[bt-devel] UTF-8 and new module classes

[Chris Little]

Since BibleCS and Diatheke can handle UTF-8 now (if not in their current
releases, in their next releases at least), I was wondering if/when
GnomeSword and BibleTime will be able to handle it?  If I remember
correctly, both are using HTML controls, so UTF-8 support might depend
heavily on support in the underlying controls.  The respective developers
can use the ChiGU-utf8 module to test & compare it against the Chinese text
at Unbound Bible.  UTF-8 works very nicely with Sword since we no longer
need the Font setting, about which Martin was complaining.  The downside is
that you need UTF-8 support in your renderer and a good font with lots of
Unicode characters.

The other issue I wanted to touch upon with respect to the Linux front-ends
is support for new module classes.  I just want to be sure that everyone is
aware that new classes are cropping up and are being used in new modules.
The compressed module class zCom is being used for all new ThML commentaries
(MHC, JFB, TDavid, and the new Scofield shortly).  There's also the RawLD4
class that will be used in the next version of ISBE and some other new
LD-type modules in the pipeline like the Catholic Encylopedia (for which
there's a possibility we will receive permission to distribute) and
McClintock & Strong's Cyclopedia (for which there is a slim possibility we
will receive permission to distribute if we get enciphering working on LD
modules).

I particularly hope that these features can be incorporated into BT 1.0
despite its fast approaching code freeze.  Between Barry, me, and anyone
else who starts making modules, I would expect the quantity of modules we
have to start growing rapidly, and I hope they'll be usable once they get to
the front-end.

--Chris