------------------------------------------------------------- C H i n D E X Electronic Index to "A Chinese-English Dictionary" and "Das neue Chinesisch-Deutsche Woerterbuch" Demo Version 2.1 (c) 1992 by Hartmut Bohn HARTMUT BOHN SOFTWARE Kaisersbacherstr. 47 D-7157 Murrhardt 3 Germany ------------------------------------------------------------- August 21st 1992 INSTALLATION AND USERS MANUAL ----------------------------- 1 Installing CHinDEX 1.1 Hardware Requirements 1.2 System Files 1.3 Installing the Demo Version 2 How to use CHinDEX 2.1 Starting the Program 2.2 Character Lookup Methods 2.2.1 Radical Index 2.2.2 Pinyin Index 2.2.3 Simplified Four Corner Index 2.2.4 Stroke Index 2.3 The Character Selection Window 2.4 The Character Information Window 2.5 Changing the Default Method 3 CHinDEX as a Desk Accessory 4 Full Version of CHinDEX 5 Outlook 6 COPYRIGHT 7 Changes and Bugs ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Installing CHinDEX 1.1 Hardware Requirements CHinDEX can be used on ATARI ST/STE computers with a high-rez monitor (SM 124), at least one Megabyte of RAM and a double sided disk drive. A hard disk is recommended. 1.2 System Files To run CHinDEX the following files are necessary: CHINDEX.PRG CHINDEX.RSC CHINDEX.FNT CHINDEX.INF SETUP .PRG as well as the folder "DATA" with the files BIHUA .DAT BUSHOU .DAT CIDIAN .DAT PINYIN .DAT SIJIAO .DAT 1.3 Installing the Demo Version To install CHinDEX on a hard disk, just copy all files and folders mentioned in 1.2 to a folder on the hard disk. If you want to install CHinDEX on floppy disk, copy the files mentioned in 1.2 to a double sided disk. 2 How to use CHinDEX 2.1 Starting the Program Start CHinDEX with a double click on "CHINDEX.PRG". I t will take CHinDEX about seven seconds from hard disk (40 seconds from floppy disk) to initialize. If files are missing CHinDEX will produce an error message and quit. After initialization CHinDEX will show up with the default method (cf. 2.5). 2.2 Character Lookup Methods 2.2.1 Radical Index The radical index used in CHinDEX is based on those of "Xinhua Cidian" and "Xiandai Hanyu Cidian". Some of the radicals of the "Chinese-English Dictionary" are not in this index. Radicals of the same stroke count are not ordered - as is usually done in printed dictionaries - according to the first stroke but according to radical productivity. A number of characters (several hundreds!) with ambiguous radicals can be found under more than one radical in the radical index of CHinDEX. Clicking on a radical will produce the character selection window (cf. 2.3) containing all characters with the selected radical ordered according to the number of remaining strokes. Selecting one of the characters leads to the character information window (cf. 2.4). 2.2.2 Pinyin Index The Pinyin syllable is entered via the keyboard (on English keyboards use "v" instead of the umlauted "u"!) and confirmed by hitting the "RETURN" key or selecting the "OK" button. As in many cases only the syllable but not the tone of a character is known, the tone does not have to be entered. However, the characters in the character selection window will be displayed according to their tone. If the tone of the desired character is known it can be looked up in the proper line immediately. Otherwise - as the character lists are all ordered dynamically according to lookup frequency - start looking for the desired character column-wise from left to right. Selecting a character leads to the corresponding character information window (cf. 2.4). 2.2.3 Simplified Four Corner Index The four corner number is entered via the keyboard and confirmed with the "RETURN" key. Alternatively it can be entered by clicking on the graphemes of the dialog form with the mouse and then clicking on the "OK" button. The fifth number of the original four corner method does not have to be entered. Instead, the characters are ordered according to lookup frequency in the character selection window (cf. 2.3). Selecting a character leads to the corresponding character information window (cf. 2.4). 2.2.4 Stroke Index The stroke index contains characters which are hard to identify with the radical index. They are ordered according to total stroke count in the character selection window (cf. 2.3). Selecting a character leads to the character informa- tion window (cf. 2.4). 2.3 The Character Selection Window Besides the selection of characters with the mouse all other window operations like changing the window area, scrolling and resizing of the window are possible. Clicking on the close button in the upper left corner of the window causes CHinDEX to return to the default method. All character lists displayed in the character selection window are dynamic, i.e. frequently looked-up characters will make their way to the head of the list, rare characters will move to the list's end. 2.4 The Character Information Window In the demo version of CHinDEX the character information window shows all the pronunciations of level one characters of the People's Republic's GB code (according to "Hanzi shuxing zidian", Beijing: Shumu wenxian chubanshe, 1988 ) and question marks for level two characters. The full version of shows ALL pronunciations of ALL GB characters, as well as the exact page number(s) in either "Das neue Chinesisch-Deutsche Woerterbuch" or "A Chinese-English Dictionary" (both Beijing: Shangwu yinshuguan, 1985). It is necessary to point out that there are about 230 characters in "Das neue Chinesisch-Deutsche Woerterbuch" (as well as in "A Chinese-English Dictionary") which are at present not included in CHinDEXes character set. On the other hand, CHinDEX "knows" more than 900 characters which are not in those dictionaries. As to characters with more than one pronunciation, the pronunciations are not listed alphabetically but rather according to their frequency. The character information window can be closed by clicking on the close button in the upper left corner of the window or by hitting any key. CHinDEX will then return to the default method (cf. 2.5). 2.5 Changing the Default Method The default method can be changed with "SETUP.PRG". Starting SETUP will produce a menu in which the radical index, the pinyin index or the four corner index can be chosen as default method. The next time CHinDEX is started the chosen method will be the default method. 3 CHinDEX as a Desk Accessory CHinDEX can also be used as a Desk Accessory. Thus characters can be "looked up" while for instance entering a Chinese translation into your word processor. Since CHinDEX needs a lot of memory there should be more than one Megabyte of RAM if it is used as an accessory. If you happen to have only one megabyte of RAM, you should disable all other accessories - maybe by using a PD accessory switcher. Otherwise there might not be enough memory for CHinDEX, the word processor and the text you are working on. First "CHINDEX.PRG" must be renamed to "CHINDEX.ACC". Then it has to be copied - together with all necessary files and folders - to the boot partition of your hard disk. (You can run it from a floppy too, but it doesn't make too much sense.) After re-booting the system CHinDEX will be available in the DESK menu of your GEM application. ---------------------------------------------------------- W A R N I N G ---------------------------------------------------------- Desk accessories on the ATARI have the annoying property of possibly causing loss of data of other currently active applications if they should "crash". CHinDEX has been thoroughly tested, as far as this is possible with a programm of its size and complexity. Never- theless, there may still be errors in the program leading to "unexpected behaviour". NO WARRANTY AGAINST LOSS OF DATA CAN BE GIVEN! USE CHinDEX AS A DESK ACCESSORY AT YOUR OWN RISK! To minimize the risk of loosing a valuable data, make regular copies of your texts (some word processors can do that automatically!) 4 Full Version of CHinDEX The full version of CHinDEX gives all pronunciations and the corresponding page numbers of the characters in the diction- ary ("A Chinese-English Dictionary" or "Das neue Chinesisch- Deutsche Woerterbuch") The amount of time (and nerves!) saved when looking up known as well as unknown characters with CHinDEX is enormous! The full version of CHinDEX is available from: Hartmut Bohn Software Kaisersbacherstr. 47 D-W-7157 Murrhardt 3 Federal Republic Germany Fax: (+49)7184-2403 - within Germany for DM 50.-- C.O.D. (Nachnahme) - for a DM 50.-- Eurocheque (card number must be given on the cheque, says my bank!) - for a DM 50.-- bank cheque issued by your bank in German Marks. Please indicate whether you want the English or the German version of CHinDEX! Any more questions? Contact the author via mail at the address given above or via e-mail at: bohn@utrurt.uucp or: bohn%utrurt@unido.informatik.uni-dortmund.de or: ...!unido!utrurt!bohn 5. Outlook For the future the following extensions of CHinDEX are planned: - Later on several special dictionaries could be included, maybe the two-volume "Chinese-English Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms" (Harbin: Heilongjiang Renmin Chubanshe, 1985) and "Langenscheidts Chinesisch- Deutscher Wortschatz Politik und Wirtschaft der VR China". - In the character information window the page numbers of several dictionaries could then be displayed at the same time. ONE UNIFORM INDEX TO SEVERAL DICTIONARIES! ONE LOOKUP - SEVERAL DICTIONARIES! 6 COPYRIGHT The demo version (and only the demo version!) of CHinDEX may be be freely copied and distributed under the following conditions: a) Under no circumstances shall the copyright notices in the program, its resources and documentation be removed. b) This manual file or a hardcopy of it must be distributed with the program. c) The author can not assume any liability for any damages that may arise from the use of this software. d) The author has no obligation to revise the program to correct any fault in this software. 7 Changes and Bugs The "9980" bug in the four corner index of version 2.0 has been removed. A number of errors in the data have also been corrected. The maximum size of the character selection window has been enlarged. The character information window can now also be closed with a keystroke. CHinDEX has one serious bug which could not be removed up to now: When used as an accessory, starting an other program while one of CHinDEXes windows is open will cause a system crash, sooner rather than later. So, before starting a program, leave CHinDEX via the "QUIT" button!