Hey all. Really wanna know what's the possibility and possibly best approach to developing a web based dictionary of word. Just like encarta. But web based,

Wanted to develop one sometime back but dropped the idea cause i really felt it would be difficult creating a gazillion of word and their corresponding meaning with php .

Any solution or idea will be appreciated!!!

blanketty-blank!

I tought of something like this sometimes back, as a matter of fact i started the project, left it though, i will suggest u build the platform and allow the content to be user generated(Whole web 2.0 madness), more like wikipedia, Urban dictionary is a good example, check them out urbandictionary.com hope this helps.

Best of luck.

-Cyberomin

I think u can use libcurl to do smting like this:
lets say u want to get the meaning of ABSURD. You cud do smting like this
curl dict://dict.com
m:absurd
i'm nt too gud wit libcurl 4 nw but i trust people like dhtml,dualcore and omnipotence cud help wit it

@Cyber. Thanks sir, Omo, na one project wey confuse me,

Your idea is cool. Considered that, but that will take time for it to have a lotta words, i mean about all words, Mostly in Nigeria where site support is poor, and far from it, i lack skillz in site management/User generation skilzz.

Will work on that, maybe cause i no sabi sweet talk peepz.

@C++. Oga, i go appreciate am if u explain the libcurb. And abeg no refer me to google ohhh!!!

I no gud 4 explanation ooh!
Libcurl is a c programming library use for retrieving, manipulating and storing data from and to the server.
Libcurl cud be use with php,perl,e.t.c
it support http, https, ssl, proxy, Ldap,dictionary server protocol(dict://) e.t.c . What u nid i tink concerns the dict. Is better to google it or use this link: curl dot haxx dot se/
Good luck

@Omni. If you mean what i fink, i did ohhh. I search die, Not even an API that can be called. That stuff is simple hardly done.

But i think i am getting a solution. I will use Java, and call an API then display the result in a web, as a servlet/Applet

I have one Java guy that did a dictionary like that, will contact him to get his codes to work on call of it from my end (DB) .

Just thinking sir, any further solution will be a plus. I never sure of how easy my thought go work on codes, Call it Programmers thought

building a dictionary eh? it is quite easy to build one that you store words and retrieve it using drupal (cck/views should be able to do it).
If you wish to make use of an external source, i can help you with some codes to extract the meaning from other dictionary sites using
techniques like curl or fopen (url type). . .of course i will only give you snippets, you will ave to finish the remaining yourself.

@ c++ Thanks. will look it up.

is it what www.webopedia.com use

@Luzoma. Also try explaining it, and do i need to learn c++

i assume the poster was talking about a web based application. PHP has an inbuilt curl library that is part of the pecl module.
Libcurl is best used with full fledged langs like c++ (i have used it before, i do software programming as well, not just web).

An online dictionary? I dey crase? It's gonna be very tasking man.

@donpuzo,
libcurl is best use with the C API but also have about 40 bindings.
PHP/CURL is the the php binding and JAVA/CURL, PERL/CURL for java and perl respectively. To use curl with php4 and above. Check this php site:
http://www.php.net/curl
i wil like to knw of any development.
Best of lucks

@donpuzo,
libcurl is best use with the C API but also have about 40 bindings.
PHP/CURL is the the php binding and JAVA/CURL, PERL/CURL for java and perl respectively. To use curl with php4 and above. Check this php site:
http://www.php.net/curl
i wil like to knw of any development.
Best of lucks

As webopedia, i dnt knw.
Try and read the dictionary server protocol to hv a gud foundation frm here:
http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2229.txt
dnt thrw away this project!

@dhtml an dual. You guyz r funny. Try war with me na!!!

@Omini. Ok sir, I go try my best!!!

Thanks for the motivation!!! God bless