Solid

There are also some markers that FLEx treats differently from MDF. For instance, \ue is a free-form field in MDF, but in LinguaLinks it is a range set. FLEx imports it to a List Choice field, so I tend not to map it to the default--I tend to map it to a custom field. Is this relevant to this issue?

Sorry I've not been reviewing these issues for a long time. Anyway, the MDF documentation I've been working from in editing the Solid templates is one David Coward emailed to me (MDF-revised Ch2.pdf) I'm appending an excerpt that explains these new fields.

@Beth: I'm not sure, but I believe that it's recommended to use a range set (equivalent to a List Choice field) for \ue in Toolbox. Probably simplest though for Solid to just map it to simple text when exporting to LIFT. Unless LIFT already has specified this (?); I'm not sure. Anyway, your workaround is a good one where List Choice is not desirable. Ditto for getting a messy bunch of \ps and
\pn values cleanly into FLEx without junking up the default set of Categories. (Bulk Edit can be then be used to set the Category field cleanly.)

Jon

Grammatical paradigm fields
\pd Paradigm: [\pd fem]. This is a general field identifying the noun class, verb class, gender, or other paradigm set to which the headword belongs (as explained in the introduction to the dictionary). MDF places Prdm: before the contents of this field and adds a period at the end, e.g. Prdm: fem. For those users or languages that require more specific paradigm-related fields or wish to identify incomplete or irregular paradigm forms, MDF provides a new set of paradigm fields: \pdl, \pdv, \pde, \pdn, and \pdr. See below for a discussion of these fields.

\pdl Paradigm label: [\pdl Pl, \pdv asure, \pde dogs]. This field heads a new field bundle. These are used to identify paradigm forms (usually incomplete or irregular paradigms). This field provides the label; the \pdv field is for the vernacular form; the \pde, \pdn, and \pdr fields gloss the vernacular form. Use Shoebox’s Range Set feature to insure consistent labeling. MDF formats the contents of the \pdl field as an italic label font and adds a colon [:]. The other fields are formatted as appropriate for the language. The bundle is closed with a period, e.g. Pl: asure ‘dogs’.
NOTE: All the fields in this bundle are made up of markers using three-letter codes. This is new for MDF. This departure helps make it clear that these fields are related to the \pd field without interfer-ing with any established two-letter marker.
The purpose of this new field bundle is to overcome a longstanding need in MDF to provide for a greater variety of paradigm fields. It was determined that user-defined labeling was the best way to provide the needed flexibility without having to create numerous other specialized fields. This also supercedes the explicit field method by supporting glossing. This formats independently of the \pd field, e.g., \pd fem prints as: Prdgm: fem. (used for marking a feminine gender class—with no vernacular form given). The plural form of this lexeme would be encoded as: \pd fem, \pdl Pl, \pdv asure, \pde dogs, and prints as: Prdgm: fem. Pl: asure 'dogs'.
For those users who prefer specialized fields or who are already using the older fields that MDF provided, be assured that these are still supported:
\sg singular form [Sg: ]
\pl plural form [Pl: ]
\rd reduplication form(s) [Redup: ]
\1s 1st singular form [1s: ]
\2s 2nd singular form [2s: ]
\3s 3rd singular form [3s: ]
\4s non-human or non-animate singular [3sn: ]
\1d 1st dual [1d: ]
\2d 2nd dual [2d: ]
\3d 3rd dual [3d: ]
\4d non-human or non-animate dual [3dn: ]
\1p 1st plural [1p: ]
\1i 1st plural inclusive [1pi: ]
\1e 1st plural exclusive [1px: ]
\2p 2nd plural [2p: ]
\3p 3rd plural [3p: ]
\4p non-human or non-animate plural [3pn: ]

\pdv Paradigm (vernacular form): [\pdl Pl:, \pdv asure, \pde dogs]. This field is used to identify paradigm forms (usually incomplete or irregular paradigms). See the discussion under the \pdl field for more information. MDF formats the contents of this field as vernacular text.

\pde Paradigm (English gloss): [\pde dogs]. This field is used to gloss the vernacular form given in the \pdv field. See \pdl for more information. MDF formats the contents of this field in single quotes, e.g. Pl: asure ‘dogs’.

\pdn Paradigm (national gloss): Like the \pde field.

\pdr Paradigm (regional gloss): Like the \pde field.