Additions to BookWorm dictionary

[Cheryl]

Not sure where to put my requests, so they are going here :).

toilet
dearly

Not in the BW dictionary.

[Cheryl]

guarantee
yearly

[mike808]

carousel

juveniles - worked for over an hour to drop a yellow 's' on the end...then didn't take it ARGH!!

[Kieren]

Hi folks,

Sorry it's been a while since anyone's replied on this thread, but we've also got an email address you can send requests for words to be added to the dictionary:

wordgames@astraware.com

This actually is for all our word games, not just Bookworm! :)
We really do appreciate how frustrating it can be to work for ages to make a huge word worth a lot of points, only to find out the game won't accept it, but we can't guarantee that the words will make it into the dictionary (we'd love to have as complete a dictionary as possible). There are a number of other factors we have to take into account at the same time, key among these being the space the dictionary takes up (even compressed it's considerable) and the time it takes to search through for a word (which on some of the older Palms goes up all too quickly).

Warmest regards,
Kieren

[Cheryl]

Thanks, Kieren!
:D

[BoG]

Im defenitely gonna send in a few words, especially since link letters was lacking plenty of words. fun, but when that one word is crucial to you, you kinda get frustrated after all your work.

[kaufman]

There are a number of other factors we have to take into account at the same time, key among these being the space the dictionary takes up (even compressed it's considerable) and the time it takes to search through for a word (which on some of the older Palms goes up all too quickly).


How about two sets of words? The current set for older users, and a really big honking list for users with high end systems. You support multiple types of screen resolutions, how about supporting multiple levels of Palms as well.

Michael

[Dobermann]

I have two words for the Bookworm dictionary:

Yearling
Faxing (it permits FAX)

Cheers,
Dobermann

[Astragali]

What would be best, methinx, is for Astraware to create a word library, perhaps as a DLL, and based on something like the YAWL word list - over 210,000 words using both US and UK English. That way, all Astraware games could zero in on this library, meaning only the one word list for all games, and probably not having to worry about updates for quite a while!

My particular Bookworm frustrations are NAN, FUG and SILENCED - Super Wild Wild Words has an impressive dictionary, and I've had IMPRACTICAL, SACERDOTAL AND MALEFACTORS out of that... Of course, using the YAWL list would make Bookworm just as impressive :)

Mark

[Kristopher]

What would be best, methinx, is for Astraware to create a word library, perhaps as a DLL, and based on something like the YAWL word list - over 210,000 words using both US and UK English.
Using a single PDB file as an entire dictionary would be great, but it may mean long loading or searching times, and implementing this feature on many games accross many platforms could be very hard! It may also lead to users hacking the dictionary, or word games by other companies being based upon Astraware's dictionary!
:)

[Astragali]

Using a single PDB file as an entire dictionary would be great, but it may mean long loading or searching times, and implementing this feature on many games accross many platforms could be very hard!

Well, I have to admit that I'm not sure about the Palm's PDB file structure (I long since gave up on my Palm, now that I have a PocketPC), but I use YAWL for a program I wrote. Even though I wrote the program in Dialect (a slow interpreted language), implementing a binary search resulted in quite fast search-completion times. When I finally get my head around C#, it should be even faster :)


It may also lead to users hacking the dictionary, or word games by other companies being based upon Astraware's dictionary!
:)

Well, as far as users hacking the dictionary are concerned, then it's their own daft fault...

But YAWL itself is public domain, so maybe Astraware could also release the library into the public domain... It's quite likely I'm being incredibly naïve about it, but let's face it, wouldn't it be better to have a common word list for all programs rather than having a mass of differing word lists, of highly variable quality, from different software publishers?

Mark :)

PS In honour of the day of posting... "arrrrr" ;)

[Howard]

There's actually a bit more to it than just storing a word list...

We're working on a system that means that all of our word games will have built in their own (sufficient, though not extensive) set, and access to a larger list if available.

The larger list will get shared between all the games, and would mean adding optional packs (for those who spell "color" "favorite" for instance, instead of the correct way :p) becomes possible. Adding (and indeed removing) words would also be possible.

The complexity is that a dictionary for a word game isn't just a list - it has to be kept and indexed sensibly, preferably keep some reasonable compression, and allow for some functions like text twist's "can this word be made with these letters".

I don't have an ETA for this - it certainly won't be before Christmas - but it is something we hope to have in time for the next word game.

Howard.

[Kristopher]

(For those who spell "color" "favorite" for instance, instead of the correct way :p) becomes possible.
How about something for those who spell them as "colour" and "favourite", instead of the correct way? :p

[Astragali]

How about something for those who spell them as "colour" and "favourite", instead of the correct way? :p

Well, given that Astraware is a British software company (something that seems to be increasingly rare these days), then the "redundant U" is the correct spelling, and you Yanks are just going to have to get with the programme ;)

(Good thing my American wife doesn't read this forum! :D )

Mark, who actually has nothing against Americans - he loves winding up people of any nation :)

[Kristopher]

Astragali actually meant "program" instead of "programme", which is a compound word meaning "program me", which is like asking for directions.
:) :) :) :) :)

[Astragali]

Astragali actually meant "program" instead of "programme", which is a compound word meaning "program me", which is like asking for directions.
:) :) :) :) :)

Errrr no... "programme" is the UK spelling (when applied to every use of the US word "program" except computer programs)

Hence my use of "get with the programme" was quite deliberate for the context, although to clarify, I should probably have added a "(sic)" :)

Phew! No wonder Oscar Wilde said the US and UK were two countries divided by a common language! :)

Mark

[Redrum]

Actually, color works but colour doesn't...

A lot of plurals/-er/-ed words are missing, as well.