TheSage: Documentation
Documentation is always a work in progress as it is only useful when users are actually able to benefit from it.
We have compiled here the information that we believe will be of practical use. If you find that something merits being included or discussed in more detail, please use the contact form and we will adjust this document as appropriate.
4. Tools
4.2 Wildcard tool
4.3 Anagram tool
4.4 Definition and example concordancer tools
4.5 Semantic similarity tool
4.6 Online search tool
4.7 'As you type' tool
4.8 Phonetic wildcard search tool
4.9 'Not found' tool
4.10 Speech tool
4.11 History tool
4.12 Word lists tool
1. What is TheSage? [^]
It is best to think of TheSage as two different systems: a knowledge database and a multi-tool interface. The knowledge database consists of a tightly integrated English dictionary and thesaurus.
- Multiple detailed definitions (+210,000).
- Examples of usage (+50,000).
- Phonetic transcriptions (+70,000).
- Encyclopedic information (geographical, historical, political,...).
- Academic knowledge (medicine, biology,...).
- Synonyms, antonyms, hypernyms, hyponyms, meronyms, holonyms,...
- Approximately 1,400,000 relationships between definitions.
The interface allows the user to extract information from the knowledge database in a variety of ways. This is accomplished by means of tools.
- Lookup tool (see section 4.1 for details)
- Wildcard tool (see section 4.2 for details)
- Anagram tool (see section 4.3 for details)
- Definition and example concordancer tools (see section 4.4 for details)
- Semantic similarity tool (see section 4.5 for details)
- Online search tool (see section 4.6 for details)
- 'As you type' tool (see section 4.7 for details)
- Phonetic wildcard search tool (see section 4.8 for details)
- 'Not found' tool (see section 4.9 for details)
- Speech tool (see section 4.10 for details)
- History tool (see section 4.11 for details)
- Word lists tool (see section 4.12 for details)
1.1 For linguists [^]
TheSage has been designed by linguists to be used by linguists that want to carry out certain kinds of linguistic research. Please read this documentation carefuly and contact us if you have any problems.
You might want to know that TheSage is a (completely unofficial) branch of Princeton's WordNet. We have corrected, added/deleted, and augmented the original WordNet. However, the debt to WordNet is immense and anyone familiar with WordNet will find similarities right away.
1.2 For writers, translators, etc [^]
Our approach is that of descriptive linguistics. Therefore, TheSage is not to be used to determine what the "correct" or "incorrect" use of the English language is. We are satisfied by describing how English speakers use the language.
We understand this might be a problem to some of you that earn a living by means of the "word". Our advice is that, when in doubt or challenged, you pull out a prescriptive dictionary to ease the pain (any well-known dictionary is usually more than sufficient legerdemain).
1.3 For casual users [^]
Using TheSage as a dictionary and thesaurus is extremely simple. Type a word and press enter. If the word exists and/or TheSage has a record of it, the screen will be filled with the definition(s) for that word.
In order to view the thesaurus for a word, click on the red button to the left of that word. If you want to see the thesaurus that applies to a specific definition, click on the red button to the left of that specific definition.
TheSage can do a lot more than dictionary/thesaurus lookups. Please read this documentation carefully and see if some of the functionality available can be useful to you. You can always contact us if you have any problems. We will do our best to get you going.
Last, please note that there are words that exist in the English language but that are not in TheSage. Note also that there are words in TheSage that don't exist the English language. It might seem that this is not possible but the English language (as any other language) is that goofy.
2. System requirements [^]
TheSage has been developed for the Windows XP/Vista/7 operating systems (version 1.4.0 works in 95/98/ME and Linux through Wine). It is highly recommended that the latest OS Service Packs be installed.
Although TheSage is a 32-bit application, it works in 64-bit operating systems.
TheSage requires downloading a setup file. Once installed, TheSage occupies approximately 20 MB of hard drive space. TheSage has no special RAM requirements and has a small memory footprint.
2.1 Installing [^]
To install TheSage, execute the setup program and follow the instructions.
Once installed, TheSage come be invoked from the Start menu, the Desktop, the Quick Launch toolbar, or directly from its folder in the hard drive.
2.1.1 Portable install [^]
The installer comes with a 'portable' option.
TheSage is 100% portable in and of itself. If the contents of the folder where TheSage is installed are copied elsewhere (a USB flash drive, for example), TheSage will work perfectly. In other words, the 'portable' option in the installer is simply provided for convenience.
2.1.2 Silent install[^]
Run the setup package from the command line with the parameter /S (case sensitive).
2.2 Uninstalling [^]
TheSage's package includes an uninstaller utility (except in 'portable' installations). To run the uninstaller, navigate through the Start Menu or through the hard drive to TheSage's folder. Alternatively, it is possible to uninstall TheSage through the 'Add/Remove Programs' applet located in the 'Control Panel'.
3. GUI elements [^]
The screenshot above shows the main elements of the GUI.
- Lookup search box (number 1 in the screenshot above) - Enter here the word(s) that you want to look up or use for wildcard and anagram searches, concordancers, etc. The dropdown keeps a record of the history for the current session.
-
Banner buttons (number 6 in the screenshot above) - From left to right, these buttons do as follows:
- Options dialog - Customization of functionality (search parameters, etc.) and appearance (fonts, colors, etc.).
- Help file - This document.
- About dialog - Version information, release date, license agreement, contact details, donation information.
- Send to System Tray - Hides TheSage and makes it available through an icon in the system tray.
- Always on top - Toggles top-most window functionality.
- Results tab control (number 7 in the screenshot above) - Each tool operation opens a new window in the results tab control. Tabs can be reorganized by drag-and-drop and closed by a right-click (or middle-click if desired, see the Options).
- Results tab control context menu (number 9 in the screenshot above) - List of all open tabs and is invoked by a middle-click on any tab (or right-click if desired, see the Options).
- Navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above) - Contains several tools including the concordancer, phonetic search, online search, semantic similiary, as well as the history record for this session and across sessions.
- Snapper (number 11 in the screenshot above) - Shows/hides the navigation control.
- Gripper (number 10 in the screenshot above) - Resizes the navigation control. The arrows at the top and bottom can be used as the snapper.
The screenshot does not show the "Word lists tool" which is included in TheSage from version 4.x on.
4. Tools [^]
The interface provides a number of tools with which to access TheSage's knowledge database. All tools can be customized in terms of functionality and appearance via the Options dialog.
4.1 Lookup tool [^]
To look up a word or words in TheSage's Dictionary, type it (or them) and then click on 'LookUp'. Alternatively, type the word(s) and then simply press ENTER. A middle-click in the entry field will also trigger a lookup by using the contents of the clipboard. A right-click will pop up a menu with several more options.
For example: chatoyant, african violet, prestigious, natural law, atomic weight, titanosaur, prestidigitation,...
If the word is found in TheSage's index, a new tab will be created displaying this word's information as shown in the screenshot above.
The screenshot shows what is called a lookup tree. The color buttons on each node of the tree (numbers 2, 3, 4, 5 in the screenshot) are referred to as semaphores and serve to toggle (open/close) the display of nested levels.
The information in the tree is conceptually divided into lemma, part(s) of speech, definition(s), thesaurus, and example(s).
- At the top of the tree is the lemma which corresponds to the entry found in the dictionary. Usually, the lemma is the same as the word searched for. However, if the word typed is an inflection or derivation (i.e. 'plays' or 'prettier') and this word is not found, TheSage will automatically extract and display the base word (i.e 'play' or 'pretty').
- The parts of speech (node 2 in the screenshot) are found at the second nested level of the lookup tree. These can be 'Noun', 'Verb', 'Adjective', 'Adverb', etc. and serve to group definitions accordingly.
- At the third nested level are the definitions (node 4 in the screenshot). These are numbered and their background color can be changed (selected) to help isolate them visually.
- The thesaurus (node 5 in the screenshot) contains related entries to the lemma in function of following relationships: synonym, antonym, hypernym, hyponym, attribute, entailment, cause, similar, derived, holonym, meronym, category, region, usage, and other (under 'see also'). Thesauri found under a particular definition only apply to that definition. Thesauri found under a given part of speech are the collection of all thesauri for definitions under such part of speech. Finally, thesauri under the lemma are all thesauri available for this entry.
- Examples of use (node 3 in the screenshot) can be found as branches of the lemma, parts of speech, and definitions. As with thesauri, examples can be found as branches of the lemma, parts of speech, and definitions. The same logic applies.
Note that any and all displayed words are clickable, automatically triggering a new lookup.
To the right of the lookup tree is the lookup toolbar (number 8 in the screenshot above) which provides quick access to several useful tasks.
From top to bottom, the icons represent:
- Show/hide examples for all parts-of-speech.
- Show/hide thesauri for all parts-of-speech.
- Show/hide both examples and thesauri for all parts-of-speech.
- Show/hide definitions.
- Show/hide examples for all definitions.
- Show/hide thesauri for all definitions.
- Show/hide both examples and thesauri for all definitions.
- Modify font, size, color of the lookup.
- Modify colors of semaphores.
- Have TheSage read part or all of the lookup.
4.2 Wildcard tool [^]
To select index entries that match a wildcard pattern, type the pattern and click on 'Wildcard'. Alternatively, type '=' followed by the pattern and press ENTER.
Patterns are formed by a combination of letters/numbers and special characters (see below).
| Pattern | Result |
| * | Matches any number of occurrences of any character. |
| ? | Matches a single character. |
| # | Matches a single vowel (a, e, i , o , u). |
| $ | Matches a single consonant (b, c, d, f, ..., x, y, z). |
| (apxe) | Matches a single character to one of those in the parenthesis. |
| (#-ae) | Matches a single vowel except a and e. |
| ($-mrt) | Matches a single consonant except m, r, and t. |
| (?-apx'e) | Matches a single character except a, p, x, apostrophe, and e. |
| Pattern | Result |
| =ch#p | chap, chip, chop. |
| =$ait | bait, gait, wait. |
| =($-g)ait | bait, wait. |
| =s$(rl)##n | screen, spleen, sprain, strain, syrian. |
| =*##?#tion | acquisition, aeration, alienation,... |
| =???er | 5-letter words that finish in 'er' |
| =(?- -)(?- -)(?- -)er | 5-letter words that finish in 'er' and do not contain spaces or dashes |
From version 4.x on, there is an option to automatically scan the text entered and trigger a wildcard search if a wildcard is detected.
Note that any and all displayed words are clickable, automatically triggering a lookup.
4.3 Anagram tool [^]
To find all anagrams of a character string in TheSage's index, type the string and click on 'Anagram'. Alternatively, type '>' followed by the string and press ENTER.
The anagram search returns only those words that are found in the dictionary, that is, valid English words. It does not return all possible anagrams of a character string and, importantly, will not return inflected forms if these are not in TheSage's index.
| Pattern | Result |
| humanity | hitman, mithan, mutiny, amity,... |
| furniture | nurture, fenrir, future, return,... |
| playing | gainly, laying, paling, paying,... |
| bachelor | cholera, chorale, bleach, boreal,... |
Note, once more, that any and all displayed words are clickable, automatically triggering a lookup.
4.4 Definition and example concordancer tools [^]
Located in 'Other searches' in the navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above), the concordancer allows a user to search for words inside definitions and examples. It is sometimes referred to as 'reverse search'.
The definition concordancer searches through definitions and the example concordancer through examples. Each tool can be configured independently in terms of functionality via the 'Concordancer tool' pages in the Options dialog. The appearance of results for both concordancers can also be customized.
To use the definition concordancer, type a word (a single word) in the lookup search box and press the button labeled 'Definitions' (alternatively, type '!' followed by the word and press ENTER). TheSage will parse the definitions in the database and return those that contain the word.
To use the example concordancer, type a word (a single word) in the lookup search box and press the button labeled 'Examples' (alternatively, type '!!' followed by the word and press ENTER). TheSage will parse the examples in the database and return those that contain the word.
Note that the result tabs for the concordancer use tooltips to display information not visible otherwise.
4.5 Semantic similarity tool [^]
Located in 'Other searches' in the navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above), the semantic similarity tool allows a user to create a custom thesaurus. In the 'Semantic similarity tool' pages in the Options dialog, a user can decide what semantic relationships constitute 'similarity' and how these relationships rank.
To use the similarity tool, type a word (or words) in the lookup search box and press the button labeled 'Similarity'. Alternatively, type '^' followed by the word (or words) and press ENTER.
4.6 Online search tool [^]
Located in 'Other searches' in the navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above), the online search tool allows a user to search online directly from TheSage. The built-in online searches include dictionary lookups (i.e. Google define), encyclopedia (i.e. Wikipedia), translation (i.e. Google translate), etc. Note that new web addresses can be added via the 'Online search tool' page in the Options dialog.
To use the online search tool, type a word (or words) in the lookup search box and press the button labeled 'Go online' (alternatively, type '@' followed by the word and press ENTER). If the internal browser is used, a new results tab will be created that will include one sub-tab per web adress. If the default (external) browser is used, TheSage will send the web adresses to that browser.
4.7 'As you type' tool [^]
Located in the navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above), the 'As you type' tool allows a user to conduct a real-time search of TheSage's database index.
To use the 'As you type' tool, start typing in the entry field. A list of entries in the index will be displayed below the entry field. Note that a double-click on any of these entries will trigger a lookup.
4.8 Phonetic wildcard search tool [^]
Located in the navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above), the phonetic wildcard search tool allows a user to carry out relatively sophisticated pattern searches of the phonetic transcriptions (pronunciations) in the database. Results are displayed by means of tabs, each label showing the pattern employed. Tabs can be closed by middle-clicking on them. A right-click on any of the tabs brings up a context menu. Note that clicking on any of the orthographic/phonetic pairs in the result lists triggers a look up.
TheSage makes use of previously installed fonts that contain phonetic gliphs. In particular, any one of the following fonts needs to be installed in the target system for TheSage to display phonetic fonts: Arial Unicode MS, Lucida Sans Unicode, Charis SIL, Doulos SIL, Thryomanes, Gentium. The first two are generally installed on all Windows OS's. However, if it is the case that none of these fonts are found, TheSage will report the problem and use SAMPA (see table below) for display.
All six fonts can be downloaded, free of charge, from the internet. They are free for personal use but may be restricted for other uses (check the respective licenses if relevant). For your convenience, we supply below links to their location but, be warned, the fleeting nature of internet content may render these links obsolete at any moment.
Assuming several fonts are installed, switching between fonts can be done at any moment via the 'Phonetic search tool' pages in the Options dialog.
TheSage uses the SAMPA encoding to input phonetic characters. That is, typing 'E' will display 'ɛ', typing '@' will display 'ə', typing '{' will display 'æ', typing 'D' will display 'ð', typing 'N' will display 'ŋ', and so on.
Note that a right-click in the entry field of the phonetic wildcard search combobox will invoke a context menu listing all SAMPA characters for ease of reference and insertion.
The following tables have been adapted from the SAMPA page.
| Keyboard | Symbol | Description |
| A | ɑ | Open back unrounded, Cardinal 5, Eng. start |
| { | æ | Near-open front unrounded, Eng. trap |
| 6 | ɐ | Open schwa, Ger. besser |
| Q | ɒ | Open back rounded, Eng. lot |
| E | ɛ | Open-mid front unrounded, C3, Fr. même |
| @ | ə | Schwa, Eng. banana |
| 3 | ɜ | Long mid central, Eng. nurse |
| I | ɪ | Lax close front unrounded, Eng. kit |
| O | ɔ | Open-mid back rounded, Eng. thought |
| 2 | ø | Close-mid front rounded, Fr. deux |
| 9 | œ | Open-mid front rounded, Fr. neuf |
| & | ɶ | Open front rounded |
| U | ʊ | Lax close back rounded, Eng. foot |
| } | ʉ | Close central rounded, Swedish sju |
| V | ʌ | Open-mid back unrounded, Eng. strut |
| Y | ʏ | Lax [y], Ger. hübsch |
| Keyboard | Symbol | Description |
| B | &#beta; | Voiced bilabial fricative, Sp. cabo |
| C | ç | Voiceless palatal fricative, Ger. ich |
| D | ð | Voiced dental fricative, Eng. then |
| G | ɣ | Voiced velar fricative, Sp. fuego |
| L | ʎ | Palatal lateral, It. famiglia |
| J | ɲ | Palatal nasal, Sp. año |
| N | ŋ | Velar nasal, Eng. thing |
| R | ʁ | Voiced uvular fricative or trill, Fr. roi |
| S | ʃ | Voiceless palatoalveolar fricative, Eng. ship |
| T | θ | Voiceless dental fricative, Eng. thin |
| H | ɥ | Labial-palatal semivowel, Fr. huit |
| Z | ʒ | Voiced palatoalveolar fricative, Eng. measure |
| Keyboard | Symbol | Description |
| :> | ː | Length mark |
| " | ˈ | Primary stress |
| % | ˌ | Secondary stress |
TheSage checks for the validity of a pattern before conducting a search and, therefore, understanding the syntax of patterns is important.
Phonetic wildcard patterns can contain the following elements in addition to phonetic characters/symbols:
| Wildcard | Description |
| * | Matches any number of (including none) consonant and vowel symbols. |
| ? | Matches any one consonant or vowel symbol. |
| $ | Matches any one consonant symbol. |
| # | Matches any one vowel symbol. |
| (ŋɛθə) |
Matches any one of the symbols inside the parenthesis.
In this example: 'ŋ', 'ɛ', 'θ', or 'ə'. |
| (?-ŋɛθə) |
Matches any one consonant or vowel symbol except those listed.
In this example: 'ŋ', 'ɛ', 'θ', or 'ə'. |
| ($-ŋθ) |
Matches any one consonant symbol except those listed.
In this example: 'ŋ' and 'θ'. |
| (#-ɛə) |
Matches any one vowel symbol except those listed.
In this example: 'ɛ' and 'ə'. |
The following examples are meant to illustrate phonetic search patterns.
| Pattern | Description | Result |
| p#t | Words that start with /p/, end with /t/, and have any single vowel as nucleus. | pet, pot, put. |
| $?#?# | Words of exactly five phonemes in length that start with a consonant, followed by a vowel or consonant, followed by a vowel, followed by a vowel or consonant, and end in a vowel. | baby, beauty, daily. |
| *##$##* | Words that contain the sequence vowel-vowel-consonant-vowel-vowel in any position. | association, daylight, highway. |
| (pb)(#-əæ)(td) | Words that start with either /p/ or /b/, end with either /t/ or /d/, and have any single vowel as nucleus except /ə/ and /æ/. | beat, bed, put. |
| *ðo* | Words that contain the sequence /ðo/ in any position. | although, though, without. |
| ə*ə(rn) | Words that start with schwa and end with schwa plus either /r/ or /n/. | admirer, opinion, unsure |
| str*(tθ) | Words that start with 'str' and end with either /t/ or /θ/. | straight, street, strict. |
| ɔ(lf)*(?-r) | Words of at least three phonemes in length that start with /ɔ/ followed by either /l/ or /f/ and end with any single consonant or vowel except /r/. | almost, already, office. |
| *dʒ##* | Words that contain, in any position, the sequence /dʒ/ followed by at least two vowels | joint, joke, rejoice. |
| (?-pbtdkg)#(ɪʊ)*(nl)d | Words of at least five phonemes in length that start with any vowel or consonant except /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, and /g/ followed by any vowel pairing with either /ɪ/ or /ʊ/, and end in either /n/ or /l/ pairing with a /d/. | find, hold, round. |
Note that a double-click on any of the results will trigger a lookup.
4.9 'Not found' tool [^]
When a word is not found in TheSage (that is, when a lookup fails), a tab is created in the results tab control (number 7 in the screenshot above) that displays two lists. The first list contains those words in TheSage's index that sound like or are spelled similarly to the one looked for. The second list shows TheSage's index in ascending alphabetical order highlighting the entry that matches the most amount of leading characters. In short, the 'Not found' tool acts as a spell-/sounds-like assistant.
The online search is also available in each of these tabs.
4.10 Speech tool [^]
If the Speech SDK is installed in the user's computer, TheSage can be turned into a speaking dictionary. Click on the phonetic transcription of a lookup to hear how it is pronounced.
Moreover, TheSage can read part or all of a lookup by clicking on the speech icon in the lookup toolbar (number 8 in the screenshot above). How much or little is read is determined in the 'Speech tool' page in the Options dialog.
The quality of the voice depends on preinstalled software. If the default voices that come with Windows are not sufficient, there exist third-party solutions. The 'Speech tool' page in the Options dialog allows the user to select which voice to use.
4.11 History tool [^]
TheSage keeps a record of all words (lookups and other searches) carried out.
There are two ways to access the History. First, there is a dropdown list in the Lookup search box (number 1 in the screenshot above) that shows only those entries typed in the current session. Second, there is a panel in the Navigation control (number 12 in the screenshot above) that shows all entries from the current as well as previous sessions.
There are a number of ways to customized the History tool. See the 'History tool' pages in the Options dialog.
4.12 Word lists tool [^]
TheSage includes a word lists manager. This manager allows the user to store words from a variety of sources. For example, the results of a wildcard or anagram search can be stored in a word list.
By default, a word list named "Favorites" is always available. There are several ways of creating new word lists. For example, right-click over the tab "Favorites" and, among many other options, there is the choice to "Create a new empty word list".
In order to add a word or words to a word list, right-click over the word(s) and select "Add to word list" from the menu that pops up. Words can be added to word lists directly from the results obtained from most tools.
4.12.1 Word list operations [^]
TheSage makes it easy to carry out word list operations, namely, combination, import, and export of words and word lists.
In the "Word lists operations" dialog, right-click in the "Results" controls in order to save to file, clipboard, or word list the results of any operation.
There are four operations under the tab "Combine". Note that in all cases, the results are alphabetically sorted by default and do not contain duplicates.
- Union: Takes two or more word lists and selects all words in all those lists.
- Intersection: Takes two or more word lists and selects only the words that appear in all those lists.
- Difference: Takes two or more word lists, requires the user to identify a master list, and selects only the words that appear in the master list but not in any of the other lists.
- Uniques: Takes two or more word lists and selects the words that appear in only one of those lists.
Word list can be imported from several different sources.
- File(s): The standard Windows file dialog allows the user to select one or several files containing words. The import algorithm takes each line as an entry. Thus, if multiple words appear in one line, they will be imported as if they were a compound word.
- Clipboard: The contents of the clipboard can also be imported into TheSage and consequently saved into a word list or file. As always, the algorithm expects one entry per line. That is, the EOL character is assumed to be the delimiter between words.
- TheSage's history: This is the place to import TheSage's history in whole or in part and from any of tools.
- Manual: A dialog will pop up to allow users to type, one entry per line, whatever words they want.
Any word list can be exported. Multiple word lists can be exported simultaneously by checking the "Accumulate" box. This box is available in the "Combine" and "Import" dialogs too.
When in doubt, right-click on the "Results" controls. If there are any results, a menu will pop up.
We use TheSage with word lists that contain thousands entries and this does not affect performance. If your system is not up-to-date, you might notice lags. Please wait a few moments for the operation to complete. If this becomes a real problem for you, please let us know and we will try to see how to speed up the algorithms.
5. Other features [^]
In order to make TheSage as useful as possible, supplementary features have been implemented.
5.1 Word capture [^]
TheSage can look up words directly from almost any program (IE, Word, Firefox, Outlook, Thunderbird,...).
In order to capture a word in another program, TheSage provides two methods: mouse and keyboard.
5.1.1 Mouse driven [^]
TheSage is a so-called "one-click" dictionary. By default, it is possible to lookup a word directly from other programs by placing the mouse pointer over the word and right-clicking while pressing the CTRL key.
The default key-click combination can be changed by the user via the 'Word capture' page in the Options dialog.
The mouse-driven word capture is achieved by means of a third-party library licensed from Deskperience Software.
Support for the browsers Chrome and Firefox is provided through extensions.
5.1.2 Keyboard driven [^]
TheSage can look up words directly from others program via the keyboard. This is accomplished by selecting the relevant word in the appropriate program and by pressing TheSage's Hotkey. TheSage will then read the word and carry out a lookup automatically.
A hotkey is a combination of keys that, when pressed simultaneoulsy, invoke a program. By default, TheSage's hotkey is CTRL + SHIFT + A but users can chose whatever combination they prefer via the 'Word capture' page in the Options dialog.
5.2 System tray menu [^]
A right-click on TheSage's icon in the System tray brings up a menu.
From top to bottom:
| Pattern | Result |
| Options... | Brings up the Options dialog. |
| Word capture | Brings up the 'Word capture' page in the Options dialog. |
| Visit Sequence Publishing | Opens the default browser and navigates to Sequence Publishing website. |
| Check for updates... | Connects to Sequence Publishing to request information about the latest release of TheSage. |
| Documentation | This file. |
| About TheSage | Version information, release date, license agreement, contact details, donation information. |
| Hide/Restore TheSage | As it reads. |
| Exit TheSage | As it reads. |
5.3 Color choosers [^]
In order to ease the selection of custom colors, the 'color chooser' controls (in the Options dialog) implement a magnifier-dropper (RIGHT-CLICK or SHIFT+P) in addition to the standard Windows color dialog (LEFT-CLICK or SHIFT+C). The magnifier moves with the mouse cursor (or arrow keys) and can be used to inspect any location on the screen. The magnifier zooms in/out by pressing SHIFT + UP/DOWN, and increases/decreases its size by pressing SHIFT + RIGHT/LEFT. Once over the desired pixel, LEFT click on it to select its color or RIGHT click to dismiss the magnifier.
Moreover, the color chooser controls remember the default color (shown in a small top-right window) which can be restored by a middle-click (or SHIFT+R) on the control.
6. Updates and contact [^]
TheSage's project has accomplished all its core objectives and the package is fully functional. Nonetheless, updates will be made available as the project evolves.
Visit www.sequencepublishing.com for up-to-date information regarding TheSage.
We value feedback. Feel free to contact us via the form below with comments and questions.
6.1 Donations and private releases [^]
The development of TheSage demands substantial funding. We have carried this burden for many years and have kept TheSage free for personal and professional use. However, as the amount of time, resources, and effort required only continues to increase, user support has become essential.
Many high-quality applications have been discontinued, over time, due to lack of funding. Please don't let TheSage become abandonware.
If you find TheSage useful, please consider supporting its development with a donation through PayPal.
If you take a look at TheSage's changelog, you will see that most releases are private and only a few are made public. This policy will continue. However, from version 4.0 on, donors will be able to download private releases. It is our way of saying thank you very, very much.
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How do I download the private release?
After donating, PayPal will automatically redirect you to the donor's download page.
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I was not redirected (or got lost somehow). What do I do now?
Browser gremlins. Don't worry. We manually check all donations and always send a follow-up email with instructions.
Please give us 2-3 business days and don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
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Do I need to donate every time there is a new release?
No, no. Once you make a donation, your email address is added to the donor's mailing list. From here on, you will automatically receive download instructions every time a new release is available.
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How much should I donate?
It is up to you. Some people contribute a few dollars, others a few hundred. Some people donate once, others donate regularly every few months.
A dictionary is a massive and, therefore, very expensive project. Any help is appreciated, not only by us, but by the hundreds of thousands of users all over the world that would not have access to a free dictionary otherwise.
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Do donations really make a difference?
Absolutely. Without donations, we would have been forced to abandon this project several years ago when our own resources finally ran out. TheSage project has survived and continues to thrive thanks to the contributions, big and small, made by users.
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What are the differences between the public and private versions?
There are none. Although the private release cycle is shorter, all updates are eventually included in a public release.
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How often is TheSage updated?
We aim to make a public release every 1-2 years and a private release 3-4 times a year.
Dictionary software is unlike other software. The development cycle is far, far longer because gathering lexicographic information (e.g. adding new words) is extremely time-consuming. To give you an idea, this project requires the compilation and maintenance of two very large corpora, 850 million and 1.4 billion words each. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Where is the PRO version? How do I buy it?
There is no PRO version and there is nothing to buy. TheSage is free and donations are voluntary.
Private releases are only made available to donors as a way of saying "Thank you" and not as a result of a sale or purchase.
7. License agreement [^]
READ CAREFULLY ALL TERMS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE USING THIS SOFTWARE
IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO USE THIS SOFTWARE
Permission is hereby granted to anyone to freely use TheSage's English Dictionary and Thesaurus (hereafter referred to as 'this software') for any purpose with the exception of including it in a product, in which case both permission and acknowledgment are required.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the software and documentation are provided "as is". Franc Morales and Leah Gilner (hereafter referred to as 'the authors') disclaim all other warranties and conditions, either express or implied, including, but not limited to, implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, conformance with description, title and non-infringement of third party rights. In no event shall the authors be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profits whatsoever (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or any other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use the software product, even if the authors have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
The authors allow you to distribute this software if all of the following conditions are met: you are not charging any money for it, the distribution files are kept together and unmodified, and the authors' permission is obtained before distribution. You may give this software package to friends or colleagues, burn it onto cd-rom's (or other media) and upload it to free/shareware sites as long as the original package remains unmodified.
All rights to this software (including any images or text incorporated into this software) are owned by the authors.
You may not disassemble or reverse engineer any part of this software.
You may not rent or lease this software.
The authors are not required to make available technical support for this software. The authors may, from time to time, revise or update this software. In so doing, the authors incur no obligation to furnish such revision or updates to you.
This license agreement will immediately and automatically terminate without notice if you fail to comply with any one of the terms and conditions cited. Upon termination of this license agreement, you agree to promptly remove the software from your system.
TheSage's English Dictionary and Thesaurus. Copyright 2001-2011 by Franc Morales and Leah Gilner. All rights reserved.
WordCaptureX library Copyright by Deskperience Software.
WordNet 2.0 Copyright 2003 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University.
THIS SOFTWARE AND DATABASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT-ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, DATABASE OR DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADEMARKS OR OTHER RIGHTS.