The Kitáb-i-Aqdas Project is a presentation of the Most Holy Book, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, initially started to satisfy two criteria not present in any other electronic version available at the time (mid 157BE / late 2000 Gregorian):
• carry a complete copy of the index that is found at the back of the paper copy of the book, fully linked back into the body of the Text
• provide a means that the electronic version could be read and, when put down, the exact place that one finished reading could be returned to quickly, without needing to put in place any form of bookmark
As work progressed in design and construction to satisfy these two goals, other uses for, and further opportunities to enhance the Project were seen and added to the list. The following list summarises these goals, and notes which, in the eyes of this person, are considered to have been achieved:
• accessible on every computer, regardless of hardware or software platform
achieved - formatted in HTML.• can be read from front to back like the hardcopy version, with a similar capacity to quickly return to the place where last reading
achieved - small page sizes combined with icons and new indices• include the Index found at the back of the hardcopy version
achieved• link the entries in this Index back into the body of the Text
achieved• access these linked sections without losing the current position in the index
achieved - use of pop-ups• provide direct navigation to every Paragraph, Question and Answer, and Note
achieved - creation of new indices• provide links throughout the Notes to other references in full, whether these references are found in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas or in other texts
mostly achieved - still some references to be linked• provide an index which shows what else in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas is related to any specific Paragraph, Question and Answer or Note of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
mostly achieved, though the creation of the ‘Related’ indices - the Notes are still to be done• provide an English dictionary
started, temporarily put aside• provide quotes from the Work of Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá that restate in some way the Paragraphs and the Questions and Answers
partially achieved - still many references to be included• provide decisions, guidance and advice from ‘Abd’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice that is specifically focused on the content of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
minimally achieved - a few references from the Universal House of justice, but not much else yet• include in HTML format and in a similar design as the ‘Kitáb-i-Aqdas Project’, copies of all of the many compilations available
minimally achieved - see the ‘Compilations, Documents’ index.• cross-reference the Kitáb-i-Aqdas with these compilations
not yet started• cross-reference these compilations with each other
not yet started• provide a comprehensive supplementary index to carry the cross-referencing from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the compilations, and from the compilations to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas
not yet started• include study and training materials related to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, fully cross-indexed
partially achieved - Study Guide by Barbara Collins included and cross-referenced, no other materials included yet• include authoritive works (books, treatises etc.) on the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, fully cross-indexed
not yet started• uncluttered presentation and retain visual appeal
nominally achieved - uncluttered and appealing is according to individual preferences; what one may like, another may not• audio recordings to be available for every Paragraph, and every Question and Answer
partially achieved - audio recording not yet done for the Questions and AnswersAs indicated by the list above, some of these goals have been achieved. The index at the rear of the hardcopy is included and functional. Alternate navigation to individual Paragraphs, Questions and Answers, and Notes has been created in two forms - by number and by opening phrase. The electronic version can be read from front to back in the same way as the hardcopy, or accessed via the index at the rear, and because each page each corresponds to only a very small section of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas the paragraph/place one visited last can be remembered and easily and directly accessed again by the new indices to access by number or by opening phrase. Using pop-ups, whether from the indices or from within the body of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, allows one to retain their place without having to continually reselect it, while the pop-up window itself allows navigation from one section to another. Finally, being presented using HTML makes it accessible on perhaps every hardware and software platform available today.
Other goals are either in progress or have been put aside for later development. The magnitude of the task, the limitation of time, the need to fulfill other committments, the desire to tackle other goals, all contribute to the slowness of the work. There are also long periods of time when little effort goes into further development of the Project, for whatever reasons (as a quick perusal of the History pages will show).
There is no doubt, as the remaining goals are achieved and the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Project moves to a more complete condition, that yet further capacities and uses will be seen, to be added to the list above.(Note: There is no intention at this time to include a search facility as a means of searching through the entire Text. There are already excellent tools available for this purpose; the online “Bahá’í Library” and the software ‘Ocean’ are two such that most readily come to mind). Further improvements in design and in visual appeal are also likely to occur over lengths of time.
It is hoped that the presentation of this electronic version of the Most Holy Book will prove of assistance in the understanding, comprehension and application of this most great and most precious Light from the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh.
Warmest greetings
Romane
| Enter | Top | Updates | Notes | Navigation | Other |
