[sword-devel] Collaboration efforts for a front end

[Matthew Donadio]

Brian Yoon wrote:
> 1) Has anyone considered using a cross-platform toolkit like wxWindows
> for this project so that we all can work on the same code, be able to
> compile on different platforms, and still maintain the look and feel of
> each respective OS?  wxWindows is great and this would allow all of us
> to contribute to the same project.  This would eliminate the need to
> re-invent the wheel for each OS.  Therefore, instead of working on just
> an OS X port, we could port the existing front-end to wxWindows and then
> use it on all platforms.

Do wxWindows applications behave nicely with the environment that they
are running under?  I think the reason for BibleTime and GnomeSword both
existing is that they are specifically deigned for KDE and Gnome,
respecitevely.
 
> 3) If someone wants to see an open source versin of a full-featured
> Bible study and analysis tool like the commercial software, BibleWorks,
> developed, what are the major components that are needed to be developed
> (ie. databases on morphologies, parsing, etc.)?

IMHO, the thing that is missing is cooperation from the various
commercial publishers for making their works available in a standard
format.  For example, I have Anchor Bible Dictionary and Expositor's
Commentary on my short list of books to get.  New International
Dictionary of New Testament Theology and/or Kittel's books may join the
list, too.  They are all available electronically, but AFAIK, they are
all incompatible with each other.  Add to that the fact that most modern
texts are locked.  I don't know what to do, other than stick to physical
books.

-- 
Matthew Donadio (m.p.donadio@ieee.org)