B5. Reversal Indexes I

This lesson is the first in a three-part series on Reversal Indexes in FLEx.
It introduces the concept of a reversal index—an alphabetical list of analysis-language glosses (headwords) linked to vernacular headwords. A reversal index functions like a finderlist, allowing users to look up words in the analysis language and find their equivalents in the vernacular language.

Key points covered:

• Reversal Entries: minimal information (Reversal Form + Referenced Headword) but may include senses, categories, homograph numbers, and grammatical info.
  
  

• Ways to Generate Entries:
  
  

  1. Lexicon Edit Pane – typing reversals directly into each sense.
     
     

  2. Reversal Index Edit Pane – inserting reversal entries manually.
     
     

  3. Bulk Edit Entries – copying glosses/definitions into reversal fields for multiple entries at once.
     
     

• Bulk Edit Tools introduced: List Choice, Bulk Copy, Click Copy, Bulk Replace, Delete.
  
  

• Practical Activities: configuring the Browse Pane, entering reversals (e.g., ami → friend), confirming entries in the Reversal Index view, linking senses, adding entries not yet in the dictionary (e.g., wolf → loup), and using bulk filters to restrict and copy data efficiently.
  
  

• Best Practice: Always back up projects before bulk operations, as bulk edits can be powerful but risky.
  
  

The lesson ends by previewing the next two modules:

• B6 – creating additional reversals using Bulk Copy, Click Copy, Bulk Replace.
  
  

• B7 – refining reversals with List Choice, Delete, categories, and publication configuration.