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DictJuggler Quick Start

Click here for the tutorial video

Thank you for choosing DictJuggler. You can learn basic usage and unique features of DictJuggler on this page.

Please use DictJuggler to read this page. The examples in this page will not work with other Web browsers. By default, this page is automatically opened in the browser window when you launch DictJuggler.

One click lookup for HTML, MS Word, Text, and RTF files

In DictJuggler browser window, clicking a word will invoke the search or dictionary lookup operation and the results of the lookup will be displayed in separate windows called dictionary windows

The DictJuggler browser can open HTML files (Web pages), text files (.txt), RTF files (.rtf), and MS Word files (.doc). Click the following link to open a Word file.

Be sure to return back to this page, after reading the above.

Switching dictionaries instantly

You can instantly switch the dictionary to look up.  The pop-up menu in the dictionary window lets you choose the dictionary to use.  For example, if you choose "Encyclopedia (Wikipedia, English)", you will see the explanation of "natural language processing" in English version of Wikipedia.  You do not have to type in the string again.  DictJuggler remembers what you have just searched for and automatically supplies it to the new dictionary.

You can easily add a new dictionary (site for searching) using the Dictionary Manager by opening it from the DictJuggler menu.  Note that there are some sites which cannot be looked up automatically using DictJuggler (Technically speaking, you cannot add sites that use the post method of the CGI technology).

Opening multiple dictionary windows

Until now, we have used only one dictionary, but you can open as many dictionaries as you want (unless the memory of your machine is exhausted).  File > New Dictionary (Command+N) lets you open a new dictionary and you can open different dictionaries on each window.  For example, you may open Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, and Answers.com at the same time in different windows.  If you click a word in a browser window, DictJuggler will look up the word in all the dictionaries at the same time, and the results will be displayed in each window almost at the same time.

Quick Lookup window for quick lookup

When you invoke DictJuggler, you will see a tiny window named Quick Lookup.  In Quick Lookup window, you can type in the word(s) you want to look up, and DictJuggler will display the result in the dictionary windows as it does when you click or select the string in the browser window.

By default, Quick Lookup window is displayed on top of every other windows including other application windows.  Preferences... > General lets you hide Quick Lookup window when you use other applications.

You can close the tiny window by clicking the close box, and typing Command+/ lets you begin a new lookup instantly (you press "/" key while holding the Command key).

Getting Safari page with the Safari button

You locate Safari button From Safari Button on upper right corner of the Web browser window.  If you click the button, you will find the Safari page also in the DictJuggler Web browser window.  Now you can look up any word by one click lookup function of DictJuggler.  On the contrary, if you choose Navigate > Open With Default Browser (or Command+J) while you open a Web page with DictJuggler, you will see the same page displayed in the default Web browser.

Using Service menu and a keyboard shortcut

Mac OS X Service menu provides you instant access to DictJuggler functions while using Service savvy applications, including TextEdit, Safari, Mail, Terminal, iWork applications, or editors like BBEdit, Jedit X, emacs, etc., etc (with emacs, you need to copy a region beforehand).

  1. Confirm that you invoked the application after you installed DictJuggler.  If not, quit the application and relaunch it.
  2. Select the string you want to look up.
  3. From Apple Menu, choose Look Up with DictJuggler.

You will see the result of the lookup in the dictionary windows.

Note that there are some applications (including Microsoft Office applications) that are not compatible with Mac OS X Service (All the Service menu items are displayed in gray in such applications).  You still can copy and paste the search string in the DictJuggler Quick Lookup window to start lookup in DictJuggler.

If you cannot select "Look Up with DictJuggler" ( just "DictJuggler" for versions greater than 1.24) from the Service menu, choose logout from the Apple menu (or restart the computer), and try again. It should work, then.

Assigning a keyboard shortcut    Convenient!!

You can assign a keyboard shortcut to any Service menu items, which enables instant lookup from other applications.

  1. Open System Preferences... from Apple menu, and select Keyboard & Mouse > Keyboard Shortcuts.
  2. Select [Application Keyboard Shortcut] at the bottom.
  3. Press [+] button.
  4. In the new window, you type in or select the following.
    1. [All Applications] in Application field.  (If you cannot select it, select another item first, then select [All Applications]).
    2. In [Menu Title], enter DictJuggler ( just "Look Up with DictJuggler" for versions before 1.24) .  Be sure not to misspell, or it will not work.
    3. Enter any key or key combinations in [Keyboard shortcut].   We recommend F1 since it is rarely used by usual applications (You have to press the fn key to use F1 key, if you are an iBook or a PowerBook user).   You can use whatever you like: Command+Option+F1, Command+shift+A, etc., etc., as far as it is not used by other menu items.
  5. Click [Add] to close the window.
  6. Close the System Preferences window.
  7. Quit the Mac OS X Service savvy application.
  8. Relaunch the application.
  9. Select the word(s) you want to look up.
  10. Press the keyboard shortcut you assigned above (e.g. F1).

Note:

It is true that this procedure is a little bit complicated, but try until you succeed, it will work and very very convenient!

If you assign a keyboard shortcut, you might choose the following setting in the Preference of DictJuggler.

When using emacs, you need to copy a region by pressing ESC-w or Command+C, before you press the shortcut key combination.

If you want to use this function with other applications which are NOT MacOS X Service savvy, you might try Keyboard Maestro or other keyboard macro utilities.

The above setting makes only the dictionary windows pop up in order to display the search result.

Supported file formats

DictJuggler browser windows can display:

Clicking or dragging of the mouse button will invoke DictJuggler's lookup function.  If you click a link to a file in these formats in the Web browser window, the text browser window (in contrast to the Web browser window) will be opened to display the content of the linked file.

DictJuggler does not support PDF files yet.  If you want to access DictJuggler functionality, you use keyboard shortcut while opening files with the Preview application, for example.

Locking and unlocking the dictionaries

If you just do not use some dictionaries so often, you just lock it by pressing the lock icon Lock Button in the top right corner of the dictionary windows.   By doing so, you can save a little bit of processing power as well as the Internet traffic.

If you cannot get enough information by using the unlocked dictionaries and you want consult with a locked dictionary, you simply unlock it;  you will find the result of the lookup instantly.  You do not have to input the string again (convenient, isn't it?)

Adding dictionaries with the URL analyzer

You can easily add a new dictionary, or search site, using the Dictionary Manager of DictJuggler.  Usually, if you see the specified word(s) (or encoded string of the word(s)) in the URL of the search result, the possibility is high that you can register it to DictJuggler.

There are sites which prohibit you to use their site using the type of software like the DictJuggler application, which automatically generates URL to perform searching or lookup. Please read the terms of use (or the like) of the site before you try to register the site in the Dictionary Manager of the DictJuggler application.

  1. Read the terms of use of the page (site) you want to use, and make sure that automatic lookup (search) is permitted in the site.
  2. Using a Web browser, search a string in the usual manner.
  3. Copy the URL (address displayed in the address bar) after the search.
  4. Select Dictionary Manager... from DictJuggler menu.
  5. Click [+] in the window.
  6. Paste the URL in [URL:] and input the word(s) you looked up, in the [Search Word:] field.
  7. Click [OK] to close the small dialog box.
  8. Fill in [Name] and [Explanation].
  9. Click [OK] to close the dialog.
  10. Check if it works as you want. If not, try to modify the specification by double-clicking the dictionary you just added in the dictionary manager.

If you know or have found useful dictionaries, let us know so that we can provide them to our users. Please use contact form to report new dictionaries (search sites).  Also visit the DictJuggler home page so that you do not miss newly found useful sites by our users.

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