We are continuing to improve the Import and export functions.

Standard Format (e.g. Shoebox and Toolbox) Import

Language Explorer has fairly good support for importing standard format (SFM) dictionaries. The challenge of importing these files is that the programs used to create them have little in the way of consistency checking, and the import process can only guess at the “meaning” of the markers.

The Import Wizard steps you through the process of describing what each of the fields “mean” as well as what writing systems are used with that field. This process is one of creating a mapping between the importing SFM file and the FieldWorks database. These mapping files can be saved or shared with others for future use. Language Explorer comes with a mapping file for those using the MDF system of markers, in order to give many users a head start on this process.

Detailed information on the import mapping process and potential complications is available on the Help menu under Resources. Click the option Technical notes on SFM Database Import.
Screenshot of Lexicon Edit view
Language Explorer is 100% Unicode. Therefore, if your data is not already in Unicode, that conversion will need to be done before or at the same time as importing into Language Explorer. Tools are provided to help with this process, but technical assistance may be required. More on encoding conversion.

LinguaLinks Import

The import of LinguaLinks data includes these areas:

  • Lexicon
  • Texts
  • Wordform Inventory

Detailed information on the import mapping process and potential complications is available on the Help menu under Resources. Click the option Technical notes on Lingualinks Import.

Language Explorer is 100% Unicode. Therefore, since LinguaLinks does not support Unicode, that conversion will need to be done at the same time as importing into Language Explorer. Tools are provided to help with this process, but technical assistance may be required. More on encoding conversion.

Standard Format Export

Version 7 has many more options than previous versions. Read the explanation of the selected export option, which is displayed on the right, as shown below for Full Lexicon.
Screenshot of Lexicon Edit view

Lexique Pro Export

At this point, we support export to Lexique Pro using any of the above SFM export options. In the future, we hope to provide a smoother export to Lexique Pro, so that you do not have to walk through the Lexique Pro wizard describing your fields.

XML Export

Internally, Language Explorer uses XML extensively, for example, for creating the grammar sketch, loading the parser, and configuring many aspects of the program. As you can see in the screenshot above, there are XML exports for several types of data. Currently the one provided for lexical data only exports configured dictionary data rather than all fields of the lexicon. See plans to monitor our progress on additional export options.

Interlinear Export

There are numerous export options for interlinear text.
Screenshot of Lexicon Edit view