austraLasia #3455
Salesian Sources
now fully web-ready
sdb.org June 22, 2014 -- The entire Salesian Sources (Fonti salesiane) in English translation is now available in a web edition that will enable the ordinary reader, including one with scholarly intent, to quickly identify passages or features of interest and quote the passage with immediate reference to the editio typica. This is a significant step forward for the scholar or indeed for anyone who wishes to properly reference this outstanding collection of primary Salesian texts. But there is more to come.
(1) The Web Edition: now complete and ready to use
The image below demonstrates most of the features which make this web edition
The web-ready edition demonstrates the following features:
- colour-coding of certain elements which the reader of a web edition can benefit from knowing: (a) comments made by the translator, coded brown; (b) terms in use by Don Bosco, and which have direct relevance to the Salesian charism, coded blue; (c) citations which can be traced to a source - coded teal, but if they are biblical quotations they will be coded green; (d) glosses (explanations or translations) coded olive. Not shown here are topics or brief summaries of sections and documents, coded orange.
- page reference to the editio typica. In the pic above you can note the greyed 'page: 368'. Every one of the 1317 pages of the original Italian text have been inserted this way. If they annoy you, you can remove them by selecting 'Hide page breaks' in the Toolbox, but if you need to cite a passage in translation, then it certainly helps, in a web edition, to be able to make reference to the editio typica in Italian.
- navigation. The Toolbox is always visible, and enables the user to immediately go to a quick reference to parts and sections of the entire text (from which, internally, there are additional navigation options), or a complete TOC or table of contents with all 309 documents listed. One can return at any moment to these navigation aids by choosing quick or full reference from the Toolbox.
(2) Coming up
Behind this web edition lies an XML file. There is an entire encyclopedia of knowledge contained within the 'narrative' text of 'Salesian Sources' and XML can make sense of this. We are working towards an entire 'Personography' of all the people mentioned in the Sources, and their relationship to Don Bosco. this is what a tiny part of that 'encyclopedia' looks like at the moment:
Using the right sort of software (available at no cost) all of the information about individuals and their relationship to Don Bosco can be extracted in an instant. It would be obvious that this then becomes a very powerful tool for extracting information from 'Sources' that would otherwise be very difficult to bring together. Expect that this will be ready within a month. The XML file, already generously encoded, though not tot he full extent for 'persons' as indicated above, is already available from the website.
It is St Joseph Cafasso's memorial today/tomorrow, depending when you read this. Let this be a gift for him!
Salesian Sources
now fully web-ready
(1) The Web Edition: now complete and ready to use
The image below demonstrates most of the features which make this web edition
The web-ready edition demonstrates the following features:
- colour-coding of certain elements which the reader of a web edition can benefit from knowing: (a) comments made by the translator, coded brown; (b) terms in use by Don Bosco, and which have direct relevance to the Salesian charism, coded blue; (c) citations which can be traced to a source - coded teal, but if they are biblical quotations they will be coded green; (d) glosses (explanations or translations) coded olive. Not shown here are topics or brief summaries of sections and documents, coded orange.
- page reference to the editio typica. In the pic above you can note the greyed 'page: 368'. Every one of the 1317 pages of the original Italian text have been inserted this way. If they annoy you, you can remove them by selecting 'Hide page breaks' in the Toolbox, but if you need to cite a passage in translation, then it certainly helps, in a web edition, to be able to make reference to the editio typica in Italian.
- navigation. The Toolbox is always visible, and enables the user to immediately go to a quick reference to parts and sections of the entire text (from which, internally, there are additional navigation options), or a complete TOC or table of contents with all 309 documents listed. One can return at any moment to these navigation aids by choosing quick or full reference from the Toolbox.
(2) Coming up
Behind this web edition lies an XML file. There is an entire encyclopedia of knowledge contained within the 'narrative' text of 'Salesian Sources' and XML can make sense of this. We are working towards an entire 'Personography' of all the people mentioned in the Sources, and their relationship to Don Bosco. this is what a tiny part of that 'encyclopedia' looks like at the moment:
Using the right sort of software (available at no cost) all of the information about individuals and their relationship to Don Bosco can be extracted in an instant. It would be obvious that this then becomes a very powerful tool for extracting information from 'Sources' that would otherwise be very difficult to bring together. Expect that this will be ready within a month. The XML file, already generously encoded, though not tot he full extent for 'persons' as indicated above, is already available from the website.
It is St Joseph Cafasso's memorial today/tomorrow, depending when you read this. Let this be a gift for him!
