[sw-l] SignPuddle

[Charles Butler]

Suggestion.

A function for email or phrasing that works from the "definition" line rather than the name of the sign.  There are several signs for madre, padre, and verde and it would be nice if the email utility would bring up all variants so one could choose from the "definition" line as the gloss rather than the name.

I am naming all of my signs as NAME-1 as I know that almost all of them have a variant somewhere else in Brazil, and I'd rather not presume that the sign I write is the only one.

Charles Butler


Stephen Slevinski <slevin at PUDL.INFO> wrote:
Hi Stuart,

I've thought of writing such a library, but I am not sure of the interest.

There is the broader topic of what is the best way to use SignWriting on websites.  There are several approaches we could use.

HTML Hardcode
Send yourself an SW email using the online images checkbox.  Copy and paste the HTML code.

PHP Function
Requires PHP installed on server.  This would be the translate function you describe.  Pass the langauge and the gloss.  Should also pass the style (horizontal or verticle), or use two functions.

Other CGI
Same as above, but in ASP or Perl or ...

Javascript
Create a Javascript function that would generate the SignWriting.  This would not require any special installation on the server.  This would require Javascript on the client.

Gloss vs SWML-S
Should these functions accept gloss or use SWML-S?
For dictionary entries that were created with the new SignMaker, I can output SWML-S.  For the other sign entries I can not.  The ASL dictionary needs to be almost completely rewritten, over 3000 signs.

Gloss can be used immediately, but SWML-S is the superior solution.  SWML-S will properly display verticle writing with the head in the center.  (I can even include lanes.)

SWML-S can be built from the dictionary, but does not depend on the dictionary.  In a few months, I hope to have a working version of Movement Writer available as a Java Applet that will output SWML-S.

Anyway, there are many options, but what is needed and what will be used?  I'm willing to write the code, not because it is possible, but because it will be used.

Seriously, who needs what?  Speak up and you may get it.
-Stephen
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu [mailto:owner-sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu]On Behalf Of Stuart Thiessen
Sent: Friday, October 08, 2004 10:07 AM
To: sw-l at majordomo.valenciacc.edu
Subject: Re: [sw-l] SignPuddle


Stephen,

I wonder if you could write a PHP function similar to your translate function that can embed the SignBank dictionary locations (with the option of adding local dictionaries) and then people can simply include that function on their page, and then reference it with a <?php translate("sgn-US", "ME GO STORE."); ?> or whatever you call it. Then the function can search the appropriate dictionaries both remote and local and place the appropriate PNG's in that slot.

For those who do not have access to PHP, maybe a CGI approach could be available for them?

What do you think?

Stuart

Valerie Sutton wrote: SignWriting List
October 8, 2004

Sandy Fleming wrote:
This would be a very easy way to build webpages with SignWriting without
having to extract and store the images on my own sever, but would this sort
of behaviour be acceptable to you, considering the load it would put on your
server? It might be quite a heavy load if people start using the Puddle
dictionaries to compose whole texts on their websites!

Hello Sandy, Stephen and Everyone!
Congrats on entering the sign for Wales (smile). I extracted the .png image from the htm file and here it is attached to this message...Looks good! When you create a sign in SignMaker now, it creates two kinds of files. One is a graphic image in .png format, and the other is the one that holds the language information, called a .bld file (Stephen's development)...So when I opened your htm file, I found the .png file for Wales there, and I right-clicked on my mouse and downloaded it. Then I attached the .png to this message.

Did you know that SignPuddle is not on Stephen's server? We moved Sign Puddle to the SignBank site during the summer which means it is on my server....not my server in my home...but on DeafVision, where I pay an annual fee to host our SignBank site. And as far as I know our memory is ok right now, so go right ahead, Sandy, and be as creative as you wish! That was why we moved SignPuddle to SignBank, so we would have a long-lasting, ongoing server for SignPuddle... Val ;-)




---------------------------------


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/sw-l/attachments/20041008/d076100e/attachment.htm>