About
This is a project begun over the summer of 2010 by Robert Wallis, and aims to be a fast, user-friendly interface to the data provided on methods.cccbr.org.uk.
Apps
iPhone/iPad users can install Blueline as a web app by navigating to the homepage in Mobile Safari, tapping the action button, then tapping 'Add to Home Screen'. There's no native iOS app, and no current plans to make one as I don't have an Apple computer to make it on.
An Android app is available.
If you are using Chrome or Edge browsers then you can install Blueline as a web app. On desktop: click the "Install" button in the right of address bar. On mobile: Find "Add to Home Screen" in the overflow menu.
Data and Copyright
You should assume that I'm open to you using or copying anything generated on this website free-of-charge for any purpose. The purpose of publishing the site online is that I hope it will be useful to bellringers everywhere.
The database tables can be downloaded below, and an explanation of where it's come from and how it works follows.
Database
Only the current version of the data for each entity is retained, and I keep no record of when data was created or modfied (that information may be available at source). The data is stored in 4 tables and can be downloaded as ,-delimited and "-enclosed CSV files for your own use (bearing in mind the health warnings and copyright information on this page): collections, methods, methods_collections, performances.
Methods
Method details are derived from the Central Council of Church Bellringers data maintained on methods.cccbr.org.uk.
The XML schema (part 6) has been mapped into the database table in an obvious way.
Data has not been modified, but the following additional fields have been added:
| Table Field | Value |
|---|---|
| methods.notationExpanded | Contains the place notation of the method converted to a normalised format using 0-9 and uppercase letters for places, 'x' for changes with no places made, '.' to seperate consecutive changes with places made, and expanding any abbreviations made due to palindromic symmetry. The code carrying out this expansion is here. |
| methods.url | Contains the method's name with URL-unsafe/reserved characters removed, and converted to the ASCII character set. |
| methods.nameMetaphone | Contains the metaphone key of the method's name. This is used for implementing spell-check in search. Example. |
| methods.magic | Contains an integer that can be used to sort methods in an order approximating how popular/common they are. This is calculated using a number of variables, such as whether the method is in a standard collection, what classification it is, how commonly peals of the method are rung, etc |
| methods.calls | Contains the details of common calls (Bobs and Singles) for the method. These are automatically generated unless overidden by me based on common practice (e.g. Stedman Triples has Bobs of '5:6:-3' and Singles, '567:6:-3'). |
| methods.ruleOffs | Details where lines should be drawn to divide the method into sections when displaying, in the format '[divisionLength]:[start]' with both divisionLength and start integers. This is assumed to be '[leadLength]:0' unless overidden by me based on common practice (e.g. Stedman divided into sixes by '6:-3'). |
The manual overrides mentioned above are best viewed on GitHub, and I would welcome any comments on other methods where tweaks are required.
Collections
The method data discussed above also contains the numeric indices of methods in the "Treble Dodging Minor Methods" and "Plain Minor Methods" collections as 'tdmmRef' and 'pmmRef'. These are added (unmodified) to my database to create the 'tdmm' and 'pmm' collections.
Any further collection data have been added by me and are based on my knowledge of common practice.
Performances
The method data discussed above contains the date and location of the first towerbell and handbell peals of methods if they are known. The XML schema (part 7) has been mapped into the database table in an obvious way.
Fields and relationships are as in the below diagram:
Source code
The source code for this website is made available for interested people.