Here you can find out how to create, manage and navigate ontologies in Lexeri.
- Create a new ontology
- Set up and manage relations
- Navigate and search in the ontology
- Further areas in the ontology dialog
- Ontology preview in the term entry
Create a new ontology
In the open term entry
You can create a new ontology directly in an open term entry. This entry is added as the first node in the new ontology.
To do this, go to the General section in the term entry under Related entries , click on the plus sign and then select "Create new ontology".
In the next step, you can enter a title and, optionally, a description for the ontology to give users an idea of the content, framework or topic of the ontology.
Click on "Save" to create the ontology.
The ontology area in references
You can also create an ontology separately from an entry.
To do this, go to the References section , click on the Ontologies tab and then on the "Add ontology" button.
The dialog for adding a title and a definition also opens here, and the ontology is created by clicking on Save.
These can now be found as a list item in this area, where all other ontologies that are created in this termbase are also listed.
Establish relations
Add first relation
If you have created an ontology from an entry, a dialog opens in which you can select which element you would like to link to this open term entry.
Select "Term entry" here to create a relation between two term entries.
In the next dialog, you can use a fuzzy search in the search bar to look for the term entry in the termbase that you want to include in the ontology and link it to the underlying entry.
Click on Save to insert the selected term entry directly into the ontology.
The entry is then initially linked to the underlying entry with an undefined relation.
Alternatively, you can define how the two term entries are linked and attach information to the relation.
Activate the "Advanced options" toggle before saving the relation. A selection bar appears in the dialog.
Here you define how the two term entries are linked to each other and attach information about the relation if needed.
Here you can choose between existing relation types or create a new relation type.
Create a new relation type
You can create a new relation either directly when adding an entry to the graph or via the "Settings" area in the ontology menu.
To create a new relation type, select "Create new relation type" from the selection menu of the relation
In the next dialog, you can enter a title for the relation and select a color in which the relation arrow is to be displayed in the graph.
You use the title to specify the type of relation between the term entries. One of the most common relation types is hierarchical relations(consists of <> is part of; is a), but there can also be very individual relation types that reflect chronological process sequences or dependencies in a functional process, for example.
Bidirectional relations: Create inverse relations
Optionally, you can add a counter-relation to each relation. These two relations are then displayed as counterparts to each other in the graph and ensure that relations between two nodes can be read in both directions.
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You can use the drop-down menu to link one of the existing relation types as a counter relation type to the one being edited here, or create a new relation type that is saved directly as a counter-relation for the one being edited.
Edit relations in the graph
If you hover over a relation arrow in the ontology graph, an edit icon appears on the relation.
A dialog for editing the relation opens.
You can use the arrow icons to change the direction of the relation in the graph.
You can use the eye icon to hide the counter-relation in the graph. The relation type remains saved as bidirectional, but is hidden in the graph and only the main relation remains visible.
You can use the "Delete relation" button to delete the relation between two nodes in the graph. This is only possible if you are at an end point of the graph, i.e. one of the two elements of the relation has no further links. The relation including the end node is then removed from the graph.
Manage relation types in the ontology settings
You can access the relation types that have already been created for this termbase via the tab Relation types in the ribbon at the top right.
You can create a new relation type using the green "Add relation type" button below and you will be guided through the dialog series as described above.
In this area, you can also use the pencil icon to edit all properties of the relation type (incl. counter relation type).
You can also delete individual relation types here using the delete icon, provided they are not currently used in an ontology of this termbase.
Add further term entries to the ontology
After creating the first relation in an ontology, you can add further relations to individual nodes.
Hover over an entry and click on the plus icon that appears, or click on an entry in the graph and then on the green "Add relation" button at the bottom of the entry list.
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The dialog for adding an element to the ontology opens as described above.
Add label to ontology
Labels are used to structure your term entries in the ontology using a freer element.
Free labels do not have to be defined as a term entry in the termbase. They can represent a type of category or a more general concept that has no terminological/termbase-specific meaning.
You can add labels to the ontology in the same way as term entries.
To do this, select "Free label" in the dialog for adding a new relation.
In the next step, you can create a new label by entering a new title for a label in the title bar, or you can use the type-ahead function to select a label that already exists in the ontology.
Navigate and search in the ontology
You can filter the graph by relation type using the filter icon in the menu at the top left.
Select a relation type that you would like to view. All other relation types are then grayed out in the graph.
You can use the zoom function at the top left of the graph to reduce or enlarge the graph view as required.
To move the graph in the view, hold down the mouse button and move the cursor.
You can use the arrow next to the title of the ontology to go to another ontology in the termbase.
To reposition nodes in the graph, click on a node, hold down the mouse button and move the cursor. Release the mouse button and the node will be placed at this point in the graph.
The arrangement of the graph defined here is saved and also displayed to read-only users.
You can use the search bar above the entry list to look for the entries in the ontology via fuzzy search.
Click on the term in the entry list to expand the entry and highlight the corresponding node in the ontology.
In the expanded terms you will find a summary of the entry from the termbase with all the terms contained in the entry, including the usage status and all other entry attributes.
Further areas in the ontology dialog
Discussions
All users of the termbase can leave comments in the discussions section
Enter your text in the text field and click on "Save".
Terminology managers in the termbase are notified of new comments in the discussion area by email.
Description
In the description area you can view and edit the description of the ontology or add a new description.
Ontology preview in the term entry
In the term entries you will find the "Related entries" section under General. All direct relations of this open entry are displayed here.
Click on the three dots at the top right to open a selection menu.
Click on the upper selection fields to access the ontologies in which the open term entry has been added.
By selecting "Add to existing ontology", you can add the open entry directly to an existing ontology. A dialog for selecting the desired ontology opens.
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Click on the desired ontology to open it.
To add the previously opened term entry to the ontology, click on the node to select the point at which the term entry should be linked.
If required, you can use "Extended relation" to define the relation in more detail as described above. Otherwise, click on "Save" to add the relation without a defined relation type.
You also have the option to create a new ontology for the open entry under "Related entries” and use the open entry in it directly to create the first relation.
You will be guided through the dialogs for creating an ontology as described above.