A Prayerbook on Disk

One of the goals of Gates of Prayer (GOP) was to provide more than one basic service. In general, a ``traditional'' service is provided, and several alternative services follow, varying in their content. (See the introduction to GOP for more information.) This way, the same prayerbook can be used for more than one setting.

A further step toward the same goal might be providing the prayer book on disk. Private companies have already done this (see sections 4.6.3 and 4.7), but the CCAR currently plans only a limited version of such a disk. The trick is to provide not just the data, but software for accessing it. This might take one or more of the forms described immediately below.

Most of these solutions do not involve large amounts of data, and so would fit conveniently on floppy disks. The graphics solution, however, might necessitate a CD-ROM.

Any of these solutions would generate revenue from fees paid for the disk.

Graphics Files

This is the least useful solution, but the easiest to prepare. A disk containing graphic ``snippits'' of the prayer book would require of an end user only graphics-manipulation software. This is, in fact, close to what the CCAR is currently planning. Blocks of Hebrew text will be distributed, and the user will be able to assemble those blocks in any order. However, graphics files will not permit the user to reformat any of the paragraphs, change fonts, correct errors, etc. Also, current software to make use of these graphics files is difficult to use, and does not enjoy the wide distribution or more popular packages such as WordPerfect or Word.

The CCAR may want to include software on the disk, to make the disk more accessible. One way of doing so would be to sell a copy of some commercial package with the disk. Alternatively, a private programmer could be hired to create a package for the CCAR. The one-time cost of such a programmer would likely be approximately $10,000-$20,000.

The advantages of hiring a programmer to create a custom programs are that the program so creates would be tailored exactly the the purpose at hand. It might, for example, guide an end-user start-to-finish through the task of creating a service; it might contain immediate help regarding the prayers and their order; it might mention other CCAR products; etc. In short, the program would do exactly what the CCAR wants it to do.

To obvious drawback is the one-time cost of the programmer.

In terms of the graphics files themselves there are two possibilities. The poorer of the two is to to scan printed text.[+] The other option is to create the text electronically with appropriate software. The CCAR does not currently own appropriate software. At the time of this writing, it was investigating having a third party create the graphics files.

With such a disk, creating a service would consist of electronically moving around blocks of graphics. This is often a time-consuming and frustrating task, because it is difficult to know ahead of time where on the page graphics ought to be placed. Additionally, splitting a paragraph between pages, as is often necessary for good page layout, would entail splitting the graphics file into two smaller graphics files, and keeping track of both files. On the other hand, this graphics solution does not require any specific Hebrew knowledge. It does require that the user know and recognize the rubrics of a typical service. Again, a custom-designed program might obviate some of the difficulties of this graphics oriented approach.

Text Files

This is a more useful solution, but one which requires a little more work. English text files are standardized, and easy to prepare. In fact, the CCAR already plans to distribute English text files (with its Hebrew graphics files). Hebrew is another matter.

The CCAR would have to choose a Hebrew word processor to support, and distribute its files in a format suitable for that word processor. One likely candidate is Davka's Dagesh (for which the Orthodox liturgy is already available.) Another possibility is WordPerfect. The advantage to Dagesh is that it would make it much easier for users to modify and otherwise manipulate the Hebrew. The advantage to WordPerfect is that most users already own the program, and know how to use it. Dagesh also produces better Hebrew output than WordPerfect.

With either program, creating a service would consist of calling up small files, each representing one section of prayer, and choosing how that section should be displayed. This would give users full control over which prayers they want to include, how they want to include them (font, paragraph width, etc.) and so on.

A programmer would be able to convert the Hebrew from one format to the either, so the CCAR could offer both formats.

A Full Program

A third option is to provide a menu-driven program with the disk, so users need not worry about files names and so forth. (This is what ServiceMaker does.) This solution, of course, requires a programmer to create a custom program. The advantages to a full program are the ease with which complex prayer services could be created. The main drawback (other than the expense of creating it) is that the program would likely never have the power of a full word processor. Specific costs of developing such a program are hard to estimate, but probably in the range of $10,000 to $20,000.

The program could be designed any way the CCAR chooses. For example, a congregation may want only the equivalent of Service I from GOP. The program could ask the user which service(s) to print out, and so only print the parts that the user wants. In this example, it would only print Service I. Or the program could be more general, asking the user how to translate the Hebrew Adonai: ``Lord,'' ``Holy One,'' ``Adonai,'' etc.

The general answer to ``can a program be designed that does'' is almost always ``yes, if you have the money to hire a programmer.'' Accordingly, the two challenges are designing an appropriate program, that is, deciding what the ideal program should do, and finding the funds to create that program.