Post by Erik Pema Kunsang on Nov 17, 2005 1:51:49 GMT -5
Hi everybody,
I have been working hard on a series of changes to the translation tool,
which finally I managed to release yesterday.
About translation tool: This Java tool takes Tibetan language passages -
which can be cut and pasted in, typed in Wylie transliteration, or typed in
Tibetan script - and divides the passages up into their component phrases
and words, and displays corresponding dictionary definitions.
I would like to highlight four big changes:
1. The website entry point for the translation tool has been thoroughly
reorganized so that now it should be easier for users to pick the best
version of the translation tool for their operating system. The URL is:
www.people.virginia.edu/~am2zb/tibetan/
There you will find all the available documentation. Remember the
translation tool can work off-line on any platform supporting java; this
includes Windows 98/ NT/ 2000/ XP/ 2003, Solaris (SPARC and Intel),
Linux/i486, OS X, and Pocket PC / Mobile Handheld Devices among others. It
can also work on-line on any platform supporting a browser.
2. Now the free dictionary bundle includes more dictionaries! In there you
will find the following six dictionaries: (1) Jeffrey Hopkins, (2) Yokoyama,
Koitsu & Hirosawa, and Takayuki's Yogacara-bhumi glossary, (3) Dan Martin,
(4) Jim Valby, (5) Ives Waldo, and (6) Richard Barron. With this, now people
have at their disposal a huge amount of powerful material for off-line
access at no cost. Of course all dictionaries included in the bundle have
been authorized for free distribution by their respective authors. See above
website for download details.
3. For windows-based computers there is now an all-in-one installer. No
weird prerequisites! You download one single file and that includes
everything: java, tibetan fonts, the free bundle, short-cuts, and the
translation tool software. JNLP technology (through an open source
equivalent of Java Web-start) will ensure that it is always up-to-date. If
you have an internet connection, each time you run it, it will check of
updates and automatically install them if there are any. If you don't have
an internet connection it will simply run. The short-cut to the translation
tool also includes the commands to tell java to increase the maximum memory
used, so people creating big dictionaries on their own will most likely NOT
run out of memory and will not have to do anything weird. See above website
for download details.
4. For all platforms, I have included better debugging mechanisms. If the
translation tool crashes it now produces an error log, which can be sent to
the development team to aid them in identifying possible bugs. The is a
specialized mailing list for discussions specifically relating to the
translation tool and other THDL tools. Users can subscribe here:
lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/thdltools-users
The best would be to post your comments, feature requests, bugs, etc. there.
I also read the posts at this Tibetan-English_Dictionary-User_group, but
since it is a relatively high-volume mailing-list it takes me longer to
respond. You are also welcome to send me e-mails at my own e-mail account;
nevertheless sending to the above mentioned thdltools-users mailing list
would ensure that all developers of the project as well as other users will
get the mail and the bug would be resolved faster.
I hope all these major and minor updates make your translating experience go
smoother. Take care,
Andres Montano
p.s. All Tibetan tools I developed, are available for free in order to help
translators and students facilitate the understanding of Tibetan Buddhism in
the West. If you have found them useful, donations would be much appreciated
( sourceforge.net/donate/index.php?user_id=620994 ) to support
further development.
I have been working hard on a series of changes to the translation tool,
which finally I managed to release yesterday.
About translation tool: This Java tool takes Tibetan language passages -
which can be cut and pasted in, typed in Wylie transliteration, or typed in
Tibetan script - and divides the passages up into their component phrases
and words, and displays corresponding dictionary definitions.
I would like to highlight four big changes:
1. The website entry point for the translation tool has been thoroughly
reorganized so that now it should be easier for users to pick the best
version of the translation tool for their operating system. The URL is:
www.people.virginia.edu/~am2zb/tibetan/
There you will find all the available documentation. Remember the
translation tool can work off-line on any platform supporting java; this
includes Windows 98/ NT/ 2000/ XP/ 2003, Solaris (SPARC and Intel),
Linux/i486, OS X, and Pocket PC / Mobile Handheld Devices among others. It
can also work on-line on any platform supporting a browser.
2. Now the free dictionary bundle includes more dictionaries! In there you
will find the following six dictionaries: (1) Jeffrey Hopkins, (2) Yokoyama,
Koitsu & Hirosawa, and Takayuki's Yogacara-bhumi glossary, (3) Dan Martin,
(4) Jim Valby, (5) Ives Waldo, and (6) Richard Barron. With this, now people
have at their disposal a huge amount of powerful material for off-line
access at no cost. Of course all dictionaries included in the bundle have
been authorized for free distribution by their respective authors. See above
website for download details.
3. For windows-based computers there is now an all-in-one installer. No
weird prerequisites! You download one single file and that includes
everything: java, tibetan fonts, the free bundle, short-cuts, and the
translation tool software. JNLP technology (through an open source
equivalent of Java Web-start) will ensure that it is always up-to-date. If
you have an internet connection, each time you run it, it will check of
updates and automatically install them if there are any. If you don't have
an internet connection it will simply run. The short-cut to the translation
tool also includes the commands to tell java to increase the maximum memory
used, so people creating big dictionaries on their own will most likely NOT
run out of memory and will not have to do anything weird. See above website
for download details.
4. For all platforms, I have included better debugging mechanisms. If the
translation tool crashes it now produces an error log, which can be sent to
the development team to aid them in identifying possible bugs. The is a
specialized mailing list for discussions specifically relating to the
translation tool and other THDL tools. Users can subscribe here:
lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/thdltools-users
The best would be to post your comments, feature requests, bugs, etc. there.
I also read the posts at this Tibetan-English_Dictionary-User_group, but
since it is a relatively high-volume mailing-list it takes me longer to
respond. You are also welcome to send me e-mails at my own e-mail account;
nevertheless sending to the above mentioned thdltools-users mailing list
would ensure that all developers of the project as well as other users will
get the mail and the bug would be resolved faster.
I hope all these major and minor updates make your translating experience go
smoother. Take care,
Andres Montano
p.s. All Tibetan tools I developed, are available for free in order to help
translators and students facilitate the understanding of Tibetan Buddhism in
the West. If you have found them useful, donations would be much appreciated
( sourceforge.net/donate/index.php?user_id=620994 ) to support
further development.