PDF version of dictionary?

[J. Landman Gay]

Petrides, M.D. Marian wrote:
> The problem is that I can put a PDF version on my Kindle DX and carry it 
> anywhere at very little cost in terms of weight. This is not true of the 
> hardcopy version.  I find there are times when I need to have a 
> reference book open while programming because trying to read through 
> online dox just doesn't do the trick.


It isn't too hard to make your own:

1. Download the MetaCard Setup stack from RevOnline. Open it in Rev. 
Make sure all the Dictionary options are checked. Run the setup.

2. In Rev, open the MC Dictionary stack you just installed. Click the 
Home button and import all the Rev dictionary entries. The "?" button 
tells you how.

3. Edit the MC Dictionary stack script and add this handler:

-- JLG: export as HTML file
on exportDict
   ask file "Name the HTML export file:"
   if it = "" then exit exportDict
   put it into tFileName
   put "<p>" into tP
   set cursor to watch
   repeat with x = 2 to the number of cds
     put the htmltext of fld "word" of cd x & tP & tP after tData
     put the htmltext of fld "type" of cd x & tP & tP after tData
     put the htmltext of fld "summary" of cd x & tP & tP after tData
     put the htmltext of fld "main" of cd x & tP & tP after tData
     put the htmltext of fld "see also" of cd x & tP & tP after tData
     put tP & "<hr>" & tP after tData
   end repeat
   put tData into url ("file:"&tFileName)
end exportDict

4. Type "exportDict" into the message box. It only takes a second to 
create the HTML file.

5. Open the new HTML file in a browser or in Word or anywhere else you 
can display it. Print. In the OS X print dialog, choose to create a PDF 
file. On Windows, you'll need a PDF print driver to do that.

It isn't gorgeous but it's all there. You could edit the HTML (or the 
export script) before printing to make it prettier.

-- 
Jacqueline Landman Gay         |     jacque at hyperactivesw.com
HyperActive Software           |     http://www.hyperactivesw.com