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Programmers requested for dictionary

From:Peter Clark <pclark@...>
Date:Friday, October 27, 2000, 17:03
This is a cry for help: as my language, Enamyn, grows, so do my
problems with my dictionary. Paper and pencil just don't cut it. I have
been looking on the web for a dictionary program, or more accurately,
for a dictionary creator. So far, no luck.
        I know there are several programmers on this list. (I sincerely
wish I was one of them!) With all this talent, I don't think that it
would take too long to create a cross-platform dictionary creator and
reader. (I use Linux, but such a program should work on Windows and
Macs.) Think of the benefit for the whole list! All we need is for
several programmers to come forward and lead the project.
        It wouldn't need a gui at first, although later down the road
that would be nice. Here's what I would like to see, feel free to add
your own ideas:
        - Data entry with automatic sorting. Sorting should be by the
"alphabet" used; for instance, English abcde, Russian abvgde , etc. So
there would have to be some way to setup the program to understand what
word is being entered in what language so that it would sort correctly.
(It should also be able to handle things like sh, th, ch, dzh, etc.)
        - Cross-linked entries. This should be automatic. If I enter a
word in Enamyn (let's say "vyl" /vl=/), then give it's translation as
"one, single, alone," then under the English section, "vyl" should be
listed under those three words. There should also be some way to enter
phrases, too.
        - Search
        - Entries would be able to display conjugations, mutations,
endings, etc. I will lapse into Russian here, since I haven't developed
Enamyn far enough. Let's say I remember that the genitive plural of
"djengi" (money) is irregular, but forgot what it was exactly. I should
be able to type in "money" and learn that it is "deneg."
        - Ability to show words in "native" fonts (would probably have
to wait for the gui).
        - For the gui, it would be nice to click on a word in the entry
and be taken to its definition. This would be handy for such cases like
"hot," which has three Russian words listed in my dictionary:
"gorjachij," "zharkij," and "ostrij." By clicking on them, I would learn
that they mean "hot (solids and liquids)," "hot (air)," and
"spicey."
        Again, I wish I was a programmer--I've been teaching myself C,
but haven't gotten very far. (I'm still working on my calendar program
for the Enamyn calendar.) Next on the list is either perl or python, but
that won't be for a long while.
        However, if our motives are just, and our hearts are pure, I am
sure that this list can create a decent dictionary program.
 :Peter