Difference between revisions of "Choosing a SWORD program"

Revision as of 11:54, 4 December 2009 (view source) David Haslam (talk | contribs) m (→‎Features Common to All SWORD Front-end Applications: Localization) ← Older edit		Revision as of 14:40, 4 December 2009 (view source) David Haslam (talk | contribs) (→‎Other: Category:SWORD Frontends) Newer edit →
Line 770:		Line 770:
	|}		|}
	<references/>		<references/>
		+
		+	[[Category:SWORD Frontends]]

---

Revision as of 14:40, 4 December 2009

Introduction

This page needs to be maintained to give fair coverage of the SWORD front-end programs.

Do feel free to edit this page to make it more complete and better organized.

The purpose of this page is to help an end user decide which SWORD front-end program is the best for them. The first consideration is which programs are available for the user. This can be found at CrossWire's home page. Once the user has narrowed down which programs are available, the following can be used to focus on the best program.

It is recommended that each user try all the available programs. It is likely that one will resonate with the user and work best for that user.

As this page is oriented to program features, it does not distinguish whether the underlying engine is SWORD or JSword.

Some applications have a different CrossWire development code name than the public name.

Features Common to All SWORD Front-end Applications

Most SWORD Front-end programs have these features:

• Uses Unicode
• Released under an open source license
• Powerful search syntax - wildcard, regex and often also clucene indexed searches (fuzzy and proximity searches + searches for Strong's, stemming etc) within preset and customized scopes.
• Strong's, morphological info, cross references and footnotes
• All front-ends listed below are undergoing more or less active development.
• Verse and block layout
• Image support in all types of modules
• Localization - all front-ends are designed to be readily translatable. Many are translated in various languages.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Notable SWORD Front-end Applications

This is a work in progress.

Legends

To keep the lists below compact, the SWORD programs are identified by abbreviations. Here is an explanation of each of them:

• ABS — Alkitab Bible Study based on JSword, uses Java 5+
• BD — BibleDesktop based on JSword, uses Java 1.4.2+
• BT — BibleTime uses cross-platform Qt toolkit
• BPB — BPBible uses wxPython
• FB — FireBible based on JSword, runs in FireFox as an extension
• MS — MacSword series 1
• MS2 — MacSword 2.0 released 2009-10-12
• SPW — The SWORD Project for Windows
• SB — SwordBible
• Xi — Xiphos (formerly GnomeSword)

A blank entry means that it is unknown whether a feature is present. Footnotes are automatically numbered.

Operating Systems and Portability

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Runs on Windows 95/98/NT/ME		yes		no[1]	no	no	no	yes		no
Runs on Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7	yes	yes	partial[2]	yes	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes
Runs on Mac OS X 10.3+		yes		no	yes	yes[3]	no	no	no	no
Runs on Mac OS X 10.4+	yes	yes	partial[2]	no	yes	yes[4]	no	no	no	no
Runs on Mac OS X 10.5+		yes	partial[2]	no	yes	yes[4]	yes	no	no	no
Runs on Linux	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	no	yes
Runs on other Unix	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no	yes	yes[5]
Can be installed to run from USB drive	no	yes[6]	no	yes[7]	yes[8]	yes[9]	yes[9]	yes[10]	no	no

1. ↑ Not Win9x
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Pre-alpha
3. ↑ Version 1.3.x
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Version 1.4.x
5. ↑ BSD. Solaris cannot be supported at this time because its library support is crippled with respect to the required build tools.
6. ↑ Portable both in the sense that it can be carried in ones pocket and in the sense that it runs on Windows, Mac or Linux, requiring nothing from the host computer and leaving no trace on it.
7. ↑ PortableApps.com edition for Windows only. Leaves no trace on host computer.
8. ↑ Using Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition from PortableApps.com, for Windows only, but depends on a local installation of Java. Leaves no trace on host computer. Other platforms are possible.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Leaves traces on host computer.
10. ↑ Temporarily install to a computer and then copy the "C:\Program Files\CrossWire\The SWORD Project" folder to the USB drive. Finally, uninstall it and delete install directory. Leaves no traces on host computer.

Module related

Module Support

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Daily Devotions Start with Today	yes	yes		yes	yes	yes	no		yes	yes
Daily Devotions Show Friendly Dates[1]	yes	yes		yes	yes	no	no		no	no
Shows Testament Introductions	no	no			no	no	no	yes	no
Shows Book Introductions	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	no	yes	no	yes
Shows Chapter Introductions	no	no		yes	no	yes	no	yes	no	yes
Personal Commentary	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes	no	yes[2]
Journal	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes[2]
Right to Left Texts[3]	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Complex Scripts[4]				partial[5]	yes[6]			partial[5]		yes[7]
Footnote expansion		yes	yes			yes	yes	partial[8]		yes

1. ↑ Dates use locale appropriate date representation. Month names if used are localized, too.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Exportable as a SWORD module
3. ↑ Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew and other modules Right-to-Left scripts are displayed from right-to-left and correctly shaped.
4. ↑ The application can display correctly Brahmic, Indic, and related scripts (or other scripts of similar layout) - subject to availability of adequate fonts and standardized Unicode
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} To the extent that Uniscribe supports a given script
6. ↑ To the extent that Firefox supports a given script
7. ↑ With pango-graphite installed
8. ↑ Notes appear in popup. Extremely long notes may appear truncated in the popup.

Module Management

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Integrated module manager	yes[1]	yes	yes	partial[2]	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Module unlocking support[3]	yes[1]	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes		yes
Multiple download repositories[4]	yes[1]	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes[5]
Local Repositories (e.g. CrossWire CD)	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Use of Proxy configurable		yes	no	n/a	yes	no	no	no	no	n/a
Downloaded modules are available immediately without restart	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no	yes
User is warned of internet access	yes[1]	yes	yes	n/a	yes	no	yes	yes	yes	yes
User is advised about download size	yes[1]	yes	no	n/a	yes	no	no	no	no	yes[6]
User can continue working while download is in progress		yes	yes	n/a	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Download can be canceled	yes[1]	yes	yes	n/a	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	partial
User is warned if module already exists	yes[1]	yes		no	no	yes [7]	yes [7]			yes [7]
User is notified of module updates		no	yes	no	no	no	no	yes		yes
User is notified of new modules		no		no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Hiding/Showing installed modules[8]	no	no	yes	no	no	yes[9]	no	yes	no	yes
Modules sorted by type	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Modules are further sorted by language	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no	no	no	no	yes
Modules can be archived/exported[10]	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Companion Module support	no	no		no	no	no	no	no	no	yes

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6} via plugins
2. ↑ Zip installer for locally available modules only
3. ↑ The application allows the user to supply the unlock key. The user does not have to manually edit the module's conf file.
4. ↑ Integrated installer allows download from more than one SWORD module repository.
5. ↑ Xiphos supports automatic repository discovery, using the standard set maintained at CrossWire
6. ↑ Xiphos will extract info from repository if provided
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} Installed modules are highlighted
8. ↑ This refers to the ability to select which of the installed modules are listed for selection, without having to uninstall any modules.
9. ↑ Modules can be sorted for installed/uninstalled
10. ↑ Packages a module into SWORD's shareable "Raw Zip" format.

Image Module Support

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Image Resizing	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
JPEG format[1]	yes	yes		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes		yes
PNG format	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no[2]		yes
SVG format	no	no		no	yes	yes	yes	no		yes

1. ↑ All full-featured SWORD applications should already have support for this types.
2. ↑ PNG support will be available in 1.5.12 upwards

Module Information

Some front-ends can display the complete information from the module's conf file. Others can display hardly anything at all of this information. Please use this section to record what each program can display for module information, and how this is accessed.

Windowing and Text Display

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Window Layout flexible	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes			yes
Un/Linkable[1]	yes	yes		yes	n/a	no	yes[2]			yes
Parallel Display[3]	yes	yes	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes		yes
Multiple texts	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes			yes
Poetry Layout	yes	yes	yes	yes [4]	yes	no	no	yes[5]		yes [6]
Module default font[7]	yes	yes		no	yes	no	no	yes		yes
Font settable per module	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes		yes
Font settable per language		yes	yes	yes	yes	no	no	no		no
Transliteration	no	no		no[8]	no			yes	no	yes

1. ↑ Open text panes can by user choice be linked or unlinked and will then move together to the next reference or stay at different references
2. ↑ Only linked at the moment
3. ↑ Several bible +/-commentary texts can be displayed in a set of parallel columns
4. ↑ 2 level indentation
5. ↑ Not indented
6. ↑ 1 level indentation
7. ↑ Used if the font is installed
8. ↑ This is available if compiled with ICU.

Search and Dictionary

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Able to create a search index	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes[1]	yes	yes [2]	yes	no	yes
Able to delete a search index	yes[3]	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	n/a	yes	yes
User can continue to use application while index is being created		yes		no	yes	yes	yes			yes
Indexed Search	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Cross Verse Proximity Search	yes	yes		yes[4]	yes	no	no	yes	no	yes
Indexed Strong, Morphology and Body search	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Indexed CrossRef search	yes	yes		yes	yes	no	no	no	no	no
Indexed Note and Heading search	yes	yes		no	yes	no	no	no	no	no
Advanced search options[5]					no					yes
Fuzzy search[6]	yes	yes	yes		yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
GenBook and Commentary search		partial[7]	yes	yes	partial[7]	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Combined module search		no	yes	no	no	no	yes	no	no	yes[8]
Search within search results					no					yes
Search scopes[9]	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	yes	yes		yes
Result highlighting[10]					yes[11]	yes	yes			yes
Automatic/On-Mouse Strongs/Morphology lookup	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Automatic/On-Mouse Glossary lookup		no			no	no	yes [12]	yes	yes	yes

1. ↑ Automatically created searching a module first time
2. ↑ Index can also be created automatically for all installed modules if enabled.
3. ↑ Through plugins
4. ↑ Allowing phrases across verse boundaries
5. ↑ e.g. All words / Exact phrase, Regular expressions, Boolean combinations, Case-[in]sensitive, etc.
6. ↑ Finds words based upon approximation.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Commentaries when treated as Bibles
8. ↑ Creation of lists of modules to be searched together
9. ↑ Limit search to one or more passages or books
10. ↑ Search term(s) highlighted in results
11. ↑ With results in view, use Highlight all in Firefox Find (for the same search term)
12. ↑ Via context menu

Bookmarking, Tagging, Listing and Notes

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Bookmarks, Verselists or Tags		yes	yes	yes	yes[1]	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Manual adding		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Bulk adding of Search result		yes		yes		no	yes			yes
Permanent		yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
Hierarchical		no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	no	yes
Drag and drop management		n/a	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	n/a	yes
Exportable		yes	yes		yes	no	no			no
User comments		no	yes	yes	no	no	yes			yes
Study Notes		no	yes	no	no	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes

1. ↑ Utilizes FF bookmarking system

Session and State Management

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Layout stored	yes	partial[1]	yes	yes		yes	yes	yes		yes
Interface language		yes		yes	n/a	yes [2]	yes [2]			yes[3]
Open Modules	yes	no	yes	yes	partial [4]	yes	yes	yes		yes
Search Results		partial[5]			yes [6]	no	partial [7]			yes
Storing of multiple Sessions		no	yes		no	yes	yes			yes

1. ↑ Size and location of windows only
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Selected from locale setting
3. ↑ After 3.1.1, this is selectable in Preferences-General-Options
4. ↑ Open tabs can be saved as a bookmark group and/or Firefox can automatically save session on exit. Limited to content viewed in primary browser area, not in the sidebar.
5. ↑ User can store the results of a search as a verse list
6. ↑ Resulting URL can be bookmarked
7. ↑ Not result but search query is stored

Help System

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Manual, English	yes	yes	yes	no		yes	no	yes		yes
Manual, Other			yes	no		no	no			yes[1]
Active links to online help				yes		yes	no			yes[2]
Tooltips	yes	yes	yes	yes		partial	partial			yes

1. ↑ French
2. ↑ IRC, Mailing lists, bug tracker

Localization

Only languages with at least 70% of the user interface translated are listed.

The following languages are present in more than one SWORD application.

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
GUI RtoL Support[1]	yes	yes	yes	no	no	yes	yes	no		yes
Localized verse/chapter numbers[2]	yes	yes				no	no			yes
English	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
中文 (Chinese, Traditional and Simplified)	no	yes	no	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no
Deutsch (German)	no	yes	yes	yes	no	yes	no	yes	no	yes
Português (Portuguese)	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	no	yes	no	yes
Suomi (Finnish)	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	no	yes	no	yes
فارسی (Persian)	no	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)	no	yes	no	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no
Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	no
Français (French)	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	no	no	no	yes
Česky (Czech)	no	no	yes	no	no	no	no	yes	no	yes
Magyar (Hungarian)	no	no	no	yes	no	no	no	yes	no	no
Español (Spanish)	no	no	yes	no	no	yes	no	no	no	no
Polski (Polish)	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	yes	no	no
Svenska (Swedish)	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	no	no	yes

1. ↑ Layout flips from Left-to-Right layout to Right-to-Left based on user's locale.
2. ↑ Numbering will use localized script for numbers

The following languages are present in only one SWORD application.

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Dansk (Danish)	no	no	yes	no	no	no	no	no	no	no
Afrikaans	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	no
日本語 (Japanese)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	no
Slovenščina (Slovenian)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes	no	no
עברית (Hebrew)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Norsk (Norwegian)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Nederlands (Dutch)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Cymraeg (Welsh)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Русский (Russian)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes
Slovenčina (Slovak)	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	no	yes

Print menu

Use this section to document whether the front-end has any menu options for printing a selection from a module. If so, what restrictions exist as to how much text can be printed in one operation.

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Menu has a print option	no	no[1]		no	n/a[2]			yes		yes[3]

1. ↑ Print menu to be added as a future enhancement.
2. ↑ Use Firefox to print displayed passage
3. ↑ Current chapter

Other

Feature	ABS	BD	BT	BPB	FB	MS	MS2	SPW	SB	Xi
Extramodular Bible Reading Plan	yes	yes		no	no	no	no	no	yes	no
Other extramodular content	no	no	yes[1]	yes [2]	no	no	no	no	yes [3]	no
Read aloud	no	partial[4]		no	no	yes	yes	no	no	yes
Skins[5]/Themes[6]			yes[7]		yes[8]			yes[9]	yes[10]	yes[11]
Other features not listed otherwise			yes[12]		yes[13]		yes[14]			yes[15]

1. ↑ Bible Study HOWTO
2. ↑ Gospel Harmonies, Guess the Verse game
3. ↑ Topical verse lists
4. ↑ On MacOS 10.3+ only
5. ↑ See Skin (computing) in Wikipedia.
6. ↑ See Theme (computer) in Wikipedia.
7. ↑ Via OS and saved themes.
8. ↑ By installing Firefox themes, e.g. Bible Fox
9. ↑ Via OS and saved themes.
10. ↑ Via OS
11. ↑ Via OS and saved color preferences
12. ↑ Display Strong's headwords, configurable export passage to clipboard
13. ↑ Integrates with Ubiquity
14. ↑ Full screen view; floating, transparent preview window; tabbed panes detachable to seperate window; automatic software download and update
15. ↑ Pseudo-interlinear display of Strong's/morphology; tabbed interface for multiple Bible/commentary/dictionary study; detached windows for any module; commentary by chapter; lexdict mouse-hover content-to-previewer; tab-able or detached full-chapter parallel window; passage exporter; selectable previewer position; image content display selectivity; double-space text; per-tab subwindow visibility; high-contrast highlight of current verse; external image viewer on click; geography interface through BibleMap.org; yellow-highlighter (metaphor) per-verse personal annotations.