lai@Apple.COM (Ed Lai) (06/29/88)
This is to announce the availability of a freeware HyperCard stack Chinese dictionary. Actually there are two stacks, a stack that uses the simplified character set and contains 6768 characters, and a stack that uses the traditional character set and contains 5401 characters. They MUST run under the corresponding version of Chinese Macintosh system. The sizes of the stacks are 500K and 700K. The information on each character is the pronunciation and the radical (and the stroke count for the traditional version). The meaning of each character is not included in this version. Digitized sound are included for a few pronunciation only. The dictionaries are indexed by pronunciation and radicals. The two stacks actually shares the same digitized sound resources. In effect I am proposing a resource naming convention for digitized sound for Chinese pronunciation that can be used in any HyperCard stack. I shall talk about this at a later date. Since the stacks MUST run under Chinese Macintosh operating system, I expect another round of mail asking me where to get that. There is really no easy answer. It should have been available on APDA, but never made it and does not look like it will be available in the near future. I think there is a dealer in the US but I do not have the address. I shall post it when I got the information. In the mean time, this message is only addressed to the very few people out there who already has the Chinese Macintosh operating system. Also the fact that the stack requires both HyperCard and Chinese Macintosh operating system means that it is only practical to run it on a 2M system with a hard disc. Furthermore unless you have version 1.1 of the Chinese Macintosh operating system, it cannot be run on a MACII. Since so few people out there can use the stack, I shall not try to post the stack until the Chinese Macintosh operating system is more generally available. Also with the kind of skill I have on mail, I hate to send it on mail. So anyone requesting the stack should send a formatted 800K disk with a self- addressed stamped envelope to Edmund Lai 946 San Tomas Aquino Road Campbell, CA 95008. Please specified whether you want the simplified or traditional version. If you want both version, both will be put on the same disk compressed, but you won't be able to use it unless you have both operating system. This is version 0.1 and the first release of the stacks. So those who do not have the Chinese operating system should wait and request the stacks later, there will be later and better version of the stacks then. /* Disclaimer: All statments and opinions expressed are my own */ /* Edmund K. Lai */ /* Apple Computer, MS22-C */ /* 20525 Mariani Ave, */ /* Cupertino, CA 95014 */ /* (408)973-6272 */
lai@Apple.COM (Ed Lai) (07/01/88)
Earlier I have make the statement because of the memory requirement of HyperCard and Chinese Mac operating system, it takes at least 2M to run both together. It turns out I am wrong. We can run both together in 1M provided we really trim down the files in the Chinese Mac. Here is how to do it, in the simplified version, put all input methods except the code input method into a folder so that it is no longer accessable. If you have a lot of INITs, also hide them. Then you should have enough memory to run HyperCard. If you have the traditional system, do the same thing and in addition hide the level 2 fonts (I forgot the mention the obvious, if you have any 18 pt fonts in either system, also hide them). So you have lost the use of level 2 characters, but level 1 is enough for most occasions. Also when you load all your input methods in a 1M system, you also lost the level 2 fonts, so you are not losing anything new. But if the only input method left is code, does that mean we have to enter character by internal code only? This is fine if the stack is for browsing only, or you can try to put back a small input method to see if you have enough room, or you can use the full system to enter your characters, find out their internal code and enter them again in HyperCard using internal code. Yet another solution is to use my dictionary stack as an input method, if you hold down the option key when you hit the mouse button, instead of jumping to the card the character is put into the TEXT scrap and can be pasted later. This may not be very fast but it beats having to remember the internal code. Does it means that my dictionary stack can be run in a 1M system. I tried it on a 1M SE last night, the traditional stack works fine, the simplified stack for reason that I do not understand sometimes works and sometimes don't. I shall try to fix this in future version. BTW, in order for the find command to work properly with Chinese character, it I think it is necessary to add a resource to HyperCard. I am trying it now, if there is no problem I shall post it later. So for people who has 1M machine and want to try HyperCard under the Chinese OS, they can try it. /* Disclaimer: All statments and opinions expressed are my own */ /* Edmund K. Lai */ /* Apple Computer, MS22-C */ /* 20525 Mariani Ave, */ /* Cupertino, CA 95014 */ /* (408)973-6272 */