Glyphotext 1.0 User manual

Some definitions (glossary)

Document Navigator

Tool found in the interface of Glyphotext (on the right of the editor) which makes it possible to manage the produced documents and to navigate from one sequence of text to the other. Moreover, it allows access to the Document Properties dialog, allowing to specify the various document properties (source, author, date, etc) for further references.

Editor

The central working section of Glyphotext consisting of four (4) windows (the hieroglyphic text, the LPDH codes, the transliteration and the translation).

Glyphs: classes and numbering

The classification of the glyphs follows primarily the commonly accepted codification standard. On the basis of the signs known as standard, the signs called extended are added. In the case of differences with the authors of grammar and/or the data from the dictionary of R. Hannig and/or the signs of the CCER (cf. in References section), we have indicated useful information in the window describing of the glyphs. We moreover created a third class of signs: additional signs. It consists of signs found in the sources, but without any official code assigned to them. Sometimes, one finds them in the Inventaire des signes hiéroglyphiques ... (cf Inv1988 in the References section)). The numbers of those additional signs use an extension of the type: _01, _02 and so forth. These additionnal glyphs are clearly distinguished from the two other classes by being colored in Blue in the Library. Standard glyphs are black, and extended glyphs are green). Any modification (there will be!) made to the code signs in the Glyphotext Library will be dealt with by the software at the time of the updates (thanks to an integrated conversion module).

Glyphs Orientation

By default, Glyphotext allows the creation of texts in line mode whose glyphs are read from left to right. Right/left orientation is also supported, as well as the column mode.

GOT Document

A document created with Glyphotext. When saved, it has the .got extension. When you save it, its name appears in the documents tab, found at the bottom of the central section of the interface. The information structure of a got file is in XML.

Group signs

A group is an assembly or a particular positioning of 2 or more glyphs in the same quadrat. A Glyphotext group can be the result of a binding of glyphs (ligature), contained in a text written in hieratic or following the need for redimensioning or repositioning glyphs within a quadrat in any other way than that permitted by default by the graphic engine. The predefined groups supported by Glyphotext are found in the Groups category of the library. On the other hand, any user can create new ones, or modify existing one, and then include them in his Personal list for later use.

Any group present in a .GOT document is embedded in the the said document. It will be automatically read by anyone using Glyphotext. That's the reason why, in the LPDH codes, a group code is followed by an hyphen (underscore) plus a number: (for example : G5&X1_1). This indicates an instance of the group, which behaves as a unique graphic object (you can modify it without altering any other groups in the document or in the Library).

In order to create or modify a group, see the Tips and Tricks and the Group Editor sections of this manual.

King list

Database of pharaonic cartouches, with the Horus names. Accessible by pressing the F6 key or in the main menu under Tools, or by clicking on the crown button.

Glyph Library

Glyphotext toolwindow (located on the left of the main application window) which gives access to the glyphs. Different approaches are possible, in order to facilitate this access (see Glyphotext Library).

Line numbering

There are two (2) types of line numbering :

• The line numbers of a GOT document,
• The line numbers of the source, which correspond to the physical separations of the lines in the source text (a papyrus, a stela, etc).

Note: There is also a editing margin on the left (the grayed zone). This margin shows the line numbers during edition; they are used for quickly identifying a line in the hieroglyphic text and its corresponding line in the LPDH window. These numbers are not part of the final document (not printable).

LPDH (Language for Positioning and Describing the Hieroglyphs)

It consists of a language using codes for describing/render graphically the elements of a hieroglyphic text. Based on the excellent work of the Manuel de Codage (re-examined, corrected and supplemented), these codes allow the insertion of the glyphs, the numbering of lines (of your document and of the source document), hatchings, glyphs color (like red), Latin text, and also various modifications that one can bring to the glyphs (rotation, inversion, dimension), etc. Under GLYPHOTEXT, all these functions are accessible directly through specialized buttons, located under the tabbed toolbars right under the main menu.

Macros

This tool, accessible through the >View>Macros menu and usually anchored as a tab on the left in the interface, allows the creation of macros, greatly facilitating your editing work. By typing = name_of_the_macro in the LPDH window, its hieroglyphic equivalent is returned. Moreover, the name the macro is then replaced by its actual value in the LPDH. For further details, see the heading Macros

Personal Lists

This tool, accessible through the menu View->Personal Lists and usually anchored as a tab on the bottom left in the interface, is useful for creating/editing your own lists of signs, according to your needs: groups or individual signs. For further details, see the Personal Lists topic of this manual.

Phonemes

The phonemes found in Glyphotetxt allows the user to rapidly type code signs in the LPDH window. They are based on the phonetic value of the hieroglyphic signs, of which a list has been established in Inventaire des signes hiéroglyphiques . (cf. Inv1988 in the Source References). Moreover, around 250 other phonemes were added to facilitate the work, this time based on their most current phonetic value or based on their association with ususal terms. For example, the sign O6 is usually represented with the following phoneme : Hwt. However, it sometimes appears under the form of O7 (with X1 inside). GOT allows to render this sign by typing Hwtt (the second t not being part of the word radical). It's simply a short-cut! So, O9 would be typed Hwttnb, corresponding to its componnents : Hwt + t + nb.

Properties of a document

It consists of 2 sets of useful meta-information for the description of your document and of the source document : title, author, dates, references, category of texts, notes, etc. Once a new document iscreated, it can become useful/important to preserve data for its proper identification and classification. Click the Document Properties button at right-hand top side, in the Document Navigator (on the right of the editor windows). These meta-informations are embedded in your document and are accessible to whoever uses GOT.

Quadrat

The basic physical space occupied by a glyph is formed by a rectangle named quadrat. A quadrat can contain one or more hieroglyphs (superimposed and/or juxtaposed).

Source Document

An original egyptian document (ex. The Annals of Thutmosis III, text edited in the Urkunden IV).

Text in latin font

Possibility offered by GOT to embed latin text within the hieroglyphic text. Use the Tx button under the Basic Element toolbar. For text in transliteration, still within the hieroglyphs window, use the A button.

Transliteration

By default, the transliteration window offers the suitable font. To input not-transliterated text (for the line numbers, for example), use the functions of the Trans./Trad Format, placed at the top.