Storing highlighted text for later retrieval?

[kent]

I’m just starting with Access and SQL, and I’m trying to conceptualize how word processors and other programs that handle text like ereaders are able to store a reference to a particular portion of the text that is shown as highlighted or tagged in the ereader / word document – but the program is smart enough to know that if the document is edited, it can still recall the proper portions of text and highlight the appropriate section. I’m trying to build an access database that can be used to analyze interviews using qualitative analysis (highlighting portions of the text and assigning them to categories). I’m wondering if references to the highlight are stored within the text itself, or if there is a separate table that should indicate the sections in the text to highlight (whether by character count, text position, etc…)

[June7]

Access can 'highlight' segments of text with Rich Text Formatting. A field in table must be set up as Rich Text mode. Suggest you Google topic.

[Micron]

IMHO, RTF is a very minor part of the issue if I understand the post. For example,
You want a specific word to somehow link to associate text such as

adjective: specific

1.
clearly defined or identified.
"increasing the electricity supply only until it met specific development needs"
synonyms: particular, specified, certain, fixed, set, determined, distinct, separate, definite, single, individual, peculiar, discrete, express, precise
"I use this place for a specific purpose"
antonyms: general
precise and clear in making statements or issuing instructions.
"when ordering goods be specific"
synonyms: exact, accurate, precise, correct, error-free, pinpoint, detailed, explicit, express, clear-cut, well defined, unambiguous, unequivocal, meticulous, close, strict, definite
"make sure you give very specific instructions"
antonyms: vague
belonging or relating uniquely to a particular subject.
"information needs are often very specific to companies and individuals"
2.
Biology
relating to or connected with species or a species.

and if the word is edited to "distinct", point to the same text albeit perhaps not exactly as I posted. If so, this is a different can of worms. To begin with I might investigate the dictionary object for this, but where the keywords and associated text require tables, their fields would have to have a unique index AND have a unique ID field. The ID is the only way you could change the text value and still point to the associated text - by way of the associated table field having the ID as a fk.

[kent]

Sorry if I wasn't being clear; I wanted to be able to categorize strings of text similar to qualitative analysis programs like QDA Miner, Nvivo and MaxQDA (although what I would be building would be much simpler).

[Micron]

Since I seemed to have missed the mark and I have no clue what those apps are. I probably can't be of much help - especially if one is permitted to re-write a paragraph and determine if its characterization has changed. If that's not the goal then it reminds me of html based "includes" where content between 2 special tags could be edited without altering the main document. The includes are their own files. It looks like you'd need markers to delineate the beginning and end of text blocks for a start. To do anything like that in a database would be a trick for sure, but would that not just be reinventing the wheel?

[kent]

I was thinking about the tags in the text as well -- the reason I don't want to use the other programs (aside from their expense -- over $1,000 in some cases) -- I want to be sure I'll always have access to and control of the data, which is not the case with these other programs (if they stop selling their product, I may be unable to read the file in the future).
I imagine that since word processors have similar functionality with making comments in the body of a text, there must be some documentation on how this is achieved, but I've been unable to find anything like it online.

[Micron]

sure would be interesting to see if you come up with something
Wondering - would any of the first 30-ish ASCII characters play well with RTF fields in Access and define blocks of text for you?
Maybe ASC(01) & [ID from table] & ASC(02) in conjunction with built in functions like Replace or Choose. Just throwing stuff to see if any of it sticks...
http://www.asciitable.com/

[kent]

Do you know if there's a way to code text strings with tags that don't show up in the RTF field? If not I'm thinking of some VBA function that would hide the tags when forms are displayed, but I wanted to check to see if you had any thoughts.

[Micron]

Not really. As I mentioned there may be characters you could use in an RTF field but it would depend on whether or not they would suit your purpose. I played with

Private Sub Command2_Click()
Me.SampleText = "However, next comes " & Chr(1) & " special char 01" & " and char 02" & Chr(2) & "the end."
DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdSaveRecord

End Sub

and could see one (looked like a vertical rectangle) but not the other (in Access) but there was a space where the invisible character should have been. I could also remove it with

Me.SampleText = Replace(Me.SampleText, Chr(1), "")

which would indicate the Replace function would also recognize it. Not sure how that would help in achieving your goal though. I guess you'll have to experiment.