An efficient input tool was the first necessity for a western Dharma Centre, where many texts are published in a form suitable for students and followers. Our experience in developing the texts published at the Centro Milarepa (Torino, Italia) brought us to define pages containing sequences of three rows: the first is the Tibetan text in U-chen, the second shows phonetics "as Italian people would read it", useful for those who are not able to read Tibetan characters, and the third contains the translation.
A French Phonetic is available thanks to Thierry Billon.

The publishing process follows many steps and can involve different people with different abilities: writing the Tibetan text, proofreading, preparing the phonetics, translating, and assembling everything with a word processor, printing and making copies.
The first and second steps are very time consuming.
The text input functions were developed to improve speed and security in the input phase:
- a database of about four thousand Tibetan valid syllables helps avoid many typing errors;
- the input of every syllable in Wylie transliteration form produces the output of the Tibetan characters on one line and of the phonetic on the other. The automatic phonetic is not always right: often the sequence of syllables requires adjustments, but the program creates a good trace and avoids typing;
- for complex Sanskrit syllables (that escape from the basic Wylie transliteration) every user can build his own database containing a "Wylie-like shortcut", the corresponding Tibetan characters (adding glyphs from the True Type font with the ALT+number technique), and the suitable phonetics.
Other functions are the printing of selected lines and the output to a text file, which is easily imported and formatted with a word processor for the final layout.

4.1 - Filenames ending with _TX are text database created and updated by the BOD_X program; select one or select the NEW TEXT button to create a new one.
The 800x600 and 1024x768 screen option allow the use of wider lines in input text if you have a larger screen.

4.2 - The main window shows the page and the line number assigned to the current line of text: they follow the original Tibetan book, and define the browsing order. They can be modified anytime. The physical number of the current record and the total number of records are shown in the top middle of the window and are, of course, read-only.
The "output" mark is set when this line has already been outputted to a text file.
The SELECTED checkbox marks the current line for selection for output or print command.
The CANCEL button deletes the current line. Buttons with arrows move through the file.
The INPUT button activates the input window.
The OUTPUT writes selected lines to a text file.
The PRINT button produces a printed report of selected lines.
Wylie box contains the input data; Tibetan, Phonetic and Translation box contain the corresponding syllables in Tibetan font and their phonetics, these boxes are all editable.
The "X" button closes the current text file.

4.3 - If Dictionary and / or Glossary files are open the "Wylie Search" command is visible and it is possible from here to search for the selected Wylie syllables.

4.4 - In this input form the user sets, first of all, the page and line number, then writes sequences of Wylie syllables in the input box: at the end of every syllable, the pressing the space bar starts the input control process and the conversion in Tibetan font. The CLEAR button is used to clean the input area after typing errors.
The insertion of main punctuation marks is done using the corresponding buttons.
ADD LINE writes the current fields in the text database and makes the window ready for the next line.
END INPUT returns to the main window.

4.5 - A Wylie syllable not present in the valid syllable database activates this window.
CONTINUE takes the syllable as it is (Tibetan and Phonetic field will be wrong: a manual adjustment will be compulsory).
CHANGE returns to the input form for correction.
INSERT adds the new entry in the personal syllable database.

4.6 - New syllables can be added to the personal syllable database, this is useful mainly for complex Sanskrit stacks, when are not recognised by the Wylie interpreter.
Using the "visual syllable builder", the composed syllable is automatically transferred into the TFW field.
An example of "shortcut": a non-Wylie syllable has been added, along with its Tibetan character representation and phonetic, in the personal syllable database.

4.7 - The OUPUT button activates this window containing many selection choices for the output.

4.8 - Pressing the SYLLABLES button, this grid is activated showing the personal syllable database. Here it is possible to search, to print and to modify entries.

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