The strips file contains the actual searchable text. The data for a single strip consists of a name line followed by one or more lines of attribute specifications and utterances.
A name line consists of the strip name optionally followed by a tab and the strip title. Example:
20010927 3:1415926
An attribute specification line consists of a left bracket, the attribute name, an equal sign, an optional list of values, and a right bracket. Multiple values are separated by plus signs. Example:
[panel=2]
The attribute value(s) specified apply to any utterances following until the next specification for the same attribute or the end of the strip.
An utterance line consists of a tab, a list of originators, another tab, a presence/mode indicator, and optionally another tab followed by the actual text. Example:
Joe p:s Well hello Helène
Each utterance is limited to one speech/thought bubble, one
narration box, one sound effect (or string of repeated sound effects),
one sign or other piece of written text, etc.
Sometimes you get sound effects like *cough*
or *sigh* embedded in speech bubbles;
these should be broken out into separate utterances. Example:
Mike p:s No
Mike p:f GAG
Mike p:s problem
Multiple originators are separated by plus signs. This signifies characters speaking in chorus, sharing a single speech bubble.
Sound effects and visible texts which don't originate with a particular character should use the special null originator: a single period. This type of utterance should also have no presence in its indicator. Example:
. :f BEEP
The presence/mode indicator consists of an optional presence indicator, a colon, and an optional mode indicator.
| Presence indicators | |
|---|---|
| p | physically present |
| o | physically present but off panel |
| 2 | on the phone (or other two-way link) |
| 1 | on television (or other one-way link) |
| i | in a photo or other physical image |
| m | in somebody's mental image |
| r | in a reflection |
| s | just the shadow |
| Mode indicators | |
|---|---|
| s | ordinary speech |
| w | whisper |
| t | thought |
| g | song |
| m | internal monologue |
| n | narration |
| l | translation |
| r | writing |
| f | sound effect |
| o | other |
Narrators are always considered to be disembodied, so an utterance with narration mode should have no presence in its indicator.
The text should consist only of words separated by spaces. Omit any
punctuation characters. Include periods that are part of
abbreviations. Omit quotation marks. Include apostrophes used in
contractions. Replace hyphens with spaces, even when used to indicate
stuttering. Collapse typographical swearing such as
%&$@!! into single
# characters. Replace entire mathematical
formulas with single $ characters.
If the text is too long to fit comfortably on one line, you can split it. Each additional line must start with two or more tab characters. Example:
Ceilidh p:s Yeah I'm new to this school I've been trying as
hard as I can not to look stupid on my first day
An utterance with no text is used to specify that a certain character is present but silent. Its indicator should have no mode. Example:
Alan p: