Question/Wish in support of external dictionaries on Android

Norbi24 · 08-30-2019, 06:05 AM

Hi guys,
At first many thanks for adding support of a few selected external dictionaries into Koreader.

Even though I do not use any of them, I added my dictionary to dictionaries.lua and it is working perfectly fine and this is the reason I have started to read with KOReader

The question is now, whether you plan to go one step further and let users select which of the installed apps should be used as a dictionary ? (for example, PockedBook reader app offers it)

Thanks again, Norbert

pazos · 08-30-2019, 07:19 AM

It is doable. Just iterate over the entire stack of installed (and enabled) packages and get a list of packages that are able to resolve specific actions like SEARCH, SEND or PROCESS_TEXT. Basically we need to create a table holding all the information and pass that to lua instead.

Just need to find someone willing to do the job. I'm not that one.

In any case Pocketbook implementation seems wonky and Librera seems a better example to follow in this area (plus the code is open source so any one can look up how it is doing stuff and port it over to KOReader).

The other option: move dictionaries.lua to external storage, so users can edit that file without rebuilding the application, is way easier to do.

Norbi24 · 08-30-2019, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pazos

The other option: move dictionaries.lua to external storage, so users can edit that file without rebuilding the application, is way easier to do.

@pazos, thanks.
I also thought in your 2nd idea - that dictionaries.lua is some kind of configuration, so why not to move it to the external storage where also other config stuff is stored ?
@Frenzie, what do you think about it ?
In this way you could get more feedback which dictonaries are working and which not ...

Frenzie · 08-30-2019, 01:52 PM

Sure, I'd just add an extra line that loads an override from settings/dictionaries.lua or something.

Norbi24 · 08-31-2019, 07:21 AM

Perfect, thank you, we could then more easily experiment with different dictionaries ...

Norbi24 · 09-02-2019, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frenzie

Sure, I'd just add an extra line that loads an override from settings/dictionaries.lua or something.

@Frenzie, would you add this extra line?
Sorry for bothering you, but looks simple for you

Frenzie · 09-03-2019, 06:39 AM

Finding time isn't necessarily easy.

Btw, I'm happy to support. New contributors make the world go round!

elchamaco · 09-04-2019, 04:11 AM

If this is to be able to use android dictionary external apps, like golden dict or fora it'll be greatly appreciated.

Frenzie · 09-04-2019, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elchamaco

If this is to be able to use android dictionary external apps, like golden dict or fora it'll be greatly appreciated.

Emphasis on like, because…

pazos · 09-05-2019, 04:46 PM

Yeah, fora and goldendict pro are untested. I tested alpus which is the new fora and that worked fine. Goldendict free worked fine too.

IMO I would promote? just free packages readily available in FDroid (like Quickdic, Aard2 and Kiwix) and leave the others commented out on a plain text files somewhere in /sdcard/koreader.

It is just sad that I couldn't find a free stardict compatible dict app in Fdroid.

08-30-2019, 06:05 AM	#1
Norbi24 Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 144 Join Date: Aug 2019 Device: Tolino Vision HD4, BOOX Poke2	Question/Wish in support of external dictionaries on Android Hi guys, At first many thanks for adding support of a few selected external dictionaries into Koreader. Even though I do not use any of them, I added my dictionary to dictionaries.lua and it is working perfectly fine and this is the reason I have started to read with KOReader The question is now, whether you plan to go one step further and let users select which of the installed apps should be used as a dictionary ? (for example, PockedBook reader app offers it) Thanks again, Norbert

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08-30-2019, 07:19 AM	#2
pazos cosiñeiro Posts: 1,271 Karma: 2200049 Join Date: Apr 2014 Device: BQ Cervantes 4	It is doable. Just iterate over the entire stack of installed (and enabled) packages and get a list of packages that are able to resolve specific actions like SEARCH, SEND or PROCESS_TEXT. Basically we need to create a table holding all the information and pass that to lua instead. Just need to find someone willing to do the job. I'm not that one. In any case Pocketbook implementation seems wonky and Librera seems a better example to follow in this area (plus the code is open source so any one can look up how it is doing stuff and port it over to KOReader). The other option: move dictionaries.lua to external storage, so users can edit that file without rebuilding the application, is way easier to do.

08-30-2019, 01:52 PM	#4
Frenzie Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 724945 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Antwerp Device: Kobo Aura H2O	Sure, I'd just add an extra line that loads an override from settings/dictionaries.lua or something.

08-31-2019, 07:21 AM	#5
Norbi24 Connoisseur Posts: 64 Karma: 144 Join Date: Aug 2019 Device: Tolino Vision HD4, BOOX Poke2	Perfect, thank you, we could then more easily experiment with different dictionaries ...

09-03-2019, 06:39 AM	#7
Frenzie Wizard Posts: 1,613 Karma: 724945 Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Antwerp Device: Kobo Aura H2O	Finding time isn't necessarily easy. Btw, I'm happy to support. New contributors make the world go round!

09-04-2019, 04:11 AM	#8
elchamaco Zealot Posts: 128 Karma: 500 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: kindle, boox	If this is to be able to use android dictionary external apps, like golden dict or fora it'll be greatly appreciated.

09-05-2019, 04:46 PM	#10
pazos cosiñeiro Posts: 1,271 Karma: 2200049 Join Date: Apr 2014 Device: BQ Cervantes 4	Yeah, fora and goldendict pro are untested. I tested alpus which is the new fora and that worked fine. Goldendict free worked fine too. IMO I would promote? just free packages readily available in FDroid (like Quickdic, Aard2 and Kiwix) and leave the others commented out on a plain text files somewhere in /sdcard/koreader. It is just sad that I couldn't find a free stardict compatible dict app in Fdroid.