[be] Re: Bibledit 3.7

[Teus Benschop]

> I just compiled Bibledit 3.7 and had a few comments to make about the
> export to SWORD module methods now included.  I am trying to export a
> whole Bible.
> 
> Using the OLD method, I notice the following:
>       * all books are exported
>       * footnotes appear correctly
> But:
>       * there are no paragraphs
>       * subjects appear before the last verse of the previous section
>       * and a subject that comes before verse 1 does not show up at
>         all

The old method is no longer maintained. Once the new method works fine
enough, the old will be removed. Whatever bugs and shortcoming there are
now in the old method, these were reason to write the new. However, the
old was left in temporary for a smoother transition to the new method. 

> Now, using the NEW method, I notice the following:
>       * by watching the progress bars, I can tell that all books get
>         exported, but only Genesis gets compiled

I have seen this behaviour also with older version of the Sword library.
The compiler that is used is from the sword library. All books are fed
into it, but only one displays. However, the OSIS file that was
generated validates against the OSIS schema. This means that the problem
lies elsewhere. After installing BibleTime 2.0 beta, en Xiphos, both of
which require a newer version of the Sword library, the problem that you
mention was gone. Now all books display on my netbook in Xiphos and
BibleTime. Xiphos does not show the headings, but BibleTime does.

>       * I also found that the last verse of Genesis was missing

In BibleTime 2.0 beta, the last verse of Genesis, 50.26, displays fine.
I don't have older versions to test it on.

>       * footnotes are not correct - there is a problem with extra
>         quotation marks appearing, and there are progressively more
>         quotation marks when there are more footnotes within a
>         chapter. 

Looking at a chapter with some footnotes, I can't see this behaviour in
BibleTime 2.0 beta. Perhaps I am not feeding it the right footnotes for
this problem to show.

> On the positive side, however,
>       * there are now paragraphs
>       * and subjects now appear in the correct locations, even when
>         the subject comes half-way through a verse like in Genesis
>         2:4.
> But still
>       * a subject that comes before verse 1 does not show up at all.

I notice this behaviour too, a subject headings before verse 1 does not
show up. This may be a bug. If you file a bug describing this, when I've
got some time I'll look into this. Probably the first subject heading
goes into verse 0, as it is before verse 1, and probably the Sword
frontend that you use does not show verse 0. BibleTime 2.0 beta doesn't.

> 
> I hope you don't find these issues overwhelming.  In my mind, the
> export from USFM to OSIS (and then to a Sword module) is very
> important.  I get the feeling that a lot of digital publishing will
> require good OSIS files.  So getting the export right is worth the
> effort!

Very true, and agreed. The OSIS files that Bibledit now creates validate
against the OSIS schema. If may be that some of the problems are
elsewhere, not in Bibledit. But this statement needs to be looked into
carefully for each occasion, not to blame other applications, but only
so as to made sure that correct OSIS code is formed, and that bugs are
resolved where they occur.

Regards,

Teus.