Debian dictionary
I have a specific need for a debain dictionary -- I want to automatically
define keywords in the Debian Weekly News so I can continue to use
debian-specific terms therein without defining them; without confusing the
larger readership of that newsletter.
I've seen http://www.debian.org/~elphick/ddp/manuals.html#dict and looked at
the SGML source. I think what exists so far has a definite problem -- it's
not well structured. I would like to be able to process the sgml source and
get a list of all defined terms. I would like to then be able to link
directly to a specific definition. I would also like to be able to have
various metadata accociated with the terms. For example, how widespead is
the term (do debian users use it, or just developers, or just developers in
a subproject). What part of speech is the term, how is it pronounced, when
did it enter the debian lexicon?
For ease of automatic updating, it should be possible to add terms in any
order and automatically generate html that is sorted alphabetically, with
one page per letter as it is now.
I think the debian dictionary needs a special-purpose DTD (which can perhaps
just be some additional fields added on top of debiandoc), to allow this
information to be included in it in a structured way. I'm thinking along the
lines of an introduction/header similar to what is there now, maybe a
similar footer, and in the middle have it source in a (possibly
automatically generated) entity that contains the actual definitions.
It also needs a well-publicised form interface to allow submitting
information. The submitted items ould go live immediatly on a copy of the
dictionary, and good ones can be added to the official dictionary. This
should quickly get the dictionary full of definitions.
So I am willing to put some time into this, though if I do any DTD work it
will have to be in XML (I don't know all of SGML). Let me know.
--
see shy jo
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