Latest update

[Marla Sharp]

Have info to share or have questions about the latest update, post it here.

[Marla Sharp]

I recently downloaded the update to 4.3.0.6, and I have a question I was hoping some brainiac could answer. Yes, I'm talking about you, Brenda. :P

In the programming tab in user settings, I noticed the addition of Auto-brief ineligible words and Auto-brief steno theory. I'm thinking the ineligible words would be words you don't ever want included in an auto-brief suggestion, like "the" or "an." But I'm not sure what steno theory would be or what kind of entry you can add there. Any ideas? If you hit the help button while in the programming tab, the last three new additions aren't in there yet.

[Jenny Griffin, RMR CRR CCRR CRC]

Marla, Here's what I'm doing regarding the auto-brief steno theory.

A PASTE FROM CHANGESD.TXT:

The following items are all accomplished by adding lines to the new User settings/Programming/Auto-brief steno theory option

- Auto-brief can disallow certain steno combinations

If there are certain combinations of keys you never want to see in an auto-brief, put that combination of keys on the list with a minus sign before them.

Marla, here are my theory exclusions for A/B. I don't want these combinations of letters to appear in any A/B. Just copy and paste into the programming tab, Auto-Brief Steno Theory place.

The top entry really has a space after the - so I won't get any double stroke A/B's

-
-*F
-*R
-BLG
-FBL
-FPB
-FPBL
-FPBLD
-FPBLS
-FRBL
-KPW
-KPWR
-KWH
-KWHR
-PBGT
-R*
-RPBG
-SD
-SDZ
-STW
-SZ
-TD
-TKPWH
-TSD
-TSDZ
-TWH

If you ALWAYS want auto-briefs to contain a particular set of keys, you can put a line in this area with a + sign before it. The steno keys you enter will then be added to ALL auto-brief entries that the system creates.

For example, if you ONLY wanted the suggestions with the asterisk, you could use:

+*

I am constantly asking for auto-briefs using Keith Vincent's macros, and I'm very picky about my fingering so I really like this feature!

[Marla Sharp]

Ooh, thanks, Jenny. I will definitely cut and paste those into my new Auto-brief steno theory. How do I tell it to never suggest double strokes like FEN/FEN for Phenergan? I never use double strokes like that.

And your suggestion of +* would be me telling Eclipse to only suggest briefs with an asterisk?

[Marla Sharp]

More questions:
-*F
-*R
Those would mean you don't want any auto-brief suggestions with the asterisk key and the F or R, right? I personally use the asterisk key a lot, so would I want to take those out or put a plug sign before them?

Did you mean by "The top entry really has a space after the - so I won't get any double stroke A/B's" that you won't get any two-stroke briefs or you won't get any of those double word/stroke thingys like FEN/FEN?

[Jenny Griffin, RMR CRR CCRR CRC]

Marla, Yes, the +* would be telling Eclipse to only suggest briefs with an asterisk.

-*F
-*R
Yes, I don't want these even though I have wide asterisk keys. Just delete them from the list I've suggested.

This "- " really means you won't get any two-stroke briefs such as FEN/FEN.

Remember, if you exclude too many keys, you may not get a suggestion for something!

[Marla Sharp]

Wonderful! Thanks.

I've started a "programming tab" discussion, and I'll be posting some questions over there sometime soon. So be on the look-out! I'm gonna need your help, Jenny!!

[Brenda Rogers]

LOL Marla! I've been out all afternoon but would have answered the same way as Jenny did. My exclude list is considerably shorter than hers, but there are some odd ones I've gotten recently, like *FPBLGT. Something like that. My brain just went TILT when I saw that one!

I haven't excluded double strokes yet because I'm worried about what it will give me if I do. I assume it gives me double because it's the easier outline. You know? If you do exclude those, report back, please?

[Michelle DeSanti]

I haven't downloaded 4.3.0.6 yet. Sounds like I can solve my issue with the exclusion list when I get to it. Maybe you all might have other ideas or solutions. My A/B keeps suggesting initial syllable phonetics for the brief, like PA for personal assistant or RE for rehabilitation therapy (can't remember the specific words). But I may write PA for the start of a word like PA/THET/IC - lol, again, can't think of something specific - and of course it comes out wrong as it takes the brief. I do have it set pretty low for suggestion amount.

Thanks.

[Jenny Griffin, RMR CRR CCRR CRC]

I believe the cure for this is to have A/B give you only auto-briefs with the asterisk in it. That's what I did for my last job.

[Brenda Rogers]

As long as you have PA/THET/IK defined, your AB won't interfere. But of course, if you get a new word, new proper name that starts with PA, you will run into that. I used to have that issue a lot. I haven't had for quite a while now. I do like those short little briefs because -- well, short little briefs. What's not to love? :) When something like that happens, as soon as I possibly can, I go back and define the new word. For me, it ends up being so rare that it's well worth it for the briefs I get. The asterisk inclusion helps, but it can end up being a LOT of asterisks!

[Amy]

It's good to know you can separate the auto briefs out cause for some reason when I do RT the Translation Magic will combine two words (strokes) into one word and it will show it translated as something that's not even a word, or a totally wrong word. It drives me crazy. Especially if one of the strokes is a mistroke. I haven't downloaded the new update yet. I was having problems with my account online. But I'm hoping with the new update that will change. And I don't even know, Marla, if you understand what I'm trying to say or not. For example, if I stroke out KAUL/EX/SES for (call excess), if will translate (collect sets). I seem to shadow a lot when writing and it becomes a problem with the translation. Any suggestions?

[Rebecca Callow]

Hey, Amy,
It sounds like you may have your Translation Magic setting too high. I think the default is 50, and that will probably give most reporters a lot of the strange things that you mention in your post.

I set mine at 0. 0 means that Tran Magic will only attempt to create a word when one of the strokes is an untran. If I were you, I would start low and work your way up.

HTH, Rebecca