BUG: PG links are acting wonky (imprecise) affecting the Index of Bible studies

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,072 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 21 in English Forum

I tried building a test file in the same format as the Index of Bible Studies only to discover that its links ignore offsets. I then tested the main file and found the same problem. See Index of Bible Studies - Logos Forums for context.

[quote]

Gen 1:1 [[When Critics Ask >> logosres:wcritask;ref=Bible.Ge1.1]]

Gen 1:1 [[Today's Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties >> logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=-585]]

The 1st opens to the correct entry; the second opens somewhere in the vicinity and you hunt from there.

[quote]

1Chr 1-9 [[1&2 Chronicles: Sheffield/T&T Clark Bible Guides >> logosres:sheffcl13ch;ref=Page.p_19]]

1Chr 1:1-2:2 [[1&2 Chronicles: Sheffield/T&T Clark Bible Guides >> logosres:sheffcl13ch;ref=Page.p_19;off=766]]

The 1st opens to the correct entry. The second opens to exactly the same spot and you have to figure out where you should be.

Note in the compiled PB you don't see the offset so you are more exposed to computer whim. The worst thing about this is that it defeats the purpose of the hover preview.

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

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  • Dave Hooton
    Dave Hooton Member, MVP Posts: 35,672 ✭✭✭

    Gen 1:1 [[Today's Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties >> logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=-585]

    Should be logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=585. If -585 is meant, then its location on p170 seems accurate, but you should not get a negative offset if positioning the appropriate text at the top of the panel.

    Another way is to select some of the text from the start of what is required e.g.  logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=684;ctx=ient_creation_myth.$0A~It_would_be_unfair_o   but logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=684 is more compact (by positioning).

    Test these in the Command Box.

    Note in the compiled PB you don't see the offset so you are more exposed to computer whim. The worst thing about this is that it defeats the purpose of the hover preview.

    The selection method works best in PB's i.e. logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=684;ctx=ient_creation_myth.$0A~It_would_be_unfair_o

    Dave
    ===

    Windows 11 & Android 13

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,072 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The selection method works best in PB's i.e. logosres:hbksolvbbldif;ref=Page.p_171;off=684;ctx=ient_creation_myth.$0A~It_would_be_unfair_o

    I was using the selection+ panel menu L4 method. I had recently learned from Adam that even with a selection the system still takes the address from the top of page rather than selection. Therefore, I always tried to have the selection at the top of page. Note one example was from the current shared PB file, the other from my file.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Andrew Batishko
    Andrew Batishko Member, Logos Employee Posts: 5,362

    I agree with Dave that the negative offset in the first pair of links seems suspect. I'm not sure how you got that value.

    1Chr 1:1-2:2 [[1&2 Chronicles: Sheffield/T&T Clark Bible Guides >> logosres:sheffcl13ch;ref=Page.p_19;off=766]]

    I'm not sure why this logosres link behaves differently if you enter it in the command box compared to using it in a PBB, but there does seem to be a difference. I've written up a case to investigate.

    Andrew Batishko | Logos software developer

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,072 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I'm not sure how you got that value.

    I got it from a shared file that has been years in the making so I doubt the author would know either. But I will direct him to this thread.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • NB.Mick
    NB.Mick Member, MVP Posts: 15,845 ✭✭✭

    I seem to remember from the very old days that offsets simply don't work (I filed it in my brain as a Bradley-confirmed bug that never will be fixed), the ctx syntax however does. Maybe that's a false memory, or that was the case and changed in the meantime - or it still is true. 

     

    Have joy in the Lord! Smile

  • Andrew Batishko
    Andrew Batishko Member, Logos Employee Posts: 5,362

    You are correct that that the milestone + offset links do not work in PBBs. They do work properly from the command box, but are not guaranteed to go to the correct place if the resource is updated (making them a poor choice for a preserving a link over the long term). We have no plans at this time to fix this PBB limitation.

    That ctx syntax also allows the links to continue to point to the correct location if the resource is updated and the offsets change. As Dave indicated, you need to select some text in order for the "copy location" to use the ctx syntax.

    Andrew Batishko | Logos software developer

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,072 ✭✭✭✭✭

    We have no plans at this time to fix this PBB limitation.

    I understand this given the backlog of modernizing central features. What this does me to me is that Logos needs to be more responsive in taking over the maintenance of "features" that the users have had to build and maintain themselves. I can at least make the updates I provide for the bible studies index as robust as possible which is the immediate issue. Thanks.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Fabian
    Fabian Member Posts: 1,009 ✭✭✭

    You are correct that that the milestone + offset links do not work in PBBs. They do work properly from the command box, but are not guaranteed to go to the correct place if the resource is updated (making them a poor choice for a preserving a link over the long term). We have no plans at this time to fix this PBB limitation.

    That ctx syntax also allows the links to continue to point to the correct location if the resource is updated and the offsets change. As Dave indicated, you need to select some text in order for the "copy location" to use the ctx syntax.

    I see Logos set the bugs and improvements of PBB in general on the long list.Nearly to not fix by purpose. But pleas set it, so it get not forget. 

    Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης· 

  • Richard Wilson
    Richard Wilson Member Posts: 189 ✭✭

    I'll add a couple of comments, as a creator of the PBB file (Index of Bible Studies) that started this thread.

    1. I had never noticed the negative offsets before. They seem to occur in a few resources that were added many years ago. Maybe an old version of Logos produced them, because when I do the same thing now I get positive offsets from the beginning of the page rather than negative offsets from the beginning of the following page. I will go through the file to correct them.

    2. I had thought that an update to the text would make that offsets imprecise, but it should not be a drastic problem. Correcting errors in a book would rarely mean adding or talking out more than a few characters, so the relevant text should still be found.

    3. The fact that offsets don't work in links in Personal Books is a bit more of a problem, although the user should not have to go far up or down the page to find the relevant location, which in the case of the Index of Bible Studies should be fairly obvious.

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,072 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That ctx syntax also allows the links to continue to point to the correct location if the resource is updated and the offsets change. As Dave indicated, you need to select some text in order for the "copy location" to use the ctx syntax.

    Well, I'm feeling stupid ... how in the ..... do I get the ctx syntax? I select text. I use the panel menu to get to copy location. Both URL and L4 continue to give me offsets. My test case: https://ref.ly/logosres/anchrstthmnt?ref=Page.p+30&off=455

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Dave Hooton
    Dave Hooton Member, MVP Posts: 35,672 ✭✭✭

    how in the ..... do I get the ctx syntax? I select text. I use the panel menu to get to copy location. Both URL and L4 continue to give me offsets. My test case: https://ref.ly/logosres/anchrstthmnt?ref=Page.p+30&off=455

    I don't have that book, but have not known the selection method to fail to provide a ctx. Does it work in the NRSV when you select text from the second line of a verse in Job 17 (even with Bible text only in its VF)?

    A video of your attempts may help.

    Dave
    ===

    Windows 11 & Android 13

  • NB.Mick
    NB.Mick Member, MVP Posts: 15,845 ✭✭✭

    how in the ..... do I get the ctx syntax? I select text. I use the panel menu to get to copy location. Both URL and L4 continue to give me offsets. 

    Hm. Seems to work for me....

    https://ref.ly/logosres/anchrstthmnt?ref=Page.p+30&off=825&ctx=rophet+is+reliable.+~A+prophet+who+advoca

    logosres:anchrstthmnt;ref=Page.p_30;off=825;ctx=rophet_is_reliable._~A_prophet_who_advoca

    ....on the second try. When I first selected from the beginning of the chapter header, it only gave me offset without ctx. (and you made me buy this book, or rather Verbum 5 Platinum, which contains it)

    Have joy in the Lord! Smile

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,072 ✭✭✭✭✭

    (and you made me buy this book, or rather Verbum 5 Platinum, which contains it)

    Well, I'm glad something good came out of this mess. I think you've identified my problem as I was selecting a low level heading with/without some of the following text. It appears that I must pick up some front garbage to make it work.

    My current analysis:

    • Logos refuses to add an appropriate Bible studies index so the users must compensate by doing it themselves.
    • Users do so.
    • Then they notice that the offsets don't work correctly in their index.
    • Logos laughs and says - yeah, we know but you just have to live with it.
    • Logos then offers an alternative to the offset.
    • User can't get it to work.
    • Another user points out that if you pick up some garbage in front of what you actually want, it will work.
    • Hey, yeah, if you change where you want to jump to, just a bit ahead of what you want, it works so ...
    • In order to build an index that should be provided by Logos ... I can almost do it if every time I want to jump to a minor heading within a page, I don't mind jumping in the general vicinity of where I want to be.  I think this is called the drunk-frog navigational method a.k.a. precision has never been Logos' strong point.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."