Fora Reader v3   
dictionary reinvented   

Features

Synopsis: Though they are not fully documented and/or mentioned here, Fora contains a plethora of functionality built in. The way to get most out of this little freeware application begins at taking some time on collecting and/or configuring dictionaries. Fora has features to facilitate you complete this essential step.

While reading a foreign text when browsing the web, repeatedly resorting regular dictionaries is tedious and slow. Also, as you spend time on crawling, you lose concentration on what you're reading. Fora's existence starts exactly from this point. By employing carefully crafted integration, it implements convergence of dictionaries and the text being read.

Overview of the features:

  • Multiple activation methods - select or combine in accordance with your comfort with the text being read
    • Hover activation - hover on the word of interest (useful when you need to translate words very frequently, for instance reading/translating a foreign document that's out of your profession)
    • Selection activation - select the word you want to translate with mouse (useful for moderate and less frequent translations)
    • Clipboard activation - copy the word you want to translate to the clipboard from any application
  • Split views - true integration of browsing and dictionary applications
  • Cross-lookup - translate words in a translation using another dictionary (thus avail more decent general dictionaries with the help of even a single small native dictionary that you understand at first look)
  • Visual navigation - navigate visually within translations
  • Complete dictionary management
    • Add/Remove dictionary - drag and drop support, even archived dictionaries can be used as resource
    • Enable/Disable dictionary - temporarily disable dictionaries you don't need at a given context
    • Reorder dictionaries - reflect importance of dictionaries as it's order in the list
    • Color identification - assign a unique color to visually identify dictionary within translations
    • Profiles for arrangements: save and reuse dictionary arrangements devoted to specific contexts
  • Support for online dictionaries
    • DICT server dictionaries
  • Support for dictionary formats (most open dictionaries found on the internet):
    • XDXF (XML) dictionaries (XDXF is an emerging standard for XML dictionary exchange and distribution)
    • DICTD database dictionaries (database dumps)
    • StarDict dictionaries (wide selection of useful dictionaries)
    • Plain text dictionaries (tab separated dictionaries especially useful for creating user glossaries right in a text editor)
  • Tabbed interface - features are organized as trivial tabs, for instance, you can translate several words simultaneously in separate tabs
  • Multi-panel tabs - multiple dictionary panels within a tab to translate words simultaneously and/or sequentially

Fora Reader is an ideal application for;

  • Language students
  • Translators
  • People studying languages as a leisure activity
  • Using as a secondary browser for language-related browsing

Fora Reader is not recommended for;

  • using it as the default web browser for daily browsing activities

Some distinguishing features

Fora has some good features that a regular user will appreciate most.

Word translations as rapid as you need
From cases where you are very unfamiliar with what you are reading (hence the need to translate frequently) to cases where you need to translate one in a hundred words, Fora contains an assortment of tooltips or tool windows to rescue you. For hover activation for instance, you are not even required to use mouse click at all, just move the cursor over the unknown word. Then to another, to another. Surely the comfort you will feel will make you appreciate.

Cross-lookup
One of the best features from a regular "heavy-duty" user's perspective is the cross-lookup feature. Cross-lookup is using other dictionaries to grasp the results of a given dictionary. Let's explain it on a hands-on example.

Consider the case where;

  • you have a comprehensive English-to-English dictionary

  • a relatively small article-sized English-to-your native language dictionary

  • a very rarely encountered word that you have to translate

If you are lucky, your English-to-native dictionary will supply the translation in the first place. But in the case where only the English-to-English dictionary has the required translation, you must translate the definition which is also a kind of foreign text itself. Thanks to the cross-lookup feature, you can use your English-to-native dictionary to translate the definition from the comprehensive dictionary and continue your reading. 

Easy navigation between translations
Fora allows very easy and efficient navigation between translations. Each word is a kind of hyperlink to it's translation, and selecting or clicking it goes to the translation. Similarly, back and forward navigation is provided in the right-click menu. Also you can scroll directly to a translation using sidebar (when you have a lot of dictionaries with long translations loaded).

Split panels
Split panels allow you to both structurally and lexically integrate a browser with a dictionary. Depending on your flavor (or screen size), you can attach a full-featured dictionary either to the right or below the browser. Attached dictionary can itself have multiple panels that will be activated sequentially. Since they are linked, activating by your favorite method in the browser queries it in the attached dictionary.

Using colors to see and navigate translations
Though this feature seems like a detail, it helps a lot on regular usage. Using the Dictionary Manager, you can assign a unique color to each of your dictionaries. When you translate a word in the dictionary, a sidebar marked with the dictionaries that supplied translations will help you see and scroll (navigate) directly. At first look, you can see - how many dictionaries has translation (the number of little boxes), and from which dictionary (the colors of the boxes), and easily navigate with mouse clicks. You can disable coloring by resetting all colors to an invisible one, or if you do not want to set colors individually, pick a random color scheme by repeatedly "randomizing" all colors.

Tabbed generic dictionary

The trivial tabbed interface as we know well from popular web browsers is available for dictionary translations. That is, you can translate simultaneously as many words as you like. Generic dictionary features such as suggestions as you type is also a standard feature.

Known Limitations

The following limitations exist for linguistic capabilities

  • Morphology engine (word stemmer) is currently available only for English words

The following limitations exist for basic browsing capabilities:

  • Occasionally, hover activation method does not work properly on some pages, and a reload of the page fixes the problem. In worst case, selection activation is recommended
  • Framed pages (those created with obsolete <frame> tag) are not supported
  • Right-click menu is limited to Back, Forward, Search and Copy functions (no paste)