Application: SwordBible
Category: Education
Description: Read and reference the bible on your computer
Download SwordBible Portable 5.41 Development Test 2 [3.97MB download / 17MB installed]
(MD5: C29BB0DFCFF4193DBF8984E117B0F49B)
Release Notes:
Development Test 2 (2008-03-23):
- ODBC Related registry entries are no longer left behind. Also, no entries are left behind in %WINDIR%\ODBC.INI file.
- Fixed the launcher executable (earlier, launcher had "[TO-DO]-ProductName" label on it. The SwordBible launcher is now created using NSIS script that can be found in folder "SwordBiblePortable\Other\Source"
- Fixed a font bug in scripture memory game
- Deleted some menu items from application mainframe menu for better clarity and less clutter
Development Test 1 (2008-03-16):
- Scripture Memory game
- Hyperlinked Cross-references and footnotes in verse lists, study view, and daily bible
- Right click in the bible to add verse to a verse list
- Use main menu to get information about a particular bible version (such as KJV), commentary, book or devotional
Development Test 1 (2008-03-16): Initial release
Known Issues :
2 registry entries are generated;HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Cryptography\RNG\Seed
Acknowledgments:
- Thanks to horusofoz and Chris for feedback on Development Test 1
- Thanks to all devs at Crosswire Bible Society for the sword engine
- Thanks in advance to all testers
Enjoy!
Just tested it. Works great!
When is the official release date?
P.S. I compressed the program directory with UPX
Official release is something that takes time. We of the Release Team have to test it, and we're only just starting to gather steam.
As to the last bit, jc1, did you compress the App directory with the PortableApps.com™ AppCompactor? You should do this, just to make it smaller for USB drives. Make that Development Test 2. While you're at it for Development Test 2, remove the _en-us from the installer filename as it's not necessary.
Soon I should get a chance to test this. I'll check PAF details and scan the installer, but I think I'll focus on interoperability with BPBible Portable (which is obviously going to be the main portable Bible program people use). Does SwordBible support multiple SWORD data/augment paths? I think you might find my BPBible Portable launcher code useful to look at. I may suggest additions, depends on what I find about SwordBible & SwordBible Portable.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
Firstly, I noticed on install into Mod R34 the app entry name was [TO-DO]-ProductName. Also I actually couldn't read any of the books But have to say the base app looks good.
PortableApps.com Advocate
Lots of ODBC stuff is being left behind in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Looks as though you need to back up the key, restore portable, run, save portable and scrap, restore original for HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ODBC\ODBC.INI\SwordBibleDSN, as is done in the 7-Zip Portable launcher.
As for %WINDIR%\ODBC.INI, I don't know what can be done about that. Something needs to be done about it though.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
On Chris Morgan's suggestion, I have deleted the separate thread for Dev Test 2.
OK jc1, here are some results of my testing. The biggest issues are the launcher code and the compression of SwordBible.
And the following values were created:
Also, %WINDIR%\ODBC.INI was modified. And yes, I made sure it was DT2 which I had. You haven't fixed the issues, or you haven't uploaded the right thing, or something.
Well so much for all that. When I actually tried it, it worked OK, but didn't find my BPBible books or anything like that - it should do that for compatibility. For reference, BPBible books normally go in X:\PortableApps\BPBiblePortable\Data\resources. In NSIS you'd use the ${GetParent} macro call to find the PortableApps directory, then scan for BPBiblePortable\Data\resources and if it exists then add it to augment paths (I'm assuming SwordBible supports augment paths). How you add it I don't know - you'd need to search about for how to read/write in Access databases in NSIS... You may also find the BPBible launcher instructive, as it handles automatic adding of the paths of a local installation of BibleCS, and of a (now a defunct project) BibleCS Portable installation. I wrote that code to make BPBible as easy to set up and start with as I could
(Just from a program preference I was also a bit disappointed with SwordBible; it seemed to me to lack the polish and ease of use of BPBible – and that was even before I put any modules into it. So for myself, I'll stick with BPBible. Others may prefer SwordBible though, so thanks for doing a portable version of it.)
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
I have the following bible programs installed for testing.
I am not biased and it is always horses for courses.
For me the SwordBible is absolutely the best. I feel that this program packs more into a much easier & more logical interface.
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\BER Bible Portable
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\BPBiblePortable
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\Davar 3 Portable
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\Portable e-Sword 806
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\SwordBiblePortable541
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\SWORDProjectPortable
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\The Word Portable 3
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\Theophilos Portable
D:\portableapps\Bible Programs\The Word Portable 2.0
I think interoperability isn't necessary here. Sword is, I believe, the most popular bible program on its own and has tons of content for itself, so I don't think he needs to worry about getting it to work with content stored in another app. Most users would be picking one of the other here.
Sometimes, the impossible can become possible, if you're awesome!
Interoperability should not be hard to get, but I think will require the NsODBC plug-in for NSIS, but that will be needed anyway to permit the resources to be moved out of App\SwordBible. And what you get in return is being able to use the same modules - and modules will normally be the biggest thing in it.
Just the thing worth noting here is the whole SWORD situation. Because of the name of SwordBible I think you've confused a few things. SWORD is a Bible API. It has a central modules repository, which all SWORD-based programs will be able to use. The "official" client, BibleCS/The SWORD Project for Windows, is Windows only, very clunky, ugly, and never kept up to date. Many people hate it and would prefer another frontend. BPBible and SwordBible are two examples of this. So it's really best if they can share modules, whether a user uses one or both or even more of them - then if they use one and eventually decide to use the other, they can just automatically get their books.
What I'm commenting more on is the fact that this wrapper sadly doesn't do anything, where it needs to.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
I have just been playing with these 2 programs & if anyone is interested, they do share the same bible format. I dragged the bibles to & fro between each program and they each recognized the new bibles on start up. So I guess that means that they can share modules & there is obviously some degree of interoperabilty.
All SWORD-based programs use the same modules format - as I said, BPBible and SwordBible are two such programs. The thing is, my BPBible Portable launcher actively detects SWORD modules in its own directory, that of the dropped BibleCS Portable, and a local BibleCS installation. I don't know whether SwordBible supports multiple module paths, but if it does, it should do the same as I did. If it supported other than putting them in App\SwordBible, I'd put it into the launcher for the 0.4.3 release - due probably next Moday, as April 1 release was put off after a problem was found by our Chinese translator - not being able to search in Chinese because it did not use the space character. However, if we decide how SwordBible can store its modules, I can still put code in to make at least BPBible use SwordBible modules.
The way I see it there are two solutions:
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
I'm not trying to be picky - but
1. Have any of the other bible study programs been re-written to suit BP Bible?
2. Does it even matter?
3. Many of the other programs have their own file format which is different to these two.
All of the Bible programs that I have been testing are slightly different. They all have good & bad points. This is why we are lucky to have freedom of choice and so many choices. We will always choose what suits us and not what suits someone else. You have done a good job with BPBible but we should also be encouraging all attempts to make portable programs and we should try our hardest to be unbiased.
I'm talking about SWORD-based apps.
BPBible, SwordBible, BibleCS, Xiphos, LcdBible, BerBible, BibleTime, Bible Desktop, the list goes on. (Almost all open source Bible apps are SWORD-based.)
The apps are often modified just in themselves to suit each other, but in the case of PortableApps.com applications, the point is that if the base app supports books in multiple locations, then the portablization wrapper should add any paths it can find. In almost no cases will it be hard to do.
As it makes the use of different Bible apps easier to use, and as it's not hard to do, it should be done. Do you see my meaning? I'm not biased. I'm just improving the end-user's experience.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1
I'm sorry about the furore I've been involved in here about SwordBible. Some of my statements have been, well, arrogant. I also misunderstood certain things, and then got very much carried away with arguing my way through, and made matters a lot worse.
I was under the impression that SwordBible Portable was using the standard SwordBible build, and thus that as the NSIS launcher wasn't doing anything, it wasn't properly portable. It would appear that I was wrong. However, jc1, if you have modified SwordBible, you need to tell us that it's not an official build (e.g. by a version bump to 5.41.1) and give the source code - otherwise it's not legal here because of licensing restrictions. Also that way we can review the code and make sure it's doing everything how it should.
By the way, the ODBC issue is still a real one and it does need fixing. I imagine that it's probably easier to fix it as part of the C++ code.
Also, now that I know that the modules go in SwordBiblePortable\Data, I can put this into the BPBible Portable launcher which I may even be able to do for BPBible Portable 0.4.3.
Would you like me to provide you with a proper SwordBiblePortable.nsi launcher which is up to the latest PAF specs etc.?
Once again, sorry for causing trouble with these SwordBible threads, and I hope that I can fix things up again.
I am a Christian and a developer and moderator here.
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” – Proverbs 15:1