XLingPaper is a specialized tool designed to help linguists create and format linguistic documents such as papers, theses, and books. It primarily addresses challenges in example numbering, citation consistency, and abbreviation usage, making it easier for linguists to maintain well-organized and error-free documents. This guide will walk you through the steps to publish your documents using XLingPaper.

Getting Started with XLingPaper

Step 1: Install XLingPaper and XMLmind XML Editor

  1. Visit the Installation Page: Go to the installation instructions on the XLingPaper website.
  2. Download and Install: Follow the instructions to download and install XLingPaper and the XMLmind XML Editor, a free, user-friendly editor that integrates seamlessly with XLingPaper.

Step 2: Create a New Document

  1. Open XMLmind XML Editor: Launch the XMLmind XML Editor on your computer.
  2. Start a New Document:
    • Go to File > New.
    • Find the XLingPaper section.
    • Choose the type of document you want to create, such as Book, Paper, or Tom Payne's Grammar Book Outline.

Step 3: Structure Your Document

  1. Front Matter:
    • Title: Enter the title of your document.
    • Author: Add one or more authors.
    • Affiliation: Optionally, include affiliations for each author.
    • Date, Version, Keywords: Add these elements as needed.
  2. Sections:
    • Main Body: Divide your content into chapters or sections depending on the type of document.
    • Use Templates: Utilize templates for various elements like examples, lists, and tables.
  3. Back Matter:
    • References: Manage citations and references using the references element.
    • Appendices: Add appendices, endnotes, and other supplementary material.

Writing and Formatting Your Document

Step 1: Add and Manage Examples

  1. Insert Examples:
    • Use the example templates for different types of content, such as single examples or lists of examples.
    • Insert elements like word, gloss, and lineGroup to structure your examples.
  2. Numbering and Referencing:
    • XLingPaper automatically numbers your examples.
    • Use exampleRef to reference examples throughout your document.

Step 2: Manage Citations and References

  1. Insert Citations:
    • Use the citation element to cite works in your text.
    • XLingPaper ensures all citations have corresponding entries in the references.
  2. Add References:
    • Maintain a master list of references in your document.
    • Use the refAuthor and refWork elements to organize references by author and work.

Step 3: Use Abbreviations Consistently

  1. Create Abbreviations List:
    • Use the abbreviations element to create a list of abbreviations and their definitions.
    • XLingPaper ensures that all abbreviations used in the text have corresponding entries.
  2. Insert Abbreviations:
    • Use the abbrRef element to insert abbreviations in your text.

Publishing Your Document

Step 1: Generate Outputs

  1. Webpage Output:
    • Go to XLingPaper > Produce Webpage (F7) to generate an HTML version of your document.
    • View the webpage using XLingPaper > Show Webpage (F8).
  2. PDF Output:
    • Use XLingPaper > Produce PDF (F9) to generate a PDF version.
    • The PDF will include embedded fonts and well-formatted content.
  3. Word and OpenOffice Outputs:
    • For a Word document, use XLingPaper > Produce Word 2003 Document.
    • For OpenOffice, use XLingPaper > Produce Open Office Document.

Step 2: Review and Edit

  1. Check Formatting:
    • Ensure the formatting is consistent and review the document for any errors.
    • Use the XMLmind XML Editor’s tools to make necessary adjustments.
  2. Add Comments:
    • Insert comment elements for internal notes. Set showcommentinoutput to yes if you want them to appear in the output.

Advanced Features

Step 1: Use Publisher Style Sheets

  1. Associate Style Sheets:
    • Use XLingPaper > Associate a publisher style sheet to apply a specific formatting style.
    • Choose the appropriate style sheet for your target journal or publisher.
  2. Customize Style Sheets:
    • Edit the style sheet to meet specific formatting requirements.
    • Save custom style sheets in a convenient location for reuse.

Step 2: Manage Interlinear Texts

  1. Include Interlinear Texts:
    • Use the interlinear-text element for full interlinear glossed texts.
    • Export texts from tools like SIL FieldWorks Language Explorer and integrate them into your document.
  2. Refer to Interlinear Texts:
    • Use interlinearRef to reference portions of interlinear texts within your document.

Step 3: Handle Special Formats and Languages

  1. Special Characters and Fonts:
    • Use the XMLmind XML Editor’s character tool to insert special symbols.
    • Set language-specific attributes like font-family and font-size for non-roman fonts.
  2. Automatic Wrapping of Long Lines:
    • For the XeLaTeX PDF output, set automaticallywrapinterlinears to yes to wrap long lines.

Conclusion

XLingPaper streamlines the process of creating and publishing linguistic documents, ensuring consistency and professionalism. By following these steps, you can efficiently manage your content, examples, citations, and formatting to produce high-quality, well-organized documents ready for publication. For more detailed instructions and advanced features, refer to the XLingPaper documentation.