[OLPC library] A proposal to give some DICTIONARY pre-installed on the XOs that will be delivered to Peruvian Kids

[info at olpc-peru.info]

The English Spanish Dictionary

Number of english words: 16,938  Date: March 10. 09:08 p.m. EST.
Published on http://www.olpc-peru.info/dictionary
Download the zipped files here: 
http://www.olpc-peru.info/dictionary/english-spanish.zip  Size 600K 
aprox. <http://www.olpc-peru.info/dictionary/english-spanish.zip>

An idea is born
I have read that the boys and girls in the "pilots" develop in the high 
andes of my country (Peru) has been demanding some tool to translate 
some english words that they want to know.  I understand fully their 
curiosity and need.

A proposal to the "XO developers" and "content" related groups
The XOs computers can have "pre-installed" some files so the kids no 
need to be "on line" (connected) all the time.  For this purpose I have 
taken some previous works (freely available on the Internet) and some 
dictionaries (free on the Internet) and modify to put them in a form 
that can be used in all XOs.

The system is just 2 files: an HTML file (you named index.html or any 
name, copy it to any directory on the XO computer).  The other file is 
the "english-spanish" database (a javascript file).  Copy to the same 
directory where you install the ".html" file.  (ahh... there are no 
directories in the XO... ok... you adapt my words to the XO!)

The systems take 600K of the memory of the XO.  Since the XO has 256MB I 
think that there should be "room" for a 600K file.  I know better 
approaches exists.

How to install in the XO
Now you can create a "direct link" or a "direct access" to the XO 
general shell (Sugar) and put it on the Frame (is it possible)?  If this 
is not possible... well... the Firefox browser that comes with the XO 
can have a "pre-installed" favorite that open the "local" file 
(installed on the XO) named "english-spanish.html".

It is not practical install the "html" file (and the database) because 
they are around 600 K in total size.  Too big for downloading every time 
from the Internet.  But "running" the "html" file from the very same 
computer that the user have in his/her hands is possible.

Any other idea about how to put this in the hands of the kids 
(pre-installed in the XOs) ?

Tests
I have been using this "hacked" program and it works...  not the most 
elegant solution... but it works!

Other ideas.. other tests... very welcome!

Things to do:
a) Use a "non linear" search routine in the javascript.
b) Put more languages (yes, I have a "quechua-spanish" database too... 
so we can develop an "english-quechua-spanish" trilogy!)
c) Reverse the database: spanish to english! (done!)
d) Add more databases... more words
e) Develop "common sentences" ... dictionary... abstract.. database!
f) Allow the translation of sentences based not in a word by word (silly 
thing) but in real context and meaningful concepts.
g) Allow that the boys modify the database so they can add more words or 
adapt according to their needs... that couldn't be done in Javascript 
but I can modify the database so it can be modified with a common text 
file reader/modifier.

Ideas, modification and use of this small scripts
Any idea, or modification of this program, can be done without any kind 
of authorization from my part.  But if you share your findings with me 
(and all the communities involved) that would be a nice movement, but 
that is no an obligation.

Have a nice "Spanish" book reading! (once I publish the "reversed" database)

Javier Rodriguez
info at olpc-peru.info
http://www.olpc-peru.info

Note: forgive me about the so many broken links on the OLPC-PERU.info 
page.  arrggg... who made this day with just 24 hours... ah! God! I will 
not complain then...

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