The process of hypertexting is simple. Start with a document containing the Tibetan transcription and the English translation, and then after looking up the Tibetan in the dictionary, add brackets and numbers to show which English and Tibetan words go together.
When you figure out how the Tibetan original corresponds to the English translation, you'll assign the same number to each of them. Place the number to the left of each, with one space in between. The word or syllable and the attached number are then closed off by angle brackets (< and >). It looks like this:
<100 BSTAN PA>
<100 teaching>
(It doesn't matter what number you use, as long as it's the same for the Tibetan and the English and as long as you haven't used it elsewhere. For more on numbering, see Intermediate example.)
The numbers and the angle brackets will not be seen in the actual dictionary, but everything else will be exactly the same. Therefore, it is important that spacing and punctuation outside the brackets be kept the way it should appear in a sentence. For example, it is very easy to forget to put a space between two words when you have two brackets next to one another, like this:
<5 LHA><6 BRGYA> <2 MA>
A <6 Thousand><5 Angels>
There is no space here between LHA and BRGYA, which when removing the brackets for the actual dictionary would turn up as LHABRGYA; there is no space here between "Thousand" and "Angels," which would end up "A ThousandAngels."
Additional guidelines
Always break down phrases into individual syllables far as the translation allows:
<89 LEGS> <90 BSHAD>
<89 good> <90 explanation>
<111 DRI> <112 ZHIM> <113 BDUG SPOS>
<112 Sweetest> <111 fragrant> <113 incense>
At times the translation will dictate that two or more Tibetan syllables are joined to one English word:
<83 SKAL BZANG>
<83 fortunate>
<9 DE KHO NA NYID>
<9 suchness>
Conversely, it may take more than one English word to capture the entire meaning of a single Tibetan syllable:
<104 DON> <105 LDAN>
<105 Brings> <104 great things>
To signify common phrases or idioms which can also be broken down separately by each word, enclose the entire phrase in angle brackets with a number, and then also hypertext the individual words. (For teaching purposes, the phrase brackets here have been highlighted in red, but you should just keep yours plain):
<39 <40 GSHEGS> SU <41 GSOL>>
<39 <41 Please> <40 come> to me>
<61 <58 KHRID> <59 YIG>>
A <61 <59 Book> of <58 Instructions>>
Whenever the Tibetan attached postposition is translated as a separate word, separate the postpositions from the end of the Tibetan syllable. Be careful not to add a space between the closing angle bracket of the Tibetan syllable(s) and the opening bracket of its attached postposition.
<69 BSKAL BRGYA><70 R>
<70 For> <69 a million years>
<75 SHES BYA><76 'I> <77 KHYON> <78 KUN>
The <78 entire> <77 mass> <76 of> <75 knowable things>.
<280 CHU><252 'I> <253 RANG BZHIN>
<253 nature> <252 of> <280 water>
When the Tibetan attached postposition is translated as one word but has a definitive English suffix, also separate them. Be careful not to add a space between the first closing bracket and the second opening bracket.
<160 DRAG PO><161 S>
<160 deep><161 ly>
Let's look at the Simple example to get a better idea of how to hypertext.