[sword-devel] Possible ASP tasks for LcdBible

[sword-devel@crosswire.org]

> I'd like to offer whatever help I can. I
> would be able to devote (at the moment) about 2 hours 
> a week concentrated time to stuff though I also use 
> the app most days and make notes as I go. I
> don't have much to offer on the programming front - 
> ASP is about my limit though I've done work on 
> XML and GUI stuff for a couple of web apps plus
> software testing for a friend for an HTML editor.

Hi Adrian,

I'd be interested in discussing some possibilities related to the LcdBible 
project. I've had thoughts about a webpage that could do "smart packaging" of 
downloads.

The visitor would specify the Bible translation they wanted (KJV, WEB, BBE, 
ASV, MKJV, Spanish?, German?, French?, etc.) and this page 
would "package/bundle" a small download with LcdBible.exe and the appropriate 
text.

-----------------------------
| Which Bible translation?:
| o KJV
| o BBE
| o WEB
| o MKJV
| o etc.
| o None (just updating software)
-----------------------------

The point would be simplifying preparation of single Biblical text downloads. 
This keeps the download size relatively small (1.4 meg or less for 
complete "payload" of Bible text plus LcdBible.exe plus installer overhead). 
Currently, when LcdBible is updated, this would involve preparation of 
numerous packages (LcdBibleSetup_KJV.exe, LcdBibleSetup_WEB, etc.), plus 
uploading. 

When LcdBible was updated, I would just upload the new LcdBible.exe. The 
Bible texts are relatively "static".

I'm a advocate of "monolithic" installation packages so the end-user only 
downloads and installs one setup file. More advanced end-user can download 
addtional Bible texts, but it is a support headache with non computer 
literate visitors.

I use the Nsis-198 installer currently, and perhaps this proposed "smart 
packager" webpage could launch nsis scripts. My impression is that this would 
have to be on a Windows server, rather than Linus/Unix, both for ASP and for 
Nsis.

What are your thoughts? (There are probably easier ways to do this ...)
Lynn A.
l.allan@att.net