HomeMade Dictionary 
Version: 2.0
15 Jul 2005	

 Nitin Diwaker
S/O Dr.A.K.Diwaker
Azad Chowk
Lalitpur(U.P)-284403
INDIA
	
Support: nitinatindore@rediffmail.com
URL : http://www.geocities.com/diwakernitin
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Welcome to wonderful and powerful feature packed Open Source dictionary,
This is fully customizable and very easy to use even for novices.
It is fully free and muft to use.

Quick run (for the impatient)
----------------------------------
1. You need to have jre1.5.0 or above installed (in case you don't know what it is, and then it is bundled  
along with this package on the same CD)
Or download it from http://java.sun.com

Next:
2. Make sure that you run RunMeOnceOnly.jar (Simply Double Click OR in case it doesnt works run it from command line by  java - jar RunMeOnceOnly.jar)  b4 executing dictionary. Note that you have to append java/bin directory to your   environment variable PATH b4 executing it on command line. This file should be executed only once and at least once
3. Simply double click: HomeMade dictionary.exe on your Desktop
4. In rare case in which this approach doesn't works ;-) contact me

Salient Features
-------------------

1. Very easy to use GUI
2. Mouse and Keyboard support
3. Popup menu (right mouse click on display area)
4. Keyboard shortcuts (E.g. Ctrl Q for Query etc).
    For exact key bindings, see Menu Items on the actual software
5. Printer support (Ctrl P)
6. Music support
7. You can search reversely by entering a meaning and all matching words shall be displayed
8. Intelligent Search tries to search all words beginning with few initial entered Letters
9. There is a medical dictionary too, and includes around 3000 words
10. Ver 2.0 has a very interesting Game added to improve your word power.
11. New version also has a personal dictionary, as well as an additional field for foreign words/Remarks etc.

Tips n Tricks
----------------
1. Refresh the table to see new entries made while entering/deleting/updating 
2. You can enable music from within music menu
3. Music in Loop option plays music continuously
4. You can select multiple music at one go to see a mix of all of them
5. Intelligent Search functions as follows:
    Type few letters, now press ENTER
    This action generates an event and now the drop down list is populated with the matching words.
    Therefore pressing ENTER is necessary for search to take place successfully.
6. Experts can change the music as per your desires and need. Just change the music files in
    "sounds" directory, by new files.
    Note: the name of new files must be one of the following or else rename them appropriately and
    Replace existing ones by new ones.
    sound1.au
    sound2.mid
    sound3.aif
    sound4.mid
    sound5.mid	
    Supported file formats are: wav, aif, mid, au
    MP3 is not supported;      ;-) java still doesn't know how to play mp3
7. Note: the database dict.mdb may be quite old (this package carries one created on 26 Jun 2005), and 
              New additions are regularly made, so you can obtain a new dict.mdb (i.e. new word list) from:
              Check new Updates at:
               http://www.geocities.com/diwakernitin
              Simply replace the existing database by new one.

8. You may also submit the words added by you and I will include your name in Contributors and upload it for benefits of all. For uploading the your words, make sure that you add them in your personal dictionary and I will send you a tool to convert that data.(I will post it on website also, but presently tool is unavailable ).

Common errors
----------------------------------------------------
1.Database creation failed: ERROR:  database "dict" already exists
  [*]You probably have a database named dict, either change the name of existing database to some 
  other name(beware it might be serving some useful purpose).
  
    
2.Java not found on your computer
  [*] Probably you haven't installed JDK1.5/?JRE.1.5
      Get it from http://java.sun.com
     	
3. Database error: Error connecting database
   [*] Did u run RunMeOnceOnly.jar prior to executing Dictionary, No?
       then Do it now. Remember this step needs to be done only once.
       It converts Plain Text List into access database.
       
4. MS Access gives some silly error.
   [*] Presently I have tested this release on Windows XP.
   In case for Windows 9x/Me/etc if you get some trouble then do following:
   Go to Installation Directory (usually C:\program files\Homemade Dictionary, unless you have     
over smartly changed the default installation directory).
   Delete dict.mdb.                             
   Right Mouse click--------> New ------>Microsoft Access Database------->
                                 ----------->"New Microsoft Access Database.mdb"
          Rename it to Dict.mdb
          Now run RunMeOnceOnly.jar and then HomeMadeDictionary.exe
          :-) Hopefully it works this time, if not contact me with full details along with type of error that 
           you are getting.

6. The dictionary keeps on giving error messages upon insertion, updating of new words.
    (*) check if repeat entry is not made(you cant add same word to times, use append mode instead)
    (*) check if any of the word you enter contains special character like or \ or " or ' 
    (*) check if meaning length exceeds 250 letters
	
Technical Details
------------------------------
Front-end: Sun Java (JDK 1.5.0) (http://java.sun.com)
Backend:  MS Access XP (dict.mdb), PostGreSql(Linux)
O/S:       Win 9x, Me, XP, NT, Linux, UNIX and probably others too as long as Java supports it
Architecture: x86 "Powered By AMD Athlon XP2000, this is my machine's processor ;-)"
Editor :  Scintilla(Scientific editor released under GNU GPL,www.scintilla.org).
Installer: i2go, www.dev4pc.com
Java Wrapper: JSmooth (http://sourceforge.net)
Preferred Resolution is: 800X600 
========================================================================
