Document 707

External lookup settings

Version: 5.5 - Scientific WorkPlace, Scientific Word, & Scientific Notebook

To use the customizable External Lookup tool from within SWP, SW, SNB, and the Viewer, set the specifications for each lookup application you want to launch. You can specify up to ten lookups. The specifications can include

  • the application file to be activated

  • any input the application file requires

  • how the lookup application is listed in the Tools and Context menus

  • the accelerator, if any, for the lookup

  • the character set to be used for encoding any information you provide to the lookup application

  • whether the application is to run in the background

Specifying an external lookup

  1. From the Tools menu, choose External Lookup Settings.

  2. Choose Add.

  3. In the Menu command box, enter the lookup name as you want it to appear on the Tools and Context menus.

    For example, to specify an online search engine, you might enter Internet Search.

  4. If you want to designate a character as an accelerator for the command, type an ampersand (&) before the character in the Menu command box.

    For example, to specify the accelerator I for your online search lookup, your entry would look like this: &Internet Search.

  5. Specify an application:

    • If you want to launch a specific application, enter in the Application to be launched box the name of an executable file for the lookup application.

      or

    • If you want your system to use the application corresponding most closely to the specified application input, leave the box blank.

      For example, if you want the system to use your default browser to launch an Internet application, leave the box blank.

  6. Specify input to the application:

    In the Application input box, enter data, parameters, commands, or other information that can be understood by the application you want to launch.

    • The syntax of the input line depends entirely on the application to be launched; see Sample settings.

    • The information can include a token, <sel>, that is replaced by any information selected in your document at the time you launch the lookup application.

      For example, you might want to select a word in your document and launch an Internet search based on the selection.

      • If you select a few words. such as typesetting mathematics, and then invoke the search lookup, the search application will to show a list of items matching the search string typesetting mathematics.

      • If you don't make a selection before you invoke the lookup, the program removes the <sel> token. The application will be launched but the results are unpredictable.

  7. Specify a character set that is appropriate for the application you want to launch.

    The program uses the character set to convert any information represented by the token <sel> before launching the lookup.

    For example, if you want to launch an application that understands Japanese, choose Japanese (Shift-JIS) from the Character set list to convert the <sel> information to characters the application can understand.

  8. Check Hide to have the lookup run in the background.

    If the box is unchecked, the application runs in the foreground. For most applications, leave the box unchecked.

    Whether or not you check Hide, SWP, SW, SNB, or the Viewer remains open.

  9. If you want to change the position of the lookup on the Tools or Context menu, choose Move Up or Move Down to position the lookup correctly.

  10. Choose OK.

Sample settings for the Application Input box

The syntax of the input line depends entirely on the application to be launched. Each one is different. For example,

  • To specify a lookup for an Internet search, you might enter

    http://www.google.com/search?&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8hl=en&q=<sel>&btnG=Google+Search

  • To specify a lookup for a dictionary, your entry might be

    http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=<sel>

  • To specify a lookup for an encyclopedia, you could enter

    http://www.reference.com/search?db=wiki&q=<sel>

  • To specify a lookup for a thesaurus, you might enter

    http://thesaurus.reference.com/search?q=<sel>

In all these examples, <sel> represents a selection of several words in your document. When you invoke the lookup, the program replaces the <sel> token in the input line with your selection and then launches the lookup application. The application uses your selection as its input. If you don't make a selection before you invoke the lookup, the program removes the token. The lookup application will be launched but the results are unpredictable.

Added 09/02/05