3) Making a search with Wecan English-Italian Dictionary
4) Supplementing the dictionary
5) The windows of Wecan English-Italian Dictionary
6) The menu bar
7) Listening to words and text
8) How to register
9) Questions and answers
10) Other resources for students learning Italian
1) What is Wecan English-Italian Dictionary?
• It’s an English-Italian dictionary for Macintosh users, containing more than 23,000 English words with translations into Italian.
• You can find all the entries that contain any particular English or Italian word by typing or pasting the word into the Find box and pressing the Return key. The dictionary collects all the entries that match what you’ve entered, and displays the English and the Italian side-by-side.
• You can copy words from the dictionary and paste them into another document.
• You can collect English words (with their Italian translations) in a separate window and study them together.
• The user can easily create additional plug-in dictionaries to supplement the dictionary provided with the program.
• You can listen to the English vocabulary if you want. You can type or copy other English text into a separate window and the program will read it aloud. (You need to have the Apple Text-to-Speech software to use these features).
• You can use the dictionary in several ways to help you to study grammar. The Italian translations include information about whether the English word is a noun, an adjective, a verb – sometimes it’s all three! You can search for grammatical abbreviations, like “av” for “avverbio” and the dictionary will display dozens of English adverbs with their Italian translations. A separate window displays the English irregular verbs.
• Suggestions from users have helped us to develop the dictionary into a useful and easy-to-use everyday tool. The relatively low memory requirement and the optional MiniWindow mean that many users can keep it open to refer to while they work with other programs.
• The dictionary was originally intended for Italian-speaking users, but English-speaking users have found it almost as useful.
• The program allows you to choose either English or Italian for the user interface language (buttons, menus and dialog box). Choose “User Interface Language…” from the Archivio (or File) menu.
2) Changes from the previous version
• The dictionary has been further revised and new words have been added.
• User interface improvements.
3) Making a search with Wecan English-Italian Dictionary
To make a search, enter the word (or a part of it) in the Find box of the Main Window or the MiniWindow. Then click the “Find” button or press the Return key or the Enter key on the keyboard.
If you come across a word (in the dictionary or another program) you want to look up, you can copy it to the clipboard. Then click on the magnifying-glass icon near the Find box, and the program will automatically look for the word.
You can search in three ways. You can tell the program to find:
• the words that begin with the specified string (searching for “flower” you'll find “flower” and also “flowered”).
• the words that equal the specified string (searching for “flower” you'll only find “flower”).
• the words that contain the specified string (searching for “flower” you'll find “flower” and also “flowered” and “cornflower” and others).
To choose from these types of search, use the pop-up menu at the left of the Find box.
If you choose the first search type (begin with), you can tell Wecan English-Italian Dictionary to ignore certain endings of the English words you enter in the Find box. This feature is called De-suffix. This can be a help to a user who wants to find the root of a word (noun, adjective, adverb, or verb). However, when you use De-suffix, you must leave it to the program to decide what part of the word to ignore. The program omits the endings that are usually added to the stem in forming an English word. The program then searches for words (both English and Italian) that start with whatever is left when the ending has been removed. This feature of Wecan English-Italian Dictionary operates only if there are at least three letters left after the ending (and any remaining final double letter) has been eliminated. For example it works for “friendly” but not for “doing”.
The endings that will be left off when you use De-suffix are:
When you make a search with Wecan English-Italian Dictionary, the words and their translations will appear in the main window of the program in alphabetical order. Some of the words that have been found will have come from the main dictionary of the program, and others may have come from a plug-in, or from several plug-ins, installed in the Plug-ins folder. If you click in the field that contains the word, the program will display the name of the plug-in where the word was found. You can see it near the box that indicates the number of found words, on the main window of the program. If nothing is displayed, it means that the word was found in the main dictionary.
When you make a search, you can limit the search to the main dictionary of the program, and exclude the plug-ins. To limit the search to the main dictionary, keep the Option Key on the keyboard pressed while you click the “Find” button (or while you press the Return key or the Enter key, which have the same effect as clicking "Find").
To limit the search to the plug-ins installed in the Plug-ins folder (and so exclude the main dictionary of the program), keep the Shift Key on the keyboard pressed while you click the “Find” button (or while you press the Return key or the Enter key, which have the same effect as clicking "Find").
4) Supplementing the dictionary
Wecan English-Italian Dictionary lets you supplement the main dictionary of the program by creating your own plug-in modules. They are very easy to make, especially if you already have a list of words with suitable translations. The folder called “To create plug-ins” contains all the instructions you need. It also offers some guidelines and other suggestions which you might find helpful if you are thinking about making your plug-ins available to other users.
To install a plug-in, put it into the Plug-ins folder of Wecan English-Italian Dictionary. You don't have to do anything else. Wecan English-Italian Dictionary will have immediate access to the plug-in. You can add a plug-in while the program is running, and you will have access to the extra words without even having to relaunch the program.
To de-install a plug-in, just drag it out of the Plug-ins folder.
5) The windows of Wecan English-Italian Dictionary
To move between the different windows you can use the row of buttons at the top of most windows. The MiniWindow has a single button which transfers you to the Main Window. Alternatively you can use the Window menu to open the window you want.
The Main Window:
With the “Collect” button you can collect the words you are interested in to see them all together in the new “Collection” window. To put a word into the collection, click anywhere in the display area for the word you are interested in, then click on the “Collect” button.
Click on the “Speak” button (or choose “Speak” on the Sound menu) to listen to the English words that are displayed. To stop the sound, click the “Speak” button again. You can choose the voice you want from the adjacent pop-up menu, which lists all the voices available. If you choose “Casuale” (Random), different voices will be used at random.
The “Up” and “Down” buttons let you scroll through the found words. When you press one of these buttons the window starts to scroll. It goes on scrolling until you let go of the button.
The English word is displayed at the beginning of the each entry, followed by the Italian translation. You can select words and translations from the dictionary and copy them to the clipboard. A very few translations are too long to be displayed in the standard two-line space. In this case click anywhere in the visible part of the translation, and use the little scroll-arrows that will appear at the right of the translation.
The Collection Window:
This window lets you view the collected words. You can collect up to 200 words. When this limit is reached, the program automatically deletes the oldest word to make room for the new entry.
The “Speak” button and the pop-up menu of voices operate in the same way as in the Main Window. The “Clear All” button lets you clear all the vocabulary from the window. You can print from the Collection Window by using the “Print” button (clicking this button is the same as choosing “Print” on the File menu).
You can export the contents of the Collection Window to a new plain-text file. Press the "Export" button, enter a name for the new file and decide where to store it, then press "Save".
You can move directly to any of the other windows by clicking the appropriate button in the top row of the window. Alternatively you can choose “Find...” on the Search menu or press Command-F on the keyboard to open the dictionary window you were last using, ready to start making a search.
The Irregular Verbs Window:
This window lets you look up English irregular verbs. You can move directly to any of the other windows by clicking the appropriate button in the top row of the window. Alternatively you can choose “Find...” on the Search menu or press Command-F on the keyboard to open the dictionary window you were last using.
The Reading Text Window:
In this window you can type or copy-and-paste any English text that you want to listen to. The text can be edited and printed, just the same as in an ordinary word-processor. The window will accept up to 30,000 characters (about 5,000 words). You can import text from an existing plain-text file by using the “Import text” button. The limit for imported text is 25,000 characters (about 4,000 words). You can export text from this window to a plain-text file by using the “Export text” button. You can move directly to any of the other windows by clicking the appropriate button in the top row of the window. Alternatively you can choose “Find...” on the Search menu or press Command-F on the keyboard to open the dictionary window you were last using.
The MiniWindow:
This is a shallow window that lets you keep Wecan English-Italian Dictionary open on your screen, without using much space. Its features are much the same as in the Main Window:
• The “Speak” button.
• The magnifying-glass icon to find the clipboard content.
• The pop-up menu to choose the type of search you want to make.
• The Find box.
• The De-Suffix checkbox.
• A button for moving to the Main Window.
• A panel that indicates the number of words the program has found.
• The two arrow buttons for scrolling the window.
To search for a word when you are using the MiniWindow, enter the word you want in the Find box, and press the Return key or the Enter key.
6) The Menu Bar
Choosing “User Interface Language…” on the “Archivio” (or File) menu you can choose either English or Italian for the user interface language (buttons, menus and dialog box). The choice you make has immediate effect.
Choosing “Find” on the Search menu selects the Find box when you are in the Main Window or in the MiniWindow. If you are using one of the other windows, it returns you to the most recent window involving the dictionary, and selects the Find box.
Choosing “Read the Collection” on the Sound menu gets the program to read aloud the ten most recent words displayed in the Collection window.
Choosing “Read the Clipboard” on the Sound menu gets the program to read aloud the contents of the clipboard. For example, you can copy a phrase or sentence in English from another program, and “English Italian” will read it aloud to you.
Choosing “Main Window” from the Window menu opens the Main Window of the dictionary. The other items on the Window menu open other windows of “English Italian”.
7) Listening to Text
Wecan English-Italian Dictionary can read text aloud. This ability is based on Apple Computer's “PlainTalk™” technology. If you want to listen to text, your computer needs to be equipped with the Apple software “English Text-to-Speech”.
You can easily find out if your computer has this software, by opening the Extensions folder: if the Speech Manager extension is present, it means that “Text-to-Speech” is already installed. The “English Text-to-Speech” software is not supplied with this program. If your computer does not already have it, contact your authorised Apple supplier, or download it from this site on the internet: http://www.speech.apple.com/.
8) How to Register
Wecan English-Italian Dictionary is shareware. If you use it for more than a week or two, please register your copy using the Register program that accompanies the program or, if you have an Internet connection and want to pay by credit card, you can register Wecan English-Italian Dictionary online using a web form.
These are the charges for registering Wecan English-Italian Dictionary:
A single-user licence costs US $30.
Licences for 2 or more users cost US $25 per user.
You can pay in other currencies or with a credit card. Once you have registered, you are considered registered for all future versions of Wecan English-Italian Dictionary, so you do not need to pay any additional fees when you upgrade to a new version.
You can find more information about registration in the file called “How to Register” which is included in this package.
9) Questions and Answers
Q: When I search for “love”, why do I get “beloved”?
A: You probably selected “contain” from the pop-up menu at the left of the Find box. If you want to get only the occurrences of “love” choose “equal”. Alternatively, if you want to get all the words starting with “love” (for example “loveless”) then choose “begin with” from the pop-up menu.
Q: If I need to look for more words, do I have to keep notes about the words that have already been found?
A: Not at all. There's a feature called “Collection” which lets you collect the words that you are interested in. By using this feature you can collect all the words you need, and afterwards you can review them all at the same time. You can export the words you've collected to a separate plain-text file.
Q: How can I view the words I have collected?
A: Click on the “Collection” button or choose “Collection” on the “Window” menu.
Q: I haven't been studying Italian for long, and I find it difficult to understand the user interface, for instance the names of the buttons and the items on the menus.
A: You can choose either Italian or English for the user interface language (buttons, menus and dialog boxes). Make your choice with “User Interface Language…” on the Archivio menu. Your choice takes effect immediately.
Q: Can “English Italian” read the English vocabulary aloud?
A: Yes. It uses the voice you have chosen to read aloud any of the vocabulary contained in the dictionary. It will also read words and sentences that you enter yourself. You can get it to use different voices chosen at random from the available voices.
Q: I would like to use it while I'm reading my Email. Does it take up much space on the screen?
A: The “MiniWindow” feature provides a shallow window which takes up very little space on the screen. You can still use the most important features, such as searching for words, listening to text, and the buttons for scrolling through the words.
Q: How are searches carried out?
A: “English Italian” can search in two ways. You can search in the usual way (enter the word, or the beginning of it, in the Find box and then start the search). Alternatively “English Italian” can make an automatic search. This lets you find the word you want quickly, simply by clicking, without having to type it in the Find box.
Q: Can you give me a practical example?
A: If you come across a word (in the dictionary or another program) you want to look up:
1) copy it to the clipboard
2) click on the magnifying glass icon (in the Main Window or MiniWindow of “English Italian”, and the program will automatically find the word.
Q: Can I only search for English words?
A: No. The search is performed both in the English vocabulary and in the Italian translations.
Q: Can I listen to the words that have been collected?
A: Yes. Open the “Collection” window and click on the “Speak” button to listen to the English words displayed in the window. Alternatively, choose “Read the Collection” on the Sound menu to listen to the last ten words that were collected.
Q: What other special features are there for listening to words?
A: Choosing “Read the Clipboard” on the Reading menu gets the program to read aloud the contents of the clipboard. For instance, you can copy an English sentence from another program and use “English Italian” to listen to it.
Q: Can I do everything in Wecan English-Italian Dictionary using just one window?
A: No. Wecan English-Italian Dictionary has numerous features. To make use of all the features you need to use five windows. The Window menu lets you open the Main Window or any of the four special windows:
• The Collection Window is for quick viewing of the words that have been collected.
• The Irregular Verbs Window is for viewing English irregular verbs.
• The Reading Text Window lets you enter and edit text that you want the program to read aloud.
• The MiniWindow is a miniature window which uses very little space on the screen.
Q: Is it difficult to configure the various features?
A: No, you don't have to do any configuration.
Q: What do I need for listening to text?
A: “English Italian” can read text aloud. This ability is based on Apple Computer's “PlainTalk™” technology. If you want to listen to text, your computer needs to be equipped with the Apple software “English Text-to-Speech”.
Q: How do I find out if my computer is equipped with it?
A: You can easily check. Open the Extensions folder. If it contains an extension called “Speech Manager”, it means that “Text-to-Speech” is already installed.
Q: If I don't already have “Text-to-Speech”, where can I get it?
A: The “English Text-to-Speech” software is not provided with this program. If your computer does not already have it, contact your authorised Apple supplier, or download it from this site on the internet: http://www.speech.apple.com.
10) Other resources for students learning Italian
“Italian Nouns” by Adrienne Forbes http://users.netmatters.co.uk/dandaforbes/Italian.html is a free module for use with the shareware programs “Verbs&Nouns” and “V&N Lookup” (which you can find at the same internet site). It contains 2100 Italian nouns and allows you to practise the singular and plural forms of Italian nouns including all the common types, plus the less-common types such as lago, laghi; mancia, mance; turista, turisti; and many others. You can also use it to practise the seven forms of “the” in Italian, and the gender of nouns ending in -e. In addition you can practise the translation of nouns from Italian to English and vice versa. You can add and delete words, and create groups of similar words to practise on. You practise the words by typing the answers. Recent versions of “Verbs&Nouns” also let you practise plural forms by clicking on one of several possible answers, and you can do flash card exercises as well.
Wecan English-Italian Dictionary
Written by the Wecan team with the collaboration of Adrienne Forbes.
All our users for their numerous suggestions and advice. Frederic Rinaldi for his very useful XFCNs and XCMDs. Karl Petersen for useful suggestions.
Distribution
Wecan English-Italian Dictionary is shareware. The program can be freely distributed, either online or on CD-ROM without restrictions, provided that the original package is included.
Disclaimer
The authors of this software make no warranties, either express or implied, regarding the fitness of this or any version of Wecan English-Italian Dictionary for any particular purpose. Use Wecan English-Italian Dictionary at your own risk. The authors accept no liability for data loss or other problems caused directly or indirectly by Wecan English-Italian Dictionary.
Apple, the Apple logo, HyperCard, Macintosh, Mac OS, and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used under license therefrom.
XMLExtract XFCN Frederic Rinaldi 1989-1999: free for non-commercial use. Use in commercial software subjected to prior acknowledgement and licensing from the author, reachable at the following network address: <frederic.rinaldi@wanadoo.fr>.
