Words List Not In Alphabetic Order, and Question about 1,2+,1+

LinZheFu

进士
On the IPad version, when select a character and view the list of words containing it, the results seem pretty logical and in alphabetical order. E.g., the list of two-character phrases will be alphabetical based on pinyin, making it easy to find words. But on the Android, the order seems a bit wild. I am referring to the list on the right side that pops up when I click on "words". For example, looking at the list for 纤, the sequence is xianwei, qian, xian, xianxi, xianruo, xianxian, xianjie, xianti, qianti zhongxin, qianfajunshu, qianfu,..... and after many dozens, near the bottom of the list, I can find qianlu. If I'm looking for qianlu in the list, it's hopeless. This was with the "1" button selected to keep it simple.

Also, I am confused by the 1, 2+, and 1+ buttons. With 2+, the list begins with huaxian, guangxian, xianxian, then doesn't seem to have any more 2-character terms. The online manual for the ANdroid version shows a system more like the Mac version, with "containing" or "starting" instead of "1, 2+, 1+". See http://www.pleco.com/anmanual/screenshots/device-2013-02-19-171823.png. Clarification on how to control or interpret the order of the words be helpful, as well as guidance on the subtleties of "1, 2+, 1+". I imagined 1 means two-word strings beginning with the character, 1+ means short strings containing the character, and 2+ means longer strongs containing he character, but those rules don't hold up consistently so I'm still unclear.
 

mikelove

皇帝
Staff member
This is something that we've been fiddling around with for a while but only finally reached a point we're happy with in the iOS 3.1 update we released two weeks ago. So it'll work like that on Android soon but it doesn't yet.

On Android, the list is sorted in order of frequency by default; you can sort it by Pinyin instead in Settings / Dictionary / Definition Screen Interface / Sort merged by frequency (turn it off).

The 1, 2+, 1+ refer to the character's position in the word - 1 would be starting, 2+ containing but not starting (so it's the second character in the word or later), and 1+ containing anywhere (1st or 2nd or any other position).
 
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