Getting started
Lexicon is running — let's build the skeleton of your knowledge base: maps first, then terms.
1. Create and manage maps
Maps are top-level buckets for terms. Think of them as the volumes of your personal encyclopedia — for example C++, Databases, or Networking.
- Open
Manage → Maps...from the menu bar. - Click Add to create a new map. Give it a short, unique name and an optional description.
- Use Edit to rename a map or change its description at any time.
- Use Delete to remove a map you no longer need.
Deleting a map deletes its terms Removing a map cascades to all terms inside it, including their content, metadata, and links. There is no undo — back up first if unsure.
Start coarse A handful of broad maps beats dozens of narrow ones. You can always refine with tags later — they are much cheaper to reorganize.
2. Explore the main window
The main window is organized top-to-bottom:
| Area | What it does |
|---|---|
| Filter row | Combine Map, Tag, Flag, Status, Understanding, Pinned, and free-text Search to narrow the table. |
| Term table | Select a row to preview it below; double-click to edit; click column headers to sort. |
| Pagination bar | Browse large result sets page by page with a configurable page size. |
| Content pane | Shows the selected term's Markdown rendered as HTML, followed by a links/backlinks summary. |
3. Create your first term
The main toolbar offers two ways to add a term:
Add— the quick path. The title is prefilled from your current search text, which is perfect for the "searched it, didn't exist, so let's create it" workflow.Add ...— the full dialog path, opening the complete term editor.
Recommended workflow:
- Select the target map in the filter row, so the new term lands where you expect.
- Click Add or Add ....
- Fill in the General tab:
Title(required), an optionalDisambiguation(useful when the same title exists twice in one map),Status,Understanding, andPinned. - Optionally add content, metadata, and links in the other tabs — or come back later.
- Click Save.
Everything about the editor tabs is covered in Editing terms.
4. Working with large dictionaries
Lexicon is optimized for large datasets. The pagination bar keeps the table responsive no matter how big your lexicon grows:
| Control | Action |
|---|---|
<< First | Jump to the first page |
< Prev | Go one page back |
Next > | Go one page forward |
Last >> | Jump to the last page |
Page size | Choose how many terms are shown per page |
Combined with search and filters, you can comfortably navigate thousands of terms.