Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Setting up the Mac for the Unicode/XML Westminster Leningrad Codex] (Second try)

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Christopher V. Kimball" <transcriber AT tanach.us>
  • To: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Setting up the Mac for the Unicode/XML Westminster Leningrad Codex] (Second try)
  • Date: Sat, 16 Dec 2006 17:07:06 -0500


Dear Karl,

Thanks for your observations about the Unicode/XML Westminster Leningrad Codex site at

http://www.tanach.us/Tanach.xml .

The site is based on a modern and standards-compliant approach, Javascript initiated XSL transformations to convert XML data into HTML displays. The new server-side processing is an example of the AJAX (Asychronous Javascript XML) approach that is common in commercial sites. There's nothing "weird" in the HTML coding that I'm aware of. With the free, nearly-universal, standards-compliant browser, Firefox, the site operates correctly on Windows, Linux, and Mac systems.

As you know, the Safari browser is currently incapable of Javascript initiated XSL transformations. (It can apparently do one-time transformations of the input XML file to HTML.)

The rendering of Hebrew text in HTML is a completely different problem. It's a difficult, system-dependent problem that is beyond my control. Apparently (see Robert Holmstedt's mail of 15 Dec) Mac OS allows font specification by language so that the default site font, SBL Hebrew, can be overridden if desired.

"Are you using complexity beyond what you need, and that is what is causing the problems?" is always a valid question. Suggestions of alternative approaches having at least the same capabilites would be appreciated.


Chris Kimball
Redding, CT




  • Re: [b-hebrew] Setting up the Mac for the Unicode/XML Westminster Leningrad Codex] (Second try), Christopher V. Kimball, 12/16/2006

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page