<TABLE>

On this Page	Filed elsewhere
Parallel text or TABLE? Use of TABLEs for paired quotations TABLE tagging: rowspans Point-by-point structure in parallel text	Options for table of contents tagging

Parallel text or TABLE?

Source: notes file
Date: 19 Apr 2004
File name: Ws5590
Keywords: parallel text, TABLE

Parallel text starting ref 67 - would a table have been better in this case?

PFS: the section in question consists of a two column arrangement in which the left column contains a description of 'popery' in many numbered points; the right column an answer to it, similarly arranged by numbered points. The description is much sparser than the response. The current system works, after a fashion, largely because the numbered points allow one to connect description and answer without the visual layout of the columns to help. But it does widely separate the corresponding points from each other, to the detriment of sense. A table, on the other hand, would put the points back into connection with each other, but has some problems too, since the answers are quite long and often continue from one page to the next.

One way might be to capture the text in the same sequence as one would if using a table, that is, from point of description in left column to point of answer in right column (and then again, and again). But then treat the two bits as divs rather than cells: description alternating with answer. This way, however, leaves no obvious role for the column headings. Yet another way would be to leave the text in two DIVs (as if it were parallel texts, which it really isn't) but provide links between them using PTR or REF

Source: notes file
Date: 2005-02-10
File name: pdcc/Wp1075
Keywords: parallel text, TABLE

Changed parallel texts on REFs 9-11, 13-16 into TABLEs. CELLs on the bottoms of REFs 10v, 14v, and 15v include concluding CELL text from the following pages.

PFS: this is a case in which the 'parallel texts' were not really continuous texts at all, just snippets from one author placed next to snippets from another author to prove the latter a plagiarist. The snippets made no real sense if one tried to read them 'lengthwise' as continuous texts: their primary purpose was to be read 'sideways' in comparison with each other. In this situation, resort to TABLEs seemed a reasonable way to place the relevant passages next to each other in emulation of the appearance of the original book. The alternative would have been to create many small DIVs containing the alternating snippets--but in this case that would have been very cumbersome, since the snippets were small and many.

Use of TABLEs for paired quotations

Source: notes file
Date: 8 May or 5 Aug 2004
File name: S19735-4
Keywords: TABLE, Q

Much of the book consists of paired quotations from Scripture--generally a prophecy paired with its fulfillment. These are physically arranged in parallel columns or two-column tables. Apex used TABLE tags. I kept the TABLE tags, but broke the TABLEs up into many little tables--one for each pair of quotations. I left the citations as separate rows in the tables, but did not otherwise mark them.

PFS: E.g.

Psal. 69. 25.
Let their habita|tions be voyd,
and let none dwell in their
tents.
Acts 1. 20.
It is written in the booke of
the Psalmes; Let his habitation be
void, and le~t no man dwell
therein.

is tagged as:

<TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL>Psal. 69. 25.</CELL>
<CELL>Acts 1. 20.</CELL>
</ROW>
<ROW>
<CELL><HI>Let their habita|tions be voyd, and let none dwell
in their tents.</HI></CELL>
<CELL><HI>It is written in the booke of the Psalmes; Let his
habitation be void, and le~t no man dwell therein.
</HI></CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE>

This approach captures the physical appearance without attempting to do much to capture the relationship, except by capturing the citation and quotation in separate cells. Given that TABLE was used to begin with, this may have been the best approach. Note, however, that were a number of other options open here. The paired quotations could have been treated as <BIBL><Q> pairs (eliminating the TABLE tags entirely), or even as DIVs. Retaining the TABLE structure, one could leave the citation and quotation either in separate cells or bundled together in one, in either case distinguishing the two again by BIBL/Q pairs (basically: converting <HI> into <Q>).

There are also some multi-verse tables with inserted verse numbers.

I think in the end, starting from scratch, I would have done these thus:

<TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL><BIBL>Esay 61. 1.</BIBL>
<Q>The Spirit of the Lord God is vpo~ me: therefore
hath the Lord annointed mee: hee hath sent mee to preach
good tidings vnto the poore to bind vp the broken hear|ted,
to preach libertie to the Captiues, and to the~ that are
bound the opening of the pri|son: <MILESTONE UNIT="verse" N="2">
To preach the acceptable yere of the Lord, and the day of
vengeance of our god.</Q></CELL>
<CELL><BIBL>Luk. 4. 18.</BIBL>
<Q>The Spirit of the Lord is vpon mee, therefore he hath
an|nointed mee that I should preach good ti|dings to the poore,
hee hath sent me to heale the broken in heart, that I should
preach deliuerance to the Captiues, &c.
<MILESTONE UNIT="verse" N="21"> This day is this Scripture
fulfilled in your eares.</Q></CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE>

<TABLE>
<ROW>
<CELL><BIBL>Esay 61. 1.</BIBL>
<Q>
<P>The Spirit of the Lord God is vpo~ me: therefore
hath the Lord annointed mee: hee hath sent mee to preach
good tidings vnto the poore to bind vp the broken hear|ted,
to preach libertie to the Captiues, and to the~ that are
bound the opening of the pri|son:</P>
<P N="2">2. To preach the acceptable yere of the Lord, and
the day of vengeance of our god.</P></Q></CELL>
<CELL><BIBL>Luk. 4. 18.</BIBL>
<Q>
<P>The Spirit of the Lord is vpon mee, therefore he hath
an|nointed mee that I should preach good ti|dings to the poore,
hee hath sent me to heale the broken in heart, that I should
preach deliuerance to the Captiues, &c.</P>
<P N="21">21. This day is this Scripture
fulfilled in your eares.</P></Q></CELL>
</ROW>
</TABLE>

TABLE tagging: rowspans

Source: notes file
Date: 17 Aug 2004
File name: Wn1058
Keywords: TABLE

I redid the table on pp117-9, ims65-6 as lists within simple cells. PDCC had tagged the items of these lists as individual cells, but I wasn't sure that there was a correspondence between the cells of different columns. pfs: as a matter of interest is it possible to have rowspan of, say, 1.5 or 2.75, or do these values have to be integers?

PFS: integers, as far as I know, as in HTML. The only way I know of to do what I think you want to do is to make BOTH cells contain rowspans. E.g., suppose you have this arrangement:

aaa bbb ccc rrr
aaa bbb ccc qqq
aaa bbb ccc qqq
aaa bbb ccc qqq
xxx yyy zzz qqq
xxx yyy zzz qqq
xxx yyy zzz sss
xxx yyy zzz sss

where the different letters represent different cells. It looks like the last column contains cells occupying 3/4 or half a row. Instead, the first thing you need to do is find the smallest unit that needs to be a row --the lowest common denominator, as it were, then treat the bigger cells, even if they appear to be 'single-row' cells, as in fact containing more than one (hidden) row. So I'd represent the above table (using HTML, and adding a fifth column showing the 'hidden' rows--which I think is necessary to avoid confusing the browser about the number of rows) as:

Point-by-point structure in parallel text

Source: notes file
Date: 24 Jun 2004
File name: Wb1253
Keywords: parallel text, TABLE

Weird parallel text stuff going on pg. 180-282 --Mona said it looked ok to her, but she hasn't seen parallel texts in ages --figured I'd make a note of it here.

PFS: this is just the (fairly common) problem of arguments placed in one column and answers or responses placed in the parallel column. These are not parallel texts strictly speaking. In general, we try to capture this kind of material in the way that is most intelligible, which usually means proceeding point by point, so that each argument is followed immediately by the answer to that argument. In a pinch, we'll use a table (which captures the physical arrangement without indicating the relationship), or use separate divs for the whole left column, followed by the whole right column--but only if the passage is brief, and leaves the response reasonably near to the argument. The table and separate-div methods do have the advantage that they can accommodate column heads easily ("The statements" "The answers" etc.), if those are present. The point-by-point method has much greater trouble dealing with such headings: it usually ends up needing to repeat them and distribute them among all the points. That's what I did this time.