[sword-devel] The usefulness of gen book modules

[Eeli Kaikkonen]

On Tue, 25 Sep 2007, Don A. Elbourne Jr. wrote:

> Does Sword index scripture references in gen books?
>
> In other words, does the Sword engine provide the possibility of
> creating some sort of "passage study" tool? For example a user could
> submit a particular passage, like Eph 2:8-9. The query would return a
> list of links to citations in gen books where the scripture reference
> exists.

This would be very good indeed.

> I am not necessarily making a feature request (although this feature
> would be very cool - so please do not flame me) I'm just wondering if
> the possibility exists. If so, I would be more willing to help convert
> classic Systematic theologies, historic creeds, and puritan sermons into
> Sword module format. then I could wait until someone wants to build it
> into a front end. Without this feature, it doesn't seem that gen book
> modules afford much usefulness.

I think that general books like Pilgrim's Progress are not very useful
as Bible reader program modules. PDF or HTML is as good as our format.
The usefullness really comes from the scripture references. The first
and obvious use for them is clicking a link and having the Bible text
right there. The other one is something which I have seen in some Bible
applications but not in Sword. That is just what you described.

As the library and frontends become more and more mature we have to
think how to utilize the possibilities of computers more and more. This
is exactly the way to go. Computers should do anything possible
behalf of a human being. Before computers theological books had
scripture indexes. Today this should be automatized so that if the user
reads a verse and wonders what Calvin said about that verse he could
just click a link to Insitutes or commentaries.

> Having something like this would serve me well in sermon preparation. If
> I'm preaching a particular passage, I'd love to have the ability to
> search my gen book collection for any citation of that passage.

If this is possible with the Sword library I would be willing to find a
way to utilize it in BibleTime frontend. If I have understood correctly
Joachim and Martin have also thought something like this when they have
planned the BibleTime2 frontend.

  Yours,
	Eeli Kaikkonen (Mr.), Oulu, Finland
	e-mail: eekaikko at mailx.studentx.oulux.fix (with no x)