Verse References in User Notes vs. User Tools

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

While working in Accordance today, I pasted a list of verse references into my User Notes. (I got the list by choosing "copy as References" from another Accordance window.) I then selected them and hit link. I noticed (to my pleasant surprise) that they were formatted as one long Scripture link. Clicking on them pulls up a text tab with the entire list (much like a Reference List Window). This was precisely what I wanted, so I was quite content.

 

Then I decided that I wanted this same list of references in a related User Tool. So I went to the User Notes file, copied the sentence including the references, and pasted it in my User Tool. The list of references was automatically formatted as one long link, as in the User Notes file. However, when I hit "update," Accordance objected to the presence of commas and semicolons in the list of verse references. Hitting the "Scripture Link" button numerous times did not clear the formatting completely. I finally had to copy the entire list of verse to Text Edit, format it as plain text, copy the plain text from Text Edit, paste it back in to my User Tool, select it, and hit "Scripture Link," which produced, as usual, a list of "segmented" references.

 

Here's a concrete example for those who may be having trouble following:

 

Matt 27:56; Mark 15:40; 16:1; Luke 24:10

 

In User Notes, the entire line can be formatted as one Scripture Link. Clicking on it pulls up one tab or window with all four references in it.

 

In User Tools, each verse is a separate link; In order to see all the verse references, one has to click on the first one, then turn off recycling in the window/tab that appears, and repeat, ending up with four separate windows or tabs, each one containing only one verse.

 

I know that you have explained in the past why it is not possible to make one "united" link in User Tools, alhtough I admit to having forgotten the answer. But I was very surprised to discover that the handling of Scripture links varied so completely between User Notes and User Tools. I found this rather disconcerting, and not terribly intuitive.

 

Thinking on it, though, I guess I would prefer you leave it as it is, unless it is possible to give users the option to choose between "united" and "segmented" verse references. At least this way there's one place I can create the kind of link I prefer.

[Helen Brown]

In any tool including user tools, you can click in the first reference in a paragraph, drag the mouse and release in the last reference, and get all the verses in one text window. There is no need to open separate windows.

[Lorinda H. M. Hoover]

Thank you Helen! Now I realize you have said that before, but it hadn't sunk into my head yet. My apologies.

 

I realized a while back that I am only capable of absorbing a so many features at a time. Anything past that limit just doesn't "take" until I "learn" it again at a later time. That's not an Accordance-specific thing; it's true of all the software I use. But it is easy for me to forget that I haven't learned it all yet!