WordLinks Help

Introduction

The SpiritAndTruth.org WordLinks provides a framework within which various Bible Study sources ("books") are linked together for parallel viewing and convenient navigation using cross-references. It provides a "live" viewing experience with or without an active internet connection--and can be run completely stand-alone when downloaded to your local computer.

Navigation Controls

Navigation Controls

Starting in the upper left and moving clockwise, controls shown on the diagram above are described below. Some hints and tips concerning how to use the Bible Study framework are also included.

Buttons Within Study Aids

The following buttons appear within each chapter of most study aids to facilitate moving through the text. They operate slightly differently than within the navigator.

Help Click on this button to get help (this file.)

Up Clicking on this button takes you to the previous chapter.

Down Clicking on this button takes you to the next chapter.

Parallel Viewing

Each column within WordLinks contains a study aid which can be viewed in parallel with other study aids in other columns. (We use the phrase study aid to avoid confusion with the term book which has special meaning in the context of a Biblical study aid.)

The number of columns can be changed (using the "plus" and "minus" buttons shown below) and each of the viewing columns can contain any of the available study aids. Several different columns can be open to the same study aid if desired--allowing you to read different locations within the same study aid.

Columns are normally linked to one another. That is, movement within one column causes parallel movement in other columns to the same Bible address or topic. This allows columns to be read like a parallel Bible. Underlined entries in any column can be clicked on with the mouse in order to take other columns to the designated topic or Bible address. This can be very convenient and allows cross-references in one study aid (say the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge or International Standard Bible Encyclopedia to be viewed in another study aid (such as one or more Bibles).

Example

The following example illustrates some of the capabilities of WordLinks.

WordLinks
  1. The left-hand column contains the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE). The user typed "fire" into the topic entry control resulting in the ISBE displaying information concerning fire.

  2. The ISBE article concerning "fire" contains several cross-references. The user clicked on the cross-reference for Isa 14:15 which caused the other column containing the King James Version Bible with Strong's Numbers (KJV) to display Isaiah 24:15.

  3. Small dots mark words in the KJV for which the original Hebrew or Greek words can be seen. The user clicked on the dot following "fires" in the verse which displayed the Strong's Dictionary entry for the Strong's Hebrew word #217 (h217).

  4. Notice the status line at the bottom of the viewer. It provides a hint about how Bible address cross-references work. The first time you click on an address, all other unlocked columns move to the address. If you want the column containing the Bible address to follow to the same location, then click a second time on the same address. Two consecutive clicks on the address cause the refering column to follow the other columns to the address. (Topics operate differently. When clicking on a topic which is not a Bible address, all unlocked columns and the referring column move on the first click.)

This is but one simple example of how WordLinks can be used. Depending upon your display size and screen resolution, you can view up to 8 columns simultaneously--each containing any of the available study aids. Clicking on cross-references which are Bible addresses cause all study aids which are indexed by verse (such as Bibles) to move to that verse. Clicking on cross-references which are topics cause all study aids which are indexed by topic (such as dictionaries and encyclopedias) to move to the topic.

There are times when you will want one or more of the columns to remain stationary when other columns move to a cross-reference. In that case, you can check the locked control (see below). When locked, that particular column does not follow other columns. (It is still possible to click on cross-references within a locked column to move the other columns. In addition, topics and addresses entered within the column's own navigation controls will move the column, even when locked. But the column will not follow outside influences.)

Study Aids

WordLinks Hints and Tips

The following tips may make using WordLinks more enjoyable.

Workspaces

WordLinks has a very limited notion of workspaces. Workspaces typically define the preferences of a particular user. Each time the a program supporting workspaces is started, it begins operation using the preferred settings specified by the user.

Currently, WordLinks uses a cookie to store information about the number of columns in use, the study aid selected in each column, the location within the study aid most recently accessed, and whether the column is locked. This information is used to restore the state of WordLinks, as closely as possible, to where it was when last used. However, at this time, there is no provision for saving different workspace settings for different users.

Startup Parameters

WordLinks is typically launched by clicking on the "Bible Study" link from the main SpiritAndTruth.org webpage. However, it can also be launched directly. When running WordLinks via the web, the home location is http://www/SpiritAndTruth.org/study/index.htm.

When launched directly (using the above URL), you may also specify additional startup parameters which specify the number of columns, the study aids to open in each column, and the locations to seek within each study aid. For example:

NOTE: Depending upon your browser, startup parameters may only work when WordLinks is accessed over a website (using http://...) and may not work properly when accessed as a local file.

For the Technically Inclined (or Curious)

WordLinks is implemented using Javascript which runs entirely on the local computer. No website server scripts are used. This provides several key advantages over static HTML or server-side scripting:


WordLinks is in the public domain and may be copied and distributed as specified in the license.

Please send corrections to:
contact@SpiritAndTruth.org
www.SpiritAndTruth.org