We also have a portable version of the dictionary that uses the same language dictionary files. This means you can have your dictionary with you on the road. We personally use Windows Mobile Phones. This gives us the benefits of a PDA and a phone all in one!

As you can see, the built in keyboard of the WM-Dict PPC version is gone. From now on the user will have to use his own SIP keyboard. Of course, if your Windows Mobile PDA has a built in hardware keyboard, WM-Dict can still be used with it too.

Using the Dictionary

In WM-Dict, you also simply type in the term you want to translate. You will see a list of possible translations. Select the term you are interested in, and more information on the translation is displayed.

We tried to make the PDA version smart! If you have navigation buttons for left, right, up and down, including a pressing of a center button, WM-Dict responds. For example, after typing in a word, press down on the down navigation button. This will select the first word in the list of possible matches. Continue to press the down key until you find the term you are looking for.

If you then press the center button on the navigation pad (or you can also tip with the stylus on the "focus"-tab = same result)...

...WM-Dict switches into "focus"-mode, allowing you to see the term translated in larger print. This makes it easier to read the translation and also to show other people a translation.

Using the Context-Menu

When using the Context-menu, this pops up:

... it will offer 7 options: "Lookup Selection", "Add selection to Lookup", "Copy selection", "Copy Term", "Create Task", "Create Flash Card" and "Add to My Word List"

The "Copy Selection" and "Copy term" option is self-explanatory. It will put whatever was selected within WM-Dict into the clipboard and you can paste it wherever you want.

The "Create Task" and "Create Flash Card" option will not be explained here, since we will prepare a special note about that subject.

The "Lookup selection" option will paste whatever you selected within WM-Dict into the Search line and will delete whatever has been written before in that line. After that it will launch a new search.

The "Add selection to lookup" option is slightly different. It will not delete what has been written in the Search-line but will add it to the term written there and will then search for both (or even more) terms.

And last, but not least, the "Add to My Word List" feature is very useful in order to remember certain words. For example, lets say during the day you looked up the Chinese word for welcome, "huanying". You would like to remember that word and therefore you hit the "Add to My Word List" option. The word will then be added to the My Word List and can be reviewed by tipping on the "My List" tabulator:

...there you go. After reviewing (and remembering) the word(s) they can be deleted, either individually or all of the terms. Please use the context-menu for doing that.

Using the Resources tab

When you tip on the Resources tab...

...a list with all installed dictionaries will be displayed. Here you can configure which languages should be used when searching.

*Note: If you have not installed a language dictionary, it will not show up in this list and you will therefore not be able to select or unselect it.

Using Menu/Settings

Under Menu/Settings...

...this will be displayed. Here you can select 3 options:

The "Force Keyboard Open"option forces your SIP keyboard to open whenever you start WM-Dict. Most of the users will want to have this option checked.

With the "Keyboard Clear Key" and the "Add to My List Key" you can define a certain character that the software will understand as a command to clear the Selection in the Search bar and/or to add a certain word to the "My List". For example, with the setting of the above screenshot enabled, entering the word "welcome#" will add this entry to the My List.

Using Menu/Customize

When choosing Menu/Customize...

...3 sliders, 2 arrows and a "OK" button will appear within the WM-Dict window. Using the sliders you can in-/decrease the font size of the search line, the terms as well as of the definitions. While moving the slider left/right the letters will in-/decrease. After you hit the "OK" button the settings will be recorded and will stay like that until you don't change them. With the arrows you can move the line between the terms and the definitions as you wish.

Using Menu/Advanced Search

The "Advanced Search" option is a very powerful, new feature within WM-Dict 2.0.

When you choose Menu/Advanced Search...

...a new little windows with two new option-boxes (Terms and Definitions) as well as ">>"-button will appear above the Search line.

Advanced Search will enable you to search a certain term wherever they may appear within the data of WM-Dict (not only at the beginning of an entry but also somewhere deep within the definitions). You have to choose whether you want the engine search within all the terms or whether you would like it to search within the definitions.

For example, lets say you would like to see where else the word "guanglin" (see the above screenshot) apprears within your Chinese dictionary. You switch on the "Advanced Search"-option and copy the word "guanglin" in the search line. Then you decide whether you prefer to search within the terms or within the definitions. After making all your choices, please hit ">>". Please be patient!! Depending on how many dictionaries you chose to search through (tip: let it be only one or two) for WM-Dict as well as depending on the speed of your device the search might last quite a while. Then you can check all the entries where "guanglin" appears within your data. This is for sure a tremendous help in grasping the structure of a language.