Using DigiPal: A Quick Introduction to the Framework
In order to orient new users quickly around this website, and to show some features that even seasoned users may not have seen, here is a short list of some of the things that can be done with the framework. Remember that the framework is generic software that is designed such that the list of letters, allographs, components (ascender, descender etc.) and features (seriffed, ‘serif type A’ etc.) can be customised for any project, and so it’s adaptable to a wide range of writing-systems. The website you are looking at now is one application of that framework, namely to writing in English from the eleventh century. Another is Models of Authority, and more are under development.
- You can see an overview of all the images of manuscript pages at
- A search for all images of the letter ‘a’ is at
http://www.digipal.eu/digipal/search/?basic_search_type=graphs&character=a Clicking on any letter will allow you to see the image of the full manuscript page (if available).
- A search for all images of Square æ (an allograph of the Old English letter æ) is at
- For images of all letters containing descenders:
- Images of letters with wedges (serifs) on them:
- Images of an allograph of d written at Worcester Cathedral (using alternative search interface):
- The output of a particular scribe: http://www.digipal.eu/digipal/scribes/35/hands/
- A particular graph on a particular page: http://www.digipal.eu/digipal/page/186/?graph=12106
- An image of the page along with a parallel transcription and translation (used in Models of Authority, another website based on the DigiPal framework):
- A ‘Collection’, namely an arbitrary set of images saved by a user: here
- You can then send that Collection (and/or any other images) to the Virtual Lightbox: here
- If you have basic programming skills then you can also use the API to write your own custom queries and visualisations, for instance this visualisation of the chronological distribution of scribal hands attributed to Worcester: here
The framework is still being expanded and developed, so keep an eye out here for future posts of new features and changes as we continue.Share on Twitter Share on Facebook