The program allows you to define the databases of verbs. You can define databases for many languages. The concept of verbs databases is very easy but it is important that you understand it. Each database consists of two files which are automatically created when you select New Verbs DB from the DB menu to define the new database: the main file and the keys file. These two files are necessary to access the database. When you select the New Verbs DB menu item then you are asked to enter the DB Signature. The DB Signature is an arbitrary name (for instance: French Verbs by John Brown ) that is unique for all databases. It is not the name of the database file. The signature is visible in Rules Generator window.
Example
On the picture below you can see the schematic that explains the role of the database signature. An author defines two databases with signatures French Verbs and Greek Verbs respectively (1) - in fact there are two files for each database but in the schematic picture we've skipped the keys files. Then the author distributes these databases to many users who are adding some new verbs and comments to the original databases (2). So now, there are many files with signatures French Verbs or Greek Verbs . Then somebody can collect databases from users and merge them into the single huge database with many verbs and comments in it by using the Add DB... option in the "Verbs" application to automatically merge databases (3). But it is important that the Greek Verbs database is not merged with the French Verbs database by a mistake. This is why the original databases (1) have their signatures so the child databases (2) can heritage this signature (even if the file names for these child databases differs).
 
Access Code
After you've entered the new signature you are asked to enter the access code. This is the name known to the author of the database only. Knowledge of this code allows you to define the conjugation rules for the verbs. It is important that all child databases share the same set of rules (because of automatic merging possibility). This is the reason why the database user can add verbs but cannot modify the conjugation rules. Only the database author can change rules so the compatibility of the child databases is preserved.
File Name
Then you should enter the file name for your database in a standard dialog box. The two files will be created then (for example if you enter the name Verbs then files with names Verbs and Verbs keys will be created). The database name is not important and can be changed. If you change the name of the database file from the Mac OS then you have to rename both (main and keys) files so the keys file name is the same as the main file name plus the name extension string - keys.
Rules
The first thing after defining the new database is to define the conjugation rules for the regular verbs.
 
T/M is an abbreviation for Tense/Mood combination. To define a new T/M category just press the button New T/M. The predefined category name is Present/Indicative but you can change this name (like all names you'll enter in the future) using the Rename T/M button. The typical T/M categories are: Past/Indicative, Future/Indicative, Present/Imperative etc. The conjugation of regular or almost regular verbs you can split into main patterns. The name or number of this pattern you should enter into the Pattern name box. There can be more than a one suffix sub pattern for the main conjugation pattern. The 3 buttons in the bottom of window allow you defining the conjugation sub patterns. The predefined sub pattern has name "1" but you can rename it using the Rename button. Then you have to define rules for this subpattern. You have to enter the rules inside the gray box on the right side of the window.
To enter the rule you should:
• choose the desired T/M (from the pop-up menu),
• fill 6 boxes on the left side with prefixes if needed (prefixes are usually used in the compound tenses and they consist of auxiliary verb in a proper form + space at the end),
• choose the theme (you usually choose the theme 1 but for some languages - Polish for example - the theme for present tense differs from the theme for past tense and then you will have to enter both themes for each verb that you'll add to the database),
• fill 6 boxes on the right side with suffixes.
The complete form of verb will be constructed by the program in the following way:
prefix+theme(1or2)+suffix. There are 6 check boxes on the right side. If the person is not available for this T/M (the 3-rd person for the imperative mood for instance) then you should uncheck the proper check box. You should repeat all these steeps for all available T/M modes (you change them in the upper pop-up menu).
After you have entered the whole rule you should click Enter Subpat. button to save this pattern (rule) to a disk.
Now you can press the New button to enter a new sub pattern name and repeat all the above steps to define rules for the newly defined sub pattern.
The Pattern name is visible in the main browse window for information purposes only. The pop-up menu of sub patterns (Subpat.) is presented in the Entering Verbs window to assign the correct rule for the newly introduced regular verb. See the next chapter for the information on Adding and Changing Verbs.
Fonts
You should choose the default font for the new database in the Preferences window. You can open this window from the DB menu.
Distributing Verbs Databases
You can create the new database for your personal use or to distribute it to other users of the Verbs application.
You can distribute the verbs database as a commercial, shareware or freeware package. In the first two cases you might wish to prevent user from the full access to the database until she/he pays the registration fee. This can be done by choosing the menu item Password Protect in the DB menu. You have to enter the password and press OK. Since then one can browse the first 50 verbs from the database only.
To get back a full access to the database user has to select the Password Protect menu item and enter the password. Since then the database becomes fully accessible again.
If you want to distribute your database I'll be glad if you let me know about it so I can list your database in the next versions of the program documentation.
The possibility of merging databases that were updated by various users makes exchanging databases between users very useful .
