[sword-devel] newbie problem making a module

[fred smith]

On Sun, Jun 23, 2002 at 09:02:30PM -0500, Arthur Bolstad wrote:
> I have been listening in on Sword mailing for a while, learning from what is said, etc.
> 
> I have been unable to understand the module making instructions I can find?!  While 
> I am willing to accept my responsibility for my failures I would like more help.  

Well I'm no expert, as you can see from my previous posts. But the problem
i was having just (5 mins ago) hit me in the face, so now I've got it fixed.

have you seen the instructions on the sword web site? I found them, just
yesterday, after spending some tens of minutes digging on the site for them.
(I didn't find their location to be at all self-evident.)  I didn't
record the actual URL, so you'll need to dig around some more to find
them if you haven't yet done so.

While they could use some spiffing up in terms of additional details (maybe
I'll take a stab at what little bits of it I've figured out), they do 
cover the basics of it.

> I don't use unix (yet) so am limited to windows tools (although I use Java, ie jedit, 

I haven't tried it on Windows, but I'd imagine its the same tools, and the
same instructions would apply.

> etc).  It seems to me that if I had the proper formats (and understood them) for 
> modules, I could create them by hand (I have done enough HTML that way).  

The file format is discussed in the docs I refer to above, almost well
enough to be able to make it work! Didn't require a LOT of reading
between the lines.

> However, as I said, I don't understand that.
> 
> A GUI would "understand" that for me - to me that is the big value of a GUI.  In 

Well a gui isn't (as I'm sure you understand) magical. If it doesn't do
the right things behind the scenes it still won't work. As someone else
mentioned a while ago, if the underlying tool emits unintelligible error
or warning messages the GUI can be no better.

> addition, with a 'proper' GUI it is not necessary to remember all the commands.  Unix 
> is great if you remember everything, but if not ...

True. And though i've been known to forget things (!!!!), I don't mind,
mostly, re-discovering them though sometimes it takes me a while. :^)

I "grew up" on command-driven systems, so I've never understood the
amount of (pardon the expression) whining I hear from people who've never
used anything but a GUI about having to use a command line. Apparently not
everyone WANTS to know what's going on behind the scenes, or how it all
actually works. A philosophy that is alien to me. :-} Why, I even LIKE the
vi text editor.

> If someone is willing (off-line?) to walk through the module making procedure and 
> standards, I will put my understanding into words for the next ones with that question.

I suggest you look for the docs first, and if you still don't quite get it
ask here and oneor more of us will surely help. I'll be glad to try to
impart what little bit I've learned in the last day or so of head-banging.

Fred
> 
> Pastor Arthur Bolstad
> Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
> Simulation Programmer at Boeing, St Louis.

-- 
---- Fred Smith -- fredex@fcshome.stoneham.ma.us -----------------------------
               But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: 
                         While we were still sinners, 
                              Christ died for us.
------------------------------- Romans 5:8 (niv) ------------------------------