The Linguist's Shoebox

Integrated data management and analysis for the field linguist

Installing Shoebox for Macintosh

This Classic application does not work on Intel processor-based Macs.

Shoebox for Macintosh is freely downloadable (102 MB). The downloaded file is a disk image file. Open the file, and run the Shoebox Installer program.

When you run the Shoebox Installer, it affects only three folders on your hard disk (therefore, removing Shoebox is easy). The following table lists Installer actions in these folders for two situations:

The first time you install Shoebox
If you have already installed a major version of Shoebox (includes reinstalling)

Folder	Default name	Installer action
Shoebox	Shoebox 5	Adds the Shoebox folder Adds new application files and sample folders Replaces existing ones (you get to confirm the installation to the existing folder)
User settings	My Shoebox Settings	Adds the user settings folder (if you change its default location, do not put it in the Shoebox folder or any of its subfolders) Adds new settings files Leaves most existing files; replaces only the following: Standard MDF change tables Some standard settings files
Preferences	Preferences (in the System Folder)	No Installer action; however, the Shoebox program adds and updates Shoebox Preferences

Backing up your files

We strongly encourage you to back up your Shoebox data and settings files

before installing a new version (or at least before opening any of your existing projects)
after every significant working session (or at least after every significant stage in your work)

Shoebox folder

In addition to program files, the Shoebox folder contains several subfolders:

Subfolder	Contents
Anthro	Anthropology Field Notes and Analysis databases
Doc	Documentation
Ling	Linguistic Field Manual and Grammar Outline databases
MDF	Multi-Dictionary Formatter
Samples	Several levels of subfolders containing sample data some that you can use with the Tutorial others that introduce you to advanced topics (not documented elsewhere)
Sh2Conv	Program for converting files from Shoebox for MS-DOS
Std_Set	Master copies of standard settings files
Text	Files for preparing and using text databases (including interlinear text)

Important: Do not put your data and settings files in the Shoebox folder or any of its subfolders.

Multi-Dictionary Formatter

The Shoebox Installer can copy MDF files to the user settings folder so that you can customize them for your lexical data. (This is in addition to the master set of MDF files that are installed in the MDF subfolder in the Shoebox folder.) It copies the MDF files if the user settings folder (My Shoebox Settings) doesn't exist on the first level of the hard disk.

Note: When you reinstall MDF, the Installer always replaces essential Consistent Change table .cct files for MDF in the user settings folder.

For more information: In Shoebox Help, search for Multi-Dictionary Formatter. If you have installed previous versions of Shoebox and MDF, see MDF Release Notes.

Converting settings files

When new features are added to Shoebox, the format of its settings files changes (sometimes only slightly, sometimes more substantially). When you open an existing project in a different version of the program, Shoebox converts the settings files. You get the opportunity to confirm the conversion. For more information, choose Help in the confirmation dialog box.

Converting older settings files

Newer versions of Shoebox can convert older settings files without loss of information. If you have upgraded to a new version of Shoebox, let it convert older settings files in your existing projects when you open them.

Converting newer settings files

Older versions of Shoebox obviously can't know about all the features that might be contained in newer settings files, therefore you might lose valuable information if you allow the conversion.

If you share data and settings files with others and frequently copy those files to and from multiple computers, arrange to use the same version and to install upgrades at the same time.
To avoid the risk of losing settings information, remove older versions of Shoebox from your computer.
However, if you are a computer consultant for multiple researchers who use different versions of Shoebox, be sure to use the appropriate versions of Shoebox to open their projects.

Replacing standard settings files

Because the original Shoebox 3 versions of some standard settings files had problems or limitations, the Installer replaces these files with improved versions. Standard settings files can be installed in two folders: the user settings folder and the Std_Set subfolder (in the Shoebox folder).

Language encodings

The Installer will install these to the Std_Set subfolder. They are also added to the user settings folder if missing there.

BookRef.lng
Date.cct
Date.lng
English.lng
IPA93.lng

If upgrading, you must copy them from the Std_Set subfolder to the user settings folder if you wish to use the improved versions. If you are upgrading and have modified old versions of any of the files for your work, you should copy them to a different folder before you install a new version of Shoebox. After the new files have been installed, compare them to the copies of your old modified files. Decide whether to use the new files, the old files, or hybrid versions.

Consistent Change Tables for importing text files

The Installer also replaces existing versions of the following change tables in the Text subfolder. If you are upgrading, you must copy them from the Text subfolder to the user settings folder if you wish to use the improved versions.

TextPrep.cct
Note: Although TextPrep.cct is still useful for importing text, you can use the Break and Number Text command on the Tools menu for text that is already in a Shoebox database record.
ScrPrep.cct

For more information: In Shoebox Help, search for TextPrep.cct or ScrPrep.cct.

Moving files from the old Shoebox Settings folder

If you used version 3 of Shoebox, you might be keeping your settings files in the Settings subfolder (in the Shoebox folder).

If so, you should

copy the existing settings files to the new user settings folder (My Shoebox Settings)
rename or remove the old Settings folder

Shoebox Preferences

Shoebox Preferences is a small file that remembers the project to open when you do not start Shoebox by double-clicking a project file (Shoebox reopens the project that was last closed).

Kinds of Shoebox files

Shoebox Project	If Shoebox is not already running, you can start it and open projects by double-clicking their icons in the Finder (or their aliases on the Desktop).
Shoebox Database	If Shoebox is already running, you can open databases by double-clicking their icons in the Finder. Because they are text files, you can also drag them to ordinary text editing applications.
Text document	Database types, language encodings, and Consistent Change tables are ordinary text files.

Replacing (reinstalling) the samples

There is a Samples folder in the Shoebox folder. It contains several levels of subfolders containing sample data that go with the Tutorial or introduce advanced topics (not documented elsewhere). If you want to repeat the procedures in a section of the Tutorial, you should replace (reinstall) the sample files.

To replace the sample files, run the Shoebox Installer.

Removing Shoebox

To remove Shoebox from your computer:

Remove the Shoebox folder (by default, Shoebox 5).
Remove the user settings folder (by default, My Shoebox Settings).
Remove Shoebox Preferences from the Preferences subfolder (in the System Folder).
If you used Shoebox to create any data files that you no longer want, you can remove them too.
If you had created aliases for any files that you have removed, remove the aliases.

Note: If you are upgrading from a previous version of Shoebox, you will need to remove the test version's Shoebox folder.

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