[RELEASE] PSPedict V0.4 (Japanese Dictionary)

[batanen]

Konnichiwa Minna!

This is my first PSP / community related release ever. I have continued the PSPedict project started by PixelDragon. He was kind enough to give me the latest source code and a few tips to get started.

Basically, this is a Japanese dictionary application for the PSP. PSPedict supports own studylists so you can use it even for learning new words.








The new features in v0.4 release:
- Kanji seach by SKIP code: This works only with the English OSK (triangle). Start the input with #. Next write the SKIP code separated by spaces. For example, input #1 4 5 searches kanjis that belong to the first pattern. Left character should have 4 strokes and right 5 strokes. You may also use number 0 as a meaning of anything.

- Kanji search by stroke count: Again you need to use the English OSK and start the input with #. Then comes the number of strokes. E.g. #3 searches kanjis that have a stroke count of 3.

- Kanji search by SKIP and stroke count: You may combine the previous two methods by writing the SKIP code first and then the stroke count. E.g. #1 0 0 5 searches all kanjis that belong to the pattern 1 and have a stroke count of 5.

- Hide kanji/kana/description: Added a new option to hide these from every menu.

- Custom dictionary: A new dictionary that the user may use for adding his/her own words and definitions. You may use JWPce for this. The file already has a few examples, so you know what you should be doing. Remember to save the file as custom.sjs if you don't overwrite the existing one.

- Randomize Study List: While in Study List, press select. Not a perfect algorithm, but works. The location of the arrow selection has some effect.

- Some minor bugs: There are some minor bugs when the new features are used; some I could even call as "features". E.g. kanjidic has a habit to randomize when the new search method is used. Hey, it may be a good thing! Shouldn't have any major ones, though. However, I am already aware of a few not-completely-user-friendly bugs. Those are pretty minor, nevertheless.

The source code is included as the code is under GPL. I must warn it may not be beginner friendly (Well, this was my first PSP release so you may give it a try; at least I was able to guess what to do.). A few compiling tips are included in Source Code v4 folder.

After this release, I am not sure whether I will keep improving this. I integrated the features I mostly needed; unfortunately not everything I would have wanted. A similar kanji drawing system as in PSPKanji would be cool, but is over my skill level.

If you like the app and wish to donate, donate to PixelDragon. Without him this homebrew wouldn't exist.

Hopefully you all enjoy the release!

- Batanen

You may download the files through Megaupload or Rapidshare (for the first 10 lucky ones) and maybe later directly from Qj.

EDIT: V0.5 has been released.

[nickxab]

Ah cool thanks man.

[ponlork]

Wow thanks a lot. I could definitely use this. How did I not see it sooner? I'm a little late with the homebrew scene lol. Hey congratulations on your first release.

Well I tried it out earlier and it looks very promising. How about Tanaka Corpus? Can we search sentences too? that'll be real cool.

[batanen]

Tanaka Corpus search? Yes that would be cool; I hadn't even thought about that possibility. Theoretically it could be done as a separate dictionary file. First, the Tanaka Corpus file should be parsed to the right format. Actually, anyone could try to do that and test the result by replacing the custom.sjs with the parsed file (note custom dictionary can only have 20000 lines as I limited it.). If it's good, I could implement it (by the way, I have do that now.). However, seaching would not quite work as the example sentences use kanji. Unless someone is capable to tell the homebrew that, for example, 犬　is read as イヌ　or いぬ (kanji could even have more readings).

I also think that adding words within the application would be cool. Hiragana and description parts would be enough as kanjis can't be written with PSP. If user wants to add them, he could later by manually. For me this might be too difficult to implement so I don't think I want to try. You, ponlork, have some experience implementing this feature at least in LUA.

I was thinking about not to improve PSPedict anymore, but I might try to implement enamedict at least. It may not be that useful, though. The problem is it's a large file (many rows). PSP can't handle it. For example, I had to divide only surnames into 3 files, about 140000 lines (used xsl-transformation to do this). In addition, I have problems with the Excel row limitation (I want order all file entries by name).

Today I also considered adding these kind of kanji images for kanjidic (activated or not by click):


This would be useful as some kanjis are so small and you would also see how the kanji should be drawn. I could be able to do this as soon as I figure out how to show / hide images without crashing PSP.

I think I will keep a break with programming for sometime, though.

[nickxab]

Hmmm yeah good idea.
I hope that i will learn some Japanese at least for the PSN.