Java Client for Dict README

$Revision: 1.3 $

Table of Contents

    0. Status
    1. What is this?
    2. How to install?
    3. How to run?
        3.1. Requirements
        3.2. Running jcfd
    4. How to build?
        4.1. Requirements
        4.3. Building jcfd
    5. Extending

    7. License
    8. Charity software
    9. Author

0. Status

   JavaClientForDict is currently in its early beta phase, version
   0.2. Although quite useable, there are no guaranties that the
   interfaces won't change. Also, there might be some serious bugs.

1. What is this?

   This is JavaClientForDict[*], or jcfd, a client for Dict servers
   written in Java. For more informations on Dict servers please check
   http://www.dict.org and RFC-2229. Use this library if you want to
   connect your programs to a Dict server.

   [*] Have a better name? Please let me know!

2. How to install?

   Installation is quite simple: just put jcfd.jar in your classpath
   and that's it. By default, jcfd connects to www.dict.org server. If
   you'd like to have it connecting to some other server and port, set
   the following system properties:
       * dict.server.name   (default: www.dict.org)
       * dict.server.port   (default: 2628)
   or create jcfd.properties file with the above mentioned properties
   (see the contrib directory) and put it in your classpath. That's it.

3. How to run?

   jcfd is a set of interfaces and abstract classes. However, there's
   also a simple implementation available, to help you start. You'll
   also need several 3rd party libraries.

   3.1. Requirements

        The first requirements to run JavaClientForDict is, of course,
        JVM, version 1.3.1 or newer.

        Also, to run JavaClientForDict you'll need the following
        libraries in classpath:

        - Jakarta Commons-lang, v1.0.1 or newer,
          http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/lang
        - Jakarta Commons-collections, v2.1 or newer,
          http://jakarta.apache.org/commons/collections
        - Jakarta ORO, v2.0.6 or newer, http://jakarta.apache.org/oro

        To run unit tests you'll also need JUnit, v3.7 or newer,
        http://www.junit.org.

   3.2. Running jcfd

        Take a look at the following directories: test/ and
        clients/. In the test/ directory you'll find a quite simple
        Main.java file. In the clients/ directory you'll find
        something what is going to be a fully featured command line
        client, net.zuckerfrei.jcfd.clients.console.Main.java. Open
        those files to see how they work.

        As of version 0.2, jcfd ships with integrated command line
        implementation (quite simple one, though). See
        <jcfd_dir>/bin/jcfd.sh shell script. So far, Unix script only.

4. How to build?

   4.1. Requirements

        Besides the libraries needed for running jcfd, you'll also
        need Ant, v1.5.1 or newer, http://jakarta.apache.org/ant

   4.2. Building jcfd

        Change to build/ directory and edit local.properties
        file. Then run Ant against build.xml. That's it. To run
        unit-tests you'll need to put junit.jar in Ant's lib directory.

5. Extending

   JavaClientForDict is API, it's meant to be extended. See
   net.zuckerfrei.jcfd.simple package for details.

7. License

   Please take a look at LINCESE file. This software is free and can be
   used free of charge.

8. Charity Software

   Please take a look at CHARITY file. This software is free but if
   you find it useful, please donate. Thanks.

9. Author

   Author of JavaClientForDict is Davor Cengija, davor@zuckerfrei.net