The User's Manual for the OED CD-ROM is located at the Information Center workstation.
Online Help may be accessed by pressing 1 or clicking on HELP in the menu bar.
Word
Text
Item (etymology, definition, quotation)
Click on SEARCH in the menu bar.
Click on type of search (word, text or item)
Type the word or phrase in the box provided, click on FIND.
FIND vs. FIND ALL
FIND will search on input in the active input box displaying the cursor.
FIND ALL combines and searches input in all boxes during an etymology or quotation search.
LIST
Displays alphabetical listing of all items available for searching in the selected category.
The truncation symbols may be a prefix, infix or suffix of a word.
A question mark (?) represents a single character
An asterisk (*) represents multiple characters
Example: WOM?N will find woman or women.
EDUCAT* will find education, educator, educators, etc.
A question mark (?) with a space on either side represents a one-letter word.
An asterisk (*) with a space on either side represents a single word.
Proximity operators may be used in Free Text Searching to represent a word within a defined number of words from another set of words. Type the hash symbol followed by the number. Example: morning #5 coffee
Results are NOT text files and cannot be edited or printed.
Saving Results
Results can be saved to a 3-1/2" floppy disk and then transferred to a VAX account or used with a microcomputer.
Select FILE from the menu bar.
Select SAVE from the Results Files box.
Type A:\filename R . The software adds the appropriate extension.
Comments (use to summarize search parameters)
With results file displayed, select Comment
Type comments and select Close (from command box in upper left corner)
Comments will always be associated with those results.
Select FILE from the menu bar.
Select OUTPUT TO TEXT .
Select filename from scroll box, add appropriate drive name, press R Example: A:\RESULT.ENT
Select text elements to be recorded.
Type the name of file into which the text will be written. The extension .TXT will automatically be added.
Select File in menu bar.
Select Exit
Click on OK.