329 lines
23 KiB
Markdown
329 lines
23 KiB
Markdown
# Yomichan #
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Yomichan turns your web browser into a tool for building Japanese language literacy by helping you to decipher texts
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which would be otherwise too difficult tackle. This extension is similar to
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[Rikaichan](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/rikaichan/) for Firefox and
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[Rikaikun](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/rikaikun/jipdnfibhldikgcjhfnomkfpcebammhp?hl=en) for Chrome, but it
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stands apart in its goal of being a all-encompassing learning tool as opposed to a mere browser-based dictionary.
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Yomichan provides advanced features not available in other browser-based dictionaries:
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* Interactive popup definition window for displaying search results.
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* On-demand audio playback for select dictionary definitions.
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* Kanji stroke order diagrams are just a click away for most characters.
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* Custom search page for easily executing custom search queries.
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* Support for multiple dictionary formats including [EPWING](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPWING) via the [Yomichan Import](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan-import) tool.
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* Automatic note creation for the [Anki](https://apps.ankiweb.net/) flashcard program via the [AnkiConnect](https://foosoft.net/projects/anki-connect) plugin.
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* Clean, modern code makes it easy for developers to [contribute](https://github.com/FooSoft/yomichan) new features.
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## Table of Contents ##
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* [Installation](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#installation)
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* [Dictionaries](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#dictionaries)
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* [Basic Usage](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#basic-usage)
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* [Custom Dictionaries](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#custom-dictionaries)
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* [Anki Integration](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#anki-integration)
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* [Flashcard Configuration](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#flashcard-configuration)
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* [Flashcard Creation](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#flashcard-creation)
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* [Keyboard Shortcuts](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#keyboard-shortcuts)
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* [Development](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#development)
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* [Dependencies](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#dependencies)
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* [Frequently Asked Questions](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#frequently-asked-questions)
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* [Screenshots](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#screenshots)
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* [License](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/#license)
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## Installation ##
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Yomichan comes in two flavors: *stable* and *testing*. Over the years, this extension has evolved to contain many
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complex features, which have become increasingly difficult for me to test across different browsers, versions, and
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environments. All new changes are initially introduced into the *testing* version, and when I am reasonably confident
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that they are bug free, they will get promoted to the *stable* version. If you are technically savvy and don't mind
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submitting issues on GitHub, try the *testing* version, otherwise the *stable* version will be your best bet.
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* **Google Chrome**
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([stable](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yomichan/ogmnaimimemjmbakcfefmnahgdfhfami) or [testing](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yomichan-testing/bcknnfebhefllbjhagijobjklocakpdm))
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[](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yomichan/ogmnaimimemjmbakcfefmnahgdfhfami)
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* **Mozilla Firefox**
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([stable](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/yomichan/) or [testing](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/yomichan_testing.xpi))
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[](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/yomichan/)
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## Dictionaries ##
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There are several free Japanese dictionaries available for Yomichan, with two of them having glossaries available in
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different languages. You must download and import the dictionaries you wish to use in order to enable Yomichan
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definition lookups. If you have proprietary EPWING dictionaries that you would like to use, please see the [Yomichan
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Import](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan-import) page to learn how to convert and import them into Yomichan.
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Please be aware that the non-English dictionaries contain fewer entries than their English counterparts. Even if your
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primary language is not English, you may consider also importing the English version for better coverage.
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* **[JMdict](https://www.edrdg.org/enamdict/enamdict_doc.html)** (Japanese vocabulary)
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* [jmdict\_dutch.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_dutch.zip)
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* [jmdict\_english.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_english.zip)
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* [jmdict\_french.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_french.zip)
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* [jmdict\_german.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_german.zip)
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* [jmdict\_hungarian.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_hungarian.zip)
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* [jmdict\_russian.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_russian.zip)
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* [jmdict\_slovenian.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_slovenian.zip)
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* [jmdict\_spanish.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_spanish.zip)
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* [jmdict\_swedish.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmdict_swedish.zip)
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* **[JMnedict](https://www.edrdg.org/enamdict/enamdict_doc.html)** (Japanese names)
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* [jmnedict.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/jmnedict.zip)
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* **[KireiCake](https://kireicake.com/rikaicakes/)** (Japanese slang)
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* [kireicake.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/kireicake.zip)
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* **[KANJIDIC](http://nihongo.monash.edu/kanjidic2/index.html)** (Japanese Kanji)
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* [kanjidic\_english.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/kanjidic_english.zip)
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* [kanjidic\_french.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/kanjidic_french.zip)
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* [kanjidic\_portuguese.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/kanjidic_portuguese.zip)
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* [kanjidic\_spanish.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/kanjidic_spanish.zip)
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* **[Innocent Corpus](https://forum.koohii.com/post-168613.html#pid168613)** (Term and Kanji frequencies across 5000+ novels)
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* [innocent\_corpus.zip](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/dl/dict/innocent_corpus.zip)
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## Basic Usage ##
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1. Click on the  icon in the browser toolbar to open the Yomichan actions dialog.
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ui-actions.png)
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2. Click on the *spanner/monkey wrench* icon in the middle to open the options page.
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3. Import the dictionaries you wish to use for term and Kanji searches. If you do not have any dictionaries installed
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(or enabled), Yomichan will warn you that it is not ready for use by displaying an orange exclamation mark over its
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icon. This exclamation mark will disappear once you have installed and enabled at least one dictionary.
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ui-import.png)
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4. Hold down the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key or the middle mouse button as you move your mouse over text to display a popup
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window containing term definitions. This window will only be shown if definitions were found and it can be dismissed
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by clicking anywhere outside of it.
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ui-terms.png)
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5. Click on the  icon to hear the term pronounced by a native speaker. If an audio sample is
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not available, you will hear a short click instead. You can configure the sources used to retrieve audio samples in
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the options page.
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6. Click on individual Kanji in the term definition results to view additional information about those characters
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including stroke order diagrams, readings, meanings, as well as other useful data.
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ui-kanji.png)
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## Custom Dictionaries ##
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Yomichan supports the use of custom dictionaries including the esoteric but popular
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[EPWING](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPWING) format. They were often utilized in portable electronic dictionaries
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similar to the ones pictured below. These dictionaries are often sought after by language learners for their correctness
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and excellent coverage of the Japanese language.
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Unfortunately, as most of the dictionaries released in this format are proprietary I am unable to bundle them with
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Yomichan. You will need to procure these dictionaries yourself and import them with [Yomichan
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Import](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan-import). Please see the project page for additional details.
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/epwing-devices.jpg)
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## Anki Integration ##
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Yomichan features automatic flashcard creation for [Anki](https://apps.ankiweb.net/), a free application designed to help you
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retain knowledge. This feature requires the prior installation of an Anki plugin called [AnkiConnect](https://foosoft.net/projects/anki-connect).
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Please see the respective project page for more information about how to set up this software.
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### Flashcard Configuration ###
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Before flashcards can be automatically created, you must configure the templates used to create term and/or Kanji notes.
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If you are unfamiliar with Anki deck and model management, this would be a good time to reference the [Anki
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Manual](https://apps.ankiweb.net/docs/manual.html). In short, you must specify what information should be included in the
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flashcards that Yomichan creates through AnkiConnect.
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Flashcard fields can be configured with the following steps:
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1. Open the Yomichan options page and scroll down to the section labeled *Anki Options*.
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2. Tick the checkbox labeled *Enable Anki integration* (Anki must be running with [AnkiConnect](https://foosoft.net/projects/anki-connect) installed).
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3. Select the type of template to configure by clicking on either the *Terms* or *Kanji* tabs.
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4. Select the Anki deck and model to use for new creating new flashcards of this type.
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5. Fill the model fields with markers corresponding to the information you wish to include (several can be used at
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once). Advanced users can also configure the actual [Handlebars](https://handlebarsjs.com/) templates used to create
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the flashcard contents (this is strictly optional).
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#### Markers for Term Cards ####
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Marker | Description
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`{audio}` | Audio sample of a native speaker's pronunciation in MP3 format (if available).
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`{cloze-body}` | Raw, inflected term as it appeared before being reduced to dictionary form by Yomichan.
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`{cloze-prefix}` | Text for the containing `{sentence}` from the start up to the value of `{cloze-body}`.
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`{cloze-suffix}` | Text for the containing `{sentence}` from the value of `{cloze-body}` to the end.
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`{dictionary}` | Name of the dictionary from which the card is being created (unavailable in *grouped* mode).
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`{expression}` | Term expressed as Kanji (will be displayed in Kana if Kanji is not available).
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`{furigana}` | Term expressed as Kanji with Furigana displayed above it (e.g. <ruby>日本語<rt>にほんご</rt></ruby>).
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`{furigana-plain}` | Term expressed as Kanji with Furigana displayed next to it in brackets (e.g. 日本語[にほんご]).
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`{glossary}` | List of definitions for the term (output format depends on whether running in *grouped* mode).
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`{reading}` | Kana reading for the term (empty for terms where the expression is the reading).
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`{screenshot}` | Screenshot of the web page taken at the time the term was added.
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`{sentence}` | Sentence, quote, or phrase in which the term appears in the source content.
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`{tags}` | Grammar and usage tags providing information about the term (unavailable in *grouped* mode).
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`{url}` | Address of the web page in which the term appeared in.
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#### Markers for Kanji Cards ####
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Marker | Description
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`{character}` | Unicode glyph representing the current Kanji.
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`{cloze-body}` | Raw, inflected parent term as it appeared before being reduced to dictionary form by Yomichan.
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`{cloze-prefix}` | Text for the containing `{sentence}` from the start up to the value of `{cloze-body}`.
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`{cloze-suffix}` | Text for the containing `{sentence}` from the value of `{cloze-body}` to the end.
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`{dictionary}` | Name of the dictionary from which the card is being created.
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`{glossary}` | List of definitions for the Kanji.
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`{kunyomi}` | Kunyomi (Japanese reading) for the Kanji expressed as Katakana.
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`{onyomi}` | Onyomi (Chinese reading) for the Kanji expressed as Hiragana.
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`{screenshot}` | Screenshot of the web page taken at the time the Kanji was added.
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`{sentence}` | Sentence, quote, or phrase in which the character appears in the source content.
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`{url}` | Address of the web page in which the Kanji appeared in.
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When creating your model for Yomichan, *please make sure that you pick a unique field to be first*; fields that will
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contain `{expression}` or `{character}` are ideal candidates for this. Anki does not require duplicate flashcards to be
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added to a deck and uses the first field in the model to check for duplicates. If, for example, you have `{reading}`
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configured to be the first field in your model and already have <ruby>橋<rt>はし</rt></ruby> in your deck, you will not
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be able to create a flashcard for <ruby>箸<rt>はし</rt></ruby>, because they share the same reading.
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### Flashcard Creation ###
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Once Yomichan is configured, it becomes trivial to create new flashcards with a single click. You will see the following
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icons next to term definitions.
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* Clicking  adds the current expression as Kanji (e.g. 食べる).
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* Clicking  adds the current expression as Hiragana or Katakana (e.g. たべる).
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Below are some troubleshooting tips you can try if you are unable to create new flashcards:
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* Individual icons will appear grayed out if a flashcard cannot be created for the current definition (e.g. it already exists in the deck).
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* If all of the buttons appear grayed out then you should double-check your deck and model configuration settings.
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* If no icons appear at all, please make sure that Anki is running in the background and that [AnkiConnect](https://foosoft.net/projects/anki-connect) has been installed.
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## Keyboard Shortcuts ##
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The following shortcuts are globally available:
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Shortcut | Action
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Insert</kbd> | Open search page.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Delete</kbd> | Toggle extension on/off.
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The following shortcuts are available on search results:
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Shortcut | Action
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---------|-------
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<kbd>Esc</kbd> | Cancel current search
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>PgUp</kbd> | Page up through results.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>PgDn</kbd> | Page down through results.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>End</kbd> | Go to last result.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Home</kbd> | Go to first result.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Up</kbd> | Go to previous result.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>Down</kbd> | Go to next result.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>b</kbd> | Go to back to source term.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>e</kbd> | Add current term as expression to Anki.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>r</kbd> | Add current term as reading to Anki.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>p</kbd> | Play audio for current term.
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<kbd>Alt</kbd> + <kbd>k</kbd> | Add current Kanji to Anki.
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## Development ##
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Working on Yomichan and related tools is very time consuming and I am always on the lookout for code contributions from
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other developers who want to help out. I take pride in the high quality of the codebase and ask you to follow the
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following basic guidelines when creating pull requests:
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* Please discuss large features before writing code.
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* Follow the [conventions and style](.eslintrc.json) of the existing code.
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* Write clean, modern ES6 code (`const`/`let`, `await`, arrow functions, etc.)
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* Large pull requests without a clear scope will not be merged.
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* Incomplete or non-standalone features will not be merged.
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### Dependencies ###
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Yomichan uses several third-party libraries to function. Below are links to homepages, snapshots, and licenses of the exact
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versions packaged.
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* Bootstrap: [homepage](https://getbootstrap.com/) - [snapshot](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/releases/download/v3.3.7/bootstrap-3.3.7-dist.zip) - [license](https://github.com/twbs/bootstrap/blob/v3.3.7/LICENSE)
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* Handlebars: [homepage](https://handlebarsjs.com/) - [snapshot](http://builds.handlebarsjs.com.s3.amazonaws.com/handlebars.min-714a4c4.js) - [license](https://github.com/wycats/handlebars.js/blob/v4.0.6/LICENSE)
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* jQuery: [homepage](https://blog.jquery.com/) - [snapshot](https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.2.1.min.js) - [license](https://github.com/jquery/jquery/blob/3.2.1/LICENSE.txt)
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* JSZip: [homepage](https://stuk.github.io/jszip/) - [snapshot](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Stuk/jszip/de7f52fbcba485737bef7923a83f0fad92d9f5bc/dist/jszip.min.js) - [license](https://github.com/Stuk/jszip/blob/v3.1.3/LICENSE.markdown)
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* WanaKana: [homepage](https://wanakana.com/) - [snapshot](https://unpkg.com/wanakana@4.0.2/umd/wanakana.min.js) - [license](https://github.com/WaniKani/WanaKana/blob/4.0.2/LICENSE)
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## Frequently Asked Questions ##
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**I'm having problems importing dictionaries in Firefox, what do I do?**
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Yomichan uses the cross-browser IndexedDB system for storing imported dictionary data into your user profile. Although
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everything "just works" in Chrome, depending on settings, Firefox users can run into problems due browser bugs.
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Yomichan catches errors and tries to offer suggestions about how to work around Firefox issues, but in general at least
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one of the following solutions should work for you:
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* Make sure you have cookies enabled. It appears that disabling them also disables IndexedDB for some reason. You
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can still have cookies be disabled on other sites; just make sure to add the Yomichan extension to the whitelist of
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whatever tool you are using to restrict cookies. You can get the extension "URL" by looking at the address bar when
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you have the search page open.
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* Make sure that you have sufficient disk space available on the drive Firefox uses to store your user profile.
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Firefox limits the amount of space that can be used by IndexedDB to a small fraction of the disk space actually
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available on your computer.
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* Make sure that you have history set to "Remember history" enabled in your privacy settings. When this option is
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set to "Never remember history", IndexedDB access is once again disabled for an inexplicable reason.
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* As a last resort, try using the [Refresh Firefox](https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/reset-preferences-fix-problems)
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feature to reset your user profile. It appears that the Firefox profile system can corrupt itself preventing
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IndexedDB from being accessible to Yomichan.
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**Why does the Kanji results page display "No data found" for several fields?**
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You are using data from the KANJIDIC dictionary that was exported for an earlier version of Yomichan. It does not
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contain the additional information which newer versions of Yofomichan expect. Unfortunately, since major browser
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implementations of IndexedDB do not provide reliable means for selective bulk data deletion, you will need purge
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your database and install the latest version of the KANJIDIC to see additional information about characters.
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**Can I still create cards without HTML formatting? The option for it is gone!**
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Developing Yomichan is a constant balance between including useful features and keeping complexity at a minimum.
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With the new user-editable card template system, it is possible to create text-only cards without having to double
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the number field of templates in the extension itself. If you would like to stop HTML tags from being added to your
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cards, simply copy the contents of the <a href="dl/fields.txt">text-only field template</a> into the template box on
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the Anki settings page (make sure you have the *Show advanced options* checkbox ticked), making sure to replace the
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existing values.
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**Will you add support for online dictionaries?**
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Online dictionaries will never be implemented because it is impossible to support them in a robust way. In order to
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perform Japanese deinflection, Yomichan must execute dozens of database queries per every single word. Factoring in
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network latency and the fragility of web scraping, I do not believe that it is possible to realize a good user
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experience.
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**Is it possible to use Yomichan with files saved locally on my computer with Chrome?**
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In order to use Yomichan with local files in Chrome, you must first tick the *Allow access to file URLs* checkbox
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for Yomichan on the extensions page. Due to the restrictions placed on browser addons in the WebExtensions model, it
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will likely never be possible to use Yomichan with PDF files.
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**Is it possible to delete individual dictionaries without purging the database?**
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Although it is technically possible to purge specific dictionaries, due to the limitations of the underlying browser
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IndexedDB system, this process is *extremely* slow. For example, it can take up to ten minutes to delete a single
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moderately-sized term dictionary! Instead of including a borderline unusable feature in Yomichan, I have chosen to
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disable dictionary deletion entirely.
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**Why aren't EPWING dictionaries bundled with Yomichan?**
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The vast majority of EPWING dictionaries are proprietary, so unfortunately I am unable to legally include them in
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this extension for copyright reasons.
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**When are you going to add support for $MYLANGUAGE?**
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Developing Yomichan requires a significant understanding of Japanese sentence structure and grammar. I have no time
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to invest in learning yet another language; therefore other languages will not be supported. I will also not accept
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pull request containing this functionality, as I will ultimately be the one maintaining your code.
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## Screenshots ##
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ss-terms.png)
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ss-kanji.png)
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ss-dictionaries.png)
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/ss-anki.png)
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