Difference between revisions of "File Formats"

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The SWORD Project respects [[copyright]].  As such, conversion of material that is under copyright is not supported by The SWORD Project.
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This page lists some of the more common file formats ''relevant'' to The SWORD Project, associated utilities, and other CrossWire projects.
  
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This page merely lists some of the more common file formats relevant to The SWORD Project and associated utilities.
+
CrossWire Bible Society respects [[copyright]].  As such, conversion of material that is under copyright without permission from the copyright holders is not supported by The SWORD Project.
  
−
==File Formats==
+
== SWORD modules ==
−
Bible study programs use a plethora of markup formats. Even more have been suggested for use in creating Bibles and other religious material. This subsection describes some of the most common of those formats.
+
Other than the source code for the SWORD API, there is no documentation for the file format of a '''SWORD module'''. The intention is that the [[DevTools:SWORD|SWORD API]] (or the [[DevTools:JSword|JSword]] implementation) is used directly or via other language bindings.
  
−
===GBF===
+
Our module file format is proprietary in the sense that we see no need to document it and certainly no need to stick to it. We change it when we need to. We therefore do not encourage direct interaction with it, but firmly recommend use of the API (either C++ or Java). This is the place where we seek stability and consistency.
−
General Bible Format
 
  
−
This markup format is intended as an aid to preparing Bible texts (specifically the WEB and WEB:ME) for use with various Bible search programs. The complete specification is at http://www.ebible.org/bible/gbf.htm.  
+
The SWORD Project supports currently and actively the following markup for module creation: OSIS, [https://tei-c.org/ TEI], ThML and plain text.
  
−
This markup format was previously used for some Sword modules but is now deprecated in favor of OSIS. The rudimentary [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/perl/gbf2osis.pl gbf2osis.pl] utility may be used to convert GBF to OSIS for import to Sword's native format.
+
==The SWORD Project Utilities==
 +
Precompiled versions of many of these programs are available in most '''Linux''' distributions, using the distribution's package installer.<BR>For '''Windows''', they can be found [https://github.com/devroles/mingw_sword_package here].<ref>If you have '''Xiphos''' installed in Windows, the Sword utilities are available in the Xiphos\bin folder.</ref><ref>The latest binaries may be found [https://github.com/devroles/mingw_sword_package/releases/tag/1.9.0a here], though currently without cipherraw.exe</ref>
  
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===HTML===
+
===Module Creation Tools===
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Hyper Text Markup Language
+
It is recommended that Unicode text files used for module creation be [[Encoding|encoded]] as UTF-8.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newline EOLs] should be either Unix style (LF) or Windows style (CRLF). Text files with Mac style EOLs (CR) may give rise to errors or other unexpected behaviour.</ref>
 +
* imp2gbs &ndash; imports free-form General books in IMP format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* imp2ld &ndash; imports lexicons, dictionaries, and daily devotionals in IMP format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* imp2vs &ndash; imports Bibles and commentaries in IMP format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* vpl2mod &ndash; imports Bibles and commentaries in Verse-Per-Line format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* [[osis2mod]] &ndash; imports Bibles and commentaries in OSIS format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* tei2mod &ndash; imports lexicons, dictionaries in TEI format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* xml2gbs &ndash; imports free-form General books in OSIS or ThML format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
  
−
This is the basic markup language of the World Wide Web. Some Sword front-ends, such as [http://www.bibletime.info/ BibleTime], [http://gnomesword.sourceforge.net/ GnomeSword], and [http://www.crosswire.org/bibledesktop/ Bible Desktop], use HTML for presentation.
+
===Diagnostic Tools===
 +
* mod2imp &ndash; creates an IMP file<ref>The IMP file may contain a residue of XML markup</ref> from an installed module [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* emptyvss &ndash; exports a list of verses missing from the module (useful for testing modules during development) [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
  
−
===IMP===
+
===Legacy format conversion Tools===
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Import Format
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* gbf2osis.pl &ndash; a PERL utility for converting GBF to OSIS [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/perl/gbf2osis.pl &dagger;]
 +
* step2vpl &ndash; export a STEP book in Verse-Per-Line (VPL) format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* [[DevTools:Misc#thml2osis|thml2osis]] - converts ThML to OSIS format.
  
−
This proprietary file format is used by Sword for import of all types of modules. The three utilities [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/imp2vs.exe imp2vs] (for Bibles and verse-indexed commentaries), [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/imp2ld.exe imp2ld] (for lexicons, dictionaries, and daily-devotionals), and [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/imp2gbs.exe imp2gbs] (for all other types of books) can be used to import IMP files to Sword's native formats.
+
===OSIS Utilities===
 +
* vs2osisref &ndash; returns the osisRef of a given (text form) verse reference [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* xml2gbs &ndash; imports free-form General books in OSIS or ThML format to SWORD format [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
  
−
An IMP file consists of any number of entries. Each entry consists of a key line and any number of content lines. The key line consists of a line beginning with "$$$". For example, "$$$Gen 1:1" would be the key line for the Genesis 1:1 entry of a Bible or commentary module.
+
===Miscellaneous===
 +
* cipherraw &ndash; used to encipher SWORD modules [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* [[Frontends:Diatheke|diatheke]] &ndash; a basic CLI SWORD front-end [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* [[mkfastmod]] &ndash; creates a search index for a module<ref>Aside: To create a list of installed modules with descriptions, enter the following command, optionally redirecting stderr to a log file.<pre>mkfastmod /? 2>mkfastmod.log</pre></ref> [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
* [[mod2zmod]] &ndash; creates a compressed module from an installed module [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 &dagger;]
 +
==== Notes on SWORD Tools ====
  
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The content lines of an entry may consist of any text (provided that the first three characters of the line are not "$$$"). The internal markup of the content may be in any format supported by Sword, namely OSIS for any module type or ThML for freeform books from CCEL.
+
<references />
  
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===LitML===
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===Recommended Non-SWORD Utilities===
−
Liturgical Markup Language
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* uconv &ndash; a utility from [http://icu-project.org/ ICU] for converting between various character encodings, perform normalization, transliterate texts, etc. (It's similar to iconv, but much, much more powerful.) uconv.exe is part of the [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 sword utilities]
 +
* xmllint &ndash; a utility (part of the [http://xmlsoft.org/ libxml2] distribution) for validating XML documents [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32 *]
  
−
This markup format is a descendant of, and complement to ThML, described at http://hildormen.org/docs/LitML/Guidelines-LitML10-1.0.html.
+
==Formats for which CrossWire maintains converters==
−
 
+
The SWORD Project uses primary source e-texts. These texts come in numerous formats. CrossWire maintains converters for a number of formats, described below. The converters may target other markup formats, e.g. TEI or OSIS, or may simply export binary data to text, as is the case with our STEP exporter. Specific discussion of each of the available converters is found elsewhere on this page.
−
The markup reflects its orientation towards liturgy and hymns.
 
−
 
 
−
===OSIS===
 
−
Open Scripture Information Standard
 
−
 
 
−
The Open Scripture Information Standard (OSIS) is "a common format for many visions." It is an XML format for marking up scripture and related text, part of an initiative composed of translators, publishers, scholars, software manufacturers, and technical experts, coordinated by the Bible Technologies Group. It is co-sponsored by the American Bible Society and the Society of Biblical Literature.
 
−
 
 
−
The most recent XML schema is [http://www.bibletechnologies.net/osisCore.2.1.1.xsd OSIS 2.1.1], and a manual is also [http://www.bibletechnologies.net/20Manual.dsp available].
 
−
 
 
−
This markup format is recommended by the CrossWire Bible Society and can be used for creating all types of resources for The SWORD Project. Support for OSIS is actively maintained and support for any unsupported elements or features needed for a module you may be working on may be requested.
 
−
 
 
−
===PDF===
 
−
Portable Document Format
 
−
 
 
−
This is an ISO track file format for platform independent rendering of documents. It is derived from Postscript and is maintained by Adobe. Documents may be text, images, or scanned images of text. Even textual documents cannot reasonably be expected to allow plain-text export. As such, it is designed to be a "read only" format.
 
−
 
 
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===RTF===
 
−
Rich Text Format
 
−
 
 
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This is a markup format designed by Microsoft. It is used as the markup language for presentation The SWORD Project for Windows. It is also the internal markup format used within STEP books (see below). The format is of limited use as an archival format and there are no plans for Sword to support it beyond its current use for presentation.
 
−
 
 
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===STEP===
 
−
Standard Template for Electronic Publishing
 
−
 
 
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This file format was formerly used by QuickVerse and WordSearch, and is currently used for some e-Sword books.
 
−
 
 
−
While not an open standard, the publicly released documentation and specifications for this format can be found mirrored at
 
−
http://www.crosswire.org/bsisg/. Some utilities for working with this format are listed below. It is unlikely that the SWORD Project will support this format in the future as it is laregly dead.
 
−
 
 
−
===ThML===
 
−
Theological Markup Language
 
−
 
 
−
This format is a variant of XML based on TEI and ThML, developed by and for the [http://www.ccel.org/ Christian Classics Etherial Library]. The specifications for this markup format are available at http://www.ccel.org/ThML/.
 
−
 
 
−
This markup format in some Sword resources, but only the creation of free-form "General book" modules based on existing CCEL resources is currently supported. Other works and new works should be created using the OSIS format.
 
−
 
 
−
===Unbound Bible Format===
 
−
Unbound Bible Format
 
−
 
 
−
The [http://unbound.biola.edu/ BIOLA's Unbound Bible] offers many of their resources for download in a proprietary, but relatively simple plain-text format.
 
−
 
 
−
There is no widespread use of this format, but the rudimentary [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/perl/unb2osis.pl unb2osis.pl] utility may be used to convert Unbound Bible format to OSIS for import to Sword's native format.
 
  
 
===USFM===
 
===USFM===
−
Unified Standard Format Markers
+
[http://paratext.org/usfm ''Unified Standard Format Markers'']
−
 
 
−
This plain-text format is a common internal-use format within Bible translation agencies and Bible societies. It is the native format of [http://paratext.ubs-translations.org/Register.html Paratext]. The rudimentary [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/perl/usfm2osis.pl usfm2osis.pl] utility may be used to convert USFM to OSIS for import to Sword's native format.
 
−
 
 
−
===USFX===
 
−
Unified Scripture Format XML
 
−
 
 
−
This XML file format is designed to provide clean conversions from Scripture to USFM compliant file formats. A more comprehensive description can be found at http://ebt.cx/usfx/. There is no widespread use of this format and there are no plans for Sword to support it in any way.
 
−
 
 
−
===VPL===
 
−
Verse-Per-Line
 
−
 
 
−
This plain-text format is used for by Sword for import of Bibles. It consists of one verse per line, with an optional verse reference at the beginning. The [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/vpl2mod.exe vpl2mod] utility may be used for import. VPL is deprecated in favor of the IMP format, which is more widely useful.
 
−
 
 
−
===XSEM===
 
−
XML Scripture Encoding Model
 
−
 
 
−
This XML format was proposed by SIL. A comprehensive description of the markup language can be found at
 
−
http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&item_id=XSEM&_sc=1.
 
−
 
 
−
The formal specifications can be found at
 
−
http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/render_download.php?site_id=nrsi&format=file&media_id=XSEM_Source&filename=XSEM_Source.zip
 
−
 
 
−
The designers of this markup language were instrumental in the writing of the OSIS Specification and it has largely been deprecated in favor of using OSIS. There is no widespread use of this format and there are no plans for Sword to support it in any way.
 
  
−
===XML===
+
This plain-text format is a common internal-use format within Bible translation agencies and Bible societies. It is the native format of [http://paratext.org/ ParaTExt]. Paratext is used by more than 60% of all Bible translators world-wide. The current release is [https://pt8.paratext.org/ ParaTExt 8.0].
−
eXtensible Markup Language
 
  
−
This is generic family of markup formats. Links to a number of XML specifications can be found at http://xml.coverpages.org/xmlApplications.html.  Each flavor has its own specifications. Sword supports markup in the XML formats OSIS and ThML internally
+
Though '''USFM 2.4''' suffices for most Bibles, [https://ubsicap.github.io/usfm/ USFM 3.0] is now available and has several new features. The standard is open source and is maintained at [https://github.com/ubsicap/usfm ubsicap/usfm].
  
−
===Zefania XML===
+
CrossWire now has a Python script called usfm2osis.py<ref>This replaces our earlier Perl script [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/perl/usfm2osis.pl usfm2osis.pl].</ref> which converts USFM to OSIS for subsequent import to SWORD's native format. See [[Converting SFM Bibles to OSIS]].
−
This is the [http://www.zykloide.de/Zefania_Bible_Markup_Language/documentation/zef2005_files/schemas/zef2005_xsd/elements/XMLBIBLE.html native file format] of Zefania XML-based Bible study tools such as [http://www.mybible.de/ MyBible] and [http://www.bibleworkplace.de/ BibleWorkPlace].  The [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/perl/zef2osis.pl zef2osis.pl] utility may be used to convert Zefania XML to OSIS for import to Sword's native format.
 
  
−
==Utility Programs==
+
USFM uses a separate file for each Bible book. USFM is also supported by the open-source program called [http://bibledit.org/ Bibledit]. There are examples of Bibles in USFM format available for download at [http://ebible.org/]. These include the [http://ebible.org/bible/kjv/kjvsf.zip KJV], [http://ebible.org/bible/asv/asvsf.zip ASV], and [http://ebible.org/bible/web/websf.zip WEB] Bibles.
−
Unless otherwise specified, the utility programs listed in this section do not work with file formats used by The SWORD Project.
 
  
−
===GBF Tools===
+
USFM is one of the formats that can be used by [[Projects:Go Bible/Go Bible Creator|Go Bible Creator]].
−
* [http://ebible.org/translation/gbf.html gbfconvertor, including gbf2osis, gbf2xsem, & gbf2sf]
 
−
* [http://ebible.org/translation/gbf.html gbfsrc]
 
−
* [http://gbf2bc.sourceforge.net/ GBF-to-BibleConverter]
 
  
−
===The SWORD Project===
+
'''Note:'''
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/cipherraw.exe cipherraw] - used to encipher Sword modules
+
<references />
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/diatheke.exe diatheke] - a basic CLI Sword frontend
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/imp2gbs.exe imp2gbs] - imports free-form General books in IMP format to Sword format
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/imp2ld.exe imp2ld] - imports lexicons, dictionaries, and daily devotionals in IMP format to Sword format
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/imp2vs.exe imp2vs] - imports Bibles and commentaries in IMP format to Sword format
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/mkfastmod.exe mkfstmod] - creates a search index for a module
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/mod2imp.exe mod2imp] - creates an IMP file from an installed module
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/mod2osis.exe mod2osis] - creates an OSIS file from an installed module
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/mod2zmod.exe mod2zmod] - creates a compressed module from an installed module
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/osis2mod.exe osis2mod] - imports Bibles and commentaries in OSIS format to Sword format
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/vpl2mod.exe vpl2mod] - imports Bibles and commentaries in Verse-Per-Line format to Sword format
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/vs2osisref.exe vs2osisref] - returns the osisRef of a given (text form) verse reference
 
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/xml2gbs.exe xml2gbs] - imports free-form General books in OSIS or ThML format to Sword format
 
  
−
===STEP Utilities===
+
==Other Utilities==
 +
These are not part of The SWORD Project, but may be useful. A link is given for each.
  
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/step2vpl.exe step2vpl] - export a STEP book in Verse-Per-Line (VPL) format
+
===Go Bible utilities===
−
* [http://crosswire.org/ftpmirror/pub/sword/utils/win32/stepdump.exe stepdump] - dumps the contents of a STEP book
+
* [[Projects:Go Bible/Go Bible Creator|Go Bible Creator]] - a Java SE program for converting either ThML or OSIS or USFM to [[Projects:Go Bible|Go Bible]]. It is being enhanced by SIL to be capable of converting source text in [[File Formats#XHTML|XHTML-TE]] format.
  
−
* [http://www.customconsulting.us/step2rtf.zip step2rtf] - extracts the internal RTF text from STEP books
+
* [http://gbcpreprocessor.codeplex.com/ Go Bible Creator USFM Preprocessor] &ndash; This is a tool to parse through and identify, correct and publish USFM file formats into a file format that can easily be put into the Go Bible mobile phone program.
−
* [http://www.customconsulting.us/stepr-0.3.1.tgz stepr] - a rudimentary STEP reader
 
  
 
===ThML Utilities===
 
===ThML Utilities===
−
* [http://ccel-desktop.sourceforge.net/ CCEL Desktop] - a program for viewing and developing CCEL books
+
* CCEL Desktop - a program for viewing and developing CCEL books [http://ccel-desktop.sourceforge.net/]
  
−
===Zefania Utilities===
+
== See also ==
 +
* [[DevTools:IMP Format|IMP Format]] &ndash; general import format used for various module types
 +
* [[DevTools:GBF|General Bible Format (GBF)]] &ndash; legacy format now deprecated
 +
* [[DevTools:ThML|Theological Markup Language (ThML)]] &ndash; legacy format now deprecated
 +
* [[Frontends:Bookmarks Standard]]
 +
* [[File Formats Cruft]]
  
−
* KonvSetup;
+
[[Category:Development tools]]
−
* Zefania BpeST;
+
[[Category:File formats]]
−
* Zefania Diatheke;
+
[[Category:OSIS]]
−
* [https://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=202842&package_id=243464&release_id=536663 Zefania Module Splitter;]
+
[[Category:ThML]]
−
* [http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=202842&package_id=243464&release_id=534590 Zefania TextKonvertor];
+
[[Category:Utilities]]
−
* ZXML-BCV;
+
[[Category:USFM]]
−
* ZXML2BCV.xsl;
+
[[Category:Unicode]]
−
[[Link title]]
+
[[Category:Bibledit]]
 +
[[Category:Paratext]]

Latest revision as of 12:11, 20 February 2021

This page lists some of the more common file formats relevant to The SWORD Project, associated utilities, and other CrossWire projects.

CrossWire Bible Society respects copyright. As such, conversion of material that is under copyright without permission from the copyright holders is not supported by The SWORD Project.

SWORD modules

Other than the source code for the SWORD API, there is no documentation for the file format of a SWORD module. The intention is that the SWORD API (or the JSword implementation) is used directly or via other language bindings.

Our module file format is proprietary in the sense that we see no need to document it and certainly no need to stick to it. We change it when we need to. We therefore do not encourage direct interaction with it, but firmly recommend use of the API (either C++ or Java). This is the place where we seek stability and consistency.

The SWORD Project supports currently and actively the following markup for module creation: OSIS, TEI, ThML and plain text.

The SWORD Project Utilities

Precompiled versions of many of these programs are available in most Linux distributions, using the distribution's package installer.
For Windows, they can be found here.[1][2]

Module Creation Tools

It is recommended that Unicode text files used for module creation be encoded as UTF-8.[3]

  • imp2gbs – imports free-form General books in IMP format to SWORD format †
  • imp2ld – imports lexicons, dictionaries, and daily devotionals in IMP format to SWORD format †
  • imp2vs – imports Bibles and commentaries in IMP format to SWORD format †
  • vpl2mod – imports Bibles and commentaries in Verse-Per-Line format to SWORD format †
  • osis2mod – imports Bibles and commentaries in OSIS format to SWORD format †
  • tei2mod – imports lexicons, dictionaries in TEI format to SWORD format †
  • xml2gbs – imports free-form General books in OSIS or ThML format to SWORD format †

Diagnostic Tools

  • mod2imp – creates an IMP file[4] from an installed module †
  • emptyvss – exports a list of verses missing from the module (useful for testing modules during development) †

Legacy format conversion Tools

  • gbf2osis.pl – a PERL utility for converting GBF to OSIS †
  • step2vpl – export a STEP book in Verse-Per-Line (VPL) format †
  • thml2osis - converts ThML to OSIS format.

OSIS Utilities

  • vs2osisref – returns the osisRef of a given (text form) verse reference †
  • xml2gbs – imports free-form General books in OSIS or ThML format to SWORD format †

Miscellaneous

  • cipherraw – used to encipher SWORD modules †
  • diatheke – a basic CLI SWORD front-end †
  • mkfastmod – creates a search index for a module[5] †
  • mod2zmod – creates a compressed module from an installed module †

Notes on SWORD Tools

  1. ↑ If you have Xiphos installed in Windows, the Sword utilities are available in the Xiphos\bin folder.
  2. ↑ The latest binaries may be found here, though currently without cipherraw.exe
  3. ↑ EOLs should be either Unix style (LF) or Windows style (CRLF). Text files with Mac style EOLs (CR) may give rise to errors or other unexpected behaviour.
  4. ↑ The IMP file may contain a residue of XML markup
  5. ↑ Aside: To create a list of installed modules with descriptions, enter the following command, optionally redirecting stderr to a log file.
    mkfastmod /? 2>mkfastmod.log

Recommended Non-SWORD Utilities

  • uconv – a utility from ICU for converting between various character encodings, perform normalization, transliterate texts, etc. (It's similar to iconv, but much, much more powerful.) uconv.exe is part of the sword utilities
  • xmllint – a utility (part of the libxml2 distribution) for validating XML documents *

Formats for which CrossWire maintains converters

The SWORD Project uses primary source e-texts. These texts come in numerous formats. CrossWire maintains converters for a number of formats, described below. The converters may target other markup formats, e.g. TEI or OSIS, or may simply export binary data to text, as is the case with our STEP exporter. Specific discussion of each of the available converters is found elsewhere on this page.

USFM

Unified Standard Format Markers

This plain-text format is a common internal-use format within Bible translation agencies and Bible societies. It is the native format of ParaTExt. Paratext is used by more than 60% of all Bible translators world-wide. The current release is ParaTExt 8.0.

Though USFM 2.4 suffices for most Bibles, USFM 3.0 is now available and has several new features. The standard is open source and is maintained at ubsicap/usfm.

CrossWire now has a Python script called usfm2osis.py[1] which converts USFM to OSIS for subsequent import to SWORD's native format. See Converting SFM Bibles to OSIS.

USFM uses a separate file for each Bible book. USFM is also supported by the open-source program called Bibledit. There are examples of Bibles in USFM format available for download at [1]. These include the KJV, ASV, and WEB Bibles.

USFM is one of the formats that can be used by Go Bible Creator.

Note:

  1. ↑ This replaces our earlier Perl script usfm2osis.pl.

Other Utilities

These are not part of The SWORD Project, but may be useful. A link is given for each.

Go Bible utilities

  • Go Bible Creator - a Java SE program for converting either ThML or OSIS or USFM to Go Bible. It is being enhanced by SIL to be capable of converting source text in XHTML-TE format.
  • Go Bible Creator USFM Preprocessor – This is a tool to parse through and identify, correct and publish USFM file formats into a file format that can easily be put into the Go Bible mobile phone program.

ThML Utilities

  • CCEL Desktop - a program for viewing and developing CCEL books [2]

See also

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