vrBible Filter -- 0.8

vrBible Filter -- 0.8

Ported for your pleasure by: UltraVR

*Attention, this product is no longer supported.* You can find a new, updated product here*

Introduction

I run a Bible History forum, and I wanted a convenient way to automatically convert Bible verses into links. I came across a module for Drupal that did this, and it was very helpful. The Drupal modification is free to alter and distribute, so I ported it to vBulletin as a plug-in.

What does it do?

Well kids, it will turn a Bible verse like this: Ezekiel 1:5
...into a link to Bible Gateway like this: Ezekiel 1:5

Known Issues

None at the moment, but as this is my first plugin, I'm sure there will be many! aranoid:

Installation

AdminCP -> Plugin System -> Manage Products -> Add/Import Product

1) Import the XML File from your computer.
2) If you are upgrading select "Yes" to allow overwrite.
3) Dance, and behold your magical Bible auto-linkage.

Change Log

2.09.06 - Primary Release

[brvheart]

great hack.... *clicks install*

things to consider:

1. make an option to pop open in new window by default
2. allow for it to interpret james 5:5 to a link, currently it will only accept "proper" word spelling with caps etc - ex. james 5:5 will not show up as a link, but James 5:5 will (the capital letter in the word (J) makes a difference.

[user02934123123]

Thanks for this excellent product. I've installed it on our site, and the members are extremely pleased with it.

I'd like advice on increasing its functionality somewhat, along the following lines:

1. The books of the 'Apocrypha' (Tobit, Sirach, etc.) are very important for much historical study of Christian history, and are supported on biblegateway.com, which provides the scripture engine behind this hack. However, I don't see that the hack itself supports these books. How could these be added in to its functionality?
2. Is it possible to configure the hack so that it recognises the full stop (.) as well as the colon ( as a chapter-and-verse separator (thus John 1.14)? This is the more common separator in some countries, and indeed in most academic theological writing (on which our forum focuses).
3. Is it possible for the hack to provide support for alternative transliterations of book names? Many Eastern Orthodox people know and refer to book names as they exist in English through Greek rather than Hebrew sources -- thus Isaias rather than Isaiah, Avakoum rather than Habbakuk, etc. Could this hack be configured in some way to support both variants on such names?

Of those, numbers 1 and 2 are the most pressing. 3 would be a real boon, but might be far more complex to implement.

My many thanks in advance for pointers and assistance. This is an outstanding product.

[UltraVR]

Thanks for this excellent product. I've installed it on our site, and the members are extremely pleased with it.

great hack.... *clicks install*

Thanks guys! I'm glad you found some use with it!

1. make an option to pop open in new window by default
2. allow for it to interpret james 5:5 to a link, currently it will only accept "proper" word spelling with caps etc - ex. james 5:5 will not show up as a link, but James 5:5 will (the capital letter in the word (J) makes a difference.

1. The books of the 'Apocrypha' (Tobit, Sirach, etc.) are very important for much historical study of Christian history, and are supported on biblegateway.com, which provides the scripture engine behind this hack. However, I don't see that the hack itself supports these books. How could these be added in to its functionality?
2. Is it possible to configure the hack so that it recognises the full stop (.) as well as the colon ( as a chapter-and-verse separator (thus John 1.14)? This is the more common separator in some countries, and indeed in most academic theological writing (on which our forum focuses).
3. Is it possible for the hack to provide support for alternative transliterations of book names? Many Eastern Orthodox people know and refer to book names as they exist in English through Greek rather than Hebrew sources -- thus Isaias rather than Isaiah, Avakoum rather than Habbakuk, etc. Could this hack be configured in some way to support both variants on such names?

Thanks for all your suggestions! In light of these suggestions, here are the features for the next few versions I am planning. In version 1.0, I will hopefully be able to implement:

- An AdminCP option for which translation is default
- An AdminCP option for opening a new window

In version 1.5, I will begin expanding further on the features that the original author for Wordpress designed. I'll implement:

- Various other ways to create a link (e.g. periods as well as colons, support for variant Hebrew and Greek Orthodox book names)
- Support for the Apocrypha
- More stuff as it comes along.

Keep looking out for version 1.0, as I will be releasing it soon to coincide with the relaunching of my website.

Thanks again for the suggestions, everyone!

[user02934123123]

I would be inclined to say that the options for supporting the apocrypha and alternative reference punctuation (i.e. periods as well as colons) are more important for the next release than AdminCP options for default translation and opening in new windows: these latter would be nice tweaks, but changing them via editing the files, as instructed in the messages in this thread, is simple enough. The others are not.

Something else to consider for future versions: it would be nice if the conversion to links also happened in Preview mode, rather than just at final posting. I don't know how viable this is, but would be a nice feature.

[UltraVR]

The reason they are being held off for a later version is because of the level of time it will take to complete them, not so much their importance because I'd like to see all the features implemented soon. Hopefully, however, the period of time between the two releases will be small.