Any way to import CCEL texts?

[Considering_Accordance]

I'm considering buying Accordance and would like to know if there's any way to import CCEL texts that would preserve the Scripture links. Ultimately I'd like to be able to search the imported CCEL texts for references to a given verse.

 

Thanks.

[Joe Weaks]

Hello considering,

You can create your own User Tools (a.k.a. ebooks) in Accordance by importing texts and HTML texts. When you do this, the properly formatted scripture references get automatically detected and become scripture hyperlinks, and are tagged as such in the search box as well.

You will rather happy in this regard, I suspect. Feel free to ask any other questions you have.

And welcome.

[Considering_Accordance]

Thanks, Joe, for responding so quickly!

 

I've downloaded the Accordance demo and it doesn't seem to recognize the Scripture references in imported CCEL documents. I experimented with Luther's commentary on Galatians (only because it's conveniently short), importing it both from text and HTML format into new User Tools. Either way, the Scripture references just show up in Accordance as ordinary text. Am I doing something wrong?

[Joe Weaks]

I apologize for not being clearer... during import, it will recognize what I called "properly formatted scripture references." This would be:

Galatians 2:3 and the like.

So, you'll have to do a little clever Find and Replace to the text to get scripture included. For the Galatians commentary, I'd open it in Word (or something), and do something like,

Find: "^p Verse "

Replace: "^p Gal. 1:"

 

Then replace the occurrences for the first chapter, then change the line to "Gal. 2:" etc. The goal is to change "Verse 4." into "Gal. 1:4" to it will get recognized. Attention to how to use a Find and Replace to take care of the change will then reap benefits regarding importing etext in mass for your own use.

HTH

[Considering_Accordance]

Hmm... even properly formatted references are being treated by Accordance as regular text.

 

Here's an example:

 

Elsewhere Paul draws a sharp distinction between an apostleship and lesser functions, as in 1 Corinthians 12:28: "And God hath set some in the church; first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers." He mentions the apostles first because they were appointed directly by God.

[Helen Brown]

The downloadable demo is version 6.1. Although it does support HTML import, that feature and so many others have been greatly improved since then. If you are serious, you can invest the $39 for the full downloadable program and starter package. This is credited towards any of the primary collections once you decide to "go for it."

 

Unfortunately there does not seem to be a feasible way to offer a free demo of version 7.

[Considering_Accordance]

Since purchasing Accordance 7 this has worked just as Joe Weaks said it would.

 

By any chance is there also some way to create internal hyperlinks (e.g., to footnotes)?

[Joe Weaks]

Considering,

There is not a way to get hyperlinks (such as footnotes) into a User Tool. I don't see why the html tool importer couldn't support the anchor tag. Although, it'd be more complex to add a user interaction method to add hyperlinks to a Tool after it is already imported. When I think of that process, I'm starting to think about the tool interface getting very complex and secondary to the main functions of the app.

I've enjoyed reading your good ideas (though now that you're a user, I wish you'd adopt a new user name to not be anonymous), and I bet we could come up with lots of sweet feature ideas. It's just matter of the Accordance folks noting them but also prioritizing. They do a good job of that.

For instance, they haven't made the User Tool into a full word processor, but they have worked on some other features integral to bible study. Just wait till you see the feature added in the next (free!) release.