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First run

Requires wudict installed (Install) and a folder of dictionary files.

1. Start the server

wudict

wudict prints the address it listens on, the dictionary folders it reads and the config file in effect, then opens the browser at localhost:6888. A binary in the current folder is started with ./wudict.

The wudict howto, a guide built in as a dictionary, is always available: search for wudict to list its topics.

2. Set the dictionary folders

The default dictionary folder is ~/Dictionaries, subfolders included. If it is missing or empty, the main page shows the howto with a link to the setup page, localhost:6888/setup.

On the setup page, enter the path of a folder with dictionary files (~ is allowed). The page checks the path as you type and shows how many dictionaries it contains. Use this folder saves it to ~/.wudict/wudict.toml; no restart is needed.

To open the setup page later: ☰ → folder summary → Edit folders….

The folders can also be set without the setup page:

~/.wudict/wudict.toml
DICT_DIR = ["~/Dictionaries", "/Volumes/Data/Dicts"]
repeat the flag for more folders
wudict --dict-dir ~/Dictionaries --dict-dir /Volumes/Data/Dicts
separate folders with : (; on Windows)
DICT_DIR="~/Dictionaries:/Volumes/Data/Dicts" wudict

A command-line flag overrides the environment variable, which overrides wudict.toml. The setup page shows when a folder list is overridden.

All settings

3. Check

The main page lists one section per dictionary that has a result. Search for a word you know is in one of them.

From a terminal:

the dictionaries wudict finds in a folder
wudict list ~/Dictionaries

Each line is one dictionary wudict can read.

Indexing

Exact and prefix search work at once, through each dictionary's own format. On the first search, wudict indexes each dictionary's headwords in the background, one dictionary at a time, into the library (~/.wudict/db). Indexed dictionaries are searched faster and use less memory. Search works during indexing.

The library

Problems

Symptom See
No dictionaries listed No dictionaries appear
address already in use Port 6888 is in use
No browser tab opens No browser tab opens
No sound No sound

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