198 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
198 lines
12 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
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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
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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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## Browser Support ##
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* Google Chrome (versions 45+)
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[](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/yomichan/ogmnaimimemjmbakcfefmnahgdfhfami)
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* Mozilla Firefox (versions 51+)
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[](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/yomichan/)
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Yomichan is sitting in a queue to be reviewed and signed by Mozilla. This process can take months; if you wish to
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use this extension today:
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1. Type `about:config` into the browser address bar.
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2. Skip past the "voiding your warranty" nag screen.
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3. Type `xpinstall.signatures.required` into the search bar on top.
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4. Double-click the displayed entry to set its value to `false`.
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5. Install extension as usual from the [Firefox Marketplace](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/yomichan/).
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## Basic Features ##
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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 *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 not
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available, you will hear a short click instead.
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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 readings, meanings, and a stroke order diagram.
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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/dictionary.jpg)
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## Anki Integration ##
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Yomichan features automatic flashcard creation for [Anki](http://ankisrs.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](http://ankisrs.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 out the displayed model fields with markers representing the information you wish to include:
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#### Markers for Term Cards ####
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Marker | Description
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-------|------------
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`{audio}` | Audio sample of a native speaker's pronunciation in MP3 format (if available).
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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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`{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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`{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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`{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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`{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. Anki does not require duplicate flashcards to be added to
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a deck and uses the first field in the model to check for duplicates. If, for example, you have `{reading}` configured
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to be the first field in your model and already have <ruby>橋<rt>はし</rt></ruby> in your deck, you will not be able to
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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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## Frequently Asked Questions ##
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* **What happened to AnkiWeb integration? Why was it removed?**
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The author of Anki wants to maintain tight control of AnkiWeb by restricting automated web requests, while at the
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same time not providing an API for adding or removing flash cards. As circumventing these limitations led to account
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restrictions placed on users of this extension, I was forced to remove this feature. Note that it is still possible
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to automatically generate flashcards with the [AnkiConnect](https://foosoft.net/projects/anki-connect) plugin.
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* **Is it possible to use Yomichan with files saved locally on my computer?**
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It in order to be able use Yomichan with local files in Chrome, you must first tick the *Allow access to file URLs*
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checkbox for Yomichan on the Chrome extensions page. Due to restrictions placed on browser extensions by Chrome, 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 resetting the database?**
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Although it is technically possible to purge specific dictionaries, due to the limitations of the underlying
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database system, this process is *extremely* slow. For example, it can take up to ten minutes to delete a term
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dictionary of moderate size! Instead of including a borderline unusable feature in Yomichan, I disabled dictionary
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deletion entirely.
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* **Why doesn't Yomichan work after being removed and reinstalled on Firefox?**
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Uninstalling Yomichan on Firefox may sometimes leave the dictionary database in an undefined state. Although most of
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the data has been deleted, the metadata describing it appears unchanged. This can make it look like you have
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dictionaries installed when you actually do not. Purge the database and reimport your dictionaries to fix this
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problem.
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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 required a significant understanding of Japanese sentence structure and grammar. I presently
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have no time to invest in learning yet another language; therefore other languages will not be supported. I will
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also not be accepting pull request containing this functionality, as I will ultimately be the one maintaining your
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code.
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## Screenshots ##
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/term.png)
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/kanji.png)
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/options-general.png)
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[](https://foosoft.net/projects/yomichan/img/options-anki.png)
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## License ##
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GPL
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