English to Nepali Dictionary

...........  An Open Source Project

 

English to Nepali Dictionary is an open source project initiated by Sanjay C.K, G.C.E.S. - 2004 Batch, Nepal. The main idea behind this project is to allow users to search for nepali meaning of it's corresponding english word. Besides, it provides the users, the different forms of entered english word and the examples associated with each of these forms of word. This project also focuses on localization in the sense that the nepali meaning for each english word is displayed using nepali language. This helps users understand the english words easily and quickly since the meaning is in their own language.

How a user can use this application?

A user can use this application as a desktop stand-alone application. To use as an desktop application, the users have to download the executable copy from http://sourceforge.net/projects/englishtonepali. Make sure that JRE is installed on your computer.

This project is implemented using Java, XML and SAX API. Java and XMl are platform-independent languages and has good support for unicode characters, which map for this project. Also, among different APIs, SAX API is used since it is event-driven and has capabilities to parse words quickly compared to other APIs.

I have initiated this project as a desktop application. I have written a couple of classes as an initiation of this project. Please see the Javadoc documentation for details of these classes.

Approaches :-

The front-end of this software is written in Java. The meanings, examples and it's corresponding nepali words are stored in xml files. The SAX API parses these xml files and the required meaning is displayed to the user. If the word is not found in xml files then the appropriate message is displayed at the front end.

This project encourages the individuals to contribute the words. There are only 37 words in xml file upto this date 25th April, 2008. This number can be increased by adding the words in the xml file. The developers or any individual who have experience on XML can add the words on xml files so that users can have access to more words.

Constraints :-

1. Using the xml files as the database for words, it's meanings and examples, has some drawbacks. The XMl files are efficient only for lower database. As the words in these xml files increases, the parsing time for finding the word increases.

2. The user has to enter the singular, present tense form of word to find the meaning for that word. For example, to find the meaning of the word "wait", user has to enter "wait" not other forms of this word like "waited", "waiting" etc.

3. The user can enter the word/phrase in any form. For example, "well-known" word can be entered as "well-known" or "well known". To address this situation, the possible ways that the users can enter are written in xml files using "." (dot) between the words. Note that this software doesnot provide the meanings for the forms of the word i.e., words ending with 'es','s','ed' etc.

Please view XML file of this application regarding the statements (2) & (3).

Inspite of these constraints, we can take certain approaches to get rid of it and extend this project. Please feel free to write in mailing list or my mailing address regarding the enhancement and extension of this open source project.

The information regarding this open source project "English to Nepali Dictionary" is as stated above. This is just an initiation to help users find the meaning of words, but also we can extend this project. Any developers, users, individuals, organizations interested in this project can contact either in mailing list or send mail at --

Copyright (c) , 2008