Feature Request: Search to Reference

I greatly prefer Gospel Library to my paper scriptures. My highlights are removable, I can have as many bookmarks as I need, and everything syncs between my phone and Chromebook (via ARC Welder). However, there is one aspect where hard copies currently surge ahead of GL: quickly going to references.

The current system, where chapter is a "subfolder" of the book, which is a "subfolder" of the book of scripture, which is a "subfolder" of a category; pales in comparison to the efficiency that comes with knowing roughly where Alma is and being able to jump there with a single motion.

I would like to propose that typing a "folder" name or scripture reference into the search bar takes you directly there. For example, "Alma 30:4" would go straight to the verse, rather than a link to a topical guide page where it is mentioned. "For the Strength of Youth" would go to the booklet, rather than pulling up a conference talk about standards.

I probably don't fully understand the technical hurdles involved, but would this be possible?

FOGOplayer,

By "references", I'm assuming you _don't_ mean footnotes and other links within content - cuz nothing could be faster than tapping those to jump to the referenced content.

What if you really did want to search for things which reference Alma 30:4, or "For the Strength of Youth"? If the only option from the search bar were to jump straight there, if there was an exact match, you'd have no way to do it. I think the better option would be to have a "jump" tool for this rather than adding it to the search tool (or at least an option within the tool to distinguish which one you want). From a development standpoint, this would be easier and better (in my mind anyway).

The alternative is to have the search results find the reference as well as uses of the reference, without any other change to the search tool. But the way search results are displayed, you'd still have to dig through results - collection, book, subbook, chapter... Which is no different from, and no faster than, navigating from the home page.

All that said, except possibly for things like a Chromebook where you have a normal keyboard, I think the benefit of your proposed tool drops as the title of the "reference" lengthens (or its correct spelling gets hard to remember - like some Old Testament books). For example, I think I could tap the home icon, tap scriptures, tap old testament, tap Ecclesiastes, and tap chapter 7 (5 taps) as quickly as you could tap the search icon, type Ecclesiastes 7, and tap "go" (or whatever the equivalent is on your keyboard) (16 taps). (And if not, I'd challenge you to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3 <g>.) What's the probability you'll correctly remember the full name of "New Testament: Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual" (let alone be able to type it faster than someone can navigate it)?

Anywho, it's an interesting idea. I'd suggest it be handled via a new function rather than using the existing search function. And if you want to be sure the developer's see it to consider the addition, you should use the in-app feedback (Help menu) - the forums are user-to-user and there's no guarantee the developers will see this thread - but the in-app feedback will make it to them eventually.

Liz

It is possible [for the developers] to sort the search results such that, if you started typing "For the str...," book titles would appear at the beginning of the results list, followed by anything else with that phrase.

For scripture references, I could see there being suggestions, for example, if you started typing "Eccl," a drop-down suggestion would come up to complete the word to Ecclesiastes, then you could type the verse, etc.

sbradshaw wrote:It is possible [for the developers] to sort the search results such that, if you started typing "For the str...," book titles would appear at the beginning of the results list, followed by anything else with that phrase.

For scripture references, I could see there being suggestions, for example, if you started typing "Eccl," a drop-down suggestion would come up to complete the word to Ecclesiastes, then you could type the verse, etc.

Ah, good ideas - I forgot the type-ahead option. And with the search results showing the reference first, and on the first page, with search results otherwise how they now are, that would be a good compromise, as well as speeding up the typing of long names.

Liz

Along the same vein, I'd like to suggest some of the "chapters" get broken down one more level. Seminary's "Gospel Teaching and Learning" has some really long chapters, as does Handbook 2. Both texts, however, are divided into x.x.x headings. If GL could take advantage of those divisions, it would save lots of scrolling!

These are all wonderful suggestions, and absolutely worth noting with the developers, in my opinion! The best way to get these feature requests to the Developers isn't here (as this is a user-to-user forum), but there is a way you can get this feedback to them. If you select your Menu > Help > Send Feedback inside the Gospel Library for Android app, and write out your suggestions, they will wind up in a Feature request inbox for the developers. No exact time frame on when they'll respond, or if they'll be implemented. If enough people offer the same suggestions, the developers do hear about it, and have implemented many features through user feedback over the years.

Cheers!

Russ

Thanks!

russellwcarey wrote:These are all wonderful suggestions, and absolutely worth noting with the developers, in my opinion! The best way to get these feature requests to the Developers isn't here (as this is a user-to-user forum), but there is a way you can get this feedback to them. If you select your Menu > Help > Send Feedback inside the Gospel Library for Android app, and write out your suggestions, they will wind up in a Feature request inbox for the developers. No exact time frame on when they'll respond, or if they'll be implemented. If enough people offer the same suggestions, the developers do hear about it, and have implemented many features through user feedback over the years.

Cheers!

Russ