[sword-devel] New Windows SWORD GUI.html

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 20:42:35 +0100

Hi Lynn Alan, and the rest of the Sword-devel list reading this,

Thanks for your reply. I think you've got a really good point by making 
bible software that also runs on a poor mans computer...

One of the features for our new bible software is the possibility to 
execute a command from the command prompt of Linux or Windows, like for 
example "Bible.exe -p Mat.1" prints Matthew 1 on the screen (just plain 
text output on the screen, which can be scrolled in by piping the output 
to more). I only have to figure out if there is a GNU C++ Compiler 
available for DOS, read some info about the differences between 
programming for a 32bit and a 16bit PC, and get 2 old machines somewhere 
(a 386 and a 0088 or 286 or something like that, with really small 
memory, like 4MB for the 386, and less than 1MB for the 286).

I don't think that feature will replace the need of a program like the 
LCDBible, because we're planning to use wxWindows as GUI framework, 
which isn't optimalized for running on slow computers. But, sharing 
source code, where possible, would be nice!

As said before, I don't know lot's about the differences between 32bit 
and 16bit programming, so maybe the following question will be extremely 
stupid (forgive me if it is). But can the code of the Sword Engine be 
compiled to run on a 16bit pc, like for example a 286?

My friend and I are currently working on some documentation about the 
design (a simple class-diagram and a description of each class in text), 
I hope to have that finished at the end of this week. I think a 
discussion about design is easier when there is a draft design available.

With kind regards,

Simon

PS> I just tested your LCDBible, it's really fast!

Lynn Allan wrote:

> Hello Simon,
>  
> I would be *VERY* interested in participating in this. I have drafted 
> a requirements/design document for the radically simplified "LcdBible":
>  
> L)ittle C)hildren D)evoted to the Bible (could use some help with the 
> "D" :-) Would correspond to the NIrV as far as being oriented to young 
> readers.
>  
> L)owest C)ommon D)enominator Bible software:
> Targetted to non-computer literate missionaries using obsolete 
> computers (Pentium 233, 32 meg mem, 800*600 res, 1 gig hd, broken 
> CD-ROM, unreliable 28.8 kbps modem, LcdBibleSetup.exe with WEB/NT fits 
> on 1.44meg floppy, available by Christmas Eve, 2003)
>  
> A very preliminary working prototype with nsis install package is 
> available at:
> http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/lcdbible/LcdBibleSetup.exe
> For now, the 400kb download includes the LcdBible.exe and the WEB NT.
> It uses a "plug-in" subset of the Sword-Api that only uses a 
> simplified RawVerse and CanonVersifier to read verses from  
> modules/texts/rawtext/web/nt and nt.vss (CanonVersifier is a possible 
> parent or 'contained' class for VerseKey).
>  
> The extent of the gui is using a single combo-box to select a specific 
> Book from the WEB-NT. Then all verses from the first chapter of that 
> book are shown (ie, Matt 1:1-25, Mark 1:1-45, Luke 1:1-80, etc.). The 
> statically linked LcdBible.exe file is 32kb, including those calls to 
> the simplified Sword-Api.
>  
> Think of the 0.01c prototype as strictly a POC (Proof of Concept) that 
> CanonVersifier logic can put together a page of verses. From this POC, 
> I claim that LcdPrototype is feasible, if this effort is blessed by 
> His Holy Spirit.
>
> http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/lcdbible/LcdBible_src_0_01c.zip
> Source code, including:
> * project that puts all code in executable (no lib or dll)
> * project with .dll that builds swordlib_vc6.lib and swordlib_vc6.dll. 
> Then LcdBible.exe uses swordlib_vc6.dll
>
> * CanonVersifier.cpp and CanonVersifier.h
> * script for nsis-198 installer
> * modified RawVerse.cpp and RawVerse.h (includes 
> RemoveMostTagsAndExtraSpace(char* buf)
> *Let's Discuss*
> Lynn
> l.allan@att.net <mailto:l.allan@att.net>
>  
>
>
>   [sword-devel] New Windows SWORD GUI
>
> *Simon Lagendijk *sword-devel@crosswire.org 
> <mailto:sword-devel%40crosswire.org>
> /Sun, 07 Dec 2003 00:19:43 +0100/
>
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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Hi all,
>
>A friend an I have the idea of making a new Bible tool, mainly aimed at 
>Windows users, because for Linux there are 2 nice Sword-based tools 
>available. We want to the program to run on at least Windows and Linux. 
>The code will be released under the GNU licence (or another OpenSource 
>licence, I don't know the differences between all those licences for 
>OpenSource software, so I'd have to figure out that first, before 
>choosing one).
>
>Are there any design-diagrams of Sword available, I mean Data Flow 
>Diagrams or UML or something like that? That maybe would save us some 
>time in the design phase...
>
>I don't know if the auhors of Sword for Windows, BibleTime and 
>GnomeSword are reading this, but if they do: Do you mind if we use some 
>idea's of your GUI for our program (I'm not very good at designing User 
>Interfaces)?
>
>Is it possible to compile the Sword Engine in a DLL?
>
>We are searching for some OpenSource software development tools. I think 
>the most likely to use are the GNU C++ Compiler (MinGW) with the 
>wxWindows framework, but I haven't worked with wxWindows before, so 
>please can someone tell us if it can easely be used for the task we want 
>(i.e. creating a professional looking, multiplatform GUI)?
>
>We also want to support OSIS documents (not only Sword-modules 
>containing OSIS markup, but real OSIS documents). Is OSIS 2.0, as 
>described on http://www.bibletechnologies.net/, the latest version? Will 
>future releases of the OSIS specification be backwards compatible?
>
>Some other features that are on our wishlist for the new program are:
>- Exporters (PDF/RTF/PlainText)
>- Online updating of document library (just like Sword for Windows), 
>supporting Sword modules, OSIS documents, and TheoDoc sources
>- Possibility to run from CD, without any installing needed
>
>If you have any ideas, suggestions, comments, etc, please let us know!
>
>In Christ,
>
>Simon
>
>PS> I have dropped the OSISEditor project I was working on. I tried to 
>use the RichTextBox as an OSIS edit component, but I didn't get it to do 
>what I wanted it to do...
>
>  
>
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