Abstract
Lexicography is in transition from a highly traditional manual activity to a new interdisciplinary science, which aims at creating electronic resources for different applications. The development away from traditional methods applies also to dictionary compilation. Compiling a dictionary is a challenging and laborious task. Collecting data and compiling dictionary entries used to be done with pen and paper, investing considerable efforts in routine tasks. Nowadays dictionaries are written on computers. Accordingly, more and more targeted software tools are being developed. These allow lexicographers to concentrate more on their actual tasks: creating and editing dictionary entries, ensuring the long-term storage and reusability of data, as well as better support for smooth and consistent management throughout the whole lexicographic process. Software that serves these purposes is generally referred to as a dictionary writing system (DWS).