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Is it possible to load definitions from a file?

anterya   August 26th, 2012 2:15p.m.

It is quite easy to change individual definitions in Skritter, I do it from time to time in my iPhone application. The problem that I have now is that I need to change a large number of definitions at the same time. I thought I could do it through the feature "Make a new list" on the Skritter's website, but unfortunately, it didn't work, Skritter didn't accept my new definitions. So I wonder if there is a better way to load a number of changed definitions from a file. (Or maybe I did something wrong when I used the "New list" feature?)

Ideally I would like to be able to do something like this. I export the words from the list in question using the "Export" feature on the website, save them to a file, change the definitions that I would like to change in that file, and upload the file to the website again, so to speak, "feeding" them back to the Skritter system. From that point on, Skritter should start showing me words with the new (changed) definitions instead of the old ones. Is it somehow possible?

I'd like to briefly explain the reason why I need to change a large number of definitions at once. I recently migrated from the Pleco flashcard system to Skritter. Prior to that, I studies a number of word lists using the Pleco flashcard system, e.g. words from the old HSK I list and also words from a number of lessons of both PCR and NPCR. In many cases the definitions that I already memorized were different from the ones provided by Skritter automatically. And quite naturally, when these words are presented to me again for review in Skritter, I would like to continue seeing the same definitions that I already memorized.

Of course, I could change all these definitions manually one by one through the website, but doing it like this will take too much time. (Which I would rather spend on studying!) So, is there a solutuion to my problem or not? Thanks!

nick   August 26th, 2012 7:42p.m.

We haven't made something like this yet that you can do through the website. Email the spreadsheet to me at nick@skritter.com, though, and I'll run a script to populate all your custom definitions.

anterya   August 28th, 2012 4:44p.m.

Nick, thank you very much for your proposal! Very nice of you!

It is possible that I would send you that spreadsheet indeed. Well, at the moment the full list is not ready yet. (Comparing all my Pleco vs. Skritter lists is a lot of work; I haven't finished is yet.) Up to now I've been just investigating my options.

On the other hand, it is quite possible that I'll just continue updating my definitions one by one directly from Skritter on my iPhone, transferring them directly from Pleco. I realized that I could significantly speed-up this process using the fact that when I switch to Pleco, the Chinese word is already in the Clipboard, so I can start searching for it immediately in Pleco! Then copy and switch back to Skritter.

Thank you again!

nick   August 28th, 2012 6:25p.m.

Do you have the latest version of Pleco installed? If so, there's a Pleco button on the backside of each prompt (if you hit the info button), which automatically looks up the word in Pleco without having to copy and paste.

anterya   August 30th, 2012 6:04p.m.

Yes, I know about this possibility and I do it all the time in order to look something up in Pleco. Very useful feature, BTW, thank you!

What I meant was something different. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. What I need is not just to search in Pleco, but to search through my personal flashcard lists in Pleco. (In these flashcards, I have definitions that I already adjusted to my personal needs at the time when I was studying them in Pleco, sometimes using several dictionaries to compile a definition that looked more "precise" to me, or deleting some extra meanings that seemed to be rare.) BTW, in general I quite like definitions in Skritter, obviously your team put in some serious work to adjust them to the needs of the people who study Chinese! Sometimes I just keep them without using my old definitions, and sometimes I combine Skritter's definitions with my old definitions.

When I switch from Skritter to Pleco, Skritter has already put the word under study into the system's clipboard. This makes it easier to me to start searching through my flashcard lists. Then I just copy the definition from my corresponding Pleco flashcard, return to Skritter and paste this definition into the Skritter's edit form.

So far it goes quite well, most probably I won't need to ask you to do it for me using your script and my spreadsheet. Thanks again!

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