Issues when searching for texts by reference number

Meta dev
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When you search by reference number you get garbage. E.g.;:

Also maybe you can have the alternate number prefix in pages like https://suttacentral.net/sn so you can manually look it up.

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Indeed, yes, this is difficult problem, one that relates to the previous issue you mentioned, that of being able to link to the texts from the vol/page references in the dictionaries.

Essentially what we need is a robust data set for converting from vol/page references to the semantic references used on SC. This is not a trivial problem, as the two systems do not always map neatly on to one another.

This won’t be solved soon, but my hope is that it will be implemented at some point.

Meanwhile, when I need to find a vol/page reference, I look for it manually on the division page. It usually is not too hard.

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Can you add additional data. E.g. this page: https://suttacentral.net/sn

you have just

SN 4 Māra Saᚃyutta

but could be

SN 4 SN 4.1[SN 137] - SN 4.25[SN 161] Māra Saᚃyutta SN i 103 <SN i 231> - SN i 124 <SN i 273>

This way you do not have to keep opening every sub division.

This data you already have which can be used to populate the division page.

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It’s an entirely ragged-edged fix, but it was exactly in effort to avoid the above (particularly when I typically don’t know which sub division I should be looking in) that I figured I’d just dump everything into a single searchable file given in this post.

Alternatively, you might use Leigh Brasington’s cross-reference page.

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Is there an explanation somewhere of the different numbering systems (and equivalences)?

B.Bodhi translations have subdivision numbers, and “[numbers]” referring to somewhere in the “originial”? But then trying to find a passage in the CST4.0, different numbering (seemingly sequential across an entire volume rather than within one sutta).

Often it ends up I just start at begin (or end – which even closer to the target) of a sutta (in CST4.0), and scan forwards (or backwards) trying to follow alignment with the translation (and writting-in the numbers in my texts in case ever visit there again).

Maybe this kind of cryptic know-how is simply pre-requisite to study at more scholarly levels?

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Also, for anyone not familiar with Access to Insight, they have the cross-references on the sutta summary pages, which can also be helpful for seeing the titles e.g. for the SN here

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Yes, that’s a good idea, thanks. We’re currently working on deep level changes to the way the site works, and this is something we should include.

@blake, can you note this as a desideratum: to show v/p info at (potentially) every level of navigation.

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One of the more obscure features of SuttaCentral is SuttaCentral (on the sn page the name of the division links to the full version)

In the next version of the site there will be some significant architectural changes to “division pages” and also in the longer term some new search possibilities.

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https://suttacentral.net/mn/full

Wow! Amazingly complete! Didn’t know about it. Why you called it obscure?

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Because it’s not obvious that the feature exists. Unless you randomly click on the division title to see where it goes you won’t know about it. It’s not like the link is labelled “full division view” or something. Also “always full” divisions like DN and MN don’t normally have /full on the end (though you can add it manually) so it’s not self-evident how you’d do URL manipulation to turn a not-always-full division view into a full one.

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