EE Version 2 - Progress Update - 9 February 2014

Greetings,

This will no doubt be a very short update. I have completed Version 2 of the PDE version of the manual and sent it off to be read and comments given back. I have also started on Version 2 of the EE version of the manual, and one thing is for sure and that it is going to take quite a bit longer than the PDE version. The PDE version was simply adding some headings, images and fixing some of the wording, the EE version is quite a bit more in-depth than that.

The language is the first part of the process and that is to turn the language backward to its earlier form. This requires reading through the manual and re-wording modern expressions into Elizabethan ones. It also involves removing modern terms and expressions and replacing them with Elizabethan ones. This only one place where the concept of "divergence" really comes into play. I would not be surprised if there is a Version 3 involving further changes to the language.

The next part is formatting. For the modern version that meant adding sub-headings and shortening paragraphs. For this Elizabethan version it means adding drop cap letters for the beginning of each section, ensuring that each page is justified correctly so that the ends of the lines are at least close to lining up, making sure that the follow-on words are present at the end of each page where it is required, and working on the headers to make sure that they are correct. Part of the formatting is changing the font, and that is another question altogether.

It is not just merely changing the font from a modern font to an Elizabethan looking font. There is also making sure that the sizing is correct for the page as compared to headings and footers and so forth. It is also adding ligatures where they are present in the font in order to change things as much as they can. I am using JSL Ancient as the primary font for changing it, unfortunately there is the missing "long s" issue, but only in a single case, in the ligatures it is present. I am hoping that the replacement is sufficient enough to cover this particular deficiency, or that I may be able to find a replacement. For the most part I am hoping that the average reader just won't notice.

There is the question of images with regard to this EE version and I have not decided yet what I will do about this. I would have to either hand-draw the images, something I am not particularly good at, or hope that I can do them electronically and give the final product the best final look. I will give this due consideration and make a decision about it later on.

The process of change from modern to Elizabethan is taking its time and I am fully expecting that this part will take some time to get right. It sure is not as easy as the PDE version and that is for sure. Updates will be written as I get to places where they are appropriate.

Cheers,

Henry.