[sword-devel] Beta Z Suggestions

Daniel Freedman sword-devel@crosswire.org
Thu, 29 Aug 2002 01:41:22 +0200


> > 5.  There needs to be a far clearer indication of which module is
selected
> > in each of the 3 categories.
>
> What would you propose we do?  I'm not sure there's much more to be done
> besides standard tab behavior.

Is it not possible to make the selected moduled tab text, a different colour
(maybe white or a user defined colour)  is it not possible to add an icon to
the select module (like in e-sword)?

>
> > 6.  "Preferences" should be under "tools"
>
> Why?

Simply put, confusing....:) but you've highlighted the confusion
further...perhaps if there was more order in the rest of the "options" menu,
it would be less so :) your point is taken :) was just a thought :)

> > 7. the various options are clumsy, and should be grouped in a more
logical
> > manner - transliteration, vowel pointers cantillations - maybe by
language,
> > Hebrew under a subheading, rather than simply lumped together
>
> We should figure something out for this in 1.5.5.  Because of the way
> Sword handles these filters, it would take some work to sort them out this
> time around.  For many users, adding categories will just add extra steps.
> Suppose a user only wants the KJV and some dictionaries.  He'll have
> Strong's & Footnotes options.  If they're under an additional category,
> that's a lot more work to get to the options that would never have been
> confusing if they were just left alone on the Options menu.

I was thinking general categories, perhaps footnotes, headers, strongs, can
be grouped together, and Hebrew & Greek options grouped... or perhaps create
a new menu item indicating Hebrew options, Greek options etc...


> > 8. The Toolbar should be windows based, and there should be more buttons
>
> Not sure what this means.

Currently, they're the old style - a bitmap, perhaps buttons like ms-word
and the like use - or internet explorer back button, search button etc...
with separate text..


> > 14.  For inclusion, I recommend that people should have standard - BDB,
> > Thayers, RSV, personal, TSK and Perhaps WHNU with NA27 Variants, the BHS
as
> > well....thats worth it, and quite frankly, everyone else is doing the
KJV &
> > MHCC included, and generally people have it anyway, and they can install
> > it...rather be different and include some texts of real use....
>
> Real use... to you.  Not all users are you.  Most can't make any use of
> Greek or Hebrew, so it shouldn't be pushed on them.  The distro with
> modules should be a minimum set used by our majority of users.

I accept that, it was a suggestion...maybe we can give users a standard to
download or maybe several alternative combinations...

 Our top 5 modules are KJV, AKJV, StrongsGreek, MHC, and StrongsHebrew.  I
> would suggest we drop AKJV, substitute Thayer for StrongsGreek, substitute
> BDB for StrongsHebrew, and add either of Easton or Smith.  Easton has a
> small advantage over Smith in downloads.  Plus Personal, of course.

Yes, and this is what every other bible program does...I was trying to
suggest something different :)

> > 18.  Install manager downloads one module at a time.
>
> Can you propose a reason why we would want anything else?

Well, when you select several modules to download it does sometimes only
download one....and thats it...

> > 19. Copying Unicode to a program like word is a problem, it doesn't work
> > correctly....
>
> More specifically, RTL text with wordbreaks pastes incorrectly.  It looks
> like some confusion is occurring between Word and MS's RTF control.
> There's not much we can do about it.

No thats not an issue, my issue is that when I copy from one to the other, I
end up with Arabic text, as opposed to Hebrew... (Word 2000), Win XP
Pro....(Times New Roman font)...might be a UTF-8 Problem....

> > 20. There should be an option to alternate between RTL and LTR in the
> > windows
>
> Why?  Would you ever want to make an RTL script be viewed LTR, or vice
> versa?

For copying purposes, also it would make more sense if the text were full
justified both sides...then adjusting the RTL LTR would make a big
difference to the way it was read, and would help in systems where any other
form of adjustment would be difficult...
again it was just a suggestion...


 > 22. There needs to be better error handling, if a module doesn't work,
the
> > conf. file should automatically be moved to a spare directory, and the
> > program should be restarted, or a better warning message given...or
both....
>
> Modules that are public shouldn't have fatal errors.
> Modules that are beta, are beta.

there are bound to bugs, you can't cater for all eventualities, at least
make the error return slightly more helpful...


> > 23.  A distinction between commentaries and other texts
(enoch/BoM/quran)
> > needs to be in place...perhaps force the other texts onto another row...
> > same with the watchwords/daily readings as opposed to dictionaries and
> > lexicons - having so many modules is getting irritating at having to
find
> > the right one (and yes i need many of them open at once...)...
>
> The addition of GenBooks to the Commentary pane was a quick fix of Troy's.
> The alternative was to not support them in BibleCS until the rewrite.

I understand that...but even so, without the additions, there are way too
many modules - perhaps grouping them or allowing grouping in the Hide/Show
Modules setting would aid the user

DF


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