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Thank you Steve, Valerie and Stefan for your messages and explanations - I think I understand a little better now. So could i send an email using the FSW code - and then the SignWriting would show up? I'm trying to think of a way that I can try it out, because I grasp things when I try them out. If not possible, your explanations will suffice for now. thank you again! maria > SignWriting List > April 8, 2013 > > Hello Steve, Stefan and Maria - > Thank you for this discussion…And thank you, Steve, for your excellent > explanation below… > > Maybe this will help…I will explain it from my "non-computer-programmer" > perspective… > > 1. Underneath the visual world we see on computer screens, is a bunch of > source code, based on 0s and 1s, that I have no clue how they work! But by > some miracle I use computers everyday, and computers are a blessing for > all of us…but there is source code hidden underneath what we see. While I > am typing this message, there is source code that is helping me do it, yet > I never see it… > > 2. When we write SignWriting in SignPuddle, or in Delegs Software, or in > SignWriter Studio, there is source code underneath the visual SignWriting > symbols. I know the source code is there, but I never have to think about > it, because I can live and breath inside the beautiful visual world of > SignWriting and sign languages… > > 3. Steve has developed the source code to make this possible, which he > calls FSW, for Formal SignWriting, and if you saw the source code for a > SignWriting text you would be amazed…you can see it anytime….Go to a > SignPuddle document, and clicking on the FSW link at the bottom of the > document - and there you can see the underlying sources, that are like > long strings of letters and numbers and so forth - > > 4. Up until this new development, the only software that could read those > FSW sources were software programs specially designed for SignWriting, > like SignPuddle or Delegs, but now with this new development called the > SignWriting Thin Viewer, which is a plugin that can be installed on web > pages and can also be used in the Bookmarks of your web browser…now if you > see some of that FSW code but cannot see what the SignWriting looks like, > because you are outside our specialized software, you can use the SW Thin > Viewer to see what the SignWriting really looks like, and you are not > using SignPuddle or Delegs, but other web sites! For the first time, we > are "stepping out" of our own specially designed environments and using > SignWriting in the general world. > > 5. Let me give you an example…I create web pages using HTML by using a > program called DreamWeaver. Before now, for me to place some SignWriting > from SignPuddle onto my new web page, I would have to go into SignPuddle > and click on the ColumnMaker button and format the column and then save it > as an SVG-PNG, and then bring it into my web design as a graphic file… but > now, with the new SW Thin Viewer plugin, I can instead paste the plugin > source on the header of my new web page, and then I don't have to create a > graphic of the SignWriting any longer - I can bypass ColumnMaker and just > grab the FSW code and paste it into my new web page and save the page and > when I post it on the web, it will show up as real SignWriting instead of > the FSW code - so it bypassed my having to create a graphic of the file - > > This has a great future for iPhones too - and for iPads - there is much to > explain but there are no worries either - because we can still work just > as we have before and no one is forcing us to change anything - just new > opportunities - smile - > > Val ;-) > > ------ > > On Apr 8, 2013, at 12:22 PM, Stephen E Slevinski Jr > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> On 4/8/13 3:04 AM, MARIA GALEA wrote: >>> Dear Steve, >>> Well done for the accomplishment - however all this information is just >>> an >>> unknown language for me since my programming skills are non-existent. >>> Do >>> you think you could somehow simplify what is going on. >>> >> >> On 4/8/13 7:58 AM, Stefan Wöhrmann wrote: >>> Hi Maria, >>> >>> this is exactly what has been on my mind. I would love to estimate what >>> is >>> going on but I do not understand ... Will this accomplichment change >>> anything in the way I am using SignWriting with SignPuddle or the >>> delegs-software? >>> >>> Thanks for your message! >>> >>> All best >>> >>> Stefan >>> >> >> Hi Stefan & Maria, >> >> Thanks for your patience and interest. >> >> When reading SignWriting, we want to see the signs like... >> >> >> >> >> However, that is a graphic. The real name of each sign is a string. >> >> If we use ASCII, the text is: >> M518x529S14c20481x471S27106503x489 >> M523x536S2eb48485x504S10011502x463S2eb04507x497S10019477x472 >> >> Unicode without a font (image) >> >> >> Unicode without a font (characters) >> >> >> Unicode with a local font: >> screen capture from SignPuddle.com >> with Graphite enabled in Firefox. >> http://signpuddle.com/#font >> >> >> >> >> >> Formal SignWriting >> ============ >> Until the SignWriting font is perfected, we will be using Formal >> SignWriting as the ASCII codes. >> >> Here is what Formal SignWriting looks like: >> M518x529S14c20481x471S27106503x489 >> M518x533S1870a489x515S18701482x490S20500508x496S2e734500x468 >> S38800464x496 >> >> The word "Formal" is used in the technical sense of a "Formal language". >> It basically means each word is formed as a string of characters. >> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_language >> >> >> The Plugin >> ======= >> The plugin basically takes the ASCII string and wraps it for >> presentation. This first plugin works for web pages and HTML documents. >> The writers must still deal with the FSW, but the reader is shown the >> SignWriting images. >> >> Please view SignPuddle.com without the plugin enabled. >> http://signpuddle.com/index2.html >> >> Notice the Formal SignWriting strings. If you have the SignWriting Thin >> Viewer bookmark ready, you can run the plugin in your browser to show >> the SignWriting instead of the Formal SignWriting. >> >> Now view SignPuddle.com with the plugin enabled. >> http://signpuddle.com/index.html >> >> The purpose of the plugin is to replace the Formal SignWriting strings >> and display the SignWriting. >> >> If the web site includes the SignWriting Thin Viewer, you will see the >> SignWriting: >> http://signpuddle.com/index.html >> >> If the web site does not use the SignWriting Thin Viewer, you will see >> the Formal SignWriting ASCII strings. It is here that you can use the >> bookmark. >> http://signpuddle.com/index2.html >> >> I hope to explain it better with videos and more features in the near >> future. >> >> I'd be happy to answer any questions. >> >> Regards, >> -Steve > >