【慈幼通訊社 ─ 2014 年 06 月 22 日，AustraLasia #3455】 ─ 完整的意文版《慈幼資料出處》(Fonti salesiane) 的英文翻譯，現已上載，讓一般讀者，包括學術研究者，可將他們感興趣的文章關鍵字句即時查閱editio typica，便能迅速地搜尋有關的文章或專題並取得有關的文章。這是一項重要的進步，讓學者以至每個人，都能更妥善地查閱此首要慈幼文本的集成。然而，網絡版功能不止於此。
(一) 網絡版：現已完成可供使用(http://www.sdb.org/ENG/teibp/content/fonti-complete.xml)
藉以下圖像向大家示範網絡版的部份特點：
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一些有助使用者更了解慈幼會的資料，會以不同的顏色標示歸類：1、翻譯者的注解，以棕色標示；2、鮑思高神父曾使用的詞彙，並與慈幼神恩直接相關的，以藍色標示；3、有跡可尋的引文，以鴨綠色標示，但如果屬聖經引文則以綠色標示；4、注釋（解釋或翻譯）以橄欖色顯示。圖中沒有顯示的包括標題，或是章節及文件的摘要，則以橙色標示。
─ editio typica的頁數參照功能。 上圖中可看到以灰色標示的「頁數：368」。整套以意大利文寫成的資料共1317頁，原文的每一頁的頁碼，都會這樣安插在對應文章中。如果覺得這些標示造成干擾，可在工具列中揀選「隱藏分頁碼」(Hide page breaks)，但如果你們需要引用相關文章進行翻譯，這些標示則很有幫助，可在網絡版本中，找到意大利文版本editio typica的相關參照。
─ 導覽功能。工具列恆常顯示畫面，讓使用者快捷地參閱整篇文章的若干部份或章節（在此部份尚有更多導覽選項），或可參看完整目錄頁，或是列出了全部309份文件的目錄頁。使用者可隨時使用工具列中的導覽選項，揀選快速參閱或完整參閱。
(二) 即將啟用的功能
網絡版中隱藏了一個XML格式檔。這是《慈幼資料出處》一個百科全庫式的「敍述性」資料，而XML檔有助這些資料的使用。我們正建立一個完整的「名人錄」，將包含所有在《慈幼資料出處》中提及的人物，以及他們與鮑思高神父的關係。以下是百科全庫中的一小部份：賈法束。
使用適合的軟件（可免費下載），所有有關各人物及他們與鮑思高神父關係的資料，可快捷地提取出來。顯然，這將成為一個功能非常強大的工具，有助從《慈幼資料出處》中，提取一些本來難以結集的資料。百科全庫可望於一個月內完成。為方便使用，網頁中已備有標上編碼的XML格式檔，雖然未能完全包含所有的「人物」，但已十分有用。
今天或明天是聖賈法束的紀念日，視乎你們閱讀這篇報導的日子。願這網絡版成為送給他的一份禮物！
Salesian Sources now fully web-ready
(ANS - AustraLasia #3455, 22 June 2014) –sdb.org June 22, 2014 -- The entire Salesian Sources (Fonti salesiane) in English translation is now available in a web edition that will enable the ordinary reader, including one with scholarly intent, to quickly identify passages or features of interest and quote the passage with immediate reference to the editio typica. This is a significant step forward for the scholar or indeed for anyone who wishes to properly reference this outstanding collection of primary Salesian texts. But there is more to come.
The image below demonstrates most of the features which make this web edition
The web-ready edition demonstrates the following features:
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colour-coding of certain elements which the reader of a web edition can
benefit from knowing: (a) comments made by the translator, coded brown; (b)
terms in use by Don Bosco, and which have direct relevance to the Salesian
charism, coded blue; (c) citations which can be traced to a source - coded
teal, but if they are biblical quotations they will be coded green; (d)
glosses (explanations or translations) coded olive. Not shown here are
topics or brief summaries of sections and documents, coded orange.
- page reference to the editio typica. In the pic above you can note the greyed 'page: 368'. Every one of the 1317 pages of the original Italian text have been inserted this way. If they annoy you, you can remove them by selecting 'Hide page breaks' in the Toolbox, but if you need to cite a passage in translation, then it certainly helps, in a web edition, to be able to make reference to the editio typica in Italian.
- navigation. The Toolbox is always visible, and enables the user to immediately go to a quick reference to parts and sections of the entire text (from which, internally, there are additional navigation options), or a complete TOC or table of contents with all 309 documents listed. One can return at any moment to these navigation aids by choosing quick or full reference from the Toolbox.
(2) Coming up
Behind this web edition lies an XML file. There is an entire encyclopedia of knowledge contained within the 'narrative' text of 'Salesian Sources' and XML can make sense of this. We are working towards an entire 'Personography' of all the people mentioned in the Sources, and their relationship to Don Bosco. this is what a tiny part of that 'encyclopedia' looks like at the moment:
Using the right sort of software (available at no cost) all of the information about individuals and their relationship to Don Bosco can be extracted in an instant. It would be obvious that this then becomes a very powerful tool for extracting information from 'Sources' that would otherwise be very difficult to bring together. Expect that this will be ready within a month. The XML file, already generously encoded, though not to the full extent for 'persons' as indicated above, is already available from the website.
It is St Joseph Cafasso's memorial today/tomorrow, depending when you read this. Let this be a gift for him!