A dictionary/thesaurus like WordWeb, for Puppy

[Flash]

For what it's worth, I really like an application called WordWeb, which unfortunately seems only to be available for Windows. It's not really a spellchecking program, but rather a dictionary/thesaurus. The neat thing about it is that it works in any application. You use it by highlighting any word, or occasionally a phrase, that is visible on the screen, then click on the WordWeb icon which opens the dictionary at the word or phrase you highlighted. If you misspelled the word, WordWeb will tell you that and give its best guess at what you meant to spell. I like it much better than a standard spell checking program because it also gives the definition of the word and its synonyms. I find it to be far more flexible, useful and even educational than a simple spellchecking program.

If anything like it exists for Linux, I think it would be a great addition to Puppy, perhaps as a DotPup. If it doesn't exist for Linux yet, what would it take to make it a reality?

[Guest]

For what it's worth, I really like an application called WordWeb, which unfortunately seems only to be available for Windows.

I fully concur Flash. I used WordWeb constantly in Windoze and found it indispensable, so much so In my last distro I had to get Wine running just so I could have it back. The trouble is that Wine is chalanging to install and set up and dispite the fact that it is a compatability layer rather than an emulator, I still find that applications run much slower in it. What would be far better is a Linux native excecutable.

I find it to be far more flexible, useful and even educational than a simple spellchecking program.

I had an earlier version (v1.63) without the context sensative highlight & click interface, so I had to highlight, right click, copy, paste into WordWeb and hit search. The nicest thing is that it dosn't need to be on the internet as it uses a local dictionary and I was simply astounded at the huge number of words
and phrases it contained. Unfortunately, latter versions at least required a conection to the internet for the purpouse of registration.

If anything like it exists for Linux, I think it would be a great addition to Puppy, perhaps as a DotPup. If it doesn't exist for Linux yet, what would it take to make it a reality?

I expect the developers would have to consider releasing the code as OSS, unless they were prepared to port it to Linux themselves. It would at least be nice to have a binary even if it isn't OSS. They have a link on their website for enquiries about "..licensing the WordWeb data or using the WordWeb components in your software...". I might just wiz of an email to them, and find out what is possible.

[Skepticus]

Whoops!! I didn't log in before I posted that last message. So it was me Skepticus (Steve), checking on WordWeb, and its availability for Linux. Anyhow, I checked out their FAQ and found this:

Will there be a Linux, Mac, Pocet PC, Palm, etc, version?

A future Linux version is a possibility, though unlikely in the near future. There is unlikely to be a version for other platforms.

I will still make an inquiry though, to ask what time frame they might expect and what prevents WordWeb from being ported to Linux. I expect they are only waiting for that critical mass and just want to make it comercialy viable.

When Linux user numbers are large enough, all of the comercial companies will want to flood in and exploit the fertiile niche that was created by goodwill and mutual voulantary cooperation. The best alternative to prevent this, is to find/create an OSS project , writting a dictionary applicatiion from scratch. Or find an Open Source dictionary to modify so that it works just like WordWeb. There is one way that I would hate to see Linux become like Windows, and that is being a marketing tool for Closed Source Software and commercial proffiteering.

Regards SteveC.

[Skepticus]

The big question is how a company can be expected to give up their product as Open Source and still remain comercially viable. Even if computer users steadily convert to Linux, the company isn't going to say, 'oh well, your'e using Linux now, so you can have for free, the product we have been selling to Windows users for $xxx. I know some companies have made their fomerly closed source products viable in the Open Source world, but I don't realy understand how this is done. Anyhow, this is my first draft of the email I am proposing to sent to WordWeb, Does anybody have any coments or sugestions before I send it?

To Whom It May Concern.

My name is Steven Cathery. Firstly I would like to thank you for producing a first class appliication. I used the free version some time ago and began to find it indispensable. I would have liked to buy a copy, but at that time I had no internet connection and no credit card.

I am writing to you now as an avid Linux enthusiast. I am becoming involved with disscussions/support and development (to a limited extent) in the Linux community. I am now fully converted to a Linux operating system, and WordWeb is one of the few things I miss in the world beyond Microsoft. I note on your FAQ, that there are no immediate plans to bring out a Linux version of WordWeb, but that it is still possible.

What I would like to know, If you would be so kind, is how long has this been the prevailant positiion and in what time frame might this be re-considered? Also, I would like too know what criiteria would influence a posative discision to port WordWeb to Linux and how could members of the Linux community assist to this end?

Searching the internet for 'WordWeb Linux' seems to spawn a prolifferation of Journalism and discussion forum traffic that reinforces my lamentation. It can't be long before somebody will fullfill this need and there are many in the Linux comunity who would very likely, be willing to assist with co-development of a Linux port of WordWeb. Otherwise I am afraid, somebody will be tempted to re-invent the wheel and write an application from scratch, which duplicates the functionality of WordWeb.

For my part I am ambivilent about third party comercial software on Linux, but I would Just as soon see the credid go to those who devised the functional concept for an application. Moreover, it is a fundemental part of the Open Source ethos, that code should be re-used rather than re-written, so it is incumbent upon the members of this community to consider the option of cooperation, before we resort to competion. Please feel free to consider me open to dilouge, and that I will foster the apropriate discusion in the Linux comunity to bring this matter foward.

Regards Steven Cathery
me@myspamfree.email.address

[Flash]

Well thanks. I hope you at least get a response.

I wonder how hard it would be, to make a dictionary/thesaurus from scratch? It's pretty much just a searchable database, right? Is there such a thing, functionally speaking, already available as a web-based application with an open-source license? How about the Wikipedia, or one of the searchable dictionaries on the web? Are any of their databases free to download (rip?) and incorporate into a standalone application? Actually, I wonder if the WordWeb database can be copyrighted?

[Bruce B]

I'm pretty happy with the dict and look,has anyone tried these?

[Flash]

I'm pretty happy with the dict and look,has anyone tried these?

No. Are they already in Puppy, or at least something that could be made into Dotpups?

[Bruce B]

Flash, I posted them, but that was before I started making dotpups.

dict is just one file, it uses Internet dictionaries, you can however download dictionaries and use them locally. I like dict because it gives lots of information, the output can be read on screen, redirected to a text file or made into an html file.

http://www.murga.org/%7Epuppy/viewtopic.php?t=312

look is two files, the program and the word list

http://www.murga.org/%7Epuppy/viewtopic.php?t=311

[Flash]

Thanks Bruce, I'll look into them.

[Flash]

Well I must say that dict is very powerful. Compared to WordWeb its interface is pretty clunky and inconvenient though. I couldn't find a way to copy and paste back and forth from the forum to dict in rxvt, but I could do it from tkcon.

I thought it would be great if I could highlight a word, then right-click it and the menu would include 'look up in dictionary/thesaurus'.

[Guest]

Is there such a thing, functionally speaking, already available as a web-based application with an open-source license?

Please excuse my newbieness if what I am about to ask can be done>
If its not too much to ask would you please (or anyone willing to take the time to do so)compile this for puppy:
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/obtain
would be very grateful if you can.
Thank you.

[Lobster]

Online dictionaries

http://www.answers.com/
http://www.onelook.com/
http://www.bartleby.com/
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/
http://www.fdicts.com/

or typing define: dictionary into Google

[MU]

Look in the additional software forum in 10-20 minutes, I must clean up some files first.
This is huge

Also look at Aiksaurus and pb-dict:
http://www.murga.org/~puppy/viewtopic.p ... ght=pbdict

Mark