The Datafile PD-CD 2/DATAFILE_PDCD2.iso/utilities/chinese/!FlashCard_ReadMe10

Text File | 1993-11-20 | 9.5 KB | 213 lines

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                        Chinese for the Archimedes
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        I'm not sure if there are any other Acorn users out there with an
interest in Chinese but this is one way to find out. I started learning
Mandarin this year and was disappointed to find that there were plenty of
programs for PCs (word processors, readers, tuition programs etc.) but
nothing at all for RiscOs. So I decided to write something myself and
'FlashCard' is the result of my first attempts at Chinese programming.

        It is a simple program to display Chinese characters in either
simplified (Jianti) or traditional (Fanti) form from standard 'card' files.
These also contain the 'pin-yin' pronunciation for the characters and the
English translations. It is intended mainly as an aid to recognising the
characters. Some sample card files based on the book 'A Practical Chinese
Reader' have been included which were written by Steve Simpson
([e-mail]) of Pennsylvania State University. He kindly gave me
his permission to include them. He has also written a flashcard program in
'Turbo C' which is available from his own ftp site in /Simpson/Chinese and
from the main Chinese ftp sites ifcss.org and ftp.edu.tw. The code for
this and other programs on the internet was my main source of education in
Chinese computing.

        The program accesses the character bitmap files using the HBF
(Hanzi Bitmap Font) standard. The hbf header files provide the information
necessary to locate the right character amongst the many thousand  stored
bitmaps from the gb or big5 encoding. You can use alternative font files, if
you want, just by  using the appropriate HBF headers and changing the font
paths in the !boot file. The program uses the HBF interfacing code written
by Ross Paterson ([e-mail]). Thanks to him also. The fonts used were
obtained from  ifcss.org and there are many more available there.

STOP PRESS:

Sorry - In fact you can't use different chinese fonts. The next version will
definately have this option.

The Files Included Are:

!Flash Application
        !boot
        !run
        !Runimage
        README
PCR - Practical Chinese Reader card files (by Stephen Simpson).
        Hopefully more will be include in future releases.
Fonts
        cclib24hbf - HBF header for cclib bitmaps
        kcm24hbf - HBF header for kcchin bitmaps
        cclib.24 - 24x24 Jianti Bitmap File (guobiao)
        kcchin24.f00 - 24x24 Fanti Bitmap File (big5)


 Using FlashCard
_________________

Flashcard is a RISCOS program and runs from the desktop. It works best in
high resolution modes such as 28 and 31. I have a VGA monitor but it  should
also be OK with multisyncs. With poorer monitors or mode 12, the  characters
are liable to look really dire. I hope to include anti-aliased  characters
once I get to grips with OS_SpriteOp 53 and read up on colourtrans. Wimp
programming is damned hard work, that's for sure. Even using 'Desklib'
(thanks to the originators of that, too. Is there going to be a new
release?) most of the man hours on FlashCard were spent struggling with
submenus which  wouldn't appear (nobody told me you don't include the '>' in
menu strings if you want the submenu to open automatically. All I was
getting were menuwarning messages) and events which disappeared into the
void without being handled. Rant! Rant! But it's all working now. (Ha! that's
what you think! signed: THE WIMP).

Where was I. Yes, using FlashCard. Offhand, I don't think there's too much
that can go wrong.

Ensure that you have the correct locations for the HBF files set in the boot
file. I use the variable <ChineseFonts$Path> where this is the directory
!Flashcard.^.fonts. There are also paths in the HBF files for the bitmap
locations.

To start up, double click on the application (surprise, surprise) and drag
a card file to the icon. There are 4 items on the menu - Duck a l'orange,
truite aux amandes ... No, sorry! They are:

        Characters - choose traditional or simplified (default).

        Options - Set order of display (pinyin etc).
                        The latter isn't implemented yet
                        because I'm too lazy and I've got a PhD to
                        do in my spare time :-).

        Random - Display cards in a random order.
                        Just in case you are learning the cards
                        by order rather than by recognition.

        Auto - Not Implemented.(See above at 'Options');

Clicking 'show' will display the pinyin and translation and clicking again
will 'show' the next character sequence.

The arrows cycle through the characters in the file in order (even with
random on). New card files can be dragged to the window, replacing the
previous ones. The files are all stored in memory and extra large ones may
need a larger wimpslot and take a couple of seconds to load while things are
sorted out. The program continually gobbled up lot's of memory in it's
infancy but I suspect it's grown out of that now.

(If and) when your ability improves, I would recommend joining some of the
card files supplied together (in !Edit) to make larger ones and give a
bigger selection. If you want to use your own files, then it's best to have
them in the same format - ie with tab (Hex09) characters separating big5,
guobiao, piyin and English. Comment lines must start with a '#'. The big5
and guobiao (simplified and traditional) codes can be separated by spaces
but to be safe, stick to the above. Corrupt files *shouldn't* crash the
program but they won't work very well and it may complain - bitterly.

If you want to use larger card files you may have to alter the size of the
templates to hold the pinyin and English. Up to ten chinese characters can
be displayed (it would be easy to include more but it would hardly be a
flashcard then, would it ? :-)). Don't alter the sprite which is used for
the characters icon.

Only 24x24 Chinese bitmaps are supported at present.

If you want to change the size of the fonts used then you can alter this in
the templates as well (Use TemplEd - available from a good pd stockist near
you).

Er. That's about it. Hope you like it.
_____________________________________________________________________________

NOW FOR THE NASTY BIT.

You are licensed to use this program for thirty days. If after this time
you find it useful and would like to keep using it, ....................


.......... , then you can keep it as long as you want. Ha! Had you going
there for a second :-). However if you *really* feel that I should be
rewarded for my efforts (After all I did spend ages making stupid mistakes
while writing this program ... and student grants aren't what they used to
be, *sigh*) then don't send me any money 'cos I don't deserve it. Give  a
fiver (or equivalent - after all it's a big world) to Oxfam or  Greenpeace
or something instead. At least they'll spend it on something useful other
than beer.


But seriously :-|, I think there are far too many people writing Shareware
programs which are REALLY rubbish. I was shown one (for DOS) recently which
removed the [0d]'s from text files. Now that's really pathetic!. It's all
very well if you've spent ages making a super professional job and lovingly
crafted a wonderful program which actually does something useful. Then it's
only fair that people who use your software should give you somthing in
return. But those who write useless gimmick programs in the hope of making a
fast buck are just chancers (as we say here in Glasgow) :-(.

Even More Seriously:
*****************************************************************************
FlashCard Version 1.00 is Freeware.

It may not be distributed for profit of any kind.

It may be freely distributed through non-commercial ftp sites on the
internet, provided all files - including this one - are supplied unchanged
(apart from the bitmap and HBF files which to the best of my knowledge - and
the folks at ifcss.org - are public domain).

Individuals are free to distribute copies but it may not be distributed by
any profit-making organisation or any organisation which also deals in
commercial software.

The author will not be responsible in any for any damage, virus infections
(picked up on the way, I certainly haven't written any) or loss of
files caused by use of this program. You use it entirely at your own risk.

L. Taylor ( 00.31 hrs 19.11.93 ).

*****************************************************************************

That sounds official enough.

On a lighter note, I would be keen to hear from any other Sinological  Acorn
users (if there are any). I also hope to write more Chinese stuff (file
readers and so on) and I would like to know if there's a market. Any feedback
on this program would also be gratefully received. Bug reports, suggestions,
comments, flattery, anything in fact. I'm a real addict to that "You Have
New Mail" message when I log on.

I can be contacted as:

[e-mail]  or,

Luke Taylor.
Room 536,
Department of Physics and Astronomy,
Glasgow University,
Glasgow,
G12 8QQ.

Bye for now. Or Zai4 Jian4 as we say in my Chinese class ('cos we don't know
much else yet).

P.S. Doesn't anyone have any requests or feedback about PhysDemos - quite  a
few people seem to have made downloaded it but nobody's sent us any
comments. Is it really that bad? The author Dr A. Watt can now be contacted
directly. He's finally got his terminal up and running and read last year's
mail. He is [e-mail].i1. You can still send anything to me if you
want it read quickly.