IDic is a basically a dictionary program. It basically provides 3 main features:
Dictionaries are database containing all the words that are assumed to be known. It's possible to change the dictionary as the user whishes. This means that IDic is independent of the language. Just provide it a dictionary database containing the words you assume to be allowed, and IDic will work with it.
Two additional features allow you to:
IDic is freeware. This means that you do not have anything to pay to use it. Its sources are also provided, so you can have a look at them and reuse some ideas in the code. The sources are distributed as an eMbedded Visual C++ Project and were developed with Microsoft eMbedded Tools.
This program is provided without any warranties. This means that I won't be responsible in any case of whatever happens if you use it. I also have no obligation to change, fix, upgrade or whatever IDic. This program is gracefully provided to who wants and need it, in any case I remain the author, with the right to do whatever I want with it.
This allows you to search for a dictionary database file. Pressing this button will popup a file requester from which you can select a dictionary amongst those present in your Pocket PC.
Pressing this button will trigger the search of the word entered in the upper field of the screen amongst the words present in the currently open dictionary database.
To find spelling suggestions (i.e. words with a close spelling) for a word, enter this word in the upper edit box and press this button. Indeed, IDic does not verify is the word already exists in the dictionary. This means that even if the word is correctly spelt, suggestions will be provided.
This feature can be used to cheat in crosswords. You first specify a pattern in the upper edit box. A pattern is indeed a word that can contain special characters called wildcards. There are 3 kinds of wildcards that are '?', '*' and '+'. Once you entered your pattern, you'll be given all the words in the dictionary that match this pattern. Basically, the 3 available wildcards are pretty close to those used in regular expression, like in Lex, Sed and other programs.
This toggle button allows to perform searches taking or not into account the case sensitivity of words. If search is case sensitive then uppercase and lowercase (for example "A" and "a") letters will be considered as different. If search is case insensitive, then they will be considered as the same letter.
This button allows to copy the current selection of the result window to the clipboard under the form of a simple text. Hence, it it possible to paste it later in another application.
This button allows you to get what is currently in the clipboard, provided that it is some text, and to automatically paste it in the entry box as your request.
This is the "most difficult" part for the end user. Indeed you'll need a part of another program I wrote: Mérimée 2.0. Mérimée is my full spelling checker-corrector package. In fact IDic is an attempt to port Mérimée on the Pocket PC. Basically, you should first install Mérimée 2.0, then get a text list of words sorted (alphabetically, by ASCII code). Then you should use the "build" program to create the database. The last step would consist in dumping this database in binary format by using the "dump" program with the -b option. This would generate a binary dictionary suitable for using with IDic. So, you just have now to transfer it onto your Pocket PC and that's it.
BUT... it's now easier...
I now included a batch file (.bat) that will carry this out automatically. I also included the pre-compiled binaries from Mérimée 2.0 needed to create dictionaries in the present package, so that it is not even required to install Mérimée anymore. This batch file is pretty basic, I know but it should carry out this task without getting you too annoyed... In the distribution, go to the folder called "DictionaryCreator". Here is a file called "mkdic.bat". Basically, you just need to run this file (either under a DOS session, either by creating a shortcut under the Windows Explorer) with 2 arguments:
For more information about the text file containing your words and the full procedure, please consult the file "Doc.txt" that is in that folder, and you will know everything about it.
When the number of suggestions get too important, they do not fit anymore in the list. This is due to a limitation of text widgets. In this case, when scrolling toward the end of the list, blank lines are displayed. Currently the only solution is to make a new request, leading to fewer solutions. Indeed the limitation occurs around 64000 characters of solutions, and that represents really a good bunch of words (several thousands) ! I think that anyway, in this case the user will not read all of them !!! Anyway, this is planed to be fixed in the next version, by a feature allowing to switch between the whole set of solutions, splited to fit the list. So, wait the next version for this stuff ;-)
I also plan to add a way to navigate in the solutions with the keyboard when the list of results is selected.
I will stay open to any suggestion, bug report, congratulation, fund donations ;-) So if you want to reach me, you can try my email address: fpessaux@cs.stevens-tech.edu.
I hope this little piece of software will be useful and you will enjoy it !... Cheers,
-- François