Explanation of New Feature: Labels

Jonathan
Jonathan Member Posts: 671 ✭✭
edited November 2024 in English Forum

Could someone explain to me, in detail, how the new label feature functions?

Here are a couple questions I am struggling to solve:

  • How do the attributes function? What is going on "under-the-hood?"
  • What do the various attributes mean (e.g. Boolean & Word Sense)? I know what "word sense" and "Boolean" mean in other contexts, but I guess I don't understand how they function with this feature.

I believe this will be a very useful feature for me. However, I worry that if I start labelling things with a flawed understanding of the feature I might be wasting my time.

Comments

  • David Taylor, Jr.
    David Taylor, Jr. Member Posts: 4,386 ✭✭✭

    Same question, I have wanted a feature like this but I don't exactly understand how it works.

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    What's happening under the hood is pretty simple: You're adding a note to a selection, and that note contains a label, which you can search on.

    So, what's a label? Think of a label like a little fill-in form that you can attach to any piece of text in the library. Like, say, a luggage tag. When you put a luggage tag on a parcel, you're asserting that a) that parcel now is identified as a piece of luggage, and then b) you fill out the "Name," and "Address" lines so that they know exactly whose luggage it is. Or put another way: There's a "Name" attribute and an "Address" attribute.

    Labels work the same way: You grab a selection of text and affix a label. That label consists of a NAME that answers the question What is it? and optionally, supplies a set of ATTRIBUTES that answer the question What characteristics would you use to describe or identify it? What you choose as name and attributes for your label is totally up to you, the Ontologist.

    An example. Let's say you heard somewhere that each law in Deuteronomy is just a more detailed expression of one of the ten commandments. For example, the command about building parapets on the roof of your house so nobody will fall off and die (Deut 22:8) is essentially a very specific way to apply the general principle "You shall not kill."

    We could tag this lots of ways. You could have a label called "Laws That More Specifically Express The Concept of Not Killing" but that's cumbersome. You probably want to choose a minimal name, probably a simple noun or noun phrase, to answer the question What is it? in a general sense. I'm going to (completely arbitrarily) choose "Statute" as the name for this label. Then you want to think about the characteristics you want to describe each instance.

    It'll probably make sense if we think about the problem backwards: What do we want to search for? We want to find all the statutes, and we want to be able to find the ones that are (say) expressive of the prohibition against killing. So maybe something like:

    Find all the laws I've tagged: {Label Statute}

    Find all the laws related to the fifth command: {Label Statute WHERE Decalogue = 5}

    (I'm using a Catholic enumeration of the Ten Commandments, but you don't have to.)

    You might also want to find the laws that are "apodictic" (generally applicable law) versus "casuistic" (situational or case law) versus "cultic" (specifics of worship). So, find just the case laws: {Label Statute WHERE Type = "casuistic"}

    You can string multiple attributes together to narrow things down even further to (say) find all the case laws related to the fifth commandment: {Label Statute WHERE Decalogue = 5 AND Type = "casuistic"}

    Let's say our Deut 22:8 example about parapets is one of the verses we'd like to find with this last query. In order for that to work, we'd need to put the following label on that verse:

    Statute
    Decalogue: 5
    Type: casuistic

    How do the attributes work? Those last two things, "Decalogue" and "Type" are attributes. Each attribute has a name and a value, and (as you discovered) the value can be of a specific type (Word Sense or Boolean [true/false]). In this example, the "Decalogue" is always going to be a number, so when we set up the highlighting style to apply this label (the easiest way to do it), then we're going to specify that attribute's value is always a number so that the entry helper will only show us numbers. Similarly, the "Type" we know is going to have three legal values, so we're going to say that the type of value for the "Type" attribute is a "List" and we're going to give the legal values separated by a semicolon.

    If you had, say, an attribute that you knew was always going to be a biblical person, you'd choose "Biblical Person" as the attribute type. If you don't know or don't care, then "Any Value Type" is what you'd choose.

    Anyway, the following video shows me setting up a Highlighting palette from scratch to show the "Statute" example above. I set it to "prompt me for attributes" so that whenever I apply that highlighter style it pops up a little form for me to fill in. The attribute list in the style is what sets up the blank form. Then I apply the label to a verse, fill in the form that pops up. Finally, I do a little searching to demonstrate that you can indeed find that verse by the queries above.

    http://screencast.com/t/QzhHb8jyW 

    Since this goes into note files, I could make a Faithlife group and share this document. Anyone in that group could grab a copy, or they could even collaborate on it.

    This is very definitely a power-user feature. But it opens up a HUGE range of possibilities. 

    Hope that helps! I could work out other examples, too.

  • Jack Caviness
    Jack Caviness MVP Posts: 13,603

    Eli Evans said:

    Thanks for the screencast, but on Mac OS 10.10, it was a silent movie—without the Keystone Cops [:D]

  • Kendall Sholtess
    Kendall Sholtess Member Posts: 207 ✭✭

    Faithlife webteam:

    Can you guys make your What's New posts to stick to the top of the forum? It's hard to weed through the many other posts to find them.

  • Randy W. Sims
    Randy W. Sims Member Posts: 2,272 ✭✭✭

    You can use the main What's New post that is pinned to the top as a directory to the others.

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    Thanks for the screencast, but on Mac OS 10.10, it was a silent movie—without the Keystone Cops Big Smile

    I neglected to mention: No sound

  • David Taylor, Jr.
    David Taylor, Jr. Member Posts: 4,386 ✭✭✭

    Yes Eli that is exactly the functionality I had hoped for it was just a little overwhelming at first.  Would love to be able to grab a copy of the pallate/note file

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    Sure. I shared the note file with All Users. You can grab a copy here: https://documents.logos.com/documents/f06694d810ca4945a6a1964f29fd1fb0

    The palette should come along. It's just the one style.

  • Geo Philips
    Geo Philips Member Posts: 401 ✭✭

    I wish someone made a text label for each book of the Bible. [:D]

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    Ok, I am getting this feature a bit but I am missing some things. I have created a new Palette titled "Theology" and I would like to tag a section of text as "Theology" and give it the attribute (say) "Justification"

    I can search {Label theology} and see my tag, but I can't search by attribute {Label theology justification}

    So is it that you create a new palette for each label? If so what are the purposes of attributes?

    I feel like this is something I have wanted for a while and I am on the verge of understanding it :) Thanks 

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    I can't search by attribute {Label theology justification}

    It's {Label theology WHERE attribute=justification}

    Replace "attribute" with the name of your attribute.

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    Replace "attribute" with the name of your attribute.

    Thanks Mark! Now I just have to develop a strategy.....I trust we will be seeing some totally cool and innovative videos from you on L6? :)

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    Another couple of questions:

    1. Right now I can bring bring up the  Labeling box by assigning a quick key to that Palette. Is there another way to quickly add a Label? Adding note to that file doesn't attach a Label.

    2. What is the benefit of naming the "Attribute Name" and the "Value?" Can search by each? - and if so how. Right now I labeled the attribute name the same as the value to get it to show up in searches.

    Thanks!

  • David Taylor, Jr.
    David Taylor, Jr. Member Posts: 4,386 ✭✭✭

    Replace "attribute" with the name of your attribute.

    Thanks Mark! Now I just have to develop a strategy.....I trust we will be seeing some totally cool and innovative videos from you on L6? :)

    +1 [Y]

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    What is the benefit of naming the "Attribute Name" and the "Value?" Can search by each? - and if so how. Right now I labeled the attribute name the same as the value to get it to show up in searches.

    You can have multiple attributes for each label. Each attribute needs to have a different name.

    So, for theology, you might have attributes called "doctrine" and "soundness" (a silly example, I know!). You could then apply a label to your favourite systematic theology which had "doctrine" set to "pneumatology" and soundness set to "right on". Your least favourite theology might have a chapter where doctrine is set to "Marcionism" and soundness set to "dodgy".

    You could then search for things like:

    • {Label theology WHERE doctrine=pneumatology}
    • {Label theology WHERE soundness=dodgy}

    Does that make sense?

    This post will help, too: https://community.logos.com/forums/t/92700.aspx 

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Todd Phillips
    Todd Phillips Member Posts: 6,736 ✭✭✭

    dodgy

    For the non-British among us: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dodgy 

    I didn't know "dodgy" was considered a Britishism.  Seems familiar enough to me.  Maybe British television has impacted me more than I thought.

    MacBook Pro (2019), ThinkPad E540

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    2. What is the benefit of naming the "Attribute Name" and the "Value?" Can search by each? - and if so how. Right now I labeled the attribute name the same as the value to get it to show up in searches.

    2. What is the benefit of naming the "Attribute Name" and the "Value?" Can search by each? - and if so how. Right now I labeled the attribute name the same as the value to get it to show up in searches.

    1. Right now I can bring bring up the  Labeling box by assigning a quick key to that Palette. Is there another way to quickly add a Label? Adding note to that file doesn't attach a Label.

    If you want to add a label to a note manually, you can use the "Add Label" command in the drop-down menu that appears in the upper-right corner of a note on hover:

  • Mike Tourangeau
    Mike Tourangeau Member Posts: 1,553 ✭✭✭

    You could then search for things like:

    • {Label theology WHERE doctrine=pneumatology}
    • {Label theology WHERE soundness=dodgy}

    Does that make sense?

    Yes....I think I am getting it, I am finding searches very slow and inconsistent though.....

  • Bradley Grainger (Logos)
    Bradley Grainger (Logos) Administrator, Logos Employee Posts: 12,111

    searches very slow and inconsistent though

    We're investigating a potential problem causing some labels to not be returned via search: https://community.logos.com/forums/p/92624/645900.aspx#645900 

  • Brian Losabia
    Brian Losabia Member Posts: 244 ✭✭

    If attributes are defined for a label, are they mandatory?  Can I apply a label generally if none of the attributes apply to that particular usage of the label?

  • Eli Evans (Logos)
    Eli Evans (Logos) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 1,408

    Excellent questions!

    Minimally, a label requires a name. Attributes are always optional. The name answers the question What is it? and the attributes answer the question What characteristics would be used to describe it? You can use the naming without using any characteristics. So, if all you wan to do is (say) label all the prayers in the Bible with a "Prayer" label, and you don't want to put any attributes on them, that's allowed. Just don't specify any attributes. You can also always go back and add attributes later, by right-clicking on a labeled portion of text and choosing "Edit label" from the right-click context menu.

    That said, if all you're ever going to do is name something and never specify any attributes for it, labels may be more work than they're worth. You could accomplish the same thing by just making a "Prayer" highlighting style and not implying a label with it. Then you would search using the {Highlight Prayer} search term instead of the {Label Prayer} search term. It would yield the same results.

    Labels really start to shine when you have problems that need to be solved by glomming multiple characteristics together in one search term.

    Also, the "template" defined within the "Labeling" portion of a highlighting style is just a suggested configuration for each application of the label to the text, which you can modify after the fact at will. If you (say) put an attribute into the style because you sometimes want it (and don't want to type it each time), but then sometimes leave the attribute value blank when you apply the label, the blank ones won't get saved with the label.

  • Brian Losabia
    Brian Losabia Member Posts: 244 ✭✭

    Thanks for the explanations, Eli!  I've added notes to my main Bible (translation) after hearing homilies, and was thinking about creating an overall label like Homilies with an attribute like Homilist, which would have a predefined list of the priests and deacons at my parish.  There have also been visiting priests, the insights of whom have been likewise added to my Bible, and I was thinking that their notes/highlights would get the Homilies label sans a Homilist value.  (I can't remember some of their names.)

  • Mark Barnes
    Mark Barnes Member Posts: 15,432 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for the explanations, Eli!  I've added notes to my main Bible (translation) after hearing homilies, and was thinking about creating an overall label like Homilies with an attribute like Homilist, which would have a predefined list of the priests and deacons at my parish.  There have also been visiting priests, the insights of whom have been likewise added to my Bible, and I was thinking that their notes/highlights would get the Homilies label sans a Homilist value.  (I can't remember some of their names.)

    Can I suggest an alternative?

    Rather than using the label Homilies, use the label Sermon. I'm suggesting that because that's what Logos uses for marking up the sermons that appear in the sermon section of the guide. There's a good chance that in the future user-labelled sermons might also appear there — but it's likely that they will require the same markup as Logos uses.

    The currently supported attributes for the Sermon label are:

    • Title -- string; title of the sermon
    • Subtitle -- string; optional
    • Creator -- string; name of the creator
    • References -- reference; optional; Bible references for the sermon as a whole (e.g., passage being preached on)
    • Date -- reference; optional; Date reference when the sermon was first delivered
    • Liturgical Date -- reference; optional; Liturgical Date reference when the sermon was first delivered (typically just one of Date or Liturgical Date will be present)
    • Series -- string; optional; sermon series

    You can add additional attributes for your own purposes if you like. But using these attribute names will probably pay dividends in the future.

    This is my personal Faithlife account. On 1 March 2022, I started working for Faithlife, and have a new 'official' user account. Posts on this account shouldn't be taken as official Faithlife views!

  • Andrew E. Beunk
    Andrew E. Beunk Member Posts: 12 ✭✭

    I recently purchased the Crossgrade extended package and seem to be missing a feature.

    I'm looking for this "Labels" feature in the "Highlighting" function.

    Did the "Labels" feature come with this Crossgrade extended package?  If so, how do I access it?

    Appreciate help on this!

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith MVP Posts: 54,946

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Andrew E. Beunk
    Andrew E. Beunk Member Posts: 12 ✭✭

    Got it!  What confused me is that the "new palette" called "Labels" is something that I need to create. I thought it was a pre-made palette like "Emphasis Markup".  Thanks.

  • Andrew E. Beunk
    Andrew E. Beunk Member Posts: 12 ✭✭

    I started doing what you suggest....great idea by the way....!  How can I generate a list of all my Sermon labels?  Can I do that via the Search panel?  I know how to search for content within a label, how can I create a list of ALL my Sermon labels?

  • Andrew E. Beunk
    Andrew E. Beunk Member Posts: 12 ✭✭

    Sorry, I'm new to posting on Forums....

    My question above is connected to the post of Mark Barnes regarding his Sermon Label suggestion.

  • JT (alabama24)
    JT (alabama24) MVP Posts: 36,523

    Sorry, I'm new to posting on Forums....

    No problem. Everyone is new sometime. [:)]

    My question above is connected to the post of Mark Barnes regarding his Sermon Label suggestion.

    The best thing to do is to use the "quote" feature. Hit the "reply" button (instead of the "quick reply"). You can then hit the "quote" button. If you want to quote individual parts of someones post, select the text BEFORE hitting the quote button. 

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