User equivalence file maintenance

A user equivalence file contains equivalences in a manner similar to the main equiv file. The user equiv contains equivs that edit and/or replace equivs in the main equiv. It may also contain new equivs.

Make a user equiv file by creating an ASCII file containing your desired equiv edits. Then index that source file with backref program.

The user equiv source file has the following format:

• The root word or phrase is the first thing on the line.

• Hyphenated words should be entered with a space instead of a hyphen.

• Subsequent words/phrases (equivs) follow on the same line prefixed with edit commands (see below).

• Add optional classification information by appending a semicolon (;) and the class to the word to apply it to. Any specified classification is carried onto subsequent words until a new classification is entered.

• Lines should be kept to a reasonable length; around 80 characters for standard screen display is prudent. In no case should a line exceed 1K. Where more equivs exist for a root word than can be fit onto one line, enter multiple entries where the root word is repeated as the first item.

• There should not be any blank lines. Lines should not have any leading or trailing spaces. Words or phrases also should not have any leading or trailing spaces.

• A user equiv file may "chain" to another user equiv file by placing the key string ";chain;" followed by the name of the equiv source file to chain to on the first line of the source file. e.g. ";chain;c:\morph3\eqvsusr" Equivs are looked up in the chained file before the current file so that a user may, for example, override system wide settings. Chains are resolved when the source file gets backreferenced.