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corpus-paul - Tool for analysing source texts in verse order and in date (or other) order by subject

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  • From: "Bob MacDonald" <bobmacdonald AT home.com>
  • To: "Corpus-paul" <corpus-paul AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Tool for analysing source texts in verse order and in date (or other) order by subject
  • Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 20:16:46 -0800


Dear listmembers,

I have developed an automated multi-sort 'form' for analysing the question
"who was where when?". I believe the concept could be applied to any
sources. This is awkward describing it in text. If there is interest I will
put up a description with pictures on my WEB page.

What it does: 1. I started with an HTML version of Acts and the Pauline
Corpus (KJV was all I could get quickly - so that's what's there). A
standalone program converts the HTML into two data tables with the following
fields: (this program can be modified for sources that have a different
input format).

BK - Source Books
Field Name Type Width Index
1 BOOK_NAME Character 20 eg 1 Corinthians
2 BOOK_ORDER Character 5 Asc eg 7 for sorting & linking

CP - Main source texts
Field Name Type Width Index
1 CHAP_VERSE Character 5 Asc eg 01:01 - so limited to 99:99
2 TEXT Memo 4 the text of the verse - unlimited length
3 BOOK_ORDER Character 5 Asc eg 7 - limited to '99999' books

These are 'read-only' tables.

2. Then I defined a table to hold the subjects I want to investigate. E.g.
is Titus - Timothy?
To do this you can enter (via an entry form) 'Titus' and press save. The
form will automatically find everywhere in the sources that have been loaded
where Titus is referenced - just like a search form, but you can also enter
a plausible date for every instance and see the search results in either
source or date order and add marginalia to each reference. Then you can add
the Timothy references again assigning plausible dates, then the places
where they are mentioned and the other people mentioned with them... etc. It
sounds harder than it is. I have found that the really hard thing to do in
these exercises is to stay focussed. The form with its six main sections
helps you do this.

The main sections are:
1. a grid of 'who where' sortable by source or date (one click does it)
2. a display in source order around the selected subject source verse
3. a display in date order around the selected subject source verse
4. the notes you have written for each verse about how the source and
subject relate
5. a grid of subjects sortable by date, description, and subject
6. a set of filter options so you can keep all your previously analysed data
but just look at a bit at a time. The filter supports logical OR for
expanding context. I haven't built an AND in but that is certainly possible.

Subjects, notes and dates by verse are all read-write. Without too much
trouble, one could put in the data and then press a report button and get
out a complete set of notes in plausible date order on a given subject for a
given set of source material. This could form the backbone for a story book
or treatise that has in a referenceable order all the source data that you
have researched. I haven't put in a report button - so far I am satisfied
with the onscreen tool. I can cut and paste to whatever story or treatise I
am writing.

The table definitions for the read-write data are below.

IN - 'subjects' to be found in the source and traced
Field Name Type Width Index
1 IN_NAME Character 20 Asc name of person place or event
2 IN_DESC Character 60 Asc free form description
3 YEAR_MTH1 Character 7 Asc two dates eg start and end dates - no
days of course
(month is already too preceise for
1900 years ago)
4 YEAR_MTH2 Character 7 Asc the first is the default on initial
search.
5 IN_TYPE Character 20 Asc person place or event or other

WW - Who Where When - the source texts and subjects joined (the join is
'automatic')
Field Name Type Width Index
1 CHAP_VERSE Character 5 Asc The 'keys' here link this table
2 IN_NAME Character 20 Asc to the source and subject tables
3 IN_TYPE Character 20 Asc and allow multiple contextual views
4 YEAR_MONTH Character 7 Asc to make the data easier to analyse
5 STORY_NOTE Memo 4 free form, references, justifications
etc
unlimited length - cut and paste
supported
6 BOOK_ORDER Character 5 Asc

This is all written in Visual FoxPro version 6 (A Microsoft visual studio
component) and of course a suitable tool for someone with my signature! I
can build an installable email attachment (Windows ZIP format - just unzip
then run setup). Size is 3.7 megabytes (ie quite big for a slow modem but OK
for cable or T1). If anyone is interested, please reply off-list. Works only
on IBM compatibles, W95, 98 or NT. ZIP includes the current read-only source
and my notes + all VFP source code and DBC definitions - so a technician
could work out how to load and reference other source material.

In that I have only spent a day or two on this, it is in the nature of a
'prototype' and as such could benefit from feedback and I hope will evolve
with my usage. - but I have already caught up to the agonizingly slow
process of sorting HTML tables by hand that I was using last week for
similar analysis. It is also much easier to read than someone's list of
references where you need to look up every one and check its context by hand
(such as I am doing with C de Vos recent book on community conflict in
Thess, Phil, and Corinth). I would like to experiment with a WEB engine
rather than a desk top one, but the desktop one is very fast - and a wwwweb
one would be much slower in responsiveness - but it could be done. Before I
do that, however, I will have to get some justification for bothering my
employees with my weekend research projects.

Bob

BobMacDonald AT home.com
+ + + Victoria, B.C., Canada + + +
Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that make havoc of the vineyards,
for our vineyards are in flower. (Song 2.15)

http://members.home.net/bobmacdonald/homepage.htm




  • Tool for analysing source texts in verse order and in date (or other) order by subject, Bob MacDonald, 11/27/1999

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