[sword-devel] Poetry & prose

Sat, 11 Jan 2003 14:14:33 +1000

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At 10:39 10-01-03 -0700, Chris Little wrote:
>OSIS handles everything on Michael's list, though some items are not=20
>addressed specifically (such as poetry/prose formatting, which would be=20
>done with style sheets).

Poetry/prose formatting cannot be done properly just with style sheets. To=
 accurately represent a translation like the WEB or NIV that presents text=
 in poetry and prose format, you must be able to mark every section as=
 poetry or prose. In prose, you must mark paragraphs, and in poetry, you=
 also need to be able to distinguish between initial and subsequent verses=
 of poetry line sets. In GBF, this is done with <Pp>, <PP>, <CM>, and <CL>=
 tags. In XSEM, this is done with , <linegroup>, and <line> tags. In SIL=
 SF, this is done with \p, \q, and \q2 tags. I am disappointed that so many=
 Bible study software packages simply discard this information. The result=
 is ugly poetry that often looks like it has many capitalization errors in=
 it.

Once the poetry and prose is properly marked in a translation, then and only=
 then can a style sheet or display process of some sort properly determine=
 line ends, line spacing, and indentation. The Sword Project currently=
 allows properly formatted modules to have line endings in the correct=
 places, but it formats the poetry and prose the same way, thus doing=
 neither very well. In prose, a line is ended and a new line started at the=
 end of a paragraph or when the right margin is reached. In prose,=
 paragraphs should be separated with a blank line, or have the first line=
 indented, or both. The Sword Project does neither. In poetry, a new line is=
 started when a logical line of poetry ends or when the right margin is=
 reached, but the new line is indented for word wraps. In poetry, paragraphs=
 are called stanzas, and are separated by blank lines, but the first line of=
 a stanza is never indented. If a line of poetry is longer than the physical=
 width of the display device (paper or screen window), then the line is=
 wrapped, but continuations of the same poetic line on different physical=
 lines are indented. In Hebrew style poetry expressed in English, the=
 structure is such that there is a first line, then one or more subsequent=
 lines that compare, complete, or contrast with the first line. These=
 subsequent lines are usually indented from the first line, but not as far=
 as the indention of long line wrap-around. For an example of what I'm=
 talking about, look at the psalms in http://eBible.org/bible/web/web.pdf=
 and at a printed edition of the New International Version psalms. For a=
 long time, Zondervan bragged that their software was the only software that=
 got the poetry/prose formatting of the NIV right.

In a markup, you can look at the poetry/prose formatting in two ways: one in=
 terms of the behavior at the end of a line (and thus define 3 different=
 line end markers), or by marking three different kinds of text with either=
 explicit or implicit line end markers, and letting the display processor=
 deal with choosing the appropriate line end/indent behavior for each type.

Rev. Michael Paul Johnson
Servant of Jesus Christ
President, Rainbow Missions, Inc.
Senior Editor, World English Bible
http://eBible.org/mpj/   mpj@eBible.org
Phone: 011+675+737-4519
SIL BOX 421
UKARUMPA 444
EASTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCE
PAPUA NEW GUINEA

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At 10:39 10-01-03 -0700, Chris Little wrote: 
<blockquote type=3Dcite class=3Dcite cite>OSIS handles everything on
Michael's list, though some items are not 
addressed specifically (such as poetry/prose formatting, which would be
 
done with style sheets).</blockquote> 
Poetry/prose formatting cannot be done properly just with style sheets.
To accurately represent a translation like the WEB or NIV that presents
text in poetry and prose format, you must be able to mark every section
as poetry or prose. In prose, you must mark paragraphs, and in poetry,
you also need to be able to distinguish between initial and subsequent
verses of poetry line sets. In GBF, this is done with &lt;Pp&gt;,
&lt;PP&gt;, &lt;CM&gt;, and &lt;CL&gt; tags. In XSEM, this is done with
&lt;p&gt;, &lt;linegroup&gt;, and &lt;line&gt; tags. In SIL SF, this is
done with \p, \q, and \q2 tags. I am disappointed that so many Bible
study software packages simply discard this information. The result is
ugly poetry that often looks like it has many capitalization errors in
it. 
Once the poetry and prose is properly marked in a translation, then and
only then can a style sheet or display process of some sort properly
determine line ends, line spacing, and indentation. The Sword Project
currently allows properly formatted modules to have line endings in the
correct places, but it formats the poetry and prose the same way, thus
doing neither very well. In prose, a line is ended and a new line started
at the end of a paragraph or when the right margin is reached. In prose,
paragraphs should be separated with a blank line, or have the first line
indented, or both. The Sword Project does neither. In poetry, a new line
is started when a logical line of poetry ends or when the right margin is
reached, but the new line is indented for word wraps. In poetry,
paragraphs are called stanzas, and are separated by blank lines, but the
first line of a stanza is never indented. If a line of poetry is longer
than the physical width of the display device (paper or screen window),
then the line is wrapped, but continuations of the same poetic line on
different physical lines are indented. In Hebrew style poetry expressed
in English, the structure is such that there is a first line, then one or
more subsequent lines that compare, complete, or contrast with the first
line. These subsequent lines are usually indented from the first line,
but not as far as the indention of long line wrap-around. For an example
of what I'm talking about, look at the psalms in
<a href=3D"http://ebible.org/bible/web/web.pdf" eudora=3D"autourl">http://eB=
ible.org/bible/web/web.pdf</a>
and at a printed edition of the New International Version psalms. For a long=
 time, Zondervan bragged that their software was the only software that got=
 the poetry/prose formatting of the NIV right. 
In a markup, you can look at the poetry/prose formatting in two ways: one in=
 terms of the behavior at the end of a line (and thus define 3 different=
 line end markers), or by marking three different kinds of text with either=
 explicit or implicit line end markers, and letting the display processor=
 deal with choosing the appropriate line end/indent behavior for each=
 type. 
 
<x-sigsep></x-sigsep>
Rev. Michael Paul Johnson 
Servant of Jesus Christ 
President, Rainbow Missions, Inc. 
Senior Editor, World English Bible 
<a href=3D"http://ebible.org/mpj/"=
 eudora=3D"autourl">http://eBible.org/mpj/</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;=
 mpj@eBible.org 
Phone: 011+675+737-4519 
SIL BOX 421 
UKARUMPA 444 
EASTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCE 
PAPUA NEW GUINEA 
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