Flashcard import format

[Anonymous]

What's the format needed when I want pleco to add the pinyin for a flashcard list that already has the words and definitions? I am trying to do this with a list of idioms. Here's an example of one line from the list (the '<tab>' added for clarity).

安步当车<tab><tab>安，安闲。当，当作。古代贵族出外都要乘车，因此用安步当车称人能安贫守贱。现在多用于表示不乘车而从容步行。

First I tried with the format above, and I got "INVALID" in the flashcard pinyin entry after the import. Then I tried adding a space between the two tabs. This time, I got simply a blank for the pinyin.

Thanks much. Keep up the good work.

p.s. If there's interest, I can do a little write-up about how I've using plecodict flashcard both to practice recognition of new characters and writing of characters I already recognize. As I've mentioned before on chinese-forums.com, the existing flashcard interface is a bit confusing, and it might help new users to see an example of how to set up it for some typical uses.

 

[Anonymous]

Gato--I'd love to see that write-up. Thanks,

Sandra

 

[sfrrr]

(mumble mumble)

Sorry. That last guest was I. Why doesn't the @#@##$ forum priogram keep me permanently remember me? I've checked that little box a multitude of times.

(Just crabby. Mike, don't take your eyes off PlecoDict--I'll manage somehow to log myself in each time.)

Sandra

 

[The Duelist]

(the '<tab>' added for clarity).

安步当车<tab><tab>安，安闲。当，当作。古代贵族出外都要乘车，因此用安步当车称人能安贫守贱。现在多用于表示不乘车而从容步行。

First I tried with the format above, and I got "INVALID" in the flashcard pinyin entry after the import. Then I tried adding a space between the two tabs. This time, I got simply a blank for the pinyin.

The <tab> is your problem. PlecoDict uses <tab> as the delimiter between Hanzi/Pinyin/Defn

The Syntax for an Imported Flashcard Text File (eg UTF-8 ) is:

//<space>List Name
你<tab>nǐ<tab>you
好<tab>hǎo<tab>good
吗<tab>ma<tab>question particle
我<tab>wǒ<tab>I
很<tab>hěn<tab>very

Hope This Helps
The Duelist

 

[gato]

The <tab> is your problem. PlecoDict uses <tab> as the delimiter between Hanzi/Pinyin/Defn

The <tab> is the problem? The manual says that if any of the three fields is left empty, plecodict will fill it in. In this case, shouldn't it fill in the pinyin since I have left it empty between two tabs?

Sandra, I'll be glad to work on a simple write-up. If people find it helpful, maybe even some screenshots can be added later.

 

[The Duelist]

User Dictionary Entries

I think the Hanzi & Pinyin are being Used as Keys to Find Existing Dictionary Entries.

If you are Adding a New Definition then a Completely New User Dictionary Entry is being Created.
(In which have to specify Hanzi/Pinyin/Defn)

 

[mikelove]

The Duelist is correct, the hanzi and Pinyin (either or both) are used as keys to find existing entries but if you fill in a definition it'll assume you want to add a new entry. The manual is a bit unclear on this; if you leave the definition empty it should fill that in, if you leave the definition and either the hanzi or Pinyin empty it'll try to fill the two missing fields in, but if you fill in either hanzi or Pinyin (but not both) along with the definition it won't fill in the missing field in that case.

If this seems needlessly confusing it's because we mainly intended this to be used for us to distribute a few premade flashcard lists; we didn't bother refining it to the point where it would be easy for users to import their own, a mistake which we'll be correcting in 2.0.

 

[gato]

Thanks, Mike. That clarifies the situation. The manual seems to suggest that what I wanted was possible. Would it be possible in the next version to have plecodict fill in the missing pinyin when the user is supplying a definition?

 

[mikelove]

Possibly, but if we go through with our plan to display definitions from multiple dictionaries at once it won't really be necessary since the Pinyin will come from one of the other dictionaries. (we can't fill in the Pinyin for a word that isn't alreaady in another dictionary because so many characters have more than one possible pronunciation)