BibleTime is an easy-to-use program. Here is an introduction to help you get the most out of your Bible study.
The program's main toolbar performs the following functions:
Print - prints what is in the queue, enabled only if there is data in the print queue
Footprint that turns into a bomb - empties print queue
Search within the browser window
Browse backward (with history)
Browse forward (with history)
Book - back
Chapter - back
Verse - back
Verse - forward
Chapter - forward
Book - forward
Question - Brings up the BibleTime Handbook
The first text box allows direct Bible reference lookup. The second shows you t he currently displayed verse.
With "Instant Lookup" the browser window will display a "guess" of what you are typing in the first text box.
The module selector shows the installed modules. The selector is divided into three parts: Bibles, Lexicons, and Commentary; under each tab are listed the installed modules of the currently selected part. Click on any module to see the text of the module in the browser window.
The browser window contains the same three tabbed sections as the module selector. Each module selected from the list will display its text in its respective browser window. Right-clicking on the browser window brings up a list of options:
1. Copy - copies selected text to the clipboard
2. Save displayed text as HTML - saves the currently displayed text to a file on the disk
3. Print marked text without key - puts highlighted verse numbers and text in the print queue
4. Print marked text with key - puts book and chapter along with verse numbers and text into the print queue
5. Search in text - brings up a search dialog box to search text currently displayed in the browser window
6. Look up in ... - looks up first highlighted word in any of the Lexicon modules you have installed
The search component provides an easy to use search interface.
Type the word or phrase you are looking for in the edit line and start by pressing "Enter" or by clicking on "Search" after selecting your desired search options. The Multi Word option can search for an individual word, or for all the words in a phrase. The Exact Phrase option searches for, you guessed it, the exact text string. The Reg. Expression option allows use of boolean operators to further refine your search. All searches are case INsensitive unless the checkbox is checked.
Within the search scope dialog you can define an upper and lower boundary for the search. For example, if you want to search for the word "love" in the New Testamant, you select "Set Bounds" in the search scope dialog box, and enter "Matthew" as the lower bound and "Revelation" as the upper bound. Now enter "love" in the edit line and you will get results only from the New Testament. Searches can be narrowed down to chapters and verses, as well.
This is where the search results are displayed. Upon completion of a successful search, BibleTime automatically switches from the Find tab to the Found tab. If it does not switch, nothing was found for the variables you input. Right-clicking on the list produces several options:
1. graphical analysis - this will create a bar chart of from the search results, graphically displaying the number of occurences of the search string found in each book,
2. Save - this will save search results to a text file with the following options: all - saves only the references for the entire search results, all with text - saves all with references and verse text, current - saves only highlighted reference, current with text - saves highlighted verse reference with verse text,
3. Copy - copies results to clipboard with the same four options as "Save",
4. Print - loads search results into the print queue with the same four options as "Save"
The bookmark manager is a very useful part of BibleTime. You can save bookmarks and organize them in several groups. For example, you are studying "faith" and "love". To make your studying easier, click on the "Bookmarks" tab, then right-click on the "Personal Bookmarks" entry. From the menu, choose "New Group", and name it "Faith". Repeat the process, naming this new group "Love". In the browser window you have found Hebrews 11:6, a verse about faith. To bookmark it, right-click on you new "Faith" group, and select "Add Bookmark". The verse will be put in this group for recall later. When you have found a verse on love, 1 Corinthians 13:4, right-click on the "Love" group, adding this verse also. Now, just double-click on the verse you want to bring it up in the browser window. The Bookmark tree expands and collapses like any regular file tree.
The notes editor allows you to write your own comments for Bible verses, and save them in the Personal Commentary module. Your comments will display exactly like any other commentary module. To work with the notes editor bring up the verse you want to comment on. Write your comment for this verse, then press the first button (check mark) to commit it to the Personal module. To edit it later, bring up the comment in the browser window and click on the second button (paper and pencil). Now you can edit it. Be sure to click on the first button when you're through. To remove a comment from a verse, bring up the comment and click on the third button (trash can) to remove it from the Personal module. At the top of the notes editor are two references. This allows you to enter the reference directly and write comments without having it in the browser window. To do this please enter the verse reference in BOTH places. Commenting on a range of verses does not work right yet. :-( Right-clicking in the editor window brings up a list of options: Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, and Check Spelling. All these options work in the standard way.