Add intelligent guesses to the undocumented literary source abbreviations in PW

[funderburkjim]

Under headword bala in PW dictionary we find one of the literary source references R.ed.Bomb.4,54,2. When we follow the link for this, we encounter:

This means that, in our preparation of the pwauth listing based on the printed bibliographic information in the various volumes of PW, we did not find the R.ed.Bomb. abbreviation.

There are 287 similar items, appearing at the bottom of the sortbib_iast1.txt file.

From experience with various Sanskrit dictionaries, it is quite likely that R.ed.Bomb. is RĀMĀYAṆA, Bombay edition, so we could change make a more informative entry in sortbib: RĀMĀYAṆA, Bombay edition [inferred].

Probably many more of these unexpanded abbreviations of literary sources could be filled in by intelligent guessing.

We need to find someone to take on this task.

[gasyoun]

literary source references

I must repeat my concerns. Let us change the way the popups open. I disabled AdBlock, so AdBlock is paused. Still I'm not the only one on Chrome that can't open the abbreviation popup. IE works fine, but it's dead. Let's change the JS.

From experience with various Sanskrit dictionaries, it is quite likely that R.ed.Bomb. is RĀMĀYAṆA, Bombay edition

Exactly.

We need to find someone to take on this task.

I'm no good on literature. I can make a few guesses here and there, but only if @drdhaval2785 agrees to verify.

[funderburkjim]

I can make a few guesses here and there, but only if @drdhaval2785 agrees to verify.

Sounds like a plan to get us started.

[funderburkjim]

I must repeat my concerns. Let us change the way the popups open.

First time I've heard this as a concern. I use Ublock-Origin and have white-listed sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de, and have no problems.

What is the suggested solution?

[gasyoun]

What is the suggested solution?

How about a non-JS solution like https://eichefam.net/2011/12/21/popup-windows-without-javascript/?

[funderburkjim]

We need to clarify some terminology regarding popups, so I'm sure what detail is causing the problem.

html/javascript details of current system

In the current, existing code for pwg, a literary source reference link starts out as a standard html link. e.g.: <a href="javascript:winls('pwgauth.html','1.026')"> Av. 13, 1, 6. </a>

The href of the link is a call to a javascript function named 'winls', which is called with two parameters:

• pwgauth.html is part of the file name of a file on the server
• 1.026 is the name of an anchor within the pwgauth.html file: <a name="1.026"></a>

The javascript winls uses the two parameters to generate the full (relative) url: ../sqlite/pwgauth.html#1.026

Then, winls calls the browser 'window.open function' with this url and some sizing and other parameters: window.open(url, "winls", "width=800,height=210,scrollbars=yes");

And finally the winls function shifts browser focus to this window.

window.open() is the problem, I think

I think this is the code that causes the problem for ad-blockers.

I don't think it is the fact that javascript is used, but the fact that this particular 'window.open' function is used. @gasyoun Does this sound right? Or are there additional kinds of 'popup' things that ad-blockers try to stop?

[gasyoun]

I don't think it is the fact that javascript is used, but the fact that this particular 'window.open' function is used.

Might be. The issue is - even with adblockers turned off - it did not work. I can't see the popup for months now.

are there additional kinds of 'popup' things that ad-blockers try to stop?

Might be, but as said. Everything works fine in Firefox. And today, now, Chrome works as well (with AdBlock turned on). Can't understand. It's not only me. Students had the same issue.

[funderburkjim]

I can't see the popup for months now

Need more specifics. What happens when a literary source link is clicked?

Another solution might be to use a tooltip to show each literary source.

[drdhaval2785]

Tooltip is the best solution for such a small detail.

[gasyoun]

Tooltip is the best solution for such a small detail.

It's good because of no need to click anything. But you can't see the whole list at once (but who will want to do so other than me?). So it's ok.

[funderburkjim]

can't see the whole list at once

That bothers me a bit also. One solution would be to have a link to the whole list in each tooltip. The normal html tooltip does not permit links, I think. But there are more elaborate tooltips, such as in jQuery UI, that do support links.

Another possibility would be to add a link to the list of literary sources on this page.

[gasyoun]

Another possibility would be to add a link to the list of literary sources on this page.

I guess that would be enough. And on homepage as well.

One solution would be to have a link to the whole list in each tooltip.

Does not sound good.

[SergeA]

I think the link to the list of abbreviations and sources must be in the search interface. Somewhere near the word "Help". Also there must be available a brief description of the dictionary and its peculiarities.

[gasyoun]

Also there must be available a brief description of the dictionary and its peculiarities.

And who will write 'em?

[funderburkjim]

a brief description of the dictionary and its peculiarities -- who will write?

There can be various contributors.

@SergeA Why don't you provide a sample of such a description (whichever dictionary strikes your fancy). This will help us think about this suggestion.

[funderburkjim]

It seems that the consensus so far regarding display of source abbreviations is

• display individual references in a tooltip (rather than a link to an anchor in the full list of abbreviations, as we are currently doing in MW, PW, PWG).
• provide a link to the full list of literary source abbreviations in one or more places:
  • in each display
  • in the 'home' page for the displays of each dictionary.

[gasyoun]

consensus so far regarding display

Yap.