDF_eng.cct | labels in English | |
| MDF_frn.cct | labels in French | |
| MDF_ger.cct | labels in German | |
| MDF_inz.cct | labels in Indonesian | |
| MDF_por.cct | labels in Portuguese | |
| MDF_spn.cct | labels in Spanish | |
| Document templates for Microsoft Word | ||
| MDF_e.dot | English-language audience | |
| MDF_n.dot | national-language audience | |
| MDF_eRtl.dot | English-language audience with right-to-left scripts (Windows only) | |
| MDF_nRtl.dot | national-language audience with right-to-left scripts (Windows only) | |
| Change tables for converting data files | ||
| Cnvrt-lf.cct | convert \lf lexical functions to new format | MDF |
| Cnvrt-pd.cct | convert paradigm forms to new format | MDF |