Elf Help: Method Library

Selecting the methods to splice

The list of methods be used in the next search is shown on the main composing page. You can add and remove methods from this list to specify the methods to be spliced in your composition - for example, for Horton's Four, the list should contain Bristol, London, Belfast and Glasgow. To remove a method, select it and click the "Remove" button. To splice in a new method, click the "Add" button and the Spliced Method Selector page will pop up.

Adding a method

Elf starts with a small set of Surprise methods - the Standard Eight, plus Uxbridge, Ashtead, Cassiobury, Belfast and Glasgow. You can choose a method from this list by selecting it and pressing the "OK" button. Note that the "Spliced Selector" page doesn't show you methods which are already in the composition.

If the method you want isn't in the list, or the abbreviations that Elf has assigned to the standard methods aren't to your liking, you can use the "Method Library" page. To reach this, click the "Library..." button at the bottom of the Spliced Selector page; you can also go to it directly from the main composer page using the "Library" button there.

The Method Library

The Library page lists the methods currently available to splice, including those already in the composition: the latter are in blue. Each method in the library has a unique single-letter abbreviation, which is used by Elf when printing compositions. For user convenience, the method list is sorted in alphabetical order of abbreviation.

If you want to change the abbreviation for a method, simply select it, and its name, abbreviation, place notation and first leadhead will be shown in the fields at the bottom of the window. You can edit the abbreviation letter, then press the "Add/Update" button to register the change. Elf will let you know if the abbreviation is already in use.

If you find you are running out of sensible abbreviations, you can remove unwanted methods from the library by selecting them and hitting the "Remove" button. Should you want to revert to Elf 's default set of methods, simply press "Defaults".

Importing New Methods

The edit fields on the Library page can also be used to enter new methods, by typing in a new method name, place notation and of course abbreviation, and again pressing "Add/Update". The section below explains the place notation formats that Elf understands. However, normally it is easier to import new methods from the Microsiril libraries. These contain all treble-dodging methods rung to date, and can be accessed from the Treble-Bob, Delight and Surprise library links.

Depending on the speed of your connection, it may take up to a minute to download each Microsiril library. Once downloaded, you can select any new method from it, type in a new abbreviation, and press "Add/Update" as described above to import it into the list of available methods.

Unfortunately any new methods you import are lost once you exit from Elf.

Place Notation

Elf accepts place notation in pretty much any format you're likely to see; here are some examples:

38x38.14x12x38.14x14.58.16x16.58 l12 Native Elf format
f &3-3.4-2-3.4-4.5.6-6.5 Microsiril format
-58-14.58-58.36.14-14.58-14-78 12 Central Council format
(Spaces removed for clarity)

If you don't want to download the MicroSiril libraries, or your method hasn't been rung yet, the easiest way of entering a new method is therefore by cut-and-pasting the place notation from another application.