SignBank - writing documents ??

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
June 1st, 2003

Stefan Woehrmann in Germany wrote:
> I understand that we can look up sign by sign . We will be able to
> print out collections of special signs but contrary to the SW44
> program we will not be able to write "normal" SW documents but will
> still work with SW44 - or hopefully some kind or windows-based version
> of it -?? or - is there the possibility to write documents - within
> SignBank just as we do with the SW44 program but the advantage will be
> the better graphic quality - or the fact that SignBank is not based on
> DOS  --


Dear SW Listers, and Stefan -
These are excellent questions. Here is a summary:

TYPEWRITER
1. SignWriter is our "typewriter". It is like a word-processor, except
it is a "Sign Language and SignWriting processor".
2. SignWriter DOS 4.4 has good features, but bad graphics. SignWriter
5.0 (MAC and WIN) has better graphics, but is lacking some of the basic
features available in DOS. So we have no choice but to use BOTH 4.4 and
5.0 at this time...

STORAGE CLOSET
1. SignBank is our "storage closet", for signs, symbols, lessons,
literature. It is a fancy storage closet, like a library, because you
can search for things and find them in the "big storage closet"...
2. SignBank is NOT a typewriter, so SignWriter will always do the
typing....But then SignBank can store what we type...

BUT...

Someday, if I can be a good inventor and succeed, I will design
SignBank so well that SignWriter will become a part of SignBank. The
user will not even realize that there are two computer programs working
together, but SignWriter will be "built into SignBank" so that you can
type within the SignBank database...but it is still SignWriter doing
the typing...just with a SignBank user interface.

Antonio Carlos da Rocha Costa, in Brazil, is pioneering the SignWriting
Markup Language (SWML) which may play an important role in making this
possible - I will be meeting with Antonio Carlos about this in the
first week of July - he is coming to visit and we will share our
software designs...I am hoping that SWML will be the bridge needed to
bring SignWriter into SignBank...

So keep typing in SignWriter. Right now, SignBank only accepts the gifs
and jpegs made from SignWriter...more soon about this...

Val ;-)