PAL

Ptolemaeus Arabus et Latinus

_ (the underscore) is the placeholder for exactly one character.
% (the percent sign) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character.
%% (two percent signs) is the placeholder for no, one or more than one character, but not for blank space (so that a search ends at word boundaries).

At the beginning and at the end, these placeholders are superfluous.

(la manière de) préparer les appareils‘instrument making’

French

References: PH Morelon: I.2:3, 16:18
Translation of:
Arabic: (الطريق في) تهيئة الآلات [PH Morelon: I.2:3, 17:18]
Synonyms:
réaliser des appareils[PH Morelon: I.1: 3, 14:19]