[jsword-devel] Alkitab Bible Study 0.9 released

[Tonny Kohar]

Hi,


On Wed, Jun 4, 2008 at 8:58 PM, Peter von Kaehne <refdoc at gmx.net> wrote:
> This is coming on nicely. It runs fast enough, displays my Bible and
> commentary modules well and deals with parallel texts with wildly
> diverging font preferences fine.

Thanks for the feedback, it is really appreciated and help me improve
the program.
Yup font is still a minor (for me) annoyances especially when deal
with RTL text. Since I am not speaking in RTL languages, I am blind in
this area. So any feedback in this area is really appreciated.

> I _really_ like the ability to un-dock windows as it allows me to make
> use of several screens on Linux desktops and also to maximise/minimise
> some views.

Good to hear that :)

> 1) There is a fair amount of settings accessible which appear to be IDE
> related stuff - I think this should really go as you approach 1.0

I thought I already clearing all the IDE related stuff, but seem still
left a few behind. If you do not mind could you tell us which IDE
related stuff is still in there that you would like to be removed

> 2) Gen Books - they have an internal structure with chapters etc, but I
> have been unable to access this - just a flat collection of pages. This
> is a problem.

All book have TOC (table of content) associated with it, it is in the
navigator panel, by default it is on the right side beside bookshelf,
there should be navigator, which display TOC for books currently
viewed. You can open navigator by Menu-Windows-Navigator. If this is
not what you are looking for, could you elaborate in bit more details,
so that I could implements it.


> 3) Gen books - images do not work

This is just fixed on my local copy (1.0 release canditate) but still
exists in 0.9.5. If you know how to program Java, it is one liner fix,
see my previous mail or just drop me a note, if you are interested on
how to fix this in your local copy.

> 4) Book shelf double clicking appears to be a hit and miss - sometimes
> it works and sometimes not.

I need to stress this, in my test environment it is working, but seem
hit and miss on your environment. Alternatively, you could use
keyboard enter key to open as well and keyboard left arrow, right
arrow to navigate th bookshelf.

If you do not mind could you tell me a bit about your computer
environment (OS version, Java version, etc), it is available at
Menu-Help-About, just copy and paste.

>
> 5) There are a few GUI oddities - mostly connected to intuitiveness of
> GUI - e.g. the drop down menus to choose a translation module - I
> clicked several times the down-arrow on the left to the module name as
> it appeared a lot closer and subsequently more obviously connected to
> the module in question.

Sorry could not understand this (english is not my primary language),
could you elaborate this a bit more.


> 6) Licensing - not my area of knowledge - but do you think it is correct
> to link a public domain programme to a GPL library? Or is Java with its
> multiple separate jars designed in a fashion that this is not a matter
> of concern?

Yes, this is not my area of knowledge as well. IMHO based on my
understanding of the License. It is allowed to use LGPL (not GPL)
program with other program with different licensing as long as the
LGPL is clearly separated module (in term of software developing) and
can be replaced and can be reverse engineered. IMHO I think Alkitab
fits this because of its pluggable architecture, besides it is PD

Important note: PD is only applied to Alkitab (the code that I
written), the other component/library used are governed by their own
licensing eg: JSword (LGPL), Apache Lucene (Apache License), etc

Related on the licensing above, thats why Book Downloader (a plugin
for Alkitab) is licensed under GPL due to the use/linking with
BibleDesktop, because of the GPL (not LGPL)

note: I also do not mind someone take Alkitab code (all or parts) and
turned it into their own program either
(opensource,free,commercial,etc) that's why I choose PD. Myself does
not intent to commercialize Alkitab, but other please feel free to use
my code in any ways you interested. Note: PD only applied to Alkitab
(code that I have been written), other libraries are governed by their
own licensing, please read the legal folder.

My intend when writing Alkitab is to create cross platform bible study
software and spread the God's Word in a way that seem fit with my area
of interest (I am a software developer) and make that in
free/opensource ways, so everything is Soli Deo Gloria. I am learning
to be His servant and glorified Him using my programming skill which
also given by Him

And thanks for others who comment/feedback on the licensing issues.

> 7) How open is this programme to translation? Particularly non Latin
> scripts, but e.g. RtoL scripts.

As far as I know, Java software have very good support for
Internationalization/localization. Alkitab also written in this manner
since begining, everything is localized in properties/resource bundle
files. So if you like to localize into RTL is just as easy as open the
properties file in any text editor (eg: notepad) and write the
localization, it is only key=value pair eg:

ParallelBookViewerPane.properties
CTL_Book.Text = Book:
CTL_Compare.Text=Compare
...

to localize just create another properties file in a language that you
are interested
ParallelBookViewerPane_id.properties (Indonesian Localization)
CTL_Book.Text = Buku: (my language localization)
CTL_Compare.Text=Bandingkan: (my language localization)
..

If you need more detailed info please do not hesitate to drop me a note :)

> 8) Windows installer/starter? Will this become more novice user friendly
> as you approach 1.0?

Any feedback is platform specific manner is very appreciated and help
me to improve the easy to use from installer to use of the program.

In this Windows installer/started case, do you have things that I
should improve ?

> 9) Running the programme from shell produces the below attached error
> messages (on Ubuntu 7.10 linux, Java 1.6) I have been unable to figure
> out exactlt what caused them, but wonder if failed double-clicks (see
> point (4)) are connected to that?
>

Yes, it is due to the Java and Netbeans ways interact with the system
especially if compiz is installed. It is normal and it is only warning
related to GTK (gnome) bindings and should not affects the program. As
far as I know every Java Netbeans based application will throw that
exception because it try to hook into gnome/compiz  windowing system
when using GTK look and feel. It is well known and Sun/Netbeans teams
are working on the fix. Luckily Netbeans have fallback mechanism when
it fail to hook into native windowing system, it will use java ways
(instead of native ways), the drawback is a little bit slower (in term
of GUI performance), but should not affects the program.

Cheers
Tonny Kohar
-- 
Alkitab Bible Study
imagine, design, create ...
http://www.kiyut.com