Hymns on N900
 

I'm happy to announce that Hymns is now in Extras-devel.

Attachment 12076

What is it?

This is an extremely simple Qt app for those who like to sing and/or are LDS ("Mormons"). From the package description:
I've been sitting on this one for months waiting for a problem with broken libraries in the repo to be resolved so it could make it through the autobuilder. In the interim, PR1.2 and/or some buffoonery on my part managed to break building the app even in my scratchbox SDK. When i thought i finally had both problems licked, the new version stopped rendering PDFs properly. Fortunately it turned out to only be a corrupted data package. So finally, in the spirit of "release early, release often," i bring you the alpha version--before something else goes wrong. :o

Known problems:

• Currently only displays first page of multi-page hymns
• No full screen and portrait mode yet

In spite of limitations, it's come in handy in the months i've had it on my N900.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Great idea I must say. Do you have to be a Mormon to use it though? Can you import Christian Hymns into it? It would be very useful to me if it did..

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Thanks. As i mentioned, it's really a very simple, single-purpose app: it's basically a PDF viewer with a hand-prepared set of PDFs. It could be modified to make a similar app with any hymnal available in PDF format. Most of the work is in chopping the hymnal into individual PDFs per hymn and cropping (and i ended up getting these from the iPhone app maker rather than reinvent that wheel). If the original hymnal is available with a table of contents that links to each hymn, just using a normal PDF reader would be almost the same thing.

If someone prepares another hymnal PDF, i will help adapting the code to the purpose. Keep in mind copyright restrictions. In this case, a provision is made by the holder for distributing the hymns for incidental, noncommercial use, which i believe covers this app in Extras-*. I'm not sure what restrictions are placed on other hymnals.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I would be interested in the creation of a more generic version with Hymns. Obviously a version that would allow anyone to import whatever Hymns they wanted with no religious restrictions would have a wider audience.

I hadn't thought about this sort of app before but now you have mentioned it this would be pretty valuable for me as I have to select hymns for services sometimes at the last minute so this sort of thing would be great. Or just to be able to praise God through a hymn wherever I am. Cool!

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Flandry awesome stuff. Do you know if there is any scriptures or LDS manual support coming down the line. At the site pretty much EVERYTHING BUT maemo already has a native player.

On my PDA a while back I used YancyWare and it was awesome, you could hightlight, annotate, bookmark, etc.

Thanks for this!

2d

Re: Hymns on N900
 

The plucker versions of the manuals and other media here work in FBReader.

The audio editions of the scriptures and conference talks can be downloaded and listened to in nQa Audiobook Player, or streamed. There are several ways of tuning into streams.
Attachment 12078
Katana is a nice little Bible reader--presently it's just that (a Bible reader, not a Bible study tool). For the other Standard Works, there's the Web Edition if you have a data plan or wifi. I don't have a data plan and don't like waiting for page downloads, so i have used a script to pull down a full copy, strip out the cross links and references, and reformat for a small screen. I have bookmarks to this local copy in MyDocs in MicroB (i keep them on my desktop so i can just pop open to the place i was at), and it works fine to read scriptures this way. Navigating between books isn't the easiest, though.
Attachment 12077
Studying is a different matter, though. There's no ebook reader on the N900 that can do useful annotations (not considering PDF as an ebook format). SWORD, which is used as the engine for Katana, has a lot of potential, but is currently not really able to handle other books with the degree of control it does Bible translations, and in Katana only provides the text so far, no commentaries or concordance or anything.

Rant mode
The problem with Yanceyware and the other half-dozen boom-and-bust LDS-specific scripture readers is that they all used their own proprietary formats. To make matters worse, a couple of them were temporarily adopted by church media as supported formats, only to be dropped later due to changing device landscape and discontinued software (and internal policy changes, no doubt). Thus, we're left, after over 10 years of PDA scripture readers, with almost no progress toward a single, multiplatform, robust reader. What a lot of wasted effort...

The recent release of official apps for Android, WinCE, and iPhone was a surprise, but i'm not really that optimistic it's going to amount to anything different in the long run--this isn't the first episode of this i've seen or my only experience with church IT--and it doesn't help for those not in mainstream OSes. I haven't had time to look at feedback to see what the apps are like, but it's definitely a nice option for many people where there may have been none before.

Annotations in a reader are only useful if the reader (and annotations with it) doesn't disappear after a year or two or four. This is why all those commercial proprietary readers over the years really peeve me (not to mention in some cases IMO violated the copyrights of the church) and i've actually not patronized any of them. Plucker format has been supported consistently since PalmOS in about 1999 and whatever PDA i've carried since, but still the annotations, not being part of the format, did not fare so well.

I guess that's all to say that annotations and highlighting and anything besides basic reading capability are all but pointless on mobiles unless it uses an open, common format that is likely to survive that single app and platform.

No pent-up frustration over past abandoned annotations here; no sir. :p

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Flandry, I understand your frustration having suffered some of that myself. I was using a large pdf file before as a means to read the scriptures, but it took forever to load, and I found that not knowing the exact page you wanted to go to, it would take FOREVER to get there.

Heres to hoping their IT staff will give us a linux version that can be retooled for arm and the Maemo environment.

2d

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I've volunteered to work on some apps. A Mormon Channel app has been finished and awaiting them releasing it for over a month now. I'm tempted to strip trademark and copyrighted material from it and going ahead and releasing.

I am also interested in other apps. Mobile Member seems like a bad idea when you can integrate with the system :). The current system does not seem like you can easily provide new contact backends and I would have to go with syncing. Qt has/will have a contact manager system that I could plug an engine into for ward lists but unfortunately it doesn't look like it'll be supported on Meego for a while. I'm unsure what it would take for an extra calendar backend but sync is always an option. I can't remember what other features it has that would be interesting.

As for scriptures I am mixed about whether to write a stand alone app or adding it as a backend to Katana.

When I was a Palm user I just used Plucker to read them anywhere and didn't invest my notes or other things into a platform I would lose them in. If we created a study platofrm the nice thing is we have access to the file format and can translate it for format changes.

I'm a bit more hopeful with the Church taking a stance of providing a web API and allowing people to create apps at their pleasure. I would prefer they would provide stock HTML5 apps for everything as that would work on all platforms and provide most of the basic functionality available.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Nope. The mobile apps are community-developed from the ground up.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

epage, while I'm sure it being officially released would be great, but also would be nice to get the mormon channel already. I've been trying to get that streaming for quite some time now. No dice of course.

I imagine Katana with a backend would be easier to work on. Of course if you want to do the whole shi-bang and incorporate a annotation, notes, and highlighting option, I would be whole hardly eagerly anticipating it's completion.

I've thought about working on one myself, but just don't have enough time.

At any rate, thanks for your contributions thus far!

2d

Re: Hymns on N900
 

They used to be enthusiastic and very responsive but last responded to me June 2nd. I pinged them on June 12th and just pinged them again today. In addition to everything else I need to do right now ;) I hope to have a copyright stripped version ready before next Wednesday if I don't hear back..

EDIT: To be extra paranoid the items I need to replace are

• Name
• Backgrounds: conference, scripture, magazine, and maybe a header for the Mormon Channel screen.
• Category icons: radio, conference, magazine, scriptures

Any suggestions for these?

EDIT: Screenshots (not the most recent version)

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Flandry:
Could you come up with a similar app for Christian hymns whereby we can select which PDF to import. A search by Hymn title and the Musician or Author would be fab.

Is this possible?

Re: Hymns on N900
 

As i described previously, if you or someone else will prepare the PDF (one file per hymn), i'll modify the little reader app to display it. It's all this app does right now--let the user input a hymn number, and open a corresponding PDF file. You might also find some recognizable hymns in this one. :) I didn't really have the patience to process this PDF and don't anticipate finding even more of it to chop up one i'll probably never use.

I tested searching using some different pdf utility libraries, but none of them could pick out the text to do a meaningful search. If i finish up the basic display functionality (full screen, portrait, etc.) i'll probably implement type-to-search using hymn names from a separate file.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I have been using an HTML version in Opera Mini for reading. I have no use for marking electronic scriptures; if I want to mark something I'd rather have it in my real ones anyway.

I don't mind the Opera Mini way of reading the scriptures, except that it sometimes messes up the links when I go to, say 1 Chronicles chapter 17 I might end up half way through chapter 13. It just started doing this.

I would rather use MicroB, but I have to change the text size. Then when I'm done I have to change it back or all my browsing is messed up. I can't figure out how to change font size in Firefox.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Hey there brother Ed.

You probably already know who is going to ask for a Diablo version of this, yes? :)

You really should be more quiet around here because you're always going to get pounded with requests if you don't. *lol*

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Already tested and working. I really have just been sitting on this for a month and a half.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Witness! :D

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I'm not sure how Opera Mini works but i can send you my downloaded version if you want to see if it's better for you.

I spent some time tweaking the CSS file to get the font sizes right for my tastes. All the files use the same CSS file, so i can just change a single line to change the size if i decide it's too small.

Attachment 12116

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Flandry
If you could send me two or three Pdfs so I understand quite how to split them then I'll see what I can do.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I finally heard back. It was just a short message about checking with legal "real quick". Decisions, decisions on whether to be patient

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Any word on this Ed?

Also, I'm not quite understanding what this application really does.

For Diablo, if it ever does get released, will you basically be viewing a screen like this:
http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/8...0072707504.png
And will there also be the music for it playing as well in the background like this?
http://www.mediafire.com/?0ttbutbq5pd8ns9

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I'm hoping Flandry can allow for different PDF hymn files to be imported so we can access different hymnals, etc.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Nope

I've not downloaded it but that is the type of thing that'd be shown I believe. I doubt it plays music in background since its probably more so meant for when in services rather than practicing by yourself. It'd be an interesting thought for him to add it.

Was that also a subtle hint that you want me to try to port this to Diablo? ;)

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I thought I made that request a week ago if you look back in this thead.

I'm not all too sure about this though without having some type of music in the background since I tend to sing in the key of Z.

I once tried karaoke and almost got myself arrested. *lol*

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Sorry I thought that request was for the other app I was working on that I talked about in this thread. Out of laziness I tend to shy away from working on apps not done in Python...

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Okay, can I bug you on whatever is was that you were refering to then? :D

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I've been a silent observer...but I just want to say thanks to everyone working on porting LDS stuff over to the N900.

I'm getting so sick of my buddy sneering at me and showing me all the LDS apps on his iphone/ipad. The N900 is far superior in everything else I want it to do...except everything related to the church.

Just know that there are other LDS N900 users cheering you on!

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Heya Epage, any news on getting the scriptures/mormon channel up and running on N900...the screen shots look awesome....

I know what you mean Bronze....I am sick of seeing it considering the N900 is way more awesome than the IPhone/IPad.

Really looking forward to it all.....fingers crossed here

Cheers

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I keep getting teasers that something might happen with it but then nothing. If anyone has a name suggestion I like I'll go ahead and release it. I'll scrounge around for replacements to the artwork copyrighted IRI

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Hmmmmm Names for it? Do you mean you have it all ready to go? just has to be named?

let's see I am not very creative when it comes to this sort of stuff but I will give it a go....

NZion
Cumorah

Will try and think of a few more.

Cheers

Re: Hymns on N900
 

For clarification I have a Mormon Channel app already to go. That is the audiobook / radio program app. The Church has been dragging its feet for over 2 months on releasing it. My understanding of my agreement with them is that I have copyright on the source and they have a non-exclusive perpetual grant on that copyright. I just have to purge IRI material from it.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Ahhh ok so this is not like the LDS app which gives you access to scriptures and manuals etc??

was hoping it was :(

Cheers

Re: Hymns on N900
 

I plan to eventually create that one too

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Epage.....You are a legend:) Thanks!

Lovin this Maemo community!

Cheers

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Just as a matter of interest, I have the whole of the UK Methodist 'Hymns and Psalms' in word (.doc) format, words only. This would include a large number of well-known hymns.

Anything over 50 years old is 'public domain' so out of copyright. If people wanted particular hymns converted to PDF for this project, just yell.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Since people were discussing ways to read the Standard Works, I thought I'd mention that I have a plucker-formatted file with the complete Standards Works, with footnotes and study helps. It works great in FBReader, although it does take quite a while (~1 minute) to load on my N800. I can't remember where I downloaded it from, so let me know if Google can't find it for you and I'll send you a copy.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Take a look at http://lds.org/cm/catalogsearchalpha...82-1-1,00.html for a listing of hymns in the LDS (Mormon) hymnbook. Many, if not most of them were written by people of other Christian denominations, so there are likely quite a few that are familiar to you. (I've heard that Kawai actually used the arrangements from the LDS hymnbook for the built-in hymns on their digital pianos.)

Re: Hymns on N900
 

Its been over three months now. I've come up with a new name (Waters of Shiloah) and scoured around for permissively licensed images to include. I've requested a garage project and a b.m.o component. Expect to soon see a t.m.o thread announcing this.

Re: Hymns on N900
 

As an update, I've finally announced the release of Waters of Shiloah.

I guess I'll stop hijacking this thread ;)