Editing the word completion dictionary?

[veethree]

Is there any way to edit the word completion dictionary? It's great to have it suggest words, but it's incorporated a couple of my spelling mistakes and I now get some very strange words coming through. I need to delete or edit those suggestions so that they don't keep popping up in place of better alternatives.

[Lex]

It can be done but you lose all your custom edits after every soft reset. :cry:

[veethree]

Thanks for the reply. Not really an option, then.

[Tye]

I don't remember the name but I could swear there is a piece of software that allowed this. Sorry, that's as much info as I have.

[iant54]

I thought there was as well - it's been bugging me for a few days, but I've found it: Kai's ABC Editor by Kaisoft / Pocketkai

In the PocketPC Thoughts store: http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&jid=49B84B8EB86918FAC4FEB25CBDA6DC4B&platformId=2&productType=2&productId=140938&sectionId=0&catalog=1&topSectionId=-1

[veethree]

I thought there was as well - it's been bugging me for a few days, but I've found it: Kai's ABC Editor by Kaisoft / Pocketkai

In the PocketPC Thoughts store: http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&jid=49B84B8EB86918FAC4FEB25CBDA6DC4B&platformId=2&productType=2&productId=140938&sectionId=0&catalog=1&topSectionId=-1

Thanks for the detective work! I'll give that software a try.

[Menneisyys]

I thought there was as well - it's been bugging me for a few days, but I've found it: Kai's ABC Editor by Kaisoft / Pocketkai

In the PocketPC Thoughts store: http://www.handango.com/ampp/store/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&jid=49B84B8EB86918FAC4FEB25CBDA6DC4B&platformId=2&productType=2&productId=140938&sectionId=0&catalog=1&topSectionId=-1

Thanks for the detective work! I'll give that software a try.

If you are into coding and don't want to spend money, the custom format the dictionary file is using is actually very simple.

<some non-ASCII byte><word1><00><some non-ASCII byte><word2><00><some non-ASCII byte><word3><00> etc

This must be placed in the file \Windows\dyncompdict.dat. The device must be reset in order for the changes to be seen.

Please note that the individual records are not delimited by a CR-LF sequence, but are closed by a byte containing 0 and are started with a non-ASCII character (for example, an ü, an í or actually any byte that has the value over 128, or anything under 32 or so)

The non-null, non-ASCII value may have a meaning of weight, but I'm not sure about it.

Make sure the file is closed by a zero (the trailing 0 of the last record), otherwise, none of the entries will show up!

Also, you may want to give a try to the free (!) Alex Feinman word editor at http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=fi&lr=&threadm=%23KZ7Cd82EHA.1260%40TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl&rnum=4&prev=/groups%3Fq%3Dpocketpc%2Bcompletion%2Bnew%2Bwords%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26selm%3D%2523KZ7Cd82EHA.1260%2540TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl%26rnum%3D4 for directly editing the dictionary file. It didn't work OK on my WM2003SE PL720 (haven't tested it with the recommended SP2); it worked on my iPAQ 2210 (without any SP's), though. I've also found a discussion on it at http://www.pdaclub.pl/forum/posty.php?temat_id=11262 but couldn't make out much of it because it's in Polish.

Feel free to ask additional questions.

[Lex]

But would edits survive a soft reset?

[Menneisyys]

But would edits survive a soft reset?

They do.

[chasmanor]

Say, Menneisyys,

I downloaded the program you suggested. However, there were no instructions on how to use it.

[Menneisyys]

Say, Menneisyys,

I downloaded the program you suggested. However, there were no instructions on how to use it.

Just copy the CAB over the PDA and click it to install. After this, start it and select Edit/Add. Enter the new word. After entering it, do NOT press Enter (it won't have any effect), just select Edit/Add again.

If you're ready entering the custom words, just press OK in the upper right corner to save your stuff.

[Menneisyys]

BTW, I was wrong: it works on my Pocket Loox 720 too (I haven't installed any SP's), so, it'll work on WM2003SE devices too. And, again, it's free.

[chasmanor]

What a wonderful little program that is. I have so many words that don't auto-write. Now I can add all of them. Thanks for the heads-up, Menneisyys!

[Lex]

Menneisyys do you know which CAB is appropriate for a PPC2003 unit? One file is entitled DictionaryEditor_PPC.ARM.CAB and one is DictionaryEditor_PPC.ARMV4.CAB.

EDIT: Nevermind. Neither version saves a term I use often ('Newport News'). I used Add, created the term, tapped Save then Reset. When I go to a note the term is not suggested. Only 'Newport Beach' which came with the OS I guess.

[nategesner]

I just tried this program on my Dell Axim X50v and it didn't work. According to the instructions provided, opening the program should open the existing dictionary. However, I opened my program and no dictionary loaded. I tried adding some words, saved them, closed the program, then opened it again, and the words I added were not there. I also tried typing a note with the words I added and they did not pop up.

My Ipaq 2215 uses WM2003 and I can actually locate the dictionary file. On my Axim, I can't even locate a dictionary file. I did a search of the entire PDA for any file with the .dic ending, and nothing came up. If anyone knows where the dictionary is stored or what it is called, I can probably figure out a solution. Until then, we're out of luck.

The one thing I hate about a PDA is the inability to enter text quickly. I use words specific to my job (military) all the time, but the PDA doesn't learn them very quickly and they disappear after a reset. This is the one thing Microsoft needs to fix! Everyone I know with a PDA uses it to store notes, contacts, etc. So let us create a custom dictionary that allows this in a timely manner!

As Napolean Dynamite would say, "GOSH!"

[Menneisyys]

Menneisyys do you know which CAB is appropriate for a PPC2003 unit? One file is entitled DictionaryEditor_PPC.ARM.CAB and one is DictionaryEditor_PPC.ARMV4.CAB.

EDIT: Nevermind. Neither version saves a term I use often ('Newport News'). I used Add, created the term, tapped Save then Reset. When I go to a note the term is not suggested. Only 'Newport Beach' which came with the OS I guess.

(Sorry for answering this late.)

Did you check for \Windows\dyncompdict.dat after the reset? Does it exist? What does it contain?

[Menneisyys]

My Ipaq 2215 uses WM2003 and I can actually locate the dictionary file. On my Axim, I can't even locate a dictionary file. I did a search of the entire PDA for any file with the .dic ending, and nothing came up. If anyone knows where the dictionary is stored or what it is called, I can probably figure out a solution. Until then, we're out of luck.

\Windows\dyncompdict.dat doesn't exist by default. You need to create it yourself with a tool like this.

BTW, did you check the contents of \Windows\dyncompdict.dat after the reset?

[Menneisyys]

Menneisyys do you know which CAB is appropriate for a PPC2003 unit? One file is entitled DictionaryEditor_PPC.ARM.CAB and one is DictionaryEditor_PPC.ARMV4.CAB.

Both will work.

[Menneisyys]

Also note that if you spell check a document in Pocket Word (Tools/Spell Check) and Add a previously unknown word, these words will be stored in \Windows\custom.dic.

This file, unlike the above-discussed dyncompdict.dat (incidentally, this file is sometimes stored as dyncompdict.tmp), stores words separated by plain CR LF characters (that is, a simple Enter), so, they can be edited by hand.

The same stands for Word's not using the contents of dyncompdict.dat - the two files are used by completely different engines.

The words listed in this file, however, will not be used by the completion engine, only Pocket Word (and some other apps that are able to parse custom.dic. Don't, therefore, mistake the two files, dyncompdict.dat and custom.dic, for each other - their functionality is completely orthogonal, as has already been pointed out.

[zilla31]

did anyone get this working on a axim x50v?

[nategesner]

I've been trying to figure out how to work this using an Axim X50v. No luck so far and I can't find anyone else that has had luck with it.

I hope WM2005 will fix this because I'm tired of having to spell everything out. I'm in the military and use way too many job-related terms that don't show in a normal dictionary.

[zilla31]

i can get around it a little bit w/ the fitaly custom phrases... but man is that limited for this particular application...

[Menneisyys]

Please read http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=41049