[sword-devel] next release?

[Chris Little]

We don't necessarily need to do a BibleCS release every time there is a
new Sword release.  HTML rendering is done, from the Sword side of
things since we've got a couple different X to HTML filter sets to chose
from.  I guess I'm in agreement with Daniel (and I assume Martin &
Terry) that we should do a 1.5.3 release of Sword (the library) soon.  I
will work on the filter classes that are partially complete (the UTF16 &
SCSU related filters) so that my stuff is at least cleaned up.

There are a couple of things I would like to fix in BibleCS before we do
a new release, such as applying the Unicode BiDi algorithm to virtually
all output strings with ICU.  That would correct the direction of text
on Win9x in Hebrew, Syriac, & Arabic texts.  We could limit the
application of this algorithm to only BiDi & right to left languages by
reading the lang tags, but we'll need to extend our current system to
incorporate languages other than the primary used in a text.  For
example, for the BDB & RNKJV, English is the primary language, but
portions are in Hebrew.  Or we could tag them Direction=BiDi (similar to
the Direction=RtoL currently on Hebrew & Arabic texts).  We also need to
print verse numbers to the right & newline at the end of every verse for
right to left Bibles, because current behavior is understandably
confusing users.

We should think long & hard about what we will need in BibleCS in the
coming months, because it will probably be a while before the HTML
rendering of a release-worthy quality.  I hope I'm just being
pessimistic about that though. :)

Also, avoid depending on ICU for any front-end you plan to release
before late November.  Our initial stable release of icu-sword won't be
until at least after ICU 2.0 is released.

--Chris