David Cox's How to Use e-Sword Menu System

 How to Use the e-Sword Menu System

Let's start off by identifying the different panels in e-Sword to get you up to speed. If you are not already familiar with e-Sword, open the program and the study the image below to familiarize yourself with the general panels and layout. Let's also just throw out that the menu system in e-Sword is really not that important. There are a few things that you absolutely have to go to it to use, but in general, you use the menus very little in actual Bible study. The panels are where the action is so you need to learn the different panels and how to manipulate them.

This file is basically an overview of the main menu system for e-Sword. What I am doing here is just giving you a brief overview.

 File

This menu has these submenu options.

New -  Although it not very clear, but the New here is only for the creation of a new Topic notes file. This Topic Notes, Devotionals, and verse lists are the only file types that you can make within the e-Sword program.

Open - This will open the Commentary Panel, with the file chosen (TOPic file, or NOTe file. Note that if the tab "Topics" in the Commentary Panel is not the active tab, this option in the file menu will be grayed out.

Print, Print Preview, Print Setup -  This is for printing only what is selected in the Commentary window, (the two tabs: Study Notes and Topic Notes). When you have something selected in either of these two tabs, that is what will be printed. If you have nothing selected then it will ask for a range of notes (study notes, Topic Notes will be blank).

Import/Export - Both of these options are also for the Commentary tabs, Study Notes and Topic Notes. They will allow you to import to a RTF file or export to a RTF file your current page in either of these "notes".

In the image that the two tabs in the commentary panel (marked with a red box around them) are what is important in opening and creating a new file. "Study Notes" are basically a 1 to 1 note file system for every verse in the Bible, and a "Topic Notes" is basically a book, with the main page (or title chapter) and other chapters under it. I have RA Torrey's "How to Pray" loaded in this image.

This main menu option "File" is basically limited exclusively to these two Commentary tabs, and it will apply to the Commentary that you have selected (Study Notes or Topic Notes).

Print This will print the current note.

Print Preview This will preview what will be printed.

Page Setup This will allow you some options before printing.

It is important to consider these Notes as like chapters in a book. The actual format that e-Sword supports is a subset of the Microsoft RTF (Rich Text Format) and because of this you can easily import and export any notes into e-Sword or out of e-Sword using this format as the basis. We should also note that if a RTF file has Greek and Hebrew words in them, good luck! These words in any RTF file will be using a Greek or Hebrew font, and there is no standard for e-Sword. It will use any font ON YOUR SYSTEM! But if you publish the book for others, that will be all messed up for everybody that doesn't have that font. But on the good side of things, this makes the creation of complicated documents easier because you can create it in any RTF compatible Word Processor, and then import it into e-Sword, or you can export any Note into a RTF file.

Here I need to warn you about RTF. The programming software that Rick Meyers used to write the e-Sword program supports RTF in this way, but in reality we have to knock Microsoft here because the RTF format specification is just a mess. It is complicated, it is difficult to understand and worse to use correctly, and as I understand very little about it, but what I do understand is that there is more than one set way to format things in RTF. Actually I believe from some things I have read that Microsoft has decided to dump RTF in favor of XML. That is (according to their take on things) the future. The RTF was a creation of Microsoft to go against Adobe Publishing PDF format (a universal format for everybody to use), but it more failed than not.

The subset that e-Sword uses (don't quote me as authoritative here) is basic formatting functions (bold, underline, italics, etc), and hyperlinks (only to stuff outside of e-Sword, nothing within the program), and NO PICTURES AT ALL. This is great problem for e-Sword as a competitive Bible tool. If e-Sword did not have the edge of being free and a free other excellent features that the others (even expensive commercial Bible programs) haven't figured out, then it would have probably fallen by the wayside here.

What e-Sword does, it does pretty well in all categories except a few problems like images. Rick made a different format (Graphics MAP files) that is accessed by the yellow icon (mountain and moon) under the main menu line, almost to the end of the line. That file will have 1 image per chapter (like a Bible Map) and text in each chapter. Still not the same as Microsoft Word DOC or a Adobe PDF file.

So WARNING: e-Sword will not transport your system fonts that you use in modules to another computer. I would mention in defense of e-Sword that Microsoft Word and most word processing programs have the same problem, and only Adobe's PDF format actually saves the fonts in the individual files. So this is not something that is really unexpected, just remember it in creating files if you want to use them outside of your computer (think here, if you have to reformat your hard drive and reinstall everything, will you easily have the fonts you use available? Some strange little program that comes with a font and you never use the program but you do use the font, will you be able to find and reinstall the font?).

Import - Touching on the active tab (Study or Topic Notes), this will import an RTF file into that note.

Export  - Touching on the active tab (Study or Topic Notes), this will export the note you have edited into an RTF file.

Exit - Leave e-Sword and shut it down.

Edit

Again this main menu option is really used exclusively with the notes tabs in the Commentary panel.

Undo - Typical undo for what you were doing in either of the two Notes tabs.

Redo - Typical redo for what you were doing in either of the two Notes tabs.

We would caution here that where Microsoft Word undo-redo has a long memory, e-Sword has a very short memory. E-Sword basically is a very intricate database program, using all the files as databases. It has the restrictions and characteristics of an application written using Microsoft Access databases. This means that all of your editing is like it was in a memo field of Access. Once you move to a different record, that record you edited is automatically saved. So Undo and Redo will be wiped clean every time you move to another Study (Bible Commentary) verse, or if you move to another Topics "chapter."

Cut - This is going to remove the text selected and put it in the clipboard.

Copy - This is going to copy the selected text into the clipboard.

Paste - This is going to paste the clipboard text into the note.

Clear - This delete the text from the Note but not put it into the clipboard.

Select All - This will select the entire note. Again note that the selection will not be all notes

Find - This will do a search within the active topic-study (Commentary) note.

Replace - This will search the active note and replace.

Spelling - This will spell check the note.

Thesaurus - This will suggest a thesaurus alternative.

Format (Note that all of these options are valid when one of the two Notes tab are active and applies to that particular note.)

Font - This option is used to change the font (same function as the font drop down box in the Commentary panel).

Paragraph - This offers the paragraph formatting options.

Bullets and Numbering - This will offer the bullets and paragraph numbering option.

Decrease Indent - Increases the margin before the paragraph.

Increase Indent - Reduces the margin before the paragraph.

Scripture Tooltip - This will convert the selected text (has to be a Bible reference) into a format that e-Sword will recognize and provide a popup tool tip with the verse in the tooltip.

Notice that the tooltip appears when the cursor is hovering over the Bible reference. This is absolutely the best feature of any Bible study program I have ever seen, and I have bought a half dozen or more programs myself, and seen demos on many more. When studying something like a systematic theology, this is worth gold!

Format for tooltips. Later we will talk more about this in the page on Topic Notes, but briefly, there is no magic in here. The book reference has to be what e-Sword recognizes (see the Bible navigation panel on the extreme left for the proper e-Sword abbreviation) followed by an underscore (no spaces), the chapter number, colon, verse number. The color is optional.

        Gen_1:1

Bible

See this page for a fuller commentary on the Bible panel in e-Sword.

Commentary

See our Commentary page for information on how to use the Commentary.

Dictionary

See our Dictionary page for more information.

Tools

Bible Reading Plans - e-Sword has a Bible reading plan for reading through all or parts of the Bible. With this tool you can make your own reading plan as far as the books of the Bible and in what time limit.  The readings are assigned a number and you can double up if you want to read in a shorter time frame, or if something happens and you miss a day, it will not skip that reading. In other words, you read one after another. It can be set for auto opening at e-Sword startup.

Daily Devotions - e-Sword has a module type that is for daily devotional reading, for example, Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. The key element of this module is that it will present only 1 single record, and that is keyed to the current system date of your computer. It is designed to read it and go on and do other work. It can be set for auto opening at e-Sword startup.

Prayer Requests - e-Sword has a handy place for storing and praying through a list. This is the built-in utility for doing that.

Scripture Memory Tool - e-Sword also has a tool for helping you to memorize scripture passages. This has recently been improved and upgraded in the latest version.

Graphic Viewer - e-Sword in general uses the Microsoft Access database format for its module files, and inherent in this format (not what e-Sword restricts, but what Microsoft restricts) these databases do not allow graphics inline in them, but they do allow a special single graphic stored in a separate field. So e-Sword has a MAP graphic viewer for viewing maps, and basically this is one graphic per page with some text. This will open this viewer.

STEP Reader - This is actually a separate program that will allow you to read a STEP file. The only problem with this STEP format is that it was cooked up by various Christian editorial publishing houses, and so the ante for joining THEIR club an legally make a STEP file is somewhere around $10,000. That simply means that few outsiders of a large publishing house will even consider making a STEP file. Those that come with e-Sword are very good, so enjoy them, but don't think that you will be seeing many more anywhere else.

Options

Layout - This option allows you to rearrange the panels in e-Sword, (above, below, beside, or not at all).

Basically this will change the position of the panels within the e-Sword window. See the image at right. Here we have 3 numbers for each of the positions. The drop down boxes at top allow you to change the basic configuration and position, and the 3 drop down boxes at the bottom control the individual placement of different main components (Bible, Commentary, and Dictionary).

The second drop down box at top is for the position or showing of the Bible tree (the normally left hand panel) with all the books of the Bible for navigating to a specific passage.

On the far right, this radio button options all you to have only one line of tabs in each panel, or to make multiple rows, according to your preference.

Under that, the check boxes will set e-Sword to show the toolbars for each of the primary models.

The Split View Height is for the Bible Split view function.

Resource - This will allow you to make some resources "disappear" from the tabs. They are not erased, but are simply not shown in the tabs

There are basically three main resource (types of files) in e-Sword, Bibles, Commentaries, and Dictionaries (there are more, but e-Sword will allow you to control which are shown on only these three types). When you click on the Resource options you will see the image at right with a list of each resource (the name that appears in the tab). From these you can place or remove a check mark to remove it from being listed. This will help you to "clean up" a bit if you have too many of one of these showing.

Compare - In the Bible panel, you can see two Bible versions at the same time. This option allows you to choose which versions you are going to use for this feature.

 E-Sword will present you with a list of all installed Bible versions, and each will have a check mark beside it so that you can select what you want.

Scripture Tooltip - One of the principal advantages of using e-Sword is the Scripture tooltips. If you pass the cursor over a Bible reference (in the correct format), then e-Sword will make a tooltip bubble appear over the reference with the scripture text in it. Note that by default, the version of the Bible used will be what is currently loaded in the Bible Panel. Here you can change that default for the Old Testament and the New Testament to one specific Bible version.

Strong's # Tooltip - Basically e-Sword in previous versions has used the Strong's Hebrew-English dictionary as a base for now technical people (those not familiar with Hebrew and Greek, or those who have had some experience in these languages but need "brushing up") to allow a quick insight into the Greek or Hebrew word under the current word in the Bible text. These Bibles which work with Strong's will have a Strong's number in Green uppercase after the phrase or word in the Bible text. Up until now, this was limited to only a Strong's dictionary, but other dictionaries using Strong's numbers have come out, so this option will all you to use another dictionary instead of Strongs (but still organized with Strong's numbers).

Bible/Commentary/Dictionary/Tooltip Font - These options are for changing the default font for these panels. Note that there is a large (and growing) list of languages that e-Sword is adapting itself to use and display resources in these languages, and so there are options here for many of them (as per language family).

Editor Options - When you copy and paste text from e-Sword into another program or into the Study or Topic Notes, this option will allow you to paste as it was in the original or to paste it as plain text.

Spell Check Options - e-Sword has a spell check function and this option will allow you to change some options with it.

The first will Ignore words with numbers useful for things that have Strongs numbers.

The second will ignore words in upper case.

The third will ignore words in mixed case, like tHIs.

Reset "ignore all" Word list (this list are for words that are added to the spell check dictionary).

Display Options -

Scripture Tooltip -  Normally (default installation) when e-Sword shows a scripture reference tooltip, it will be the active version in the Bible window. You can change this to a particular version (both OT and NT).

Display Strongs # Tooltips - This option will show or not show the Strong's text when you pass the cursor over a Strong's number.

Display Bookmark Navigator - In the Bible panel, there is a small list of yellow tabs that allows you to quickly save your place while you browse around the Bible in other passages. These yellow tabs (1-9) can be toggled on or off as per your preference.

Display Background Texture - In the module windows, the text can have a background texture added to it. In the Topics Notes tab window, this is toggled on or off according to whether the module is locked or not. Locked it will have the texture, and unlocked it will be white. If you toggle this to no texture, the Topic Notes will always be white.

Highlight search Results - When e-Sword shows you a search result screen, this will toggle the highlighting of the key phrase searched for on or off.

Random Startup Verse - When you shut down e-Sword and restart it, normally it will set the Bible panel to where you left off. This will randomly choose a new passage.

Windows

Basically this is another way of using these icons.

These switches are for viewing full screen one of the main primary panels, Bible, Commentary, or Dictionary.

Help

Contents - This opens the e-Sword CHM help file.

Search for Help on - Open the help file with a search function.

Tip of the Day - This present a tip on using e-Sword.

Technical Support - This will take you to the e-Sword website to their Internet message center.

e-Sword on the Web - Goes to the e-Sword website.

About - This shows the e-Sword version information.