Converting Encarta Dictionaries to Mobipocket Tutorial

[owl123]

I've read a few threads about free Mobipocket dictionaries. One or two of them were mentioning Encarta dictionaries from Microsoft.

They're in MS Reader LIT format and available at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/down...ctionaries.asp.

You need to convert it to Mobipocket format to use it on for example iRex Iliad or DR1000.

Step 1. Download the dictionary you want and Convert-LIT program.
Step 2. 'Explode' the dictionary file with Convert-LIT.

-> in MS-DOS prompt run "clit.exe msebdict.lit dictionary/" (with no brackets)
-> it'll take a minute and a few new files will come up, among others: an .opf and an .htm files.

Step 3. Run Mobipocket Creator Publisher Edition. Open you .opf file. Click 'Book settings' on your left. Check "This eBook is a dictionary" and select appropriate input/output languages. Click Update and then Save. Close the program.

Step 4. Open your dictionary's htm file in UltraEdit (or in any other plain text editor that can handle big files). We need to set proper mobipocket tags now.

-> Click Search --> Replace -->

Find What: <div>
Replace With: <idx:entry><div>
Click "Replace All."

Find What: </div>
Replace With: </div></idx:entry>
Click "Replace All."

Find What: <b>
Replace With: <b><idx:orth>
Click "Replace All."

Find What: </b>
Replace With: </idx:orth></b>
Click "Replace All."

Save your file. It'll take a minute.

Step 5. Download mobigen and in MS-DOS prompt run:
mobigen msebdict.opf (or any other file .opf file.)

When it's done a new .mobi file will come up.

Step 6. Upload it to your Iliad/DR1000/Mobipocket Reader and you have a fully functional Microsoft Encarta Dictionary.

[nrapallo]

Nice find! I too had converted this .lit dictionary (several years ago) to my own reader's .imp format, and had also used extensive search & replace.

However, it is not a dictionary for Mobipocket use. It's just an ebook.

Thanks for the detailed instructions! I must try this now!

EDIT: BTW, I also converted the Foreign Translation-type dictionaries available at the microsoft link you provided. Did you try converting those to Mobipocket dictionary form?

[wallcraft]

Thanks. I confirmed this worked for the English dictionary.

For those who prefer not to use the command line: I used "ConvertLIT GUI" to explode the LIT file (step 2) and reopened MobiPocket Creator on the .opf file and selected Build with standard compression and no encryption (step 5).

[owl123]

I tried converting German-English dictionary. The tags look different in it but it's doable. There are no <div> tags but there are some other ones you could find and replace.

I managed to convert it, although I got some errors while using mobigen. And I lost most of the formatting. But if you play with it for a while I'm sure you'll be able to preserve it.

[nrapallo]

Worked Great!

I used Mobipocket Creator to build .prc instead of mobigen. Will this make a difference?

When I had originally converted this .lit to .imp, I had tweaked the <style> section used, inserted a better TOC and placed each letter on a new page.

The images below are from my .imp conversion done several years ago. See how they compare to this .prc version.

p.s. I recently updated the 1913 Webster's Dictionary, but did not build it as a dictionary. Now I know how and will update it using your search and replace technique. Thanks for sharing this with us!

[arvsinha]

Wow. Thanks a lot. Worked like a Charm. Great Dictionary.
Kudos.

[DDHarriman]

Hi

It works perfectly as explained.

To word of advice:

1 - do not try to open the html file with notepad, it does not work, one as to get a text editor that opens big files;

2 - compact the final mobipocket version of the dictionary with the “high compression” option and not just the standard one. It gets you a half size file (3.5 Megs instead of the 7.5 Megs), without any speed cost (tested in the desktop, laptop, pocketpc and Cybook mobipocket readers).

One warning if you try option (2): it will take time to compress the file, even in a powerful computer.

[BobC]

In order to be able to search the index (i.e. type in the word to look up) you need one further tweak. Add a Guide item - Title : Look Up Word, Type : Find, and put in Onclick : "index_search('', 'Alphabetical lookup', '', 'none')".#

This gives the ability in Mobipocket reader to click on "Contents, Look Up Word" for the search entry box. It also works on my BeBook.

I got rid of the included TOC as it's really redundant with a search (and is messy to use on my BeBook anyway.

BTW A good Free editor that will handle the 16Mb HTML file is PFE (Programmers File Editor)

BobC

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by BobC

In order to be able to search the index (i.e. type in the word to look up) you need one further tweak. Add a Guide item - Title : Look Up Word, Type : Find, and put in Onclick : "index_search('', 'Alphabetical lookup', '', 'none')".#

This gives the ability in Mobipocket reader to click on "Contents, Look Up Word" for the search entry box. It also works on my BeBook.

I got rid of the included TOC as it's really redundant with a search (and is messy to use on my BeBook anyway.

BTW A good Free editor that will handle the 16Mb HTML file is PFE (Programmers File Editor)

BobC

Ok, I read the Mobipocket "how to" here; so is it like this line, that can be added to the .opf:

<guide> <reference type="Find" title="Look Up Word" onclick= "index_search('', 'Alphabetical lookup', '', 'none')" /> </guide>

[BobC]

Originally Posted by nrapallo

Ok, I read the Mobipocket "how to" here; so is it like this line, that can be added to the .opf:

<guide> <reference type="Find" title="Look Up Word" onclick= "index_search('', 'Alphabetical lookup', '', 'none')" /> </guide>

Yes - all that I mentioned just generates an entry like this in the .opf.

The thing I haven't figured yet though is why the dictionary doesn't participate in the Reader Multi-Dictionary search.

BobC

[hannah]

They're in MS Reader LIT format and available at http://www.microsoft.com/reader/down...ctionaries.asp.

The link doesn't work anymore

hannah

[nrapallo]

Originally Posted by hannah

The link doesn't work anymore

hannah

Try this link!

It's the same as the above with an "x" appended. Microsoft re-organized their website and now that link is http://www.microsoft.com/reader/down...tionaries.aspx .

[hannah]

thank you very much

[cyberd00d]

HELP!!! I tried to convert the GE-EN dict, and it's giving me error about duplicate entries~~

[dmaddock1]

FYI, in case anyone is still trying to convert these. The "duplicate entries" error message is due to the "id" attribute in the tei-ms:entry tags. You can make Mobipocket Creator happy by searching and replacing them. For instance, I moved them into the div tag.