September 12, 2006

The Core IT Dictionary

I've just uploaded a simple English-Arabic IT dictionary. Here's an express overview about it and what're the key ideas beyond it.

The Theory of Context-Based Dictionary

Primary language: Primary Key

Primary key = English term + Context flags + Grammar flags

So for, we have to deal with English as a (primary language). But considering a better solution for a multilingual dictionary project we should think of a standard and non-exceptions language; something like Esperanto.

Arabic term field:

I used to think that there're no (Synonyms), so that the relationship between a term and its corresponding one in Arabic (or any other language) should be One-to-One.

But by time, I noticed that every standalone term can't give you a one strict meaning without (metadata), which I call it in my dictionary (flags). It's just like atom-kernel: It doesn't represent or embody the material spirit without their electrons.

Thus, and once you identify each term as (term + flags), you can think of One-to-One relationships.

(LPI) field

I've added a field called (LPI?), in order to distinguish between three kinds of terms:

  • LPI.org: for core LPI glossary, according to the official LPI website.
  • LPI+: proposed terms.
  • Linux: Linux-related terms, but it's not a part of LPI terms. In fact, the majority of these terms are GUI-related terms, which LPI is not interested in it, and I hope it will stay like this in the future! :)
  • Blank: out of Linux focus.

Why LPI terms?

I believe that LPI subjects focus on the strict core of standard Linux issues.

And once you agree with me that Linux is going to be the standard IT environment in the future, you will realize that these are the core IT terms!

The License

  1. Since I don't think that there's a perfect license for databases/dictionaries so far,
  2. And considering that I've added a field called (Explanation) from LPI glossary page http://www.lpi.org/en/glossary.html (in the old CMS)
  3. aside from the lack of a dynamic-enough solution for collaborating,

I decided to publish it under the terms of common creative license.

Posted at 3:17 PM | Comments?
Edited on: April 03, 2007 1:42 PM
Categories: Internationalization