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HistoryCal, A Historical Calendar Calculator
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Nick Matthews via
Dec 12, 2014, 8:53:53 AM12/12/14
to gen...@rootsweb.com
HistoryCal <http://historycal.org> appeal for beta-testers.
HistoryCal is a new type of utility program designed to handle
historical date and calendars in a rational fashion. I have just
released a Windows alpha version.
Because it is new it is sometimes difficult to get across the scope of
what it does, (I see peoples eyes glaze over well before I get to the
end) but nevertheless I will try.
1. It will convert between calendar schemes. By calendar schemes I mean
all the various schemes people have used in the past, such as Julian
calendars with the year change on Christmas Day or March 25th or even
Easter Day. It will cope with ecclesiastical and regnal calendars.
It does this by letting you set the input scheme and the format. If some
of the calendars elements are text, then you can select it from a list,
useful for things like regnal calendars where the exact name of the
various eras may be uncertain. You then enter the date and select the
required output format.
If this is the only part of HistoryCal that you use, this program would
be worthwhile.
2. It handles date ranges in a natural way. Historians and genealogists
often express the uncertainty of the date of an event by using a range
of possible. HistoryCal simplifies this by allowing you to state ranges
explicitly (eg "3sep1901~20sep1901" or implicitly with "1890" which is
treated as "1 Jan 1890 ~ 31 Dec 1890".
It can handle multiple ranges at the same time, as in "1890 | 1892",
which can be read as "during year 1890 or year 1892".
3. You can carry out set operations with the ranges. See the website for
more details.
5. Creation of variant calendar schemes.
At the heart of the calculator is a script language and we can use this
script to create variants of the built in calendar schemes. This is how
the calendars with shifted year changes on regnal calendars are created.
It can also be used to create hybrid calendars such as an English hybrid
where the change over from Julian to Gregorian is handled automatically.
Other variations are possible.
6. Also planned. Handling conversions errors due to various reasons,
including when the precise details of the calendar are unknown. Adding
correction tables for when we have direct evidence of errors. And adding
lots more world calendars.
7. The main code engine for HistoryCal is in the form of a C/C++
library. This could also be used with other languages such as Java or
Python. This way the capabilities of HistoryCal can be used by other
programs.
8. I have had versions running on Linux/GNU and Mac OS X but I don't
have any experience in releasing programs on these platforms. If anyone
who has can talk me though the necessary steps, it would be a great help.
If your eyes have not yet glazed over, and you are interested in helping
at any level then please join the project's email list at:
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/historycal-discuss
There is a separate project under way to develop a new graphic user
interface. See http://historycalhci.wordpress.com or (Spanish version)
http://historycalhcies.wordpress.com You are welcome to
Nick
Please feel free to cross post this message, if you know anywhere that
Genealogists or Historians who may be interested hang out.
Apologies if you receive this twice, the first attempt seemed to disappear.
HistoryCal is a new type of utility program designed to handle
historical date and calendars in a rational fashion. I have just
released a Windows alpha version.
Because it is new it is sometimes difficult to get across the scope of
what it does, (I see peoples eyes glaze over well before I get to the
end) but nevertheless I will try.
1. It will convert between calendar schemes. By calendar schemes I mean
all the various schemes people have used in the past, such as Julian
calendars with the year change on Christmas Day or March 25th or even
Easter Day. It will cope with ecclesiastical and regnal calendars.
It does this by letting you set the input scheme and the format. If some
of the calendars elements are text, then you can select it from a list,
useful for things like regnal calendars where the exact name of the
various eras may be uncertain. You then enter the date and select the
required output format.
If this is the only part of HistoryCal that you use, this program would
be worthwhile.
2. It handles date ranges in a natural way. Historians and genealogists
often express the uncertainty of the date of an event by using a range
of possible. HistoryCal simplifies this by allowing you to state ranges
explicitly (eg "3sep1901~20sep1901" or implicitly with "1890" which is
treated as "1 Jan 1890 ~ 31 Dec 1890".
It can handle multiple ranges at the same time, as in "1890 | 1892",
which can be read as "during year 1890 or year 1892".
3. You can carry out set operations with the ranges. See the website for
more details.
5. Creation of variant calendar schemes.
At the heart of the calculator is a script language and we can use this
script to create variants of the built in calendar schemes. This is how
the calendars with shifted year changes on regnal calendars are created.
It can also be used to create hybrid calendars such as an English hybrid
where the change over from Julian to Gregorian is handled automatically.
Other variations are possible.
6. Also planned. Handling conversions errors due to various reasons,
including when the precise details of the calendar are unknown. Adding
correction tables for when we have direct evidence of errors. And adding
lots more world calendars.
7. The main code engine for HistoryCal is in the form of a C/C++
library. This could also be used with other languages such as Java or
Python. This way the capabilities of HistoryCal can be used by other
programs.
8. I have had versions running on Linux/GNU and Mac OS X but I don't
have any experience in releasing programs on these platforms. If anyone
who has can talk me though the necessary steps, it would be a great help.
If your eyes have not yet glazed over, and you are interested in helping
at any level then please join the project's email list at:
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/historycal-discuss
There is a separate project under way to develop a new graphic user
interface. See http://historycalhci.wordpress.com or (Spanish version)
http://historycalhcies.wordpress.com You are welcome to
Nick
Please feel free to cross post this message, if you know anywhere that
Genealogists or Historians who may be interested hang out.
Apologies if you receive this twice, the first attempt seemed to disappear.
singhals via
Dec 12, 2014, 10:12:29 AM12/12/14
to gen...@rootsweb.com
Does it handle non-European and/or non-Christian calendars
as well?
Cheryl
as well?
Cheryl
Nick Matthews via
Dec 12, 2014, 10:59:55 AM12/12/14
to singhals, gen...@rootsweb.com
Hi Cheryl,
The current release is quite restricted (it is an alpha version) and is
limited to a number of variations of the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
The next release will have will have the French Republican, Hebrew and
the Islamic Arithmetical calendars. After that I will then add as many
as I can get reliable information on.
Nick
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GENCMP-...@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
The current release is quite restricted (it is an alpha version) and is
limited to a number of variations of the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
The next release will have will have the French Republican, Hebrew and
the Islamic Arithmetical calendars. After that I will then add as many
as I can get reliable information on.
Nick
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GENCMP-...@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
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