MultiPAL

The MultiPAL feature (introduced in TypeWell V7) gives experienced transcribers powerful tools to customize and manage multiple Personal Abbreviation Lists based on class, subject, student, campus, or any other context you need.

Understanding MultiPAL vs. Traditional PAL

V6 Traditional PAL:

• 1 list of Regular abbreviations
• 1 list of Math abbreviations
• 2 static columns (abbreviation, expansion)

V7/V8 MultiPAL:

• Multiple lists of Regular abbreviations
• Multiple lists of Math abbreviations
• 3 dynamic columns (abbreviation, expansion, days since last used)
• Advanced editing and configuration tools
• PAL Profiles for instant switching between configurations

"I just wanted to say THANKS for adding the import/export feature. I forgot how important my PAL is until I was stuck without it one day. Now I'll export it and leave it in my email for a backup."
— Laura Paulsen, Transcriber (Idaho)

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Key Concepts

PALs (Personal Abbreviation Lists)

Each PAL is an individual abbreviation list that appears as a "tab" in the MultiPAL window. You can create separate PALs for different contexts:

• Default list of "always used" abbreviations
• Separate lists for each class or subject
• Separate lists for each student or campus
• Separate lists for each transcriber (if sharing equipment)

Example use cases:

• IR → "Industrial Revolution" in your History PAL
• IR → "Internal Resistance" in your Physics PAL

PAL Profiles

A PAL Profile is a specific configuration of which PALs are enabled/disabled and in what order. You can configure up to 9 different PAL Profiles on a single machine and switch between them instantly using function keys (F4 through F12).

Example workflow:

• Press F4 to activate your Algebra profile
• Press F5 to switch to your History profile
• Each profile remembers which PALs are enabled and their tab order

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Getting Started with MultiPAL

Opening the MultiPAL Window

Press Ctrl+A to open the MultiPAL window. Note which mode you're in:

• Regular abbreviations mode
• Math Mode

Creating Your First PAL

1. In the MultiPAL window, click the blank tab on the far right
2. Click "Create New PAL" (or "Create New Math PAL" if in Math Mode)
3. Give your new PAL a descriptive name (e.g., "History Class", "Campus A", etc.)
4. Click OK to create

What happens behind the scenes: TypeWell creates a new file in your system folder called userabbrXX.dict. The system automatically manages these numbered files — never edit them manually in the system folder!

Adding Abbreviations to a PAL

Method 1: Direct Entry

1. Select the target PAL tab
2. Click the + button to add a new abbreviation
3. Enter your abbreviation and expansion

Method 2: On-the-Fly Addition

1. In TypeWell, highlight a word or phrase you want to abbreviate
2. Press Ctrl+A to "Edit Abbreviation"
3. If you have multiple PALs enabled, use the drop-down menu to select which PAL should receive the new abbreviation
4. TypeWell will remember your choice and default to that PAL for subsequent on-the-fly additions

Importing Existing PALs

1. Click the blank tab on the far right
2. Click "Import PAL"
3. Browse to find an existing .dict or .pal file on your computer or flash drive
4. Give the imported PAL a name (optional - it will adopt the existing name by default)

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Managing Your PALs

Powerful PAL Editing

• Add or delete abbreviations within any PAL
• Cut, copy, and paste abbreviations between different PALs
• Batch select multiple abbreviations to move or delete them
• Sort columns by clicking column headers (alphabetically by abbreviation, by expansion, or by days since last used)

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PAL Management Options

Right-click on any PAL tab to:

• Rename the PAL
• Export the PAL (creates a .pal file you can back up or share)
• Delete the PAL permanently
• Enable/Disable the PAL

Enabling and Disabling PALs

You can enable or disable PALs within each Profile:

• Keep your "universal" abbreviations enabled across all Profiles
• Enable subject-specific PALs only when needed
• Disable other transcribers' PALs when sharing equipment

Tab Order and Priority

Important: The order of PAL tabs determines abbreviation priority when conflicts occur. Drag tabs left and right to reorder them — leftmost enabled tabs take priority.

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Understanding PAL Profiles

What is a PAL Profile?

A PAL Profile saves a specific configuration of your MultiPAL:

• Which PALs are enabled or disabled
• The order of PAL tabs (which affects conflict resolution)
• All changes are automatically saved to the active Profile

Using Function Keys (F4-F12)

• F4-F12 instantly switch between different PAL Profiles
• Each Profile is completely independent
• Perfect for transcribers who work in multiple subjects or contexts

Experimenting with Profiles

Try this to understand Profiles:

1. Press F4 and make some changes (enable/disable PALs, drag tabs to reorder)
2. Press F5 and make different changes
3. Press F4 again — your original F4 configuration is preserved!

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Handling Conflicts

What is a Conflict?

A conflict occurs when the same abbreviation expands to different words:

• TypeWell dictionary conflicts: Multiple dictionary words share an abbreviation (e.g., maintain, mention, mountain)
• MultiPAL conflicts: The same abbreviation exists in multiple enabled PALs

Conflict Resolution Rules

1. TypeWell dictionary conflicts use comma cycling based on English usage frequency
2. MultiPAL conflicts use comma cycling based on tab order (left to right)
3. Priority order: Leftmost enabled PAL tab takes priority, then comma cycling moves right through enabled tabs only

Managing Conflicts

• Reorder tabs by dragging to change priority
• Use PAL abbreviations to override TypeWell dictionary defaults
• Test conflicts by typing the abbreviation and comma cycling to see the order

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Advanced Features

The "Days" Column

The MultiPAL shows how many days have elapsed since you last used each abbreviation. This helps you:

• Identify unused abbreviations from previous semesters
• Clean up outdated entries
• Sort by usage to see your most/least used abbreviations

Powerful PAL Editing

• Batch operations: Select multiple abbreviations to delete old semester entries
• Copy/Cut/Paste: Move abbreviations between PALs efficiently
• Smart sorting: Sort by abbreviation, expansion, or days idle

Universal PALs

If you have abbreviations you use in every class or want to share with your entire staff:

1. Create a "Universal" PAL with these common abbreviations
2. Keep this PAL enabled across all your PAL Profiles
3. Other transcribers can import and use the same Universal PAL

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Privacy and Data Security

TypeWell's Data Policy

TypeWell does not have the ability to back up, transmit, or read your PAL files. This means:

• We cannot restore deleted PAL files \— backup responsibility is entirely yours
• Always export your PALs before uninstalling TypeWell software
• It's much easier to rebuild a PAL that's 3 months out of date than to start completely from scratch

Backup Security Considerations

When backing up your PAL files, consider what type of information you've stored in your abbreviations:

Be mindful of sensitive content:

• Student names and personal information
• Any confidential data from your transcription work

Secure backup practices:

• Choose backup methods appropriate for the sensitivity of your data
• For highly sensitive information, consider encrypted storage options
• Regularly review and clean out old PAL entries that may contain outdated personal information

Best practices for sensitive data:

• Use initials or coded references instead of full names when possible
• Consider separate PALs for different types of content
• Remove old abbreviations that may no longer be needed

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Best Practices

Backup Strategy

Important: Each PAL is a separate file. To back up your MultiPAL:

1. Export each PAL you want to preserve:
   • Right-click the PAL tab → Export
   • Save to your desktop, flash drive, or cloud storage
   • Consider renaming the .pal file for easy identification
2. Email exported PAL files to yourself periodically
3. Keep backups when switching computers or before major updates

Optimization Tips

Don't overuse your PAL:

• Practice abbreviating new words naturally in TypeWell first — the best transcribers often have very minimalist PALs
• Only create special abbreviations for frequently used terms, and only if they trip you up or are especially long or tricky to abbreviate
• Add abbreviations on-the-fly during transcription, then evaluate if they're worth keeping

Use a consistent abbreviation system:

• Develop patterns you'll remember — but remember that first letters alone often cause conflicts
• Consider systems like mixed-case first and second letters, or other approaches that reduce conflicts while remaining intuitive to you
• Don't overthink it: conflicts can be managed through separate Profiles or comma cycling
• Most importantly, use what feels natural - your memory works best with patterns that make sense to you

Prep time efficiency:

• Review class materials and add key terms to relevant PALs beforehand
• Remember: Regular PALs and Math PALs are completely separate systems — manage them independently
• Don't abbreviate everything - some terms are fine to type out

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Troubleshooting

Unexpected Abbreviation Behavior

Abbreviation not expanding as expected?

• Check which PAL Profile you're currently using (F4-F12)
• Verify which PALs are enabled in your current Profile
• Check if the abbreviation exists in multiple PALs (conflict situation)

Wrong expansion appearing?

• Check PAL tab order - leftmost enabled PAL takes priority
• Use comma cycling to see all available expansions
• Drag PAL tabs to reorder priority if needed

Can't find an abbreviation?

• Use Ctrl+A to open MultiPAL and search through your PAL tabs
• Check if the PAL containing that abbreviation is currently disabled
• Verify you're in the correct mode (Regular vs. Math)

File Management Issues

Remember:

• Never manually edit .dict files in the TypeWell system folder — doing so can corrupt the PAL file if unrecognized characters are introduced
• Always contact TypeWell support first if you feel you need to modify files directly
• Use TypeWell's import/export features for PAL management
• File names will change automatically as you create and modify PALs

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Sharing PALs with Others

Export and Share

1. Right-click the PAL tab you want to share
2. Select Export
3. Save the .pal file with a descriptive name
4. Share via email, flash drive, or network folder
5. Recipients can import the .pal file into their own MultiPAL

Team Coordination

• Create standardized PALs for consistent abbreviations across your team
• Export "universal" PALs that all transcribers can import
• Share subject-specific PALs when multiple transcribers cover the same classes

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Quick Reference

Essential Shortcuts:

• Ctrl+A — Open MultiPAL window
• F4-F12 — Switch PAL Profiles
• Right-click PAL tab — Access management options
• Drag tabs — Reorder PAL priority

Key Concepts:

• PAL = Individual abbreviation list (appears as tab)
• PAL Profile = Configuration of which PALs are enabled/disabled and their order
• Conflict = Same abbreviation in multiple places (resolved by comma cycling)
• Tab order = Determines priority for conflict resolution (left = higher priority)