fonts are arhived separately at ftp.ifcss.org://pub/software/fonts/gb/misc/kcf16.zip ftp.ifcss.org://pub/software/fonts/gb/misc/kcf24.zip Nelson Chin for ftp-admin@ifcss.org -- "Kuai Cha ZiDian" (A Chinese-English character dictionary featuring mouse-drawn input) System requirements ------------------------------- IBM or 100% compatable 80286 or higher microprocessor, Microsoft DOS version 3.0 or later, VGA display (uses mode 18, 640x480 16 colors), a mouse or mousepen with Microsoft compatable driver (version 8.2 or later recommended), at least 2 Meg of disk space ( harddrive recommended), and at least 640K of RAM. Software package contents ------------------------------ The complete software package includes and requires the following files: Kuaicha3.exe 70354 bytes the main program file Kuaicha3.dat 711264 bytes the main database file Kuaicha3.rad 17936 bytes a radicals data file Kuaicha.f16 237632 bytes the 16x16 fonts file Kuaicha.f24 548208 bytes the 24x24 fonts file Kccombos.dat 30404 bytes the combinations database file Kcredex.exe 25408 bytes reindexing program file ________________ total 1641206 bytes In addition, on installation the following index files are produced: kcrad.idx 44454 bytes radicals index file kcsc.idx 44454 bytes strokecount index file kcpy.idx 103726 bytes Pinyin index file kcgb.idx 59272 bytes Guobiao index file kccombos.dex 5528 bytes combos index file ____________ 257434 bytes ____________ ____________ total minimum disk space 1898640 bytes (approx. 2 meg.) Included optionally: Kuaicha.ico 766 bytes an icon file for use with Windows Kuaicha3.doc 13929 bytes (This text document file) _______________ 1912843 bytes Introduction ----------------- This dictionary program was written for the English-speaking student of Chinese. It is meant to be a study aid rather than an authoritative lexi- graphical work. As a former and continuing student of the Chinese language and an amateur programmer, I designed the program to satisfy my own need for a quick lookup and as an interesting programming project. While I make no claims for its usefullness to others, I am pleased to offer it and hope it does indeed prove useful to other students. Naturally, any comments, suggestions, criticism, etc. are welcome. I may be contacted by E-mail at: RickCorey@aol.com or Richard_J._Corey@eor.com. The current version uses edited versions of the CCLIB 24 and 16 bitmap fonts for traditional characters so the program is limited by the font set. Input for lookup is by drawing the character with the mouse , selecting the radical content from the radical list presented when radical lookup is selected, or by entering the Pinyin, total stroke count, or GuoBiao code. Any input may produce a match with more than one character. For instance, entering the Pinyin will list all characters with matching Pinyin pronunciation. Final selection from the list with the mouse pointer produces an output window with the dictionary entry for that character. If only one match is found, the dictionary entry for that character is displayed, rather than a list. The dictionary entry shows the character, GB code, radical and radical number, Pinyin, tone(s), a short meaning in English, and the stroke-order sequence. Any entry information may be easily edited by the user. Initial lookup lists remain on the screen allowing the user to "browse" the list. Stroke types are similar to other stroke type methods: a horizontal left to right stroke is a type 1, a vertical top to bottom stroke is a type 2, a down-left stroke is a type 3, a down-right stroke is a type 4, and others are a type 5. The program is fairly user-friendly with alt-key or mouse selections from menus and text/graphic display windows. Selections are made by clicking the left mouse button on any menu item or entering "Alt" + the capitalized letter of the menu item. Pressing "Esc" selects exit from the selection or exit to DOS from the title page. The opening title page appears first and the main menu is presented when any key is pressed or the left mouse button clicked anywhere but on "Exit". Installation ____________ Copy all files to the same directory. Create the index files by making that directory your active default directory and typing "KCREDEX" at the DOS prompt. After the index files are created, type "KUAICHA3" at the DOS prompt to run the program. To look up a character by Drawing ----------- Click on the "Drawing" menu item or press "Alt + d". A drawing window apears and the mouse pointer is set to and restricted to this window until "eXit/done" is selected. Drawing is done by holding down the left button and releasing it only at the end of each stroke. As each stroke is drawn, the stroke type is appended to the stroke-order displayed near the bottom of the draw window. Should a mistake occur, a "Void" selection clears the drawing window and the character can then be redrawn. Selecting "eXit/done" when no drawing has been done cancels the lookup-by-drawing mode and allows the mouse to escape the draw window for any other selection. If drawing has been done, selecting the "eXit/done" choice initiates a search of the database for characters with matching stroke-orders and produces a list on screen of all matches found. Alternately, selecting to lookup by stroke-count after a character is drawn initiates a search of the database for characters with the same number of strokes. This is especially useful if no match is found for the drawn stroke order. Radical ----------- Select "Radical" from the main menu by pointing the mouse cursor to it and clicking the left mouse button or enter "Alt + r" from the keyboard. This produces an on-screen list of traditional radicals and their common variant forms as listed in C.H. Fenn's "The Five Thousand Dictionary". Selecting one of the listed radicals by clicking on it with the left mouse button then produces a list of all characters (in the available database) with matching radical content. Clicking the left mouse button on any character in the list then produces the dictionary entry for that character. Stroke-count ------------------ Select "Stroke-count" from the main menu by pointing the mouse cursor to it and clicking the left mouse button or enter "Alt + s" from the keyboard. This produces an input window which prompts for a stroke-count entry from the keyboard and a numeric icon list for entering with the mouse. Entering a number initiates a search of the available database for characters with matching number of strokes and lists all matching characters on the screen. Select from the listed characters by clicking the left mouse button on a character and the dictionary entry for that character is produced. Pinyin --------- Select "Pinyin" from the main menu by pointing the mouse cursor to it and clicking the left mouse button or enter "Alt + p" from the keyboard. This produces an input window which prompts for a Pinyin entry from the keyboard and an alphanumeric icon list for entering with the mouse. Entering a Pinyin romanization (withOUT a tone!) initiates a search of the available database for characters with matching Pinyin and lists all matching characters on the screen. Select from the listed characters by clicking the left mouse button on a character and the dictionary entry for that character is produced. Guobiao ------------ Select "Guobiao" from the main menu by pointing the mouse cursor to it and clicking the left mouse button or enter "Alt + g" from the keyboard. This produces an input window which prompts for a Guobio code entry from the keyboard and an alphanumeric list for entering with the mouse. Entering a valid Guobiao code initiates a search of the available database for characters with matching Guobiao code and lists all matching characters on the screen. Select from the listed character(s) by clicking the left mouse button on a character and the dictionary entry for that character is produced. Combinations --------------- Character combinations and their English meanings may be associated with any character in the database. To see the available combinations for any character, look up the character (as above) and click the left mouse button on "comBos" in the dictionary entry display window or press "Alt + b" on the keyboard. This brings up the combos window and lists character combinations involving the original character and their English translations. The combos listing may also be used for additional/expanded definitions of the base character, grammar pattern notes, etc. Clicking the left mouse button while the cursor is on any character in the combinations listing produces the dictionary entry for that character. Combinations entries are limited to 39 ASCII characters (each Chinese character counts as two ASCII characters) per entry line, ten entry lines per page, and 5 pages. Select the "pageup" or "pagedown" displayed in the combos window with the mouse or press the pageup or pagedown keys on the keyboard to change pages. Editing a dictionary entry: ------------------------------------- Once a character has been looked up and its dictionary entry displayed, the dictionary entry may be edited by the user. This allows a preferred English translation, stroke order, etc. as well as allowing the user to correct any mistakes I may have overlooked. :) The edit mode is initiated by selecting the red "Edit" in the dictionary entry display window by clicking the left mouse button on it or entering "Alt + e" from the keyboard. This brings up the edit menu and allows the use to choose to edit the text data , the stroke data, or the associated combinations data. Text data for the Guobiao code, radical number, Pinyin, tone, and English meaning fields are entered from the keyboard. Field selection may be done by positioning the red text cursor on that field with the "Tab", right cursor arrow, left cursor arrow, or enter keys. Pressing the "Enter" key (or clicking the mouse on a blank screen area) before any other key accepts that field as is and repositions the red text cursor on the next field, as does pressing the "Tab" key or right cursor key. Similarly, pressing the left cursor key moves the cursor to the previous field. Once any or all text editing is complete, the user must press the "Esc" key once, click the left mouse button on "EXIT", or select "saVe" from the edit menu, to escape text data editing. Editing of the stroke-order and total stroke count fields is accomplished by redrawing the character. Select "strOkes" from the edit menu for this function. Select "saVe" from the edit menu to save the stroke data changes. Note: the save function need only be done once to save both text data and stroke data changes. (edit text fields, esc, edit strokes data, save) However, text and strokes data must be saved before editing combinations data. Editing/adding combinations ---------------------------- Combinations may be edited or added by selecting "Edit" from the main entry display for the character the combination is, or is desired to be, associated with. From the edit menu produced, select "coMbos", and the combinations window and listing is produced with a white text cursor at the top left beginning of the list. Select a combination by using the up or down cursor keys, pageup or pagedown, and press "enter". Alternately, click the left mouse button on the selected combination. Select a blank line to add a new combination. After a combination or a blank line is selected, the cursor turns red and the desired data may be entered, positioning done with the left and right cursor keys, and changes saved by selecting "saVe" from the main edit menu. Alphanumeric entries are normal from the keyboard, character entries use the main dictionary database. To add a character to a combination, select "Lookup" from the combinations window. The lookup menu replaces the edit menu and normal lookup procedures are allowed. When a selection is made from the lookup menu, the combos window will be temporarily erased to allow lookup listings. The normal lookup menu and screen appear with the addition of "[coMbos list]" in the lower right corner in red. Look up the desired character and select "[coMbos list]" to restore the combinations window and list, reposition the cursor if needed, and select "Write" from the main dictionary entry display of the character. This writes the character to the combination and position of the red text cursor. Note: the character will be initially displayed as two ASCII characters but any subsequent display of the list will show the character font. (i.e. do a save, select "lookup" and then "combos window", etc. to see the character). Selecting "saVe" will save the combination changes or additions and redisplay the original main diction entry display for the base character. As noted above, each combinations entry is limited to 39 letters (including spaces, puctuation, etc.) and each character is equal to 2 letters. The combinations database is read sequentially, however, so a combinations entry longer than 39 spaces can be continued on another line as a separate entry. For each character in the main dictionary database, a total maximum of 50 combinations entries may be made.(10 entries per page, up to five pages)