Get Verse (CMD-OPT-A on a Mac)

[bdollahite]

Currently, this Accordance feature when activated from another application displays a dialog box where one sets the text and the reference(s) within that text to copy and insert in the document of the requesting application.  

 

When the dialog box appears, these two entries are (or at least appear to be) populated with the last text module open in Accordance, and the last verse reference fetched from Accordance.  This is OK, I guess as a starting point.

 

However, say I am developing a presentation (in Keynote, PowerPoint, ...) and I want to include a verse.  I would expect to possibly need to set both of these items.  However, if I have not quit Accordance, nor the presentation application, I would like to see when I next request a verse, the two entries populated with my last fetched text and verse combination.  This way, if I want to get different translations for the same reference, I only need to set the text and leave with reference as is.  If I want to get a new reference, from the same text, I need only to enter it, as the text is already present.  This assumes that most people use one primary text (e.g., translation) from which to quote material (which I think is the most common use case).

 

However, as Accordance currently behaves, it seems to populated the TEXT field with the last opened text module in Accordance, but it does remembers the last fetched reference.  Thus I frequently need to reset/enter the text field.  Hence when building a presentation adding verses to multiple slides take longer than that it would had Accordance remembered the last fetched text, and not the last text module opened by Accordance.  As a work-around, I currently open the text module in Accordance and then start my slide build work.  However, if I have slides with verse from say ESV and GNT - I need to bounce back to Accordance and open the module from which I will next be copying verses.  This sort of defeats the value of the GET VERSE feature.  

 

REQUEST:  GET VERSE dialog remember the last fetch (both Text and Reference) entries and allow the user of this command to change one or both items.  

 

This behavior speeds up slide building (or at least it does not slow it down) when compared to the current behavior.  It has no impact on use case where both entries in the GET VERSE dialog box need to change and allows faster use when one of the two fields is all that is changing.  The last opened Accordance text module can be used to populate the text field of the initial use of GET VERSE. Such a choice seems to be better than nil.  Nil is okay, as long as the nil is not preserved, as it currently seems to be.

 

NOTE:  While I have had used GET VERSE and seen a nil (empty) TEXT entry I am not sure why.  Possibly my last opened TEXT module did not have a reference system hat matched the preserved reference.

[Joe Weaks]

In the interim, you could have a look at the Services, which allow even for customizability.

[Martin Z]

If you have Keyboard Maestro, this can be easily accomplished with @Joe Weaks's Accordance Automation Script Library at his blog.

 

Specifically, I use Keyboard Maestro to input variables, such as the Bible Reference and Accordance Text Module. Then I will pass the variables to AppleScript, using Joe's Accordance Script Library to get the verses.

 

Keyboard Maestro allows me to easily create user interface for setting variables. I have made a few macros for variety of purposes. I can assign keyboard shorts to these macros.

 

 

Assigning the same keyboard shortcuts will make KM to show a conflict palette and allow user to choose one macro to execute.

 

Choose one to illustrate: 

 

The screenshot above is a Prompt for User Input action in KM. I have two variables: BibleRef and BibleVersion.

The default value (%Variable%BibleRef%) for BibleRef is the reference I used last time. 

The default value for BibleVersion is CUS°. This is a user created module, which I use the most. I can change it to %Variable%BibleVersion% to make the default value the last Accordance Text Module.

 

When I execute the macro, the window looks like this:

 

As you can see, the default value for BibleRef is 创1：1-3. This is the Bible reference I used last time. Yes, it has Chinese Bible book abbreviation "创" and Chinese punctuation "：", and there is no space between the Book name abbreviation and the chapter number. Accordance cannot recognize them.

 

I pass these variables to AppleScript. The AppleScript I made will first convert this Bible reference to that Accordance can recognize, i.e., Gen 1:1-3. Then, it will use Joe's Accordance Script Library to get the verse and put it in the system clipboard.

 

Then, back to Keyboard Maestro, I can either choose to display the text in a window, paste it to any app, or just leave it in the clipboard (i.e., do nothing else).

 

 

Take a complete macro for instance. This macro contains six actions:

1. It copies my selection to system clipboard (presumably, the selection is a Bible reference). It can be anywhere, as long as I can copy the Bible Reference.

2. it sets BibleRef value to "System Clipboard", i.e., the Bible Reference I selected before the first step.

3. It sets BibleVersion value to CUS°. 

4. It passes the two variables to AppleScript and get the verse(s) from Accordance and put them in the System clipboard.

5. It removes the chapter number, colon, and line break. 

6. It plays a notification. If my selection in the first step was not a valid Bible Reference, it will notify me that the Bible Reference is unacceptable. Otherwise, it notifies me that the biblical text has been succesfully copied.

 

These actions are all automatic. If I select "创1：1-3" (Gen 1:1-3) and execute the macro, I will get (the first three verses of Genesis in CUS°):

1 起初神创造天地。2 地是空虚混沌。渊面黑暗。神的灵运行在水面上。3 神说，要有光，就有了光。

 

[bdollahite]

Thanks Martin for taking the time to explain an effective work around, while I wait for Accordance development to address my need.  

 

As a general rule, for all software products and not just Accordance  — I try to avoid customizations, for MacOS, Apple Script, and Accordance may all change with time, and these changes may cause customization to break.  Hence if a feature is desired, it is best (In my opinion) to get the application's developer to support it.  That said your work-around appears to meet the immediate need.  THANKS.  

[bdollahite]

In the interim, you could have a look at the Services, which allow even for customizability.

Joe — Can you be more specific, or is what you suggested what Martin explained using Applescript?

[Martin Z]

You're welcome, @bdollahite. I know eventually the apps will go away, including Accordance. But if, over the years, they can serve me and save me more time than the time spent on setting them up, they are worth investing.

 

BTW, just want to point out, the GetVerse service does not remember " the last opened text module". It gets the text module where your cursor is. In the text browser, try moving your cursor by clicking the verse in a different text module and then activate the get verse service, the text module will change to the text module where your cursor is. It also works for tabs with different panes.

 

This is probably still not what you want, but I just want to say, you don't have to open a new text module each time you want to switch to a different text module.