The Kdict Handbook: Introduction

1. Introduction

Kdict is a graphical client for the DICT Protocol. It enables you to search through dictionary-like databases for a word or phrase, then displays suitable definitions.
Kdict trys to ease basic as well as advanced queries. A separate list offers a convenient way to deal with the enormous number of matching words that a advanced query can return.
The remainder of Kdict's user interface resembles a web browser: For instance, you can jump to the definition of a synonym by simply clicking on the highlighted word. The back/forward functionality is also implemented, enabling you to quickly go back to the result of previous queries.
Kdict is able to process the content of the X clipboard, so it's easy to combine Kdict with your web browser or text editor.
Kdict is now a real client, no additional software is needed.
If your machine is behind a firewall, has no permanent internet connection or the server of dict.org is too slow for you, you can set up your own local server, all you need is available at www.dict.org. The advantages of a local server are optimal performance and the ability to install additional databases of your choice. Chapter 6 contains a small tutorial for installation and links to databases.

1.1 New

Kdict 0.4:
- ported to KDE2
- full unicode support
- improved portability, should work in non-linux environments now
- the german gui-translation is missing in this release, I will add it later on
- documentation is not yet converted to docbook
Kdict 0.3.1:
- essential bugfix for older, libc5-based linux systems
  (Thanks to Osvaldo Fornaro for testing)
- mini-howto for installing a local DICT-server
Kdict 0.3:
- integrated implementation of the DICT-protocol, dict(1) is no longer needed.
- match mode: At first all matches for a query are displayed in a separate list, the user can then choose the most interesting definitions.
- database sets: The user can create individual compilations of the available databases and use them in the same way as a single database.
- nicer/more configurable html-layout
- find dialog for locating text in the definitions
- the user can paste text into Kdict with the middle mouse button. Kdict starts a new query with the pasted text (analogue to Netscape).
- command to show detailed database information is implemented ("show info")
- speed improvements:
  - faster html-generation
  - results are stored in a local cache, so they are displayed instantly when the users wants to browse back.
  - Kdict holds the connection to the server for a configurable amount of time.
- various gui improvements:
  - improved statusbar
  - unified preferences dialog
  - all toolbars are now removable and remember their position.
  - new toolbar icons
Kdict 0.2:
- Some bugfixes and GUI enhancements
- Saving/printing of the query result
- Query history
- Synonyms get displayed and handled like hyperlinks
- Automatic lookup of a word in the X clipboard
- Preferences dialogbox for fonts, colors, etc.
- German translation
- This handbook
- Homepage: http://www.rhrk.uni-kl.de/~gebauerc/kdict/
- New maintainer: Christian Gebauer gebauer@bigfoot.com

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