Transcript Mapper

Transcript Mapper allows creation and utilization of an aligned types database to aid with transcribing across multiple tiers based on existing data. Alignment data may be imported from existing Phon sessions, csv files, or from IPA dictionaries available in the application.

Note: Transcript Mapper is currently available as a downloadable plug-in. See https://github.com/phon-ca/phon-transcript-mapper-plugin for installation instructions.

The UI contains three main componenets:

Key tier combo box; the key tier is the tier used for lookups within the aligned types database. By default this is Orthography, but any grouped tier in the session may be used.
Words/morphemes table; this table displayed the values for the word/morpheme alignment in the current record. The key tier will always be shown as the first column.
Alignment options table; this table displayed data from the database which may be used to fill record data.

Transcript mapper is intended to be used with partially transcribed data. Information from one tier, called the key tier, is used to lookup alignment sets in the database. These sets may then be used to insert values into other tiers in the record. To use the transcript mapper:

Select the key tier from the provided combo box, this should be a tier in the record which contains data.
Aligned words/morphemes in the current record will be listed in the Word/morphemes table. Selecting a row in this table will populate the Alignment options table with data contained in the database for the selected word/morpheme in the indicated key tier. Pressing enter (or right clicking) a row in the Aligned words/morphemes table will display a menu with items to insert/update alignment sets into the current record for all displayed tiers. If the selected alignment set does not currently exist in the database an option to add the alignment will also be presented.

Figure 2. Word/morpheme menu
The Alignment options table will display alignment sets available in the database for the currently selected word/morpheme. Selecting a row in this table and pressing enter (or right clicking) will display a menu with items to insert//update specific tiers with types from the database (the number keys 1-9 may also be used to select specific tiers.) Alignment sets may be removed from the database by pressing delete or using the item in the popup menu.

Figure 3. Alignment options menu

Aligned Types Database

The aligned types database is stored in the user's application data folder. This database folder is located at ~/Library/Application Support/Phon/transcriptMapper on macOS and %APPDATA%/Phon/transcriptMapper on Windows. The database filename is typeMap.atdz.

Database actions are available from the menu displayed when clicking the Database button in the toolbar. Initially the aligned types database is not populated. To import data into the database, use one of the actions in the popup menu. When changes to the aligned types databse are detected the Database button will be shown with an asterisk '*' and a menu item to save the database will be enabled.

Note: A prompt to save the database will be shown on application exit if unsaved changes are detected.

Note: A backup of of the database is created when saving, you can find this file in the transcriptMapper folder named typeMap-backup.atdz.

Save database

You may save the database using the appropriate menu item displayed in the database popup menu. The item is only enabled when changes have been detected.

Scan Project

The scan project wizard allows for selection of session in the current project, or in another project, for data import to the database. Each aligned word/morpheme set - for all grouped tiers - in the scanned sessions will be added.

Import from CSV

Data may be imported from a CSV file. The first line of the CSV file should contain tier names, while each subsequent line should contain the aligned types to be added to the database. The CSV file should be UTF-8 encoded, with quotes around strings and commas separating values.

Export to CSV

The CSV export function will export aligned data for all keys found for the selected key tier. The first line of the CSV file will contain tier names, while each subsequent line will contain aligned types contained in the database. The file will be UTF-8 encoded, with quotes around string and commas separating values.

Note: Only tiers displayed in the Alignment options table will be exported to CSV.

Import IPA dictionary

IPA dictionaries which implement key iteration may be imported to the aligned types database (this does not include tranliteration dictionaries.) Each orthography → IPA entry of the IPA dictionary will be added as an alignment set with the tiers 'Orthogrpahy', 'IPA Target', 'IPA Actual', and 'Language'. The 'IPA Target' and 'IPA Actual' types will be the same IPA value for the database entry. The 'Language' tier will contain the language code of the dictionary from which the alignment was imported.

Note: IPA dictionaries are large and may take considerable amounts of memory if many are imported into the database.

Import Database

This feature is not yet available.

Project TypeMap Definitions

This feature is not yet available.

Tiers

Tiers displayed in transcript mapper tables may be controlled using the popup menu displayed when clicking the Tiers toolbar button. Initially all grouped tiers in the session are displayed in the order defined in the session with the exception that the current key tier will always be the first column. Only tiers displayed in the Words/morphemes table will be changed when selecting alignment data to insert.

It is possible that the database contains tiers which do not exist in the session. Missing tiers are displayed at the end of the Tiers menu with options to either add the missing tier to the session, or display the tier data in the Alignment options table.

Language Tier

When importing data to the database a tier 'Langauge' is automatically added to the data if it does not exist. The value of this field is filled in the following manner:

Import from CSV
During import from CSV the value for language is determined by (in order): column in the CSV file; language identified in Session Information; or default syllabifier language in application settings.
Scan Project

During scan project the value for language is determined by (in order): langauge identified in the first step of the Scan Project wizard; value from a tier named 'Language' in the session (must be grouped and aligned with each word/morpheme); language identified in Session Information; or default syllabifier language in application settings.
Adding entries from Words/morphemes table
When adding alignment entries from the Words/morphemes table the value for language is determined by (in order): value from a tier named 'Language' in the session (must be grouped and aligned with each word/morpheme); language identified in Session Information; or default syllabifier language in application settings.