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4. Using Kdict
4.1 Getting Started
Before you can make your first query, you have to check if the preset server settings work with
your setup. You can modify the settings in the preferences dialog.
The preset server is dict.org, which is a public server, so you don't have to change anything if you
have a working internet connection.
You can test your configuration by using "Server->Server Information", this displays some
status information about the server.
Now you should use "Server->Get Capabilities", this will fetch a list of all available databases
and strategies from the server. Kdict is now able to show you all features of the server in its
menus. (You should always call "Get Capabilities" after switching to a new server)
4.2 Basic Queries: Define
A define-query will search for words/phrases in the selected database(s) that match
the given text exactly. The definitions belonging to these words are displayed in the
main view. If the server finds nothing suitable, Kdict will use a search
strategy optimized for spell checking to display a list of of similar
words.
In most databases some words (especially synonyms) are marked with
brakets "{}". These words are highlighted and by left-clicking on them you
start an new define-query with this word.
You can select a part of the text with the left mouse button. The selection
is automatically copied into the X-clipboard. This is very convient, because you can use the
middle mouse button anywhere in the main view to define the content of the X-clipboard.
So, if you want to get a definition for a word/phrase that is not tagged as synonym,
you just mark it with the left mouse button and get the definition when you press the
middle mouse button.
The right mouse button shows a popup-menu, where you can choose to
start queries with the selected text, the X-clipboard or the tagged synonym under
the mouse pointer. The menu has also two entrys "Back" and "Forward". You
can use them to browse through the results of previous queries.
4.3 Advanced Queries: Match
A match-query uses the currently selected search strategy (the strategy selector is
is located above the match list) to search in the selected database(s) for words similar
to the given text. The result is a list of similar words that appears in the match list on
the right. The entrys are grouped according to the database they belong to. Now you have multiple options:
- You can use "Get All"-button (located below the match list) to fetch all definitions.
Please note that the number of listed words and fetched definitions may differ, because in some cases
two or more words share one definition and Kdict removes the duplicated definitions.
- You can use the mouse (left button) or the keyboard (space) to select the most interesting
words in the list and then press the "Get Selected"-button (located below the match list) to fetch only them. If you want to get all
definitions from one database just select the list-item witch contains the database name.
- When you press Enter (keyboard) or double-click (mouse) on a list item, Kdict will ignore the
selection and fetch the definition for this item. When you do this with a "root"-item (an item that
contains the database name), you will get all definitions belonging to this database.
-
You can use one of the words as a starting point for a new query, this is done via the
popup-menu (right mouse button).
A click with the middle mouse button anywhere in the list will start a new match-query with
the content of the X-clipboard (similar to the main view).
The right mouse button calls the popup-menu for a list item, which has the following entrys:
- Get
- Shows the definition for the current item
- Match
- Define
- Starts a match/define-query with the current item
- Match Clipboard Content
- Define Clipboard Content
- Starts a match/define-query with the content of the X-Clipboard
- Get Selected
- Get All
- Same functions as the buttons below the list
- Expand List
- Collapse List
- (Un)folds all databases
4.4 Database Sets
Sometimes it's usefull to restrict a query to a subset of the available databases,
for example all english-german dictionaries. This achieved by defining "database
sets", these sets appear in the database selector as virtual databases.
You can access the configuration dialog via "Server->Edit Database Sets" or
the toolbar-icon.
The dialog has the following elements:
- Set
- You must use this selector to select the set you want to modify. You can also rename a set here
by entering a new name and pressing the "Save"-button.
- Save
- Saves changes you made in the current set. You must use this button before you select another
set or leave the dialog, because otherwise all changes will be lost.
- New
- This button creates a new database set.
- Delete
- Deletes the currently selected set.
- Close
- Closes the dialog without saving your changes
The two lists ("Selected Databases" and "Available Databases") show which databases are
currently in the database set. You can use the arrow-buttons between the lists to transfer
items from one list to another.
By the way, you can leave this configuration dialog open and continue your work
with Kdict. This is a nice way to test your changes immediately.
4.5 Preferences
You can modify many aspects of Kdict's behavior in the preferences dialog. (Access: "Settings->Configure Kdict" or the
the toolbar-icon)
The dialog is divided in serveral pages. The "Default"-button restores the default values for the current page. The "Apply"-button will
apply your changes on all pages. The "OK"-button will apply the changes and close the dialog. The "Cancel"-button does this
without saving the changes. By the way, you can leave this configuration dialog open and continue your work
with Kdict. This is a nice way to test your changes.
Detailed description of all pages:
- Server
- Hostname
- The internet hostname or the ip-address of the dict-server.
- Port
- This is the port number the server listens on. 2628 is the default port and is used by the most servers.
- Hold connection for xx secs
- Kdict is able to keep the connection open in short periods of inactivity. This feature avoids the lengthy login
procedure before every query. A value of 0 seconds disables this feature. Very large values aren't usefull, because
in many cases the Dict-server will close the connection after a couple of minutes.
- Timeout
- This value determines how long Kdict will wait for a answer from the server.
- Command Buffer
- The DICT-protocol allows the client to send multiple commands in one network packet. The size of the
internal command buffer determines how many commands are send in parallel by Kdict. You can try to tune
this value for your network connection, but in most cases it is not worth the effort.
- Server requires authentication
- Activate this if you want to provide a authentication with username and password. (a server may require this
for access to all databases) You have to fill out both "Username" and "Password" below.
-
Appearance
On this page you can customize the colors and fonts of the definition
view. A proportional font for the normal text will increase readability,
but will also destroy the hardcoded layout of tables and similar things
in the definitions of some databases.
The "Charset" selector determines the charset used to display the definitions.
For all databases on dict.org iso-8859-1 is fine, but non-english databases
will probably need iso-10646-1 (unicode).
- Layout
The layout of the result isn't really configurable yet. But you can decide how many headings (a heading states
which database the definition belongs to) Kdict should place in the result. The choices should be selfexplaining.
Note that changes on this page won't have any effect until you start a new query.
- Miscellaneous
On this page you can modify various limits that prevent Kdict from eating up insane amounts of memory.
- Definitions
- This limits the number of definitions you can fetch at once by selecting them in the match list.
- Cached Results
- This number determines how many previous results are held in a internal cache for fast access.
You can set this to 0, but this will disable your ability to browse back to old results.
- History Entrys
- This is the number of past entrys the input line remembers. Large values will cause a slower start and shutdown of Kdict.
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