What is SDA?
Simple dictionary application (SDA) is a java program which enables users to use free dictionaries. You have to copy dictionaries you want to use into the "data" directory. SDA reads all files from the data directory and lists the files in the dictionary combobox. Selected dictionary is read into memory. Then you can enter word into search textfield. When you press search button or enter on your keyboard the program displays the translations which contain the word from textfield.

What is Java?
SDA is an application coded in Java programming language and requires therefore Java to run. You can test if you have Java installed on your computer. Launch the console / commandline application (in Win9x run "command" in W2k and WinXP run "cmd" in linux launch "console" etc.) Write "java" and press enter. If you see many lines of text you have Java installed. If you see something like "Bad command or file name" you do not have Java installed. If you do not have Java installed on your computer you can download Java JRE for free from Java.sun.com. The file is about 10 MB big. After you install the Java JRE run the "java" command again to see if java is working properly. When you have Java installed on your computer you can run SDA.

The dictionaries
SDA reads dictionaries from the "data" directory. Files have to be in UTF-8 encoding. If SDA displays rectangles instead of letters Java is not able to display those characters because of missing font. It is complicated to change fonts which Java uses. Easier is it to download another Java JRE which is able to display such characters. Translations have to be separated by tabulators. For example:

dog	Hund
cat	Katze

For developers
I dare everyone to code better dictionary application. Come on! You can code better dictionary application!

Licence
SDA is released under GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE