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List:       kde-edu-devel
Subject:    [kde-edu-devel] Re: draft for kde lib
From:       Scott Wheeler <wheeler () kde ! org>
Date:       2002-05-13 14:33:44
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Ok, I've just had a chance to look at this:


> The xml file has the following structure:
> 
> An options group for document related settings.
> 
> An entry is the second smallest unit.
> It contains the following elements:
>  - One or more general purpose "items". One of these items may be called
>    "original", the others may be "translations"

Hmm.  Here we reach a somewhat interesting question:  Should this be a live 
for vocabulary/flash cards that supports language vocabulary or a language 
vocabulary that supports non-language things as well?  It's something of a 
subtle question, but worth asking I think.

I guess I'm biased, but I think it might be better to use more generic terms 
and support the "idea" of a translation.  Currently this isn't how kvtml is 
and the current model certainly works, but I think it might be conceptually 
stronger to have "entries" that can be flagged as being in certain languages, 
and one could be flagged as orginal...  Hmm.  I feel like I'm not being very 
clear here, but maybe you understand what I'm talking about.

Presently FlashKard is the only application that I think would potentially use 
the lib in a way not specically for language study, but it seems like other 
programs that use the "flash card" concept could come about (that might be 
even further removed from the language study model.  For instance I got 
feedback from one user saying that they were using FlashKard for 
multipication tables practice for their kids.  If someone were to write an 
application specifically for something like studying multipication tables, it 
would be nice if our (mostly your) format worked well with that.  Make sense?

>  - a unique id to be able to store statistical data in a seperate file to 
>    keep the words read-only and sort in a _defined_ manner.
> 
> An item is the smallest unit. It contains the following properties:
>  - date of last access/query
> - the word/sentence/paragraph itself
>  - a language id (iso code)
>  - pronounciation/antonyms ...
>  - a grade. Range 0 .. 10, 0 means unused.
>  - More statistic data: number of query, number wrong queries, ...
>  - links or content for pictures, sounds.

Yep.  I think all of this is good stuff.  It should just be such that it is 
all "available" but need not be used.  It would be nice if any of the 
programs using this planned lib would not choke if they only got part of the 
data.  Right now this works reasonably well between FlashKard and KVocTrain.  
They seem to ignore having too much or too little data well (As you 
suggested, I just tried some somewhat broken files when doing my original 
testing.).  

> The following libary names might be used:
> 
>   libkeduvocio    : - loading, saving in xml and plugin support for
>                       other file formats.
>                     - API for accessing the words and properties
> 
>   libkeduvocpart  : kpart to display the words.
>                     - display table as in kvoctrain
>                     - display flip cards as in flashkard
>                     -
> 
>   libkeduvocedit  : edit dialog to enter/modify the properties
> 
>   libkeduvocquery : standard query and settings dialogs
> 
>   libkeduvocsettings : standard settings dialogs

Again, same as above:  Do you think these should be more generic or vocabulary 
specific?  

Also, what do you imagine being in "libkeduvocsettings" and "libkeduvocedit"?  
I would say that the first priority is getting the XML library written.  The 
other things would be nice, but more work (and are less essential).  Also, 
should these be separate libs or all rolled into one?

Thanks for this Ewald!  This is a really helpful start (Not to mention that 
you've already got a lot of useful code around :-) ).

Cheers,

-Scott

p.s.  mail.kde.org is down _again_, so if you want a quick reply send stuff to 
scott@slackrama.net.

On Saturday 11 May 2002 09:53 am, Ewald Arnold wrote:

> Hello Scott,
> 
> hope you have finally reached germany :-)
> 
> I just wanted to let you know that I have created a directory to collect the 
> ideas for our coming libraries. 
> 
> They are located under kvoctrain/docs/successor. I suggest to collect some 
> more ideas and post to kdedu-devel to invite all the others to join or at 
> least post their needs, wishes and comments.
> 
> cheers
> Ewald
> 

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