[sword-devel] Xiphos 4.3.0

[Karl Kleinpaste]

The first new release in a long time is out. Windows binaries are
immediately available; Linux packages should be produced in short order by
platform maintainers, or users can build their own, see #1174 in Xiphos
issues.

https://github.com/crosswire/xiphos/releases/

A great deal has been done in just the last month (more than 70 git
commits), more generally since last summer, and altogether since early
2024.  Numerous things have happened with Xiphos over this period. Open
issues have been cut back from almost 100 to the mid-60s, without even
taking into account several dozen opened & closed during this time.
________________________________________________________________

Xiphos 4.3.0
Release Notes
16 March 2025

- Multi-column display. Default: Prefs -> Sizes/Faces; also in module 
font ops.
   For very wide windows on big monitors, following long horizontal 
rendering
   can become hard on the eyes. Select 1 to 4 columns.
- Margin justification, also in Prefs -> Sizes/Faces (app-wide choice only).
- Stopped .conf "Abbreviation=XYZ" collision with real module [XYZ].
- Provided a module option to display headings in italic.
- Huge updates to github workflows.
   All the credit goes to Greg Hellings.
- Handle tabs more like browsers, notably tab re-ordering with mouse drag.
   Many thanks to Nicholas Walkewicz.
- New Vietnamese interface translation
   Many thanks to Antoine Đỗ/Giải Ngố.
- Some other translations have had recent updates.
   More updates are welcome and solicited for any other languages.
- Full parallel: Fixed the context menu (morph.seg.).
- Full parallel: Created a location-fixed top header line for module names.
   The header no longer scrolls away with verse 1.
   Regrets, this /still/ doesn't work right in the Windows build, which
   uses an older, less capable WebKit display engine. Looking into it.
- Build without the editor for platforms no longer supporting gtkhtml.
   This apparently means every Linux platform except Fedora.
   Effort will be spent very soon on getting the replacement editor in place
   for those platforms.
- Moved .xiphos to .config/xiphos in accordance with desktop standards.
   This happens silently for existing users' configurations.
   Similar Windows, just remove the dot, AppData/Roaming/xiphos.
- Replaced the Live Chat link (Help menu) to aim at libera.chat.
- Repaired module display for inconvenient paragraph-end markers under
   highlight, both general current verse and user annotation.
- Worked around a WebKit regression that prevented content display for
   machines with nvidia GPUs (yes, really).
- Replaced old program choice for external image display with modern 
element.
- Provided backward-compatible build support for RHEL9 and other platforms.
- Fixed the Respect Font Faces module option.
- Locale renaming: Prefs -> Options, now "System Default."
- Provided for ESC to close Preferences.
- Provided keyboard shortcut (Ctrl-S) to toggle sidebar visibility.
- Provided keyboard shortcuts (Alt-X, Alt-N) to toggle Xrefs, Footnotes.
- Fixed several string NULL crash bugs.
- Additions to the languages file for module trees.
- Resolved build compatibility among several Linux platforms.
- Moved the appdata file to /usr/share/metainfo, per recent standard.
- Fixed lack of trailing '/' in <meta> elements.
- Manual updates to reflect Ctrl-S for sidebar visible toggle and
   to explain fundamental navigation limitations in full parallel.
- Windows: Module deletion-induced crash fixed via Sword 1.9.
- Windows: With Sword 1.9, we no longer depend on patched Sword to handle
   NTFS' UTF-16 interaction.
- An idiot who was very determined through posting numerous bug reports to
   prove that Paul is a false apostle and that Xiphos is anti-Christian
   software was dismissed with prejudice. B-|

Future near-term intentions include:
- Working up the editor for non-gtkhtml configurations.
   I dislike the editor. Truly I do.
- I've asked for further input on several open issues for which there
   was insufficient information, but which look generally tractable.
- Further review of github issues for less readily manageable questions.

Expect 4.3.1 release within a short time.

Specific issues resolved on github:

#1221 add kbd shortcuts for Xref & Notes
#1218 strdup crash error
#1205 Abbreviation key (collision) in module configuration files
#1200 release prep (mostly translation updates)
#1196 provide a means to build without the editor
#1193 sword 1.9.0, official vs svn 3895, SEARCHFLAG_MATCHWHOLEENTRY
#1190 another try at broken workflows
#1189 update glib version from patch
#1188 the "doap" file is prehistoric
#1187 fix paragraph ends in some modules to avoid mis-highlight
#1186 parallel morph seg is a bit braindamaged
#1185 full parallel display needs a non-scrolling modname list
#1176 eom or eog for displaying maps, photos and the like
#1174 RHEL compatibility
#1171 in Linux, move ~/.xiphos to ~/.config/xiphos (also Windows)
#1170 provide UI for multi-column and justified margin support
#1169 "respect font faces" should be more general and more careful
#1166 provide for italic headings
#1165 Rename "Special Locale" to just "Locale"; "None" -> "System Default"
#1154 Escape key doesn't properly close the Options dialog
#1152 Feature Request: Keyboard shortcut for sidebar
#1147 Handle tabs more like browsers do
#1146 Xiphos STRING bug
#1144 language updates
#1143 update live chat from freenode to libera
#1142 webkit workaround needed
#1132 Install appdata files to /usr/share/metainfo
#1127 Xiphos crashes in Windows 11 when Module Manager deletes a module
#1126 Left edge of Xiphos cut off, can't see first few letters at left side.
#1125 No text display
#1124 Feature Request: Don't Copy Footnote and Cross-Reference Markers
#1099 Personal commentary doesn't work - opening and ending tag mismatch
#1088 Impossible to move in the module when using the parallel tab
#1085 Can only open Preferences (Edit Menu at Top) once per session
#1083 Unable to build, "error: template with C linkage"
#1073 Add new vi.po
#1065 Impossible to refresh sources or index/install modules
#1059 Particular displaying of the bible text does not work (reference, 
intro..)
#1053 xiphos cannot find image display program
#1037 Only the .tar.xz release file has cmake/source_version.txt
#1036 "commentary by chapter" default should be on
#1033 Very tight morphological label in OSHB
#1029 Cannot find sword 1.8.1, but I compiled and installed it
#1028 Module manager - Maintenance - Scan Obsolete
#1026 Consider removing/renaming win32/suse
#1025 Remove icu_patch

There are many other issues closed during this time, but they weren't
related to development or bug-fixing matters, mostly questions and short
answers.
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