Definitions in pop-up reader

[Charles]

When I have selected a Chinese character (or characters) and am cycling through the dictionaries in the pop-up reader, I see the all the example sentences in the pop-up window for the Tuttle dictionary. However, for the ABC and Pleco dictionaries, I don't see the example sentences. The only way I can see the example sentences in the ABC and Pleco dictionaries is to tap ">" at the top left corner of the screen. Then I get the full dictionary entry on the screen and can see the example sentences.

I often use the pop-up window to cycle through the dictionaries, particularly when I am looking at flashcard answers (because it is not possible to cycle through the dictionaries when you are reviewing a flashcard answer). If possible, I would like to see the example sentences for the ABC and Pleco dictionaries in the pop-up window. Is this just a configuration question? If not, why do I see the sample sentences in the pop-up window for the Tuttle dictionary?

Perhaps this will no longer be an issue after the release of the new version of the software with the merged multi-dictionary search. I am really interested to see how that will work!

 

[mikelove]

When I have selected a Chinese character (or characters) and am cycling through the dictionaries in the pop-up reader, I see the all the example sentences in the pop-up window for the Tuttle dictionary. However, for the ABC and Pleco dictionaries, I don't see the example sentences. The only way I can see the example sentences in the ABC and Pleco dictionaries is to tap ">" at the top left corner of the screen. Then I get the full dictionary entry on the screen and can see the example sentences.

That's actually by design; the Tuttle dictionary's example sentences just haven't been properly coded to be hidden in that situation yet. (but should be when we update all of our databases for the big new dictionary release)

I often use the pop-up window to cycle through the dictionaries, particularly when I am looking at flashcard answers (because it is not possible to cycle through the dictionaries when you are reviewing a flashcard answer). If possible, I would like to see the example sentences for the ABC and Pleco dictionaries in the pop-up window. Is this just a configuration question? If not, why do I see the sample sentences in the pop-up window for the Tuttle dictionary?

There's no preferences option to change this at the moment... to be honest, I'm not sure how useful it would be now that we're putting example sentences on separate lines; you'd have to scroll through so many pages of text to see all of the examples that it seems like it would actually be faster and easier to bring up the full-page version.

Are flashcards the main place where you find yourself wanting to see example sentences in the popup reader? We've already been planning for a while now to add the ability to switch dictionaries during a flashcard session - we're unlikely to get to it before the first official Android release, but it should show up in a few more releases.

Perhaps this will no longer be an issue after the release of the new version of the software with the merged multi-dictionary search. I am really interested to see how that will work!

That's actually already included; you can turn it on via Settings / Dictionary / Search Settings / Result display / Merged multi-dict search. (it's an experimental feature at the moment, so it'll be a few releases before it's on by default / easier to access) However, it only applies to regular dictionary searches, not popup reader ones like this; the idea is that you can type in a Pinyin search string (say) and see a list that combines every potential match for it from every installed dictionary, eliminating duplicates. So it's as if you're searching a single dictionary, rather than having to flip through multiple ones to find all of the matches. With the popup reader, however, you're not viewing a list of search results, you're only viewing the text from one dictionary at a time, so the merged search doesn't really apply - Pleco already searches alternate dictionaries when it can't find a match in your currently-selected one.

 

[Charles]

That's actually already included; you can turn it on via Settings / Dictionary / Search Settings / Result display / Merged multi-dict search.

Michael - I have just realised that I posted this in the wrong forum. I have an iPhone 4. The merged multi-dictionary search is not yet available for the iPhone, is it?

We've already been planning for a while now to add the ability to switch dictionaries during a flashcard session - we're unlikely to get to it before the first official Android release, but it should show up in a few more releases.

This is a feature I would really like, because I always want to switch between dictionaries when I am looking at flashcard results. Will it be in a future iPhone version?

 

[mikelove]

Michael - I have just realised that I posted this in the wrong forum. I have an iPhone 4. The merged multi-dictionary search is not yet available for the iPhone, is it?

No problem, I've moved it to the iPhone forum now. And no, it's not available on iPhone yet but should be in 2.3 (the Android version has let us get that code a lot more widely / thoroughly tested than it would have been in a much-more-restricted iOS beta).

We've already been planning for a while now to add the ability to switch dictionaries during a flashcard session - we're unlikely to get to it before the first official Android release, but it should show up in a few more releases.

This is a feature I would really like, because I always want to switch between dictionaries when I am looking at flashcard results. Will it be in a future iPhone version?

Oh yes, the only question is whether we'll release it on Android first to take advantage of the wider beta-testing or on iOS first because that's the platform we actually develop most of these features on. (it's much easier to make changes to our cross-platform engine code on iOS, it's just easier to beta-test them on Android)

 

[scykei]

When I have selected a Chinese character (or characters) and am cycling through the dictionaries in the pop-up reader, I see the all the example sentences in the pop-up window for the Tuttle dictionary. However, for the ABC and Pleco dictionaries, I don't see the example sentences. The only way I can see the example sentences in the ABC and Pleco dictionaries is to tap ">" at the top left corner of the screen. Then I get the full dictionary entry on the screen and can see the example sentences.

That's actually by design; the Tuttle dictionary's example sentences just haven't been properly coded to be hidden in that situation yet. (but should be when we update all of our databases for the big new dictionary release)

Wow. After the database update, is it then possible to have all dictionaries replace the ~ characters with the actual character, just like how it is done with Pleco dictionary? I find it troublesome especially in Guifan where they list lots of compound words that you can't easily tap on to get more details about.

 

[mikelove]

Wow. After the database update, is it then possible to have all dictionaries replace the ~ characters with the actual character, just like how it is done with Pleco dictionary? I find it troublesome especially in Guifan where they list lots of compound words that you can't easily tap on to get more details about.

Probably not for the English-Chinese ones, but yes for Guifan and ABC at least. (Tuttle already shows them, though perhaps we should make them highlighted)