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1992-08-22
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-------------------------------------------------------------
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!