STEP Library

STEP (Standard Template for Electronic Publishing) is a standard file format used to electronically distribute Bible text. STEP was conceived in 1995 [cite news
title = The Next STEP in Bible
url = http://www.digitalword.org/STEP1.htm
publisher = The Digital World
date = 2000-07-25
accessdate = 2007-01-03
quote = Created by several of the leading Bible software companies in 1995] by Craig Rairdin of Parsons Technology and Jim VanDuzer of Loizeaux Brothers Publishers as a way for Bible reference books to be distributed electronically in a format that would be compatible with more than just one company's Bible software. Rairdin and VanDuzer formed a consortium of Bible software publishers called the Bible Software Industry Standards Group (BSISG) to oversee the development of the STEP specification and to develop common tools to be used by developers and publishers interested in implementing STEP compatibility in their programs or publishing books in the STEP format.

The STEP logo was originally a trademark of Parsons Technology, Inc., now of FindEx, Inc., the current publisher of QuickVerse Bible Software.

Format Specifications

The format uses "Microsoft’s Rich Text Format (RTF) with special STEP tags added". [cite web
url = http://www.crosswire.org/bsisg/STEP%201.1.doc
title = Standard Template for Electronic Publishing v1.1
accessdate = 2007-01-03
date = 1999-06-05
format = Microsoft Word 97 DOC file
publisher = Bible Software Industry Standards Group
pages = pg 4]

While not open format, the specifications have been publicly released, enabling third parties to write their own tools to create, edit, or view STEP resources. Findex distributed "The STEP Publisher's Toolkit" as part of their license. It is similar to The Libronix Digital Library and Pradis, for users of religious software who want seamless integration of various reference works, using one application to access and cross-reference them all.

Bible Study Software

The following Bible Study Programs can read STEP files:

* e-Sword ;
* QuickVerse 5.0 through 2008Fact|date=June 2008;
* WORDsearch 4.0 and 5.0;

The following companies also issued resources in STEP format:
* Ages Library from 1997 to 2000;
* Bible Companion from 1995 to 2002;
* Ephesians Four Group (current issuer);
* Light By Design (current issuer);
* Navpress from 1995 to 2003;
* Zondervan/Pradis from 1995 - 2002;

References

External links

* [http://www.quickverse.com FindEx Corporate Website]
* [http://www.e-sword.net e-Sword Website]
* [http://www.crosswire.org/bsisg/ STEP Site mirrored by crosswire.org]
* [http://www.lightbydesign.net/ Light by Design Website]
* [http://www.e4.net/ Ephesians 4 Website]
* [http://www.bible-explorer.com/qv.php Bible Explorer Website with Wordsearch 5 download]