[jsword-devel] Flexible layout

[Greg Hellings]

On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 12:52 PM, DM Smith <dmsmith at crosswire.org> wrote:
> There are a bunch of SWORD/JSword applications. Until very recently, The
> SWORD Project for Windows and Bible Desktop (BD) were the only ones
> available for Windows. Mac OS had BD and MacSword. On Linux, there was
> BibleTime, GnomeSword (now renamed Xiphos) and BD. (This is not to minimize
> AlKitab as it like BD runs on the same platforms.)
>
> This is changing. Xiphos now runs on Windows. Soon BibleTime will run on
> Windows and Macs.
>
> In discussions on the sword-devel mailing list, we have noted that these
> apps do pretty much the same thing, with some significant feature
> differences. No one app has run away with the prize. There are a variety of
> reasons, but I think the most common reason is that a user's favorite app
> works the way that they want to approach scripture reading and/or study.
>
> The current layout of BD assumes that the primary use is that of reading the
> Bible. Our goal for Bible Desktop is to have a simple, uncluttered
> interface, where the user can show/hide/adapt it to suit their desires.
>  This is not quite full reality. We have had requests to show/hide the right
> hand panel and to show/hide the built-in daily reading plan.

My main complaint with just about any Bible software is that it
doesn't allow me 100% freedom to place things where I want them and do
as I please with them.  In my experience, only MacSword allows that.
Both BibleCS and Xiphos (back when I last tried it in about 2.1)
forced me to lay things out on their tabbed interface and resize them
with drag bars.  BibleTime comes closest for the cross-platform apps
by allowing me to move and resize individual text windows, but I'm
still stuck with a bookshelf and Mag window on the left, a gigantic
toolbar across the top and the text windows on the right.

It was with the hope of modeling MacSword's UI, where one
free-floating window was the modules with also a "favorites" window
that users could freely drag-and-drop modules into any
order/organization they desired and each new module as its own free
window that could be arranged however one desires, that I had
initially started writing a wxWidgets version of a client back about 4
years ago now.  I realized, however, that I didn't have the time to
implement all the options that other people want but I don't care
about (words of Christ in red, Strongs, Daily devotionals, etc).  In
fact, using MacSword was a large factor in my decision to buy a Mac
when I was looking at laptops for graduate school.

So if there were another program which had a completely unrestricted
layout, a la MacSword or The GIMP, I personally would be absolutely
ecstatic.  I suppose in Java terms that would mean every module that
was open, every distinct UI element, would be its own JFrame.  Whether
or not that fits in with your show/hide concept or plug-ins
architecture, I don't know.  But that is part of my wish-list for a
cross-platform SWORD application.

--Greg

>
> We have also had requests to make it a premier study tool complete with deep
> linguistic analysis.
>
> I think to make BD the killer application, we need to address both of these
> ends of the spectrum.
>
> Here is where my head is at regarding this:
> 1) The user should be able to show/hide components of BD.
> 2) The user should be able to organize those components as they see fit:
> side-by-side, tabbed, separate windows, ....
> 3) They shouldn't have to do it each time they start the application.
>
> Today, for the Bible view, you either get a Multiple Document Interface, aka
> MDI or a Tabbed Document Interface, TDI. I don't like that dichotomy. And
> there is no Separate Document Interface, SDI, where each BibleView gets its
> own top-level window. Sometimes I want the tabs, but other times I want to
> see two tabs (out of several more), side-by-side. There are times that I'd
> like to tear off a tab and make it a separate standalone window. (And I
> imagine, I might want to put it back.)
>
> The other thing is the notion of plugins. The idea here is that a plugin
> would be independent from the main application and could be added/removed
> and shown/hidden at will. Once added and shown, it could be place as above.
> This probably will satisfy 1).
>
> It was noted that the NetBeans and Eclipse look and feel get in the way.
> Largely, I agree. But, they provide these capabilities for free.
>
> This and solving the rendering problems that Peter noted are the two
> strategic implementations I have for a 2.0 release.
>
> I'd like feedback.
>
> In Him,
>   DM
>
>
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