Documentation Time line

I backed up my windows box to a portable drive. This was very easy, and appeared to result in no verification errors.

Then I reinstalled Windows. Or rather tried to. For some reason, Windows refuses to install on the system, dying because it can not find a file in my floppy drive.

So until I get windows up and running, both resource creation, and documentation writing is on hold. :(

My priority will be getting The e-Sword Module Database current, and available as an SQLite database by 24 January.

I also will work on The Pocket e-Sword FAQ. The last version was released in 2005. I'll browse both the Pocket e-Sword and eSword lists, to see what changes need to be made. The last version was released in 2005, so I suspect that a total rewrite is required.

As far as The e-Sword Utility Program FAQ goes, Where to obtain support from, will continue to be updated monthly. The priority for the rest of the sections is as follows:

* Creating Modules using e-Sword;
* What is e-Sword;
* What are the required components;
* What are the e-Sword Utility programs;
* Best Practices;
* A11Y issues;
* You want what as a module;
* The Bible Component;
* The Bible Reading Plan Component;
* The Bookmark Component;
* The Commentary Component;
* The Devotional Component;
* The Dictionary Component;
* The Harmony Component;
* The MAP/Graphic Component;
* The Markup Overlay Component;
* The Memory Verse Component;
* The Prayer Request Component;
* The Sermon Illustration Component;
* The Study Note Component;
* The Topical File Component;
* The Verse List Component;
* Making Complex modules;
* e-Sword tips;
* How to use the Utility programs;
* How to use the Utility programs: STEP;
* How to use the Utility Programs: JB;
* Known Errors in e-Sword resources;
* Bible Translations: Names and Abbreviations;
* Abbreviations;
* Abbreviations: master List;
* Canonical and Deuterocanonical Material;
* Internal Verse Numbering;
* Versification Schemes;
* Direct mapping;
* Encoding Schemes;
* Other File Formats;
* e-Sword in Other Languages;
* BibleStudy2006;
* Bible Language Study Tools;
* Questions about the FAQ;
* Intellectual Property Rights;

This does not list every section in the master document. The priority of a section may change due to a change in circumstances.

Translation of the FAQ has been put on indefinite hold.

e-Sword 7.9.3

e-Sword 7.9.3 was released on 17 January 2008.

The Sermon Illustration component is the major new feature.

The most significant change is that user created resources are now stored in a user-folder. (c:\Users and Settings\user-name\My Documents\e-Sword).

When installing, or upgrading e-Sword, all existing topical files will be placed in the user directory, unless they are either password protected, or write protected. Only keep topical files that are being actively edited in the user folder.

Strong's numbering recognition has been changed, so that one does not have to use a modified LXX+ with modified Strong's to see Greek Strong Numbers. In theory, a Hebrew NT with Hebrew Strong's numbers will also display the correct Strong's number information. (I can't find my Hebrew NT+ resource, so I could not verify that that feature works as expected.)

One caveat: Upgrading e-Sword may result in your existing Strong's module being overwritten. This may not be something you want to see happen.

I ran an extended commentary search, with no commentaries checked. In theory, no results should have been returned. In practice, I have intermittently received a result. I can not duplicate the conditions under which that happens. :( This marks the third or fourth time I have found something that should not happen, happening on an unpredictable, intermittent basis. It probably is a quirk in how I configure Windows. (For starters, Internet Explorer is not installed.)

I don't have multiple monitors, so I wasn't able to test that feature out. (More to the point, my preference is running windows without a monitor.)

e-Sword 7.9.8

e-Sword 7.9.3 was released on 17 January 2008.
e-Sword 7.9.4 was released on 18 January 2008.
e-Sword 7.9.5 was released on 29 January 2008.
e-Sword 7.9.7 was released on 24 February 2008.
e-Sword 7.9.8 was released on 25 February 2008.

The new component is Sermon Illustrations. Only one resource for this component is available, Bible Illustrations published by AMG Publishers. This resource costs US$20.00.

The most exciting change is with Strong's numbers:
* These will be displayed in all resources. Dictionaries, Harmony resources, Devotionals, Commentaries, Topical Files, Study Notes, commentaries, Maps, Sermon Illustrations;
* You can select a specific, different dictionaries for the Hebrew and Greek information;

This does come at a very small price. Strong's numbers have to have a "G" or "H"prefix, so that e-Sword displays the displays the appropriate information. No more kludge fixes are required to display Strong's numbers for the LXX, or Hebrew New Testament. :)

This increased Strong's functionality is well worth it.

Getting e-Sword support

The e-Sword Utility program FAQ: Where to Obtain e-Sword Support From: V 0.0B0.01.0/20080117 was released today. This is a 97 page PDF. A4 size pages.

Social Networking Sites that contain e-Sword interest groups are listed. I'm not sure why, but I was persuaded to sign up on Facebook, MySpace, and one or two others. That is how I discovered the existence of these interest groups. Whilst I wouldn't call them "support groups" in the traditional sense, their existence is significant. If, as has been suggested, email is dying, if not dead, then social networking groups will be the major, if not only source of support for users, in the intermediate future.

I've been told that an e-Sword community exists on Second City. Since I don't run Windows on a computer that has Internet Access, I have been unable to verify the existence of that group.

e-Sword support lists

There are fifty one yahoogroups that focus on e-Sword.
I'm doing a cut and paste from where to obtain e-Sword support.
The numbers on the right hand side are the page numbers where I provide their data in the FAQ.

Biblical_Module_Developers_From_Romania 33
Catholic_e‑Sword 34
Christopedia 34
Cmt_commentaries 34
e‑Sword 35
e‑Sword-Br 35
* e‑Sword-Berea 36
e‑Sword-español 36
* e‑Sword español modulos 37
e‑Sword_Calvary_Chapel 37
e‑Sword_Chat 38
e‑Sword_Copyright 38
e‑Sword_Debate 39
e‑Sword_German 39
e‑Sword_Live 40
* e‑Sword_L10N 40
e‑Sword_Modules 40
e‑Sword_Mormom 41
e‑Sword_Nederlands 41
e‑Sword_Off_Topic 42
e‑Sword_Theology_ Doctrine 42
e‑Sword_Tools 43
e‑Sword_Unofficial_Users_Group 43
e‑Sword_Unofficial_Users_Group2 44
e‑SwordModules 44
e‑SwordModuleCreation 45
e‑Sword4Linux 45
e‑Sword4Mac 46
e‑Sword4Vista 46
ESword 46
eSword-Accessibility 47
ESword_Advanced_users 48
* eSword-Art 48
Eswordemail 49
eSwordemailClassic 49
eSwordOutreach 50
* eSwordPastorHelps 50
eSwordPrayer 51
eSwordRM 51
eSwordTopic 52
eSwordWesleyan 52
Free_e‑Sword_Files 53
Gnostic_e‑Sword 53
* HebrewInterlinear 53
IAV Translation And Commentary 4e‑Sword 54
Jewish_e‑Sword 54
Minordec 55
* MiscBibleStuff 55
* Orthodoxe‑Sword 56
Pocket_esword 56
The_e‑Sword_Unofficial_Users_Group 57
Unbiased_eSword 58
User_Modules2 58
Usermade_Modules2 58

The "*" before the name of the list indicates that some screening is done of prospective members.