A Tool For Running Online Dictionaries

In the beginning of 2008 while building a MODx-driven project I had to include into it a dictionary structure. I have build such a structure basing on the MODx internal documents knowing that it is not a good idea. But simultaneously I have started thinking about writing my own tool for running online dictionaries.

The work is very close to its finish -- now the only thing I have to complete is a documentation and user’s manual. The tool is working -- you can find out more details as well as look at some examples on my site at http://setpro.net.pl/software/amdictionary-php5-class.

This is not a snippet nor module. My intention was to create a tool which can be integrated into any CMS or ran as a standalone site. This is a pure PHP class. However, the snippet for MODx might be easily written basing on this class...

Looks like an interesting tool. Do you use a dictionary compression algorithm?

I created a word processor with a spell checker and its own dictionary many years ago and found that by making my own custom compression algorithm and a custom index, I could cut the size of the dictionary *dramatically* and do a blindingly fast custom search for the words. IIRC, I got a full usable English language dictionary down to about 76K.

No, my application does not use such an algorithm.

The goal of my application is to provide convenient way for building, managing, and displaying dictionary or dictionary-like structure on the site. It gives the site programmer/designer means for easy integrating dictionary-like structure into existing project or quick building it as a standalone site using API functions of the presented class. The class also make it possible to arrange various scenarios of the work of several editors in the backend of a dictionary being under development.