Re: [edict-jmdict] WWWJDIC: count of remaining entries

Off subject but didn't want to bother opening a new thread for such a simple suggestion.

Just playing with Edict, I noticed that, if I enter the English query "name"
1) and then check the boxes for "common words" and "exact word" matches, I get 8 responses that don't seem to be well "filtered". The only "common" or high frequency noun for "name" that pops up is "名【な】 (n) name; reputation", which is at best a compound component and not a stand-alone word. I could never imagine asking someone what his 名 is.

2) When I check the "Exact Word Match" box, I never get 名前 but instead get different/other 13 entries, the closest one to a usable "name" being 名前をつける; 名前を付ける【なまえをつける】, such that nouns appear to be given status at the expense of verbs. Interesting given the fact that one can almost speak Japanese entirely without verbs and noun + suru instead - a "slight" exaggeration, but you get my point.

3) When I check only the "Common Words" box, I must plow through countless entries before I come to arguably the most common word for name of all, 名前. Now of course I know that, technically and etymologically, 名前 means first name (ironic for Japanese since the first name is actually the last name). However, if you look at the query that does I believe pop up on my third page, column #2 (customized for single spacing and 25 entries per page, and columnated) as 名前【なまえ】 (n) (1) (See 苗字, 姓) name; full name; (2) given name; first name

So what am I saying? Good question. None of the "Exact Word" renderings for 名前 yield 名前 despite "name" being part of the rendering given for "common words".

I haven't brought this up for over a year now, for fear of being accused of "beating a dead horse" or worse.... With Edict I have always questioned the chaotic order. Simple words preceding compounds, nouns and verbs coming first, etc. as with Yahoo, Goo and even Spaced-out ALC. Just given the usage of MS Access, for example, I would not have any trouble imparting an "order template" on the dictionary contents.

Btw, I have been reading recently in a CNet publication that many users are giving up on Gmail, because of its lack of proper folders like Yahoo Mail, et. al. If I were to give up on it, it would be because of the Harry Potter sorcery way that font sizes and bolding change so unpredictably. So if the font specifications in this email make it appear that I am "shouting", please understand that I am not.

Regards,

Dennis

2008/8/26 Dennis Schrader <jpnthailand@*********>

As per my side email to Jim, I would like to echo Arlen in giving thanks and say that for me at least the "remaining count" is the single biggest and most appreciated improvement in "recent history".

If we let our "competitors/peers" set the bar, 100+" is probably good enough. SpaceALC is the other online dictionary that I use. ALC both needs and uses the "remaining count" but but only in number of pages remaining. However, when I see 9 pages listed, I can assume that the entries, especially in science and medicine, will go on ad infinitum. So, until we get the database done, I'm a happy clam if you just leave it at 100+ and attend to other matters, ie building a more robust dictionary.

Thanks, then.

2008/8/22 Jim Breen <jimbreen@*********>

A correspondent suggested that it would be very useful to know
how many matching entries remained when "[More results]" is
shown. This was a very sensible suggestion, but not simple to
implement, as it means not just looking ahead at more entries
but also checking if they were going to be displayed.

I thought it was worth adding, so it has now gone in. The
number of remaining entries now shows after the More results/
継続 button. I only look up to 120 entries ahead, so it just says
"100+" if the remainder is over 100. The count is sometimes a
little low, due to the relative statelessness of the server.

The changes to introduce this count involved fiddles with the
main lookup code, and I may have introduced some bugs. please let
me know if you see anything odd.

Cheers

Jim

--
Jim Breen
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
Clayton School of Information Technology,
Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/