This is to announce the release of DfM-Creator, a user friendly and powerful tool for setting up (creating) dictionaries for DictionaryForMIDs.
DfM-Creator was developed by Karim (see http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/contact.html (http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/contact.html)).
For a description of DfM-Creator see here: http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/DfM-Creator/index.html (http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/DfM-Creator/index.html).
DfM-Creator does incorporate the former command line tools DictionaryGeneration, JarCreator, BitmapFontGenerator and DictdToDictionaryForMIDs. Instead of using those command line tools, now a user can use DfM-Creator with its user interface.
I am enthusiastic about DfM-Creator and the features that it does provide ! Now the DictionaryForMIDs project will attract all those people who before were turned away by the old command line interface ... and there were quite a few people who did write me they'd like to set up their dictionary for DictionaryForMIDs but did not know how to handle a command line.
So in my opinion DfM-Creator is a major milestone for the DictionaryForMIDs project and DfM-Creator will pave DictionaryForMIDs' the way in the future !
After these lauding words I also would like to add that in order to provide the full potential of DfM-Creator there should be some improvements on this initial version of DfM-Creator. Hope that Karim can implement them all ;) Thanks to Karim !
Best regards,
Gert
The DfM-Creator looks really great. The website explains how to use it. But I couldn't find a download link. Can users download DfM-Creator? Or do they need to build DfM-Creator from the sourcefiles themselves?
Hallo Jeff,
The download link is on that page: http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/DfM-Creator/newdict.html (http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/DfM-Creator/newdict.html) (search for "latest build"; guess we should add a more prominent place for a download link).
Best regards,
Gert
Gottcha. The download link is on this page:
http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/DfM-Creator/newdict.html
I think that page may be dead. It links to the old instructions.
When people click on "Setting up a New Dictionary", they go to this page:
http://dictionarymid.sourceforge.net/DfM-Creator/index.html
I'll try to add a download link in the "index.html" page when I get a chance.
update: I added a link on the index.html page
I get this error when I run DfM-Creator:
Could not find the main class:
de.kugihan.DfMCreator.DfMCreatorMain. Program will exit.
I can run FontGenerator.jar version 3.1.1 and run any dictionary.jar/jad with no trouble.
I am running:
- DfM-Creator dated 02Jul12 (maybe call it version 4.0.0 ?)
- Windows 7 x64
- Java SE Runtime version 1.6.0.33 32 bit
- Java SE Development Kit version 1.6.0.33 32 bit
- Java ME SDK version 3.0.5
It also doesn't run on my Windows XP machine. When I double click on DfM-Creator.jar nothing happens. There is no error message. It just doesn't do anything.
That machine will also run FontGenerator.jar and any dictionary.jar/jad with no trouble.
That machine is running:
- DfM-Creator dated 02Jul12 (maybe call it version 4.0.0 ?)
- Windows XP x86
- Java SE Runtime version 1.6.0.33 32 bit
- Java SE Development Kit version 1.6.0.33 32 bit
- Java Wireless Toolkit version 2.5.2
I'm excited to release DfM-Creator. But maybe we should do some beta testing before releasing it to the public. Maybe we should revert the website to the old tools until we do some testing.
QuoteMaybe we should revert the website to the old tools until we do some testing.
Actually ... that was the plan to release it only after testing - hmmmm, testing may not have been very thorough from other users until now, I admit that.
I myself made a few short tests and after a rework finally it my short testing was successful; but it was really only short tests.
Besides, the version that is available for download runs on my PC, but I have Java 1.7 installed, maybe that is the reason for the problem ?
Karim is already working on an updated version. Unfortunately he is not yet actively participating on this forum; I will check on this.
Stay tuned ... ;)
Regards,
Gert
Jeff,
Karim told me that Java Runtime Environment 1.7 needs to be installed to run DfM-Creator.
Hope that solves all of the problems ;)
Karim prefers to be contacted by email: dfmcreator (a) gmail.com; I will put a note here in the forums too.
Best regards,
Gert
I updated to Java 1.7 and DfM-Creator works now. I haven't built a dictionary with DfM-Creator yet. I just loaded DfM-Creator and looked at the screens.
Unfortunately I cannot use Java 1.7. One of the software I use for work isn't compatible with version 1.7 yet.
http://oracleformsinfo.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/frm-92095-oracle-jinitiator-version-too-low-disable-jre-1-7-auto-update-for-all-e-business-suite-and-oracle-forms-end-users/
So I'll have to downgrade back to version 1.6. So DfM-Creator won't work for me again. I'll e-mail Karim and see if he can add compatibility for DfM-Creator with Java 1.6.
Jeff,
thanks for testing ! Ok, I see it is more complicated with 1.7 than I would have thought.
Best regards,
Gert
I e-mailed Karim about adding support for Java 1.6. He said it wouldn't be possible.
I asked him if he could add some code in DfM-Creator to check the user's Java version. If the user's software is too old, then DfM-Creator could ask the user to upgrade Java. That might be nicer than the "Could not find the main class" error.