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>Using GDict</TITLE
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>GDict</TH
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><H1
CLASS="SECT1"
><A
NAME="USAGE"
>Using GDict</A
></H1
><P
>      <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> can be used to obtain dictionary
      definitions of words from local or remote dictionary servers. It can check
      spelling and look up words based on imprecise spelling using various
      pattern matching techniques. This section describes basic usage of
      <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
>.
    </P
><DIV
CLASS="SECT2"
><H2
CLASS="SECT2"
><A
NAME="MAINWIN"
>Basic usage</A
></H2
><P
>	Starting <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> opens  the <SPAN
CLASS="INTERFACE"
>Main
	  window</SPAN
>, shown in <A
HREF="usage.html#MAINWINDOW-FIG"
>Figure 1</A
>.
	
	<DIV
CLASS="FIGURE"
><A
NAME="MAINWINDOW-FIG"
></A
><P
><IMG
SRC="gdictmain.png"></P
><P
><B
>Figure 1. GDict Main Window</B
></P
></DIV
>
	

      </P
><P
>	<TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> automatically connects to its default
	server, giving you an error message if it is unable to connect.
      </P
><P
>	To get a definition of a word, type the word in the text bar
	immediately below the toolbar, and click on the
	<B
CLASS="GUIBUTTON"
>Lookup</B
> button on the toolbar or the
	<SPAN
CLASS="KEYCODE"
>Enter</SPAN
> or <SPAN
CLASS="KEYCODE"
>Return</SPAN
> key.
      </P
><P
>	<TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> connects to the server and, if a
	definition is found, returns it in the main text window.
      </P
><P
>	If no word is found, <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> will automatically
	open its spell check window and run a spell check on it. More
	information on spell-checking is available in <A
HREF="usage.html#SPELLWINDOW-FIG"
>Figure 2</A
>
      </P
><P
>	If you type in a search string using regular expressions,
	<TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> opens the spell-checking window and
	begins a search for words matching the pattern typed. For example,
	typing <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>^h[ie]ll</B
> returns "hell," "hill," and all words
	beginning in "hill" or "hell". Regular
	expressions are a powerful pattern-matching technique that are beyond
	the scope of this document. Details can be found in the manual for
	<TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>grep</TT
> by typing <B
CLASS="COMMAND"
>man grep</B
> at
	the command line.
      </P
><P
>By default, <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> uses the server at
	dict.org and searches all of its databases for a word that is a perfect
	match for the word you typed in. You can change the server in use, the
	databases it searches and the search strategy (allowing it to search for
	wound-alike words, for example, or use wildcards) in the preferences
	dialog, shown in <A
HREF="prefs.html#PREFERENCES-FIG"
>Figure 3 in the section called <I
>Customization</I
></A
>.
      </P
><P
>	If you type in a word and click on the toolbar button labeled
	  <B
CLASS="GUIBUTTON"
>spell</B
>, <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
> opens
	  the <SPAN
CLASS="INTERFACE"
>spell checker window</SPAN
>, shown in <A
HREF="usage.html#SPELLWINDOW-FIG"
>Figure 2</A
>.
	
	<DIV
CLASS="FIGURE"
><A
NAME="SPELLWINDOW-FIG"
></A
><P
><IMG
SRC="gdict-spell.png"></P
><P
><B
>Figure 2. GDict Spell Checker Window</B
></P
></DIV
>
	

      </P
><P
>This window returns a list of possible spellings, based on a search
	strategy for similar words. The search is executed on the server, not by
	<TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
>, and the types of search strategies
	available vary. A pull-down menu showing the various strategies
	available on the server is labelled <TT
CLASS="GUILABEL"
><B
>Search
	Strategy</B
></TT
>. This menu allows you to change search strategies
	and conduct a new search by clicking on <B
CLASS="GUIBUTTON"
>Find
	Words</B
>.</P
><P
>	In the <SPAN
CLASS="INTERFACE"
>spell checker window</SPAN
>, you can also look up
	a word once you've found a correct spelling. To do so, click on the
	word, then click on <B
CLASS="GUIBUTTON"
>Lookup Word</B
>. The
	definition will appear in the program's main window.
      </P
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="SECT2"
><H2
CLASS="SECT2"
><A
NAME="MENUBAR"
>Menus</A
></H2
><P
>	The menu bar, located at the top of the <SPAN
CLASS="INTERFACE"
>Main
	Window</SPAN
>, contains the following menus:
      </P
><P
></P
><DIV
CLASS="VARIABLELIST"
><DL
><DT
><B
CLASS="GUIMENU"
>File</B
></DT
><DD
><P
>	      This menu contains:
	      <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Lookup</B
> which looks up a word,
	      <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Spell</B
> which launches a spelling help window, and
	      <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Exit</B
> which is self-explanatory.
	    </P
></DD
><DT
><B
CLASS="GUIMENU"
>Edit</B
></DT
><DD
><P
>	      This menu contains nothing.
	    </P
></DD
><DT
><B
CLASS="GUIMENU"
>Settings</B
></DT
><DD
><P
>	      This menu contains <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Preferences</B
>,
	      which opens the <A
HREF="prefs.html"
><SPAN
CLASS="INTERFACE"
>Preferences
	      Dialog</SPAN
></A
>.
	    </P
></DD
><DT
><B
CLASS="GUIMENU"
>Help</B
></DT
><DD
><P
>	      This menu contains:
	      <P
></P
><UL
><LI
><P
>		    <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>Manual</B
> &#8212; shows this manual.
		  </P
></LI
><LI
><P
>		    <B
CLASS="GUIMENUITEM"
>About</B
> &#8212; shows basic
		    information about <TT
CLASS="APPLICATION"
>GDict</TT
>, such as
		    the author's name and the application version number.
		  </P
></LI
></UL
>

	    </P
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