Sony Reader Dictionary.

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Ret

yes, unfortunately sony's reader doesn't support dictionaries.
I wonder if we can build a book full with definitions and search through it by using the set of buttons on the right of the reader.
I have an ebookwise 1150 and I created myself a pretty useful french->spanish dictionary (out of freelang glossaries). On the footer of the book I put two lines: one with hyperlinks to the first letter of a word and another to the second letter of the word I'm searching for. ( I know that EB1150 has true word lookup feature, but they won't release its dictionary file format)
Do you think such a thing could be created for the Sony reader?

The eb1150 has released a glossary format that would be better than what you did.

Dale

[Ret]

Thanks Dale for the info. Could you please give the link to that information? or better yet, a link to some creation software!

[DaleDe]

Originally Posted by Ret

Thanks Dale for the info. Could you please give the link to that information? or better yet, a link to some creation software!

Look in your manual for the eBook Publisher. I have uploaded a eb1150 version in the uploads section of MobileRead (page 80) but you can also look at it in the eBook Publisher help manual. The section title is: Adding a glossary file in the table of contents. If is also talked about as Use Glossary File earlier in the doucment.

[Ret]

I will try that, thanks. but I'm afraid that glossary feature is a per-book thing. Can you use it as the default dictionary for all your ebooks? I don't want to add my 1.4MB glossary to each ebook I'd like to read.
I'll build one and check if it's possible. Thanks again

[MikeF74]

I think the lack of a dictionary is something that we as users should start bugging Sony about. I can't imagine adding this support to the current products would be a monumental task. Put that D-Pad to use.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by MikeF74

I think the lack of a dictionary is something that we as users should start bugging Sony about. I can't imagine adding this support to the current products would be a monumental task. Put that D-Pad to use.

Sony could use exactly the same user interface for a dictionary that the Gen3 uses - it has a "lookup mode" which gives you a "word highlight" cursor that you can move up, down, left, right on the screen with the navigation pad. When the word you want to look up is highlighted, you press the "Select" button and you're taken to the word's definition in the dictionary. Works beautifully.

[Clemenseken]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Sony could use exactly the same user interface for a dictionary that the Gen3 uses - it has a "lookup mode" which gives you a "word highlight" cursor that you can move up, down, left, right on the screen with the navigation pad. When the word you want to look up is highlighted, you press the "Select" button and you're taken to the word's definition in the dictionary. Works beautifully.

Hi!
I looked into different solutions for dictionaries as I desperately wanted one for reading Italian books.

I found out:
On Gen3 you have to move cursor 1-10 times up/down plus 1-6 times left/right.
So on average that's (5+3=) 8 moves. (I could not find out whether/how many page changes will happen, yet.)
But: lookup will only find EXACT inflections - the dictionary has to be VERY large - or won't find anything at all...

In contrast Sony PRS500 can only use PDF-hyperlink-jumping (which Gen3 does NOT).
I made an Italian>English (also an Inglese>Italiano) dictionary that works as follows:
(https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16929)

1. You put the Italian word into your personal cerebral store (=note in mind).
2. Go two levels ("Menu") up from your book (=2 page changes).
3. Type number for the dictionary, then type "2" (=2 page changes).
4. Move cursor to first letter of word (in my simple case 5 moves on average; can be optimized...)
5. On the letter page move cursor 3 moves on average to get to dictionary page.
6. Go to appropriate page in dictionary - maximum of two.
7. Return: repeat step 2. and 3. - but: Italian book, then "1" (=4 page changes).

So added up this means: 8 page changes plus 8 cursor moves (on average!). Both values can be minimized. The size of the dictionary can me minimal as NO inflections are needed!

I don't mean to promote my dictionary, but since last december this PDF was downloaded over 200 times - AND:
the (various) versions of "English>Italian" over 450 times! (...seems there are fewer offers for Italian natives...)

I admit that those "8 page changes" are crucial and a nuisance. Therefore I use my dictionary mostly for "important" or "repeated" or extremely "cryptic" Italian words.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Clemenseken

But: lookup will only find EXACT inflections - the dictionary has to be VERY large - or won't find anything at all...

That works fine for English, though, which uses relatively few inflections. I don't think I've found any word yet that's not in the Chambers dictionary I've got on my Gen3.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Clemenseken

But: lookup will only find EXACT inflections - the dictionary has to be VERY large - or won't find anything at all...

This must depend on the dictionary. The English dictionary I use find other form of the word and it is not the case that all forms are there as separate entries.