[sword-devel] Web Interface - Scripture Markup

Wed, 26 Mar 2003 15:41:48 +1000

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At 16:28 25-03-03 -0600, David Cary wrote:
>Occasionally I see text that cannot be placed into a strict hierarchy (there's overlapping sections, paragraphs, and verses). 

This is quite common, actually, especially when you look at many translations in many languages. There are basically three hierarchies within each book of the Bible, and they don't nest neatly: (1) chapter and verse, (2) section, prose paragraph or {poetry stanza, poetry verse, poetry line}. Even in the latter, in poetry, you can't assume that sentences nest in poetry lines (and they usually don't).

>For example, 2 Thessalonians 2 in my (paper) Ryrie Study Bible looks something like this:
>...
>which shows commentary breaking into the middle of a verse in the middle of a paragraph (in the middle of a sentence, even).
>(Parenthetical note:
>I wonder -- does the commentary even belong in the same (source) file as the biblical text ?

I don't think so. The commentaries should be separate but linked by verse numbers.

>Does it make any sense to put commentary in a separate file, and try to apply the same commentary file to a KJV file on Sunday (blending into a single XHTML file to display) and a WEB file on Monday ?

Why not put the Scriptures and commentaries in separate files, then link them only in the display?

>Paragraph breaks in the middle of a verse seem to be extremely rare,
>but I see one at the end of 1 Timothy 6:

There are enough that you can't count on this being the case.

In XHTML or HTML, it makes more sense to me to place anchor markers at the beginnings of verses, but let the markup do its normal job of marking paragraphs. That way you can go to a specific verse with a URI, but you don't have to reinvent the paragraph. For example, take a look at the HTML at http://eBible.org/web/. You can open 1 John with the browser starting at 1 John 1:9 with http://eBible.org/web/1John.htm#C1V9 or at 1 John 3:1 with http://eBible.org/web/1John.htm#C3V1 if you want to. The actual anchor and display of the chapter and verse markings are generated with a combination of Javascript and CSS. (See web.js and web.css in http://eBible.org/web/webhtm.zip).

Michael Paul Johnson
Servant of Jesus Christ
mpj@eBible.org
http://eBible.org/mpj/

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<html>
At 16:28 25-03-03 -0600, David Cary wrote: 
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Occasionally I see text that cannot
be placed into a strict hierarchy (there's overlapping sections,
paragraphs, and verses). </blockquote> 
This is quite common, actually, especially when you look at many
translations in many languages. There are basically three hierarchies
within each book of the Bible, and they don't nest neatly: (1) chapter
and verse, (2) section, prose paragraph or {poetry stanza, poetry verse,
poetry line}. Even in the latter, in poetry, you can't assume that
sentences nest in poetry lines (and they usually don't). 
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>For example, 2
Thessalonians 2 in my (paper) Ryrie Study Bible looks something like
this: 
... 
which shows commentary breaking into the middle of a verse in the middle
of a paragraph (in the middle of a sentence, even). 
(Parenthetical note: 
I wonder -- does the commentary even belong in the same (source) file as
the biblical text ?</blockquote> 
I don't think so. The commentaries should be separate but linked by verse
numbers. 
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Does it make any sense
to put commentary in a separate file, and try to apply the same
commentary file to a KJV file on Sunday (blending into a single XHTML
file to display) and a WEB file on Monday ?</blockquote> 
Why not put the Scriptures and commentaries in separate files, then link
them only in the display? 
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite>Paragraph breaks in
the middle of a verse seem to be extremely rare, 
but I see one at the end of 1 Timothy 6:</blockquote> 
There are enough that you can't count on this being the case. 
In XHTML or HTML, it makes more sense to me to place anchor markers at
the beginnings of verses, but let the &lt;p&gt; markup do its normal job
of marking paragraphs. That way you can go to a specific verse with a
URI, but you don't have to reinvent the paragraph. For example, take a
look at the HTML at
<a href="http://ebible.org/web/" eudora="autourl">http://eBible.org/web/</a>.
You can open 1 John with the browser starting at 1 John 1:9 with
<a href="http://ebible.org/web/1John.htm#C1V9" eudora="autourl">http://eBible.org/web/1John.htm#C1V9</a>
or at 1 John 3:1 with <a href="http://ebible.org/web/1John.htm#C3V1" eudora="autourl">http://eBible.org/web/1John.htm#C3V1</a> if you want to. The actual anchor and display of the chapter and verse markings are generated with a combination of Javascript and CSS. (See web.js and web.css in http://eBible.org/web/webhtm.zip). 
 
<x-sigsep></x-sigsep>
Michael Paul Johnson 
Servant of Jesus Christ 
mpj@eBible.org 
<a href="http://ebible.org/mpj/" eudora="autourl">http://eBible.org/mpj/ 
</a></html>

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