Contents
 Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries help contents

To learn how to use help, press F1

Click on any underlined term to move to a cross-reference

Click on any dotted item for popup help

Note: This help text applies to all the titles in the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries series (the Oxford Hachette Dictionary, the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary, the Oxford Spanish Dictionary, etc.). The screens and examples given are taken from a selection of the dictionaries in the series and may not always occur in the book(s) you own.

Introduction

Background information about this application.

The basics

Starting and quitting. Choosing a different language for the interface.

A quick-start tour

A tour of the main window, including descriptions of menus and buttons.

Moving around the dictionary

Help on browsing, searching, and looking up cross-references.

More complex searching

Constructing complex searches across more than one list, using accented characters, wildcards and combining several search terms.

Results

Viewing the results of a search.

Outputting text

Copying and printing dictionary text.

Customizing

Tailoring display and startup options to your needs.

Using the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries with another Windows application

Glossary


Introduction

About the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries on CD-ROM

About Oxford SuperLex


About the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries on CD-ROM

The Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries on CD-ROM is a series of bilingual electronic dictionaries which includes such authoritative titles as the Oxford Hachette Dictionary (OHD), the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary (ODG), and the Oxford Spanish Dictionary (OSD). These are the first bilingual dictionaries to be based on the evidence of electronic databases of current language, and provide an unrivalled reference source for translators, teachers, students, and business people.

Oxford SuperLex  is the program which gives you access to this reference source in electronic form. It forms the basis of an electronic library to which new dictionaries may be added as required. You may have one or more books in your collection.

Using Oxford SuperLex, you can access each of the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries on CD-ROM just as you would the printed edition to:

•	Look up a word

•	Browse the entries

•	Follow cross-references to other entries or lexical notes.

You may also access the text in ways that would be impossible with the printed book. You can:

•	Search the entire text for every instance of a word or phrase

•	Confine your search to a particular part of an entry such as idioms or examples

•	Use wildcards and Boolean operators to expand the scope of a search

•	Print out an entry

•	Copy text to the clipboard or into your word-processing documents.


About Oxford SuperLex

Oxford SuperLex for Windows is the program which gives you access to the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries. It enables you to view, browse, and search the dictionaries.

As new dictionaries become available they can be added to the program, enabling you both to access each book individually and to search several books at once.


The basics

Running Oxford SuperLex

Quitting Oxford SuperLex

Adding a book

Removing a book

Removing the software from your computer

Changing the interface language


Running Oxford SuperLex

Windows 3.1

Once you have loaded Windows, double click the OXFORD SUPERLEX icon to load the application.

Windows 95

Click the START button and choose the following options: PROGRAMS_OXFORD SUPERLEX_OXFORD SUPERLEX.

Switch between Oxford SuperLex and any other Windows application you are using in the usual way. If you want to copy text to your word processor or use the Word link, make sure the application you want is running in another window.


Quitting Oxford SuperLex

To quit the dictionary, do one of the following:

•	Choose EXIT from the FILE menu

•	Click the Control-menu box (in the top left-hand corner of the main window) and choose CLOSE

•	Double click the Control-menu box

•	Press ALT+F4

•	Click the Close button (Windows 95 only).

See also:

Removing the software from your computer


Adding a book

New books can be added to Oxford SuperLex as they become available. Usually they are added to the application using the standard installation procedure. However, in some cases you may wish to add a book manually; for example, if you wish to restore a book you removed earlier.

To add a book, select ADD BOOK... from the FILE menu. When the Add Book dialog appears, select the file you want from the appropriate drive and directory in the usual way, and click OK.

All Oxford SuperLex books have the extension .AND. If a book file contains multiple books, all of them are added to your book shelf.

Note: If you add a book from a compact disc, and this later becomes unavailable, Oxford SuperLex offers several options. If you no longer need the book, select REMOVE. To carry on without loading the book, select CANCEL. Alternatively, make sure that the compact disc is now available, and select RETRY.

See also:

Removing a book


Removing a book

If you own more than one Oxford bilingual dictionary, there is no need to keep them all on the book shelf at once.

To remove a book, select REMOVE BOOK... from the FILE menu. When the Remove Book dialog appears, select the book you want to remove by clicking on it, and select REMOVE to exclude it. To find out more about a book's contents, click ABOUT. To close the dialog without removing a book, select CLOSE. Once you have removed a book, any references to it in the History window are automatically removed.

See also:

Adding a book


Removing the software from your computer

When you install Oxford SuperLex on to your hard disk, all the files are installed in one directory (by default, C:\BILING). A Windows Program Group is also set up containing a single Program Item. In order to remove the dictionary software from your computer entirely, you need to:

1.	Delete all files from the BILING directory and remove it.

2.	Remove the file SUPERLEX.INI from the WINDOWS directory.

3.	Delete the OXFORD SUPERLEX Program Item from within Windows.

4.	Delete the Oxford SuperLex Program Group from within Windows.

Your WINDOWS directory contains four other files, which may be shared by other Oxford applications (for example, Oxford CompLex): BOOK.DLL, FORMAT2.DLL, IPC.DLL, and WINSTORY.DLL. If another Oxford application is installed on your system, you need to test whether it is safe to remove these (if there is no other Oxford application, delete them as normal):

1.	Create a temporary directory (called C:\TEST for example) and move all four files to it.

2.	Try out your other Oxford application(s).

3.	If your other application(s) run(s) correctly, remove the four files. If not, return them to the Windows SYSTEM directory.


Changing the interface language

When you first install the dictionary, you choose the language in which the interface (menus, buttons, etc.) is presented.

To switch to the other language during a session, choose LANGUAGE... from the FILE menu. When the dialog appears, choose the language you want by double clicking on it. Alternatively, highlight it with the mouse or cursor keys and press ENTER or click OK.


Quick-start tour

The main window

Menus

Buttons


The main window

When you first run Oxford SuperLex, you are presented with the main window. This example shows the Oxford Hachette Dictionary:

At the top of the window is the title bar. Below it are the following:

Menu bar   From here all the major functions of the program are controlled. For help on a menu option's function, open the menu and move the cursor over the option you want: a ToolTag description is given in the status bar at the base of the window.

Book shelf   Displays the title of the book(s) you have installed. If you have more than one book, you can remove books from the book shelf if you wish.

Section bar   Gives the name of the book section you are looking at.

Contents bar   The contents bar buttons access the different sections of the dictionary. Click on the appropriate button to move to the section you want. For help on a button's function, move the cursor over it.

Tool bar   The tool bar buttons perform the most common program functions. Each button is the equivalent of a menu command or a keyboard short cut. For help on a button's function, move the cursor over it.

Search bar   Contains the input box, where you type the words you want to look up, and the list box, where you choose the list you want to search.

The main part of the window consists of the list area, containing the current word list, and the entry area where individual entries are shown. When you first open the dictionary, the list area contains the English Headwords list with the first alphabetical entry displayed.

At the base of the window is the status bar. This is where information about menus, search results, and bookmarks is displayed.

You can customize the components of the main window to suit personal preferences: see Changing your PREFERENCES.

See also:

Menus

Buttons


Menus

The six main menus at the top of the main window control the program.

Menu	Use for
FILE menu	Adding a book Removing a book Printing an entry Customizing Changing the interface language Choosing a book (if more than one is installed) Quitting
EDIT menu	Editing text in the Search bar Copying and pasting text to and from the clipboard Copying text to your word processor Finding a word within an entry Placing and returning to bookmarks Changing the size of text in the entry area
VIEW menu	Toggling the list area on and off Changing the division between list area and entry area Changing the division between entries and footnotes (if available)
SEARCH menu	Advanced searching Looking up selected text in the current language Viewing the next and previous entries  Viewing results Viewing your search history
BOOK menu	Opening a section of the book
HELP menu	Accessing help
Many menu functions have button equivalents on the contents bar and the tool bar.

To display a ToolTag description of a menu option's function, open the menu and move the cursor over the option you want. The description is displayed on the status bar. (You can disable ToolTags if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.)

See also:

The main window

Buttons


FILE menu

The FILE menu has nine options:

ADD BOOK...

Adds a new reference book to the book shelf manually: see Adding a book.

REMOVE BOOK...

Removes a book from the book shelf: see Removing a book.

PRINT SETUP...

Allows you to choose printer setup options using the standard Windows Print Setup dialog. Consult Windows help if you are not sure how to use this.

PRINT CURRENT ENTRY

Prints the dictionary entry displayed in the entry area: see Printing an entry.

Tool bar equivalent:

Keyboard short cut: CTRL+P

PRINT...

Opens the Print dialog, allowing you to specify the number of copies you want to print: see Printing an entry.

PREFERENCES...

Customizes display and startup preferences to your own particular needs: see Customizing.

LANGUAGE...

Allows you to change the language in which the current dictionary is presented: see Changing the interface language.

THE OXFORD BILINGUAL DICTIONARIES

Gives the name of the current book, lists any other Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries installed (if available), and switches between them.

EXIT

Quits the program.


EDIT menu

The EDIT menu has eight options:

CUT

Cuts selected text from the input box. You cannot cut text from the word list or the entry area.

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+X

COPY

Copies selected text from the input box or the entry area to the clipboard: see Copying text to the clipboard.

Tool bar equivalent:

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+C

PASTE

Pastes text from the clipboard into the input box or the Search dialog. You cannot paste text into any other part of the application: see Looking up a word from your word processor.

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+V

COPY TO WORD PROCESSOR

Copies selected text from the entry area directly to your word processor (if it is running concurrently): see Copying text to your word processor.

Tool bar equivalent:

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+Y

FIND...

Looks for single words in the current entry only: see Finding a word within an entry.

Tool bar equivalent:

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+F

FIND NEXT

Repeats a Find search in the current entry: see Finding a word within an entry.

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+G

BOOKMARK...

Places or removes bookmarks.

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+M

FONT SIZE...

Changes the size of entry text: see Changing font size.


VIEW menu

The VIEW menu has three options:

LIST

Toggles between displaying and hiding the list area.

Tool bar equivalent:

VERTICAL SPLIT

Changes the relative width of the list area and entry area. Move the split bar cursor right or left using the mouse or cursor keys and click or press ENTER.

Mouse equivalent:  Move the cursor over the border between list area and entry area and when the split bar cursor appears, click and drag the split bar to the right or left

HORIZONTAL SPLIT

Changes the proportion of the space taken by footnotes in the entry area. Move the split bar cursor up or down using the mouse or cursor keys and click or press ENTER.

Mouse equivalent:  Move the cursor over the border between the boxes and when the cursor changes, click and drag the split bar up or down


SEARCH menu

The SEARCH menu contains 10 options:

SEARCH...

Opens the Search dialog which supports advanced searches using wildcards and combining search terms with Boolean operators: see Advanced searching.

Tool bar equivalent:

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+S

LOOKUP SELECTION

Looks up a highlighted word from an entry. Oxford SuperLex looks for your word as a headword in the current language, see Choosing a word from an entry.

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+L

PREVIOUS ENTRY

Displays the previous entry in the dictionary.

Tool bar equivalent:   to the left of

NEXT ENTRY

Displays the next entry in the dictionary.

Tool bar equivalent:   to the right of

SHOW RESULTS

Opens the Results window containing the results of a search: see Viewing results.

Tool bar equivalent:

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+R

PREVIOUS RESULT

Displays the previous result.

Tool bar equivalent:   to the left of

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+B

NEXT RESULT

Displays the next result.

Tool bar equivalent:   to the right of

Keyboard short cut:  CTRL+N

SHOW HISTORY

Displays a list of all the entries viewed in the current session: see Viewing your search history.

Tool bar equivalent:

PREVIOUS HISTORY

Displays the previous history entry.

Tool bar equivalent:   to the left of

NEXT HISTORY

Displays the next history entry.

Tool bar equivalent:   to the right of


BOOK menu

The BOOK menu gives access to all the different sections of the current dictionary. Each option has a button equivalent on the contents bar.


HELP menu

The HELP menu has six options:

CONTENTS

Lists help contents.

SEARCH FOR HELP ON...

Searches for a specific help topic.

HOW TO USE HELP

Gives information on how to use help. You can access this at any time during a help session, by pressing F1.

HINTS AND TIPS

Gives useful information on making the most of the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries.

ABOUT BOOKS...

Gives information about the current book and any other Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries installed.

ABOUT OXFORD SUPERLEX...

Gives copyright information about Oxford SuperLex.


Buttons

Buttons are short cuts to the most common menu functions. All Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries have two button bars:

Contents bar

Accesses the various sections of the dictionary.

Tool bar

Accesses the most common application functions.

See also:

The main window

Menus


Contents bar

The contents bar buttons access the different sections of the current dictionary. Each button has a BOOK menu equivalent.

The buttons on the contents bar vary according to which book you are looking at:

•	The Oxford Hachette Dictionary

•	The Oxford-Duden German Dictionary

•	The Oxford Spanish Dictionary

See also:

Tool bar


The Oxford Hachette Dictionary contents bar;
The Oxford Hachette Dictionary contents bar

Each of the buttons on the contents bar opens a different section of the dictionary:

PLACEHOLDButton	BOOK menu option	Dictionary section
	1  ENGLISH FRENCH	The main section of alphabetical English entries
	2  FRENCH ENGLISH	The main section of alphabetical French entries
	3  BACKGROUND INFORMATION	Preface and other introductory material
	4  ENGLISH VERBS	English irregular verb table
	5  FRENCH VERBS	French verb tables
	6  ENGLISH ADVERTISEMENTS	Examples of English small ads
	7  FRENCH ADVERTISEMENTS	Examples of French small ads
	8  ENGLISH CORRESPONDENCE	Examples of English correspondence, including letters, business queries, and CVs
	9  FRENCH CORRESPONDENCE	Examples of French correspondence, including letters, business queries, and CVs
	A  ENGLISH LEXICAL USAGE NOTES	Information on English usage
	B  FRENCH LEXICAL USAGE NOTES	Information on French usage
	C  ENGLISH PHONETICS	English pronunciation information
	D  FRENCH PHONETICS	French pronunciation information
	E  MAPS	Maps of Europe, France, North America, and the UK


The Oxford-Duden German Dictionary contents bar

Each of the buttons on the contents bar opens a different section of the dictionary:

Button	BOOK menu option	Dictionary section
	1  ENGLISH GERMAN	The main section of alphabetical English entries
	2  GERMAN ENGLISH	The main section of alphabetical German entries
	3  BACKGROUND INFORMATION	Foreword and other introductory material
	4  ENGLISH GRAMMATICAL INFORMATION	Help with English grammar: nouns; adjectives and adverbs; and pronouns
	5  GERMAN GRAMMATICAL INFORMATION	Help with German grammar: nouns; adjectives and adverbs; and pronouns
	8  ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS	A list of English irregular verbs with past tense and past participles
	9  GERMAN IRREGULAR VERBS	A list of German irregular verbs with preterites and past participles
	A  ENGLISH CORRESPONDENCE	Examples of English correspondence including: help with spelling and punctuation; addressing the envelope; layout; beginnings and endings; sample letters; and useful phrases
	B  GERMAN CORRESPONDENCE	Examples of German correspondence including: help with spelling and punctuation; addressing the envelope; layout; beginnings and endings; sample letters; and useful phrases
	C  LEXICAL INFORMATION	Information on expressing weights and measures, temperature conversion, numbers, money, and the time of day in both languages
	6  ENGLISH PHONETICS	Phonetic symbols used in transcriptions of English words
	7  GERMAN PHONETICS	Phonetic symbols used in transcriptions of German words
You can check a button's function at any time. Move the cursor over it and wait for an explanatory ToolTag (help bubble). (You can disable ToolTags if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.)


The Oxford Spanish Dictionary contents bar

Each of the buttons on the contents bar opens a different section of the dictionary:

Button	BOOK menu option	Dictionary section
	1  ENGLISH SPANISH	The main section of alphabetical English entries
	2  SPANISH ENGLISH	The main section of alphabetical Spanish entries
	3  BACKGROUND INFORMATION	Preface and other introductory material
	6  ENGLISH IRREGULAR VERBS	A list of English irregular verbs with past tense and past participle
	7  SPANISH VERBS	Tables of Spanish verbs showing simple and irregular tenses
	8  ENGLISH CORRESPONDENCE	Examples of English correspondence, including sample letters of administration, business, complaint, etc.
	9  SPANISH CORRESPONDENCE	Examples of Spanish correspondence, including sample letters of administration, business, complaint, etc.
	A  ENGLISH LEXICAL INFORMATION	Help on English forms of address, numbers, the clock, dates, weights and measures
	B  SPANISH LEXICAL INFORMATION	Help on Spanish forms of address, numbers, the clock, dates, weights and measures
	4  ENGLISH PHONETIC SYMBOLS	Information on English pronunciation
	5  SPANISH PHONETIC SYMBOLS	Information on Spanish pronunciation
You can check a button's function at any time. Move the cursor over it and wait for an explanatory ToolTag (help bubble). (You can disable ToolTags if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.)


Tool bar

The tool bar buttons are short cuts for the following menu functions. To activate a button, click on it with the mouse.

Button	Menu equivalent	Function
	EDIT_COPY	Copies selected text to the clipboard
	EDIT_COPY TO WORD PROCESSOR	Copies selected text to your word processor (if running concurrently)
	SEARCH_PREVIOUS ENTRY	Displays previous entry
	VIEW_LIST	Shows/hides list area
	SEARCH_NEXT ENTRY	Displays next entry
	EDIT_FIND...	Looks for single words in the current entry only
	SEARCH_SEARCH...	Accesses Search dialog
	SEARCH_PREVIOUS RESULT	Displays previous result
	SEARCH_SHOW RESULTS	Opens Results window
	SEARCH_NEXT RESULT	Displays next result
	SEARCH_PREVIOUS HISTORY	Displays previous history entry
	SEARCH_SHOW HISTORY	Opens history window
	SEARCH_NEXT HISTORY	Displays next history entry
	FILE_PRINT CURRENT ENTRY	Prints current entry
You can check a button's function at any time. Move the cursor over it and wait for an explanatory ToolTag (help bubble). (You can disable ToolTags if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.)

See also:

Contents bar


Book shelf

The book shelf contains all the books you currently have installed. The book you are looking at (in this case the Oxford Hachette Dictionary) is set back on the shelf. To switch to a different book, click on its book-shelf icon.

The section of the book you are looking at (the current book) is displayed in the section bar.

You can remove the book shelf if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.

See also:

The main window


Section bar

The section bar gives the name of the current book (in this case the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary) followed by the name of the section you are viewing.

You can remove the section bar if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.

See also:

The main window


Search bar

The search bar is used to look up and browse the entries in the current dictionary.

On the left is the input box, where you type the words you want to find, and on the right is the list box, where you choose the list you want to search.

To look up a word, click on the input box and type it in.

To view the lists available for searching in the current dictionary section, click on the list box.

You can remove the search bar if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.

For more help on searching, see:

Quick searching

Advanced searching


Entry area

Individual dictionary entries are displayed in the entry area of the main window. It is updated automatically each time you select a term from the list area.

If you have searched any list other than the Headwords list, all occurrences of your search term are highlighted in red in the entry text.

If an entry contains footnotes the entry area is divided by a split bar to show both the entry and the note.

You can alter the relative width of the list area and the entry area, and the relative height of an entry and its footnote (if present) using the split bars.

See also:

List area

Footnotes

Lexical notes


Footnotes

Sometimes, a dictionary entry is accompanied by a function note on its grammatical usage. In this case the entry area is divided by a split bar to show both the entry and the note.

Some footnotes contain cross-references to other notes displayed in red. To follow a cross-reference, double click on it.

To move the border between the entry area and the notes field (if present) use the split bars.

See also:

Lexical notes


Lexical notes

Sometimes, a dictionary entry is supplemented by a lexical note containing more syntactic information. Some lexical notes contain cross-references to other notes. There are several ways to display lexical notes:

•	By double clicking the red text adjacent to a cross-reference arrow [image] from within an entry

•	By double clicking on the red cross-reference text within a note you are viewing

•	By clicking the appropriate button on the contents bar to display lexical notes in your chosen language.

Note:  If the text next to a cross-reference arrow [image] is black, not red, this is not a valid cross-reference.

If you have followed a cross-reference arrow to a lexical note, the note appears in a secondary window. Resize it if necessary by clicking on a boundary and dragging when the split bar cursor appears.

If you have followed a cross-reference from within a note, the new note is displayed in the entry area. Scroll through it in the usual way.

If you have clicked the contents bar button, the first note in your chosen language is displayed in the entry area. Scroll through it in the usual way.

A further list of notes is displayed in the list area. To select an alternative note, scroll through the list until you find the one you want and click on it. Alternatively, you can search for a note on a particular subject by typing its first few letters into the input box. As you type you activate the word list, which highlights the closest matching entry. To select a note for display, click on it.

See also:

Entry area

Footnotes


List area

The list area in the main window is where the currently selected list is displayed.

When you first load one of the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries, the box contains the English Headwords list. Choose an alternative from the search bar if you wish.

Use the scroll bar (or click the box and use the cursor keys) to browse through the list, or use a quick search to find the word or phrase you want quickly.

To display a word from the list in the entry area, click on it or highlight it and press ENTER (or double click on it if you are looking at a text list: Full Text, Idioms Text, or Examples Text). If you are viewing a text list and more than one appropriate entry is found, a full list of entries is displayed.

You can alter the relative width of the list area and the entry area by using the split bars.

To toggle between showing and hiding the list area, click the [image] button or select the LIST option from the VIEW menu.

See also:

Search bar

Entry area


ToolTags

ToolTags describe the function of buttons, icons, and menu options. To display ToolTag help on any item, move the cursor over it. If the item you want is a menu option, open the menu first and then move the cursor over the option you want.

If the item is a button or an icon, the tag appears as a help bubble.

If the item is a menu option, a description is given in the status bar.

You can remove this function if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.

See also:

Menus

Buttons

The main window


Status bar

The status bar, at the base of the main window, is where information about search results, bookmarks, and menu options is displayed.

When you check a menu option's function by opening the menu moving the cursor over the option you want, an explanatory ToolTag is displayed in the status bar.

You can disable ToolTags and/or remove the status bar if you wish: see Changing your PREFERENCES.)

See also:

Menus

Buttons

The main window


Moving around the dictionaries

Choosing a book

Switching languages

Moving between sections

The lists

Quick searching

Looking up cross-references

Finding a word within an entry

Viewing your search history

Retracing your steps

Bookmarks

Search tips


Choosing a book

If you have more than one Oxford bilingual dictionary installed, you can switch between them. (f you have one Oxford bilingual dictionary only, it is selected for you automatically; there is no need to choose it manually.)

On startup, one of your books is selected automatically. This is the startup book. (You can make another book the startup book using the PREFERENCES function.)

To switch to another book immediately (without changing the startup book), click on its icon on the book shelf or select it from the BOOK menu. It is displayed in the main window.


Switching languages

Each Oxford bilingual dictionary contains two main sections of alphabetical entries: an English section and a section in the other language. For example, the Oxford Spanish Dictionary (OHD) contains the English-French and French-English sections. When you first open any dictionary, the English section is selected by default. To switch to the other language, click the appropriate button. (If you are not sure about a button's function move the cursor over it for an explanation.)

Example

When you first open the OSD, the English-Spanish section is selected by default. To switch to the Spanish-English section, click the [image] button. To switch back to the English-Spanish half of the dictionary, click the [image] button.

Each time you switch to a different language, its Headwords list is automatically selected.

Note: If you want to change the language in which the application is presented, select LANGUAGE from the FILE menu.

See also:

Moving between sections


Moving between sections

In addition to the two main sections of alphabetical headword entries, each Oxford bilingual dictionary contains other sections. For example, the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary includes sections on Background Information, English Grammatical Information, German Grammatical Information, English Phonetic Symbols, German Phonetic Symbols, English Irregular Verbs, German Irregular Verbs, English Correspondence, German Correspondence, and Lexical Information. The quickest way to open these different sections of the dictionary is to use the buttons on the contents bar (if you are not sure about a button's function move the cursor over it for an explanation). They can also be accessed using the BOOK menu.

See also:

Switching languages


Small ads

Small ads are available for viewing in the Oxford Hachette Dictionary only.

To view examples of English small ads, click the [image] button.

To view examples of French small ads, click the [image] button.

In the entry area a selection of small ads from your chosen language is displayed. Scroll through them in the usual way. At the end of each set of advertisements is a vocabulary list.

The list area contains a list of subjects with the first item (échange vacances or Articles for sale) highlighted. To select a different subject from the list, click on it.

Abbreviations used in the ads are displayed in red. To view an abbreviation in full in both English and French, move the cursor over it.

Example

To find examples of French job advertisements, click the [image] button and select Jobs from the list area. To see the abbreviation Jne F. in full, move the cursor over it.


Maps

Maps are available for viewing in the Oxford Hachette Dictionary only.

Click the [image] button to view the maps in the dictionary. This opens a window displaying a map of Europe. At the top of the map are two boxes: on the left is the location list, and on the right is the area list.

Selecting a map

Four maps are available for viewing: Europe, France Administrative, North America, and UK. Europe is displayed by default when you first open the section. To choose a different map, click on the area list box and choose an alternative from the drop-down list.

Finding a location

You can find any country, region, county, town, sea, or ocean displayed on a map using the location list. Click on the [image] to the right of the list box to display a list of place-names. Scroll through the list until you find the name you want, or type its initial letters into the input box. (You can move to locations beginning with a specific letter quickly, without clicking [image] or moving to the input box, simply by typing that letter.) To select a place, click on it. Its location on the map is identified by a crosshair.

Example

To find Prague on the map of Europe, click on the [image] to the right of the location list box. Type PR; when the list moves to PRAGUE click on the name to find it on the map.

Finding a location in the dictionary

You can find out whether a location is mentioned in the dictionary by:

•	Selecting it from the location box

•	Clicking on its name (unless it is a town or city on the maps of France and the UK)

•	Clicking on its symbol on the map (only if it is a town or city on the maps of France and the UK).

The location is identified by a crosshair and its name is displayed in the location box. If the place is not mentioned in the dictionary, the [image] button is greyed out. If the place is mentioned in the dictionary, the [image] button appears in colour. Click on it to display the first matching entry in the entry area. Oxford SuperLex searches the dictionary sections in the order: French-English, English-French.

By default, the map window is closed automatically when you look up a location in the dictionary. To ensure that the window stays on screen, click the [image] button (it changes to [image]) or select KEEP WINDOW OPEN from the Close menu (it is marked by a cross in Windows 3.1 and 3.11 or by a tick in Windows 95). To switch back to the default again, click the [image] button (it changes back to [image]) or select the menu option a second time (the cross or tick is removed).

Example

To look up references to Prague in the dictionary, make sure the city is marked by the crosshair and click the [image] button. The entry Prague is displayed.


The lists

Each Oxford bilingual dictionary includes two main sections:for example, the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary (ODG) contains the English-German and German-English sections.

Each section contains several alphabetical lists of words: for example, indexes of headwords, acronyms, and so on. These lists can be searched individually or in combination.

For example, the Oxford Spanish Dictionary contains the following lists. Similar lists are available in the Oxford Hachette Dictionary and the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary.

English-Spanish English Headwords English-Spanish Full Text English Acronyms and Abbreviations English Phrasal Verbs English Idioms English Idioms Text English Examples English Examples Text	Spanish-English Spanish Headwords Spanish-English Full Text Spanish Acronyms and Abbreviations Spanish Idioms Spanish Idioms Text Spanish Examples Spanish Examples Text
Choosing a list

When you first open any dictionary, its main English section is opened and the English Headwords list is selected by default.

To select an alternative English list, click on the list box in the search bar.

To select a list in the other language, click the appropriate contents bar button (if you are unsure about a button's function move the cursor over it for help) and click on the list box to view what is available.

Which list you choose depends on the kind of information you want to find. Each list type gives access to the dictionary's entries in a different way:

Headwords

A headword is the bold word which marks the beginning of an entry in the dictionary. The two Headword lists are the two main lists of A-Z entries that you find in any bilingual dictionary. Choose the Headword list if you want to find the entry for a specific word.

Full Text

The Full Text list is a list of all the words contained in all the entries in the current language section. It covers both headwords and the text which describes them. If you want to find a specific word or phrase wherever it occurs in the dictionary (for example, all references to the verb jump), this is the best list to choose.

Note: The Full Text lists should be used with caution. Common words can generate very large results. If you think this may happen, try to narrow down your search by changing your search term or choosing a different list.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Lists acronymic and abbreviated headwords in their expanded form.

Idioms

Many headword entries contain a list of idioms. All of these expressions are alphabetized in the Idioms list.

Idioms Text

Lists alphabetically all the individual words contained in the expressions cited in the Idioms list.

Examples

Lists all expressions used to illustrate the use of headwords.

Examples Text

Lists alphabetically all the individual words contained in the expressions of the Examples list.

English Phrasal Verbs

Many phrasal verbs (for example, allow for) are not included as entries in their own right (allow for may occur in the entry allow). These verbs are listed in the English Phrasal Verbs list.

Switching between lists

To switch from one list to another, simply choose the appropriate language button (if necessary) and select the list you want from the list box.

Example

When you are in the English Idioms list of the Oxford Hachette Dictionary, and the entry little by little is displayed in the input box, switching to English Headwords opens the list at Little Dog.

Note: If you switch lists when a term containing more than one word (e.g. little by little) is displayed in the input box, the new list usually opens at the closest matching term (e.g. Little Dog).


Quick searching

The quickest way to look up a word in the dictionary is to use the search bar. Before starting a search, make sure you have selected the language and list you want.

Move the cursor to the input box and start typing the letters of the word you want. Oxford SuperLex is not case sensitive (you can use upper or lower case). You can edit your search string using standard Windows editing functions. Use BACKSPACE to delete characters from the end of your string.

As you type you activate the word list. The closest match to what you have typed is highlighted. If there is no match for any letter, Oxford SuperLex finds the closest alphabetical match starting with the first letter after the one you have typed. Sometimes there is no need to type all the letters of a word to find it in the list. For example, if you are looking for the word carnival, all you need to type is CARNI.

If the word you want is highlighted, click on it or press ENTER to start a search.

If your chosen word is not highlighted, browse through the word list (using the scroll bar) until you find it. To display its entry in the entry area, click on it or use the cursor keys to move the highlighting (if visible) over it and press ENTER.

Note: If you are in one of the text lists (Full Text, Idioms Text, or Examples Text), you need to double click on a term to display its entry.

If you are in the Headword list

The word's entry is automatically displayed in the entry area. To browse backwards and forwards through the alphabetical entries, either:

•	Use the [image] and [image] buttons on either side of the [image] button; or

•	Use the mouse to click on the next or previous words in the list area.

If you are in another list

If there is more than one result, the number of hits and the entries in which they appear are shown in the Results window.

If there is only one result, it is displayed in the entry area. To browse backwards and forwards through the alphabetical entries, either:

•	Use the [image] and [image] buttons on either side of the [image] button; or

•	Use the mouse to click on the next or previous words in the list area.

Note: If you are in one of the text lists (Full Text, Idioms Text, or Examples Text), you need to double click on a term to display its entry.

Example

To find the entry for the word Gabel in the German-English section of the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary:

1.	Make sure the [image] button is selected.

2.	Choose the German Headwords list from the list box if it is not already selected.

3.	Type GABEL into the input box.

4.	When the word list has scrolled to Gabel, click on it or press ENTER to display the entry in the entry area.

Case and accent

Quick searching is case insensitive (you can use upper or lower case) and ignores all accents. If you want to look for an accented letter, simply type its unaccented equivalent. If you want to specify case or accent, use an advanced search.

See also:

Quick search or advanced search?

Advanced searching

Viewing results

Search tips


Looking up cross-references

There are two ways to look up cross-references in the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries. You can:

•	Choose any word from any entry and look it up; or

•	Follow specific cross-reference links.


Choosing a word from an entry

You can look up any word in any entry in both:

•	The current list; and

•	The other language section.

In the current list

Double click on the word you want to highlight it and choose the LOOKUP SELECTION option from the SEARCH menu. The closest matching entry is displayed in the entry area.

In the other half of the dictionary

Double click on the word you want to highlight it, then click on the appropriate section button. The word is copied to the input box and the closest matching entry is displayed in the entry area.

Oxford SuperLex searches for your word in the Headwords list only. If you want to look it up in another word list (for example, Idioms or Examples), follow the procedure described above, then select your alternative list from the search bar. The list area moves to the closest matching entry. Select any entry for display by clicking on it.

Note: If the word you want to look up is the headword there is no need to double click on it. Simply click the appropriate section button.

See also:

Explicit cross-references


Explicit cross-references

A word or phrase in red text in any part of the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries indicates that you can move to a specific cross-reference anywhere in the book. It is often marked by a red cross-reference arrow [image].

To move to a cross-reference, double click on the red text.

Note: If the text next to a cross-reference arrow is black, not red, this is not a cross-reference link.

See also:

Choosing a word from an entry


Finding a word within an entry

You can search for a word within a displayed entry using the Find function.

To carry out a Find search, click the [image] button, or select the FIND... option from the EDIT menu. This displays the Find dialog:

Enter your search string into the Find What field and click on the FIND NEXT button, or press ENTER to start the search (select CANCEL if you have changed your mind).

If there is no match for your search string, a dialog appears confirming this. Click OK.

If there is an exact match for your search string, the matching text is highlighted.

To repeat a search from the word immediately following the highlighted one, click the FIND NEXT button again, press ENTER, or choose the FIND NEXT option from the EDIT menu. Keep on clicking the button and pressing ENTER to cycle through the matches.

By default, Oxford SuperLex searches forwards through the current entry. To search backwards, click the UP radio button. To revert to searching forwards again, click DOWN.

Unless you have checked the Match Case checkbox, the Find search ignores case (by default, you can use upper- or lower-case letters in your search item).


Viewing your search history

Oxford SuperLex keeps a record of your progress in the current session. To display a list of the entries you have looked at so far, click the [image] button or select SHOW HISTORY from the SEARCH menu. This displays the history window:

The history list begins with the current entry highlighted. The icon on the left of each entry represents the book in which the search is performed. This example is taken from the Oxford Hachette Dictionary.

To display any entry in the main window:

•	Double click on it; or

•	Highlight it using the mouse or the cursor keys and click [image] or press ENTER.

To display the entry at the bottom or top of the list, click the [image] or [image] buttons.

To display the previous or next entry in the list, do one of the following:

•	Click the [image] or [image] buttons in the history window

•	Click the [image] or [image] buttons on either side of the [image] button on the tool bar

•	Select the PREVIOUS HISTORY or NEXT HISTORY options from the SEARCH menu.

If there are no more entries in the list, the buttons are greyed out.

By default, the history window is pinned [image] and stays on screen when you select an entry. (This means that when the history window is maximized it will not be displaced by your chosen entry.)

To minimize the window each time you view an entry, click the [image] button once to unpin it [image] (or select KEEP WINDOW OPEN from the Close menu). Continue clicking on the pin icon (or selecting the menu option) to toggle between pinning and unpinning the window. (If you prefer to view the history window maximized, it is best to keep it unpinned. This makes it easier to view any entries you choose for display.)

To restore the window once it has been minimized, double click on the minimized icon or select SHOW HISTORY from the SEARCH menu.

See also:

Retracing your steps


Retracing your steps

To go back from a displayed entry to the one displayed immediately before, click the [image] button to the left of the [image] button on the tool bar. When there are no more records to view, this option is greyed out.

To move forwards through the list of entries again, click the [image] button to the right of the [image] button on the tool bar. When the most recent entry in your search history is displayed, this option is greyed out.

To view your search history in more detail, click the [image] button.


Bookmarks

You can mark an entry with a bookmark and return to it later using the Bookmark dialog. To open it, select BOOKMARK... from the EDIT menu.

At the top of the dialog is the Bookmark Name field, at the base is the name of the headword (this one is from the Oxford Hachette Dictionary) currently displayed in the entry area, and in the centre is the list box, where any existing bookmarks are shown.

To set a bookmark

Make sure the entry you want is displayed in the entry area, before opening the dialog; it opens with the current headword displayed at the bottom. Type a name for your bookmark into the Bookmark Name field and click INSERT or press ENTER. Your position is stored automatically and you are returned to the main window.

All bookmarks remain in place even after you have quit the program.

To return to a bookmark

Select the bookmark you want from the list box by clicking on it (it is copied to the Bookmark Name field and its headword appears at the bottom of the dialog) and click GO TO.

Removing bookmarks

To remove a single bookmark, select it from the list box by clicking on it (it is copied to the Bookmark Name field and its headword appears at the base of the dialog), then click REMOVE. Click CLOSE to return to the main window.

To remove all existing bookmarks, click REMOVE ALL. When the confirmation dialog appears, click YES. Click CLOSE to return to the main window.


Complex searching
More complex searching

Quick search or advanced search?

Advanced searching

Constructing an advanced search

Combining lists

Wildcards

Combining search terms

Search tips


Quick search or advanced search?

Two types of search are available in the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries: quick searching and advanced searching.

Quick searching

A quick search is carried out from the search bar and allows you to search individual lists quickly and simply. If you want to find a main entry quickly, look up an idiom or an acronym, or search for all the occurrences of a word in the current section, use a quick search.

Advanced searching

An advanced search uses the Search dialog and allows you to combine several search terms. You can look for them in one or more of the Full Text, Idioms Text, or Examples Text lists, using wildcards and combining search terms if necessary. Choose this type of search if you want to look for a combination of terms in one or more lists, or want to search across both languages.

For tips on how to make the most of the two kinds of search, see:

Search tips


Advanced_searching
Advanced searching

An advanced search allows you to make sophisticated searches of one or more word lists by combining two or more search terms with Boolean operators and/or using wildcards.

To construct an advanced search, click the [image] button, or select the SEARCH... option from the SEARCH menu. This opens the Search dialog.

See also:

Quick search or advanced search?

Quick searching

Search dialog

Constructing an advanced search

Search tips


Search dialog

The search dialog (in this case from the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary enables you to construct complex searches across more than one list using wildcards and/or by combining more than one search term. It is divided into several fields:

Index

This is where you choose the word list(s) you want to search.

Search For...And For

You type your search item(s) into these fields. Each field relates to the adjacent index box. You can combine search terms using the Boolean operator buttons AND, OR, and NOT.

Find Entries In

Selects the section or book you want to search: you can search one of the two main sections, all sections (across both books), or all books. Text lists (i.e. Full Text, Idioms Text, and Examples Text) only are included in a search.

Options

Makes your search case sensitive if you wish.

Tell Me About

Gives more information about combining search terms with Boolean operators and using wildcards.

Results Summary

Summarizes the results of the current search.

You may use some or all of these components in constructing an advanced search.

See also:

Constructing an advanced search

Combining lists

Wildcards

Combining search terms

Search tips


Constructing an advanced search

Advanced searches are constructed using the Search dialog. To open it, select the [image] button or choose SEARCH... from the SEARCH menu.

There is a basic procedure for running any advanced search:

1.	Specifiy the section you want to search.

2.	Choose the list(s) (up to two) you want to search.

3.	Type your search term(s).

4.	Make the search case sensitive (if you wish).

5.	Click the SEARCH button to start the search.

Choosing a section

When you first open the Search dialog, the main English language section (e.g. English-German) is selected by default. To choose the other language section (e.g. German-English), click the Find Entries In box and select the section from the drop-down list. If you plan to search two lists across both language sections (for example, English Idioms Text and German Idioms Text), select All Sections. If you plan to search two lists from two different books (if available), select All Books.

Choosing a list

Three lists are available for searching: Full Text, Idioms Text, and Examples Text. Click the first index box and choose a list. You can search up to two lists simultaneously if you wish: see Combining lists.

Entering your search term

Type your search term into the top Search For input box. (As soon as you start to type, the box is automatically checked.) You can refine your search using wildcards, or by combining search terms using Boolean operators.

Matching case and accent

By default, the case of your search term and any accented letters are ignored (both abandon and Abandon produce the same results). To switch on case and accent sensitivity, check the Match Case and Accents checkbox. To switch it off, click the checkbox a second time. For information on how to enter accented characters, see Searching for accented letters.

Starting the search

Once you are satisfied with your search criteria, click the SEARCH button or press ENTER to start the search. There is a pause while the search is carried out. (If your search term is generating very large numbers of results, a box displays the progress of the search.) To cancel a search once it has started, press H.

When the search is complete the Results Summary field is updated. It shows the total number of hits, and the number of books and sections containing matches. Click the SHOW RESULTS button to display the results in the Results window.

See also:

Search dialog

Combining lists

Wildcards

Combining search terms

Search tips


Combining lists

In an advanced search you can search up to two lists simultaneously (for example, the English Idioms Text and English Examples Text lists).

Before choosing your lists, make sure you have selected the section you want to search from the Find Entries In box. If you plan to search two lists across both language sections, select All Sections. If you plan to search two lists from two different books (if available), select All Books.

To select the lists, click on each index box in turn and choose the list you want. Type your search term into the appropriate input boxes. (As soon as you start typing, the box is automatically checked.)

See also:

Search dialog

Constructing an advanced search

Wildcards

Combining search terms

Search tips


Searching for accented letters
Searching for accented characters

Quick search

Oxford SuperLex does not distinguish between accented and unaccented characters in a search. To search for accented letters, simply enter their unaccented equivalents.

Example

To search the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary for the German word über, type UBER.

In some lists, a term may occur in both accented and unaccented forms (e.g. French Esau and Ésaü). When you select such a term for searching, entries containing both versions are found.

Example

Searching the Oxford Spanish Dictionary for the Spanish term ése finds entries containing the terms ése and ese.

Advanced search

By default, an advanced search ignores accented letters in your search term. To take accented letters into account, select the Match Case and Accents checkbox (to mark it with a cross in Windows 3.1 and 3.11 or with a tick in Windows 95). To deselect the option, click on it a second time.

Entering accented characters

Accented characters are entered into the Search For field using special key combinations (e.g. CTRL+ALT+E for é). To find out a character's key combination, use the Windows Accessory Character Map. Open Character Map either by by double clicking on it in the Accessories program group in File Manager (Windows 3.1) or by choosing START_PROGRAMS_ACCESSORIES_CHARACTER MAP (Windows 95). From the Font list choose any standard font (e.g. Helvetica) and click on the letter you want; its key combination appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the window.

If you prefer, you can paste an accented letter from Character Map into the Search For field. In Character Map, highlight the letter you want, click SELECT, and then click COPY. Switch to the Oxford bilingual dictionary, move to the appropriate input box, and press CTRL+V.

Example

To search the Oxford-Duden German Dictionary for the German word über, type [ALT+0252]BER into the appropriate Search For field and make sure the Match Case and Accents checkbox is checked before starting your search.

See also:

Search dialog

Constructing an advanced search

Combining lists

Wildcards

Combining search terms

Search tips


Wildcards

By including wildcards in your search string you can widen the scope of an advanced search.

Wildcard	Represents
?	one character
??	two characters
*	zero or more characters
For example:

•	The search pattern B?T matches bet, bit, but, etc.

•	The search pattern B*T matches baccarat, backstreet, bet, booklet, budget, butt, etc.

Wildcards can be combined with one another:

•	?ATE* matches bated, category, late, water, etc.

•	*ATE? matches affiliated, integrated, latex, polyunsaturates, related, sated, etc.

•	??ATE?? finds amateur, plateau, stately, etc.

Wildcards are a useful way of finding both plural and singular versions of a word, variant spellings, or words you are not sure how to spell.

•	DENTIST* finds dentist, dentists, dentistry, etc.

•	COLO*R finds color and colour.

To search for a pattern which may occur anywhere in a word (not necessarily at its beginning or end), type an asterisk at either end of your search string:

•	*SERV* finds deserve, observe, preserve, servant, serve, etc.

See also:

Search dialog

Constructing an advanced search

Combining lists

Combining search terms

Search tips


Combining search terms

You can combine more than one term in an advanced search using Boolean logic. Boolean operators allow you to look for several words in the same entry or to exclude specific terms from your search. They can be combined with wildcards.

Search terms are combined using the Boolean operator buttons AND, OR, and NOT. How you use these determines your results:

Operator	Example	Function
AND	tea AND coffee	Finds entries which contain both your search terms: e.g. both tea and coffee
OR	tea OR coffee	Finds entries which contain one or more of your search terms: e.g. either tea or coffee, or both.
NOT	tea NOT coffee	Finds entries which contain the preceding search term but exclude the following: e.g. tea but not coffee.
To enter a Boolean operator into your search string, either click the appropriate Boolean button (AND, OR, NOT), or type in the operator directly. For example, to enter TEA AND COFFEE into a Search For box, either:

•	Type TEA, click AND, type COFFEE; or

•	Type TEA AND COFFEE

AND

Use AND to find entries which contain two or more terms. For example, to find entries containing the words have and temper, enter HAVE AND TEMPER into the Search For field. Only those entries in which both terms occur will be retrieved.

OR

Use OR to find entries which contain one or more of your search terms. For example, to find entries containing the words mythical, mystical, or mythological, enter MYTHICAL OR MYSTICAL OR MYTHOLOGICAL into the Search For field.

NOT

Use NOT to find entries which contain the first term but not the second. For example, to find entries containing the word United but not the word States, enter the search string UNITED NOT STATES.

In practice, the NOT operator is best used in conjunction with more than one search term. If it is applied to a single word, it can generate very large numbers of results. For example, the search term NOT GREEN automatically searches for every entry which does not contain the word green.

Combining operators

By combining different operators you can build relatively complex queries. When combining queries in this way you should take the following rules into account:

1.	The AND and OR operators can be combined with one another in any combination. Both the following are valid queries:
LONDON AND BERLIN OR MADRID
searches for entries containing the words London and Berlin or entries containing the word Madrid.
LONDON OR PARIS OR LONDONER
searches for results containing one or more of these terms.

2.	Boolean operators only bind the first following term. For example:
UNITED NOT STATES AND NATIONS
searches for all entries containing the words united and nations, but not those containing the word states. It does not exclude results containing nations because only the first term following the NOT operator is affected by it.

You can further refine a Boolean operator search using wildcards.

See also:

Search dialog

Constructing an advanced search

Combining lists

Wildcards

Search tips


Search tips

Quick search

Moving quickly to an alphabetical section

To move quickly to entries beginning with a specific letter of the alphabet, type in that letter. The list area moves automatically to that part of the list.

If you are unsure how to spell a word

If you know its initial, type it and as many other letters as you know into the input box. Typing just a few letters is usually sufficient to find a word. If you don't know the initial letter of the word (for example, whether it begins with c, k, or qu), you may prefer to use an advanced search and use a wildcard to represent the letter(s) you are not sure about.

Searching for compound terms

There is no need to include hyphens or spaces in your search term. If you are not sure whether a term is hyphenated or not, simply type in the term without the hyphen; the dictionary finds the closest match.

Advanced search

Searching the entire text of the dictionary

To search the entire dictionary text, choose All Sections from the Find Entries In list and make sure the Full Text list is selected.

If you are unsure how to spell a word

Use one or more wildcards in place of the letter(s) you are not sure about. Using a wildcard is particularly useful if you do not know the initial letter of a word.

Example

•	If you are not sure whether the word you want is spelt cabal, cabbal, kabal, or kabbal, enter ?ab*al into the Search For field.

Using case and accent

By clicking the Match Case and Accents checkbox you can take case and accent into account in your search. For most searches, it is probably not necessary to check the Match Case and Accents checkbox, but sometimes using it can speed up a search to exclude irrelevant information.

Example

•	To distinguish the abbreviation US from the word us, type US into the Search For field and check the Match Case and Accents checkbox

•	To look up Conservative but exclude the lower-case term conservative from your search, enter Conservative into the Search For field and check the Match Case and Accents checkbox

•	Entering the French word pièce into the Search For field and checking the Match Case and Accents checkbox looks for the term pièce, not the word piece.

See also:

Wildcards

Combining search terms


Results

Viewing results

Results window


Viewing results

The results of a search are displayed in the same way in both quick and advanced searches.

If there is one result only, this is displayed in the entry area.

If there is more than one result, a list of entries and their locations is given in the results window.


Results window

When your quick or advanced search generates more than one result, the results window lists hits in alphabetical order. The first entry in the list is highlighted. The icons on the left show in which book and in which sections they are located.

To display any entry in the main window:

•	Double click on it; or

•	Highlight it using the mouse or the cursor keys and click [image] or press ENTER.

To display the entry at the top or bottom of the list, click the [image] or [image] buttons.

To display the previous or next entry in the hit list, do one of the following:

•	If you are in the results window, click the [image] or [image] buttons in the results window

•	If you are in the entry area, click the [image] or [image] buttons on either side of the [image] button on the tool bar

•	If you are in the entry area, select the PREVIOUS RESULT or NEXT RESULT option from the SEARCH menu.

If there are no more entries in the list, the buttons are greyed out.

By default, the results window is pinned [image] and stays on screen when you select an entry.

To minimize the window each time you view an entry, click the [image] button once to unpin it [image] (or select KEEP WINDOW OPEN from the Close menu). Continue clicking on the pin icon (or selecting the menu option) to toggle between pinning and unpinning the window.

To restore the window once it has been minimized, double click on the minimized icon or select SHOW RESULTS from the SEARCH menu.


Outputting text

Copying text

Printing an entry


Copying text

You can copy text from an entry:

•	To the clipboard

•	To your word processor (if it is running in another window).


Copying text to the clipboard

You can copy single words or more extensive sections of text to the clipboard so that they can be pasted into another program later.

First make sure the entry you want to copy from is displayed in the entry area. Highlight the text you want by double clicking on a single word to select it, or by clicking and dragging to select larger sections of text. Click the [image] button or select COPY from the EDIT menu.

To insert the text you have copied into another application, follow the usual procedure for pasting text from the clipboard into your document. Consult your application help if you are unsure how to do this.

For copyright reasons you may copy only up to one entry at a time. Bold or italic type attributes are not retained when text is copied to the clipboard.

See also:

Copying text to your word processor

Looking up a word from your word processor


Copying text to your word processor

You can copy single words or more extensive sections of text to any word processor running in another window.

First make sure the entry you want to copy from is displayed in the entry area, that your word processor is running in another window, and that the cursor is positioned where you want to paste the text. (In the case of Word for Windows, make the link from Word to the current dictionary by clicking the [image] button.) If you want to replace text in your document, select the text you want to replace.

Highlight the text you want by double clicking on a single word to select it, or by clicking and dragging to select larger sections of text. Click the [image] button or select COPY TO WORD PROCESSOR from the EDIT menu. The text is inserted at the cursor position.

For copyright reasons you may only copy up to one entry at a time. Note also that there is a limit to the number of characters that can be copied in one go. Bold or italic type attributes are not retained when text is copied to your word processor.

See also:

Copying text to the clipboard

Looking up a word from Word for Windows

Looking up a word from your word processor


Printing an entry

To print out the entry displayed in the entry area, click the [image] button or select PRINT CURRENT ENTRY from the FILE menu.

If you want to print more than one copy, select PRINT... from the FILE menu, enter the number of copies you want into the Copies field, and click OK or press ENTER.

If you want to change your print preferences, click on SETUP or choose the PRINT SETUP.. option from the FILE menu to display a standard Windows Print Setup dialog. (Consult Windows help for more information if you need it.)

See also:

Copying text


Using the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries with another Windows application

Copying text to the clipboard

Copying text to your word processor

Using the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries with Word for Windows

Looking up a word from your word processor


Looking up a word from Word for Windows

If you have installed the Word link, you can look up a word from your Word for Windows document in one of the Oxfrod Dictionaries. Make sure the dictionary you want is open at the appropriate language section, then highlight the word in your Word document and click the [image] button.

You are automatically switched to Oxford SuperLex with the closest match in the current section displayed in the entry window.

See also:

Removing the link between the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries and Word for Windows


Looking up a word from your word processor

You can look up a word or phrase from another Windows document by pasting it into the input box or the Search dialog via the clipboard.

If you have a copy of Word for Windows it is quicker to use the Word link if installed: see Looking up a word from Word for Windows.

Make sure that both Oxford SuperLex and your word processor (or other application) are both running.

Highlight the word or phrase you want in your document, then switch to Oxford SuperLex, and:

For a quick search

Choose the book (e.g. Oxford Spanish Dictionary), section (e.g. Spanish-English), and list (e.g. Full Text) you want. Move to the input box (highlighting any existing text, if necessary) and select PASTE from the EDIT menu or press CTRL+V. Your search term appears in the input box and the word list moves to the closest match.

For an advanced search

Open the Search dialog (by clicking the [image] button), move to the input box you want (highlighting any existing text if neccesary), then press CTRL+V. Your search term is pasted into the input box.

See also:

Copying text to the clipboard

Copying text to your word processor

Looking up a word from Word for Windows


Using the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries with Word for Windows

If you own a copy of Microsoft's Word for Windows, you can switch between your Word documents and the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries using the [image] button. You are automatically given the option to install this link when you first install the program.

Installing the Word link

Looking up a word from Word for Windows

Removing the link between the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries and Word for Windows


Installing the Word link

During the setup procedure, after the application has been loaded, a dialog box appears, asking whether you wish to install the Word Link to Microsoft Word. If you click on YES you are then asked to select Word for Windows 2, Word 6, or Word 7. You are also prompted for the name of your Word subdirectory (C:\WINWORD, by default). When you have completed these options, click on CONTINUE to set up the link.

A new menu option is added to the EDIT menu in Word and the [image] button appears in the Word tool bar.

See also:

Looking up a word from Word for Windows

Removing the link between the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries and Word for Windows


Removing the link between the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries and Word for Windows

To remove the link from Word 2

1.	Select OPTIONS... from the TOOLS menu in Word for Windows.

2.	Select the Category TOOLBAR.

3.	In the Tool to change list, select the COPY TO SUPERLEX button.

4.	In the Macros list, select the [space] item.

5.	Click on CHANGE.

6.	Select the Category MENUS.

7.	In the Menu list, select &Edit.

8.	In the Menu Text list, select the horizontal line above the Copy to SuperLex text, if it is present, and click on DELETE.

9.	In the Menu Text list, select the Copy to SuperLex text and click on DELETE.

10.	Close the Options dialog.

11.	Close Word 2 and open it again.

The Oxford SuperLex link is now removed from Word 2.

To remove the link from Word 6

1.	Select CUSTOMIZE... from the TOOLS menu in Word 6.

2.	Select the Menus tab from the Customize dialog.

3.	Choose &Edit from the Change What Menu list.

4.	In the Position on Menu list choose the horizontal line above Copy to &SuperLex and click on REMOVE.

5.	In the same way, remove the Copy To &SuperLex item from the list.

6.	Select the Toolbars tab from the Customize dialog.

7.	Drag the [image] button off your main Word 6 tool bar and drop it into the normal Word 6 text area: it will disappear.

8.	Close the Customize dialog box.

9.	Select MACRO... from the TOOLS menu.

10.	Choose the macro called SuperLex and click on DELETE.

11.	Close the Macro dialog.

12.	Close Word 6 and open it again.

The Oxford SuperLex link is now removed from Word 6.

Press the F1 function key for help at any stage.

See also:

Installing the Word link

Looking up a word from Word for Windows


Customizing the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries

Changing font size

Changing your PREFERENCES


Changing font size

You can change the size of the text in the entry area to suit your personal preferences.

Select FONT SIZE... from the EDIT menu to display the Font dialog. Scroll through the list of alternative font sizes and select one of them, or type an alternative size directly into the box.

See also:

Changing your PREFERENCES


Changing your PREFERENCES

The PREFERENCES function allows you to change the components of the main window, or to specify startup options.

Changing the components of the main window

Certain components may be removed from the main window if you wish. These are:

Book shelf

Contents bar (including the section bar)

Tool bar

Search bar

Status bar

ToolTags

To remove an item from the window, select PREFERENCES... from the FILE menu and click VIEW if it is not already selected. Click the checkbox next to any component marked with a cross (Windows 3.1 and 3.11) or with a tick (Windows 95) to remove it from the display (the cross or tick is removed). To restore any component that has been removed, click its checkbox again (the cross or tick reappears).

Once you are satisfied with the changes you have made, click OK or press ENTER. To cancel any changes you have made, click CANCEL.

You also have the option to remove the list area from the main window at any time. Click the [image] button or select LIST from the VIEW menu to toggle between displaying and hiding it.

To move the border between the list area and the entry area, or between the entry area and the notes field (if present) use the split bars.

Specifying startup options

Oxford SuperLex offers two startup preferences. To alter these, select PREFERENCES... from the EDIT menu, then click on STARTUP if it is not already selected.

To start up Oxford SuperLex in a maximized window, click the STARTUP MAXIMIZED checkbox (it is marked with a cross or tick). To deselect this option, click the checkbox a second time.

If you only have only one Oxford bilingual dictionary installed, this is the startup book. If you have any additional dictionaries installed, you can specify which of them you wish to open on startup. Make sure the Open Selected Startup Book checkbox is selected and click on the book you want to highlight it.

Once you are satisfied with the changes you have made, click OK or press ENTER. To cancel any changes you have made, click CANCEL.

See also:

Changing font size


Split bars

Split bars are the borders dividing the:

•	List area and entry area

•	Entries and notes.

You can alter the relative width of the list area and the entry area. Move the mouse over the split bar (the vertical border that divides the window) and when the cursor changes shape, click and drag it to the left or right. Alternatively, select VERTICAL SPLIT from the VIEW menu to change the cursor and then use the mouse or the cursor keys to reposition the bar.

To move the border between the entry area and the notes field (if present) click on it or select HORIZONTAL SPLIT from the VIEW menu, and click and drag the cursor up or down (or use the cursor keys).

If you drag a bar too far in any direction, restore it by dragging it to the centre of the screen, or by choosing HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL SPLIT from the VIEW menu again and clicking to reposition the bar.

You also have the option to remove the list area completely at any time. Click the [image] button or select the LIST option from the VIEW menu.


Glossary

advanced search  A sophisticated search method which allows you to combine lists, use wildcards and look for several search terms at once. An advanced search is constructed using the Search dialog. Use the [image] button to access it.

book shelf  Displays the book(s) currently installed in the form of icons.

Boolean operators  Logical expressions used to combine two or more search terms: AND, OR, and NOT.

contents bar  Gives button access to all the sections of the current dictionary.

entry area  The part of the main window in which entries are displayed.

headword  The bold word which marks the beginning of an entry.

hit  A matching result. In the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries hits are individual dictionary entries.

input box  A box into which you can type. Input boxes occur in the search bar, the Search dialog, etc.

list  One of the alphabetical indexes available for searching: for example the English Headwords list.

list area  The box in the main window in which the current word list is displayed. The list area may be removed from the main window by clicking the [image] button.

list box  The box on the search bar from which you select the current list.

Oxford SuperLex The software application which gives access to the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries on CD-ROM.

quick search  The quickest way to look up a word. To start a quick search, type your search term into the search bar input box.

search bar  The bar, just below the tool bar, where you type the words you want to look up and choose the list you want to search.

search term  The subject of a search: the word or phrase you type in a quick or an advanced search.

section bar  Gives the name of the current book and the section you are looking at.

split bar  The vertical border dividing the list and entry areas, and the horizontal border dividing entries from their footnotes.

status bar  Displays information on search results and ToolTags at the base of the main window.

tool bar  Contains button short cuts to the most common application functions.

ToolTag  On screen help describing buttons, icons, and menu options. To display ToolTag help on any item, move the cursor over it.

wildcard  A character used to represent any letter in a search term.


The bold word which marks the beginning of an entry.


Matching results. In the Oxford Bilingual Dictionaries hits are individual dictionary entries.