Using the Scripture Index Utility
The following instructions will help you to use the Scripture
Index utility to make your own Scripture Index for verses within all the DOC or
HTML files in a directory structure. After installation, all you have to do is
to:
First, click the 
icon on your desktop, after which a dialog
box similar to the following will appear:
1. Click the "Browse for
Directory" Button, and a dialog box will help you to browse for the directory
that contains the DOC and HTML files to be scanned for verse references. On finding
the desired directory, click “Open,” and the directory name will be placed into the form, as
above.
2. Type three lines
of descriptive information into the three edit controls at the lower right of
the form.
3. Click the “Make
Scripture Index” button.
While the files are being scanned, you will notice the path names being
displayed in the upper-right edit control. When the Scripture Index is
completed, there will be a pause while the program sorts the Scripture
references into Book-Chapter-Verse order.
Also, while it is searching the files within the directory structure,
you may make changes to the three lines of descriptive information. You may accomplishing
the entire step 2 while step 3 is progressing.
4. Click the “View Scripture Index” button…and
the Scripture Index will be opened in an Internet Explorer window.
5. If you desire to change the three lines of
descriptive text, do so now. Then, without repeating the search of step 3,
click the “Re-Title” button. Immediately, there will be a fresh copy of the
Index available. Use the “Refresh” button on the Internet Explorer Tool Bar (or
press F5) to view the Index with the changed title.
6. If you find that the search for Scripture
references is taking too long, and wish to interrupt the program, Click the “Stop”
button. Please recognize the magnitude of the process that is involved in
searching for every possible verse in a directory structure of documents. A
string of verse references, such as John 3:16, 18, 35-36; 5:22, 27 may contain verses
without chapters (like the 18 and 35-36) in which case it must imply both the
Book (John) and the chapter (3). If it has only a chapter and a verse (5:22),
then it must imply a Book (John). In all cases, it must validate that the book
(John) is not really 2 John, and that the chapters and verses actually occur in
Scripture.
The program searches
for every colon (“:”) in each document. It then determines if there are digits
before and after each colon. If there are, then, it searches for the word that
precedes the digit(s) before the colon. If that word is a Book name, it has established
a single reference. Then, it searches the characters between references found
for numbers and additional colons. If it finds numbers without colons, it checks
to see if each number is a valid verse in the chapter of the Book that precedes
it. If it finds a colon, surrounded by digits, then it attributes the preceding
Book name to that reference.
Even the sort of
Scripture references is not straightforward, since ascending/descending types
of sort subroutines will not place 2 Samuel before Acts. A sort key must be constructed
for each reference, such that when they are all sorted, the sequence determined
may be applied to the original references to achieve the proper order.
7. If you wish to ask questions or make
suggestions, please email Tom Wright at
twright@chafer.edu.