Response time for a translation: report time for your mobile/PDA

Gert · 12. April 2007, 20:16:00

Dear DictionaryForMIDs users,

we are receiving reports that on some devices the response time can be rather bad.

In general, DictionaryForMIDs has a highly optimized search engine, and response time may be less than 100ms, depending on the device and on the dictionary. However, it seems that for some devices on large dictionaries it takes a few seconds for a translation.
A first analysis showed that there are devices where the time for accessing the files in the JAR archive does increase significantly when there is a large number of files in the JAR archive. That means that on those devices not the size of archive is the problem, but only the number of files (i.e. making less bigger files speeds up the search). Also, those devices have long startup times when there are many files in the JAR archive. We need to check this further.

If you like to do a measurement on your cell phone or PDA, then please do the following:

1. Download the file http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/dictionarymid/DictionaryForMIDs_2.7.0_EngChi_CEDICT.zip?download and install that application on your mobile/PDA

2. Start the application and activate under Settings the "Show statistics"

3. Check that the translation direction is "English to Chinese", then translate the word "homeless"

4. Post the "Response time [ms]" here in this forum

5. If the response time is bigger than 1000 ms, continue with step 6

6. Close the application then in the file DictionaryForMIDs_EngChi_CEDICT.jad, change the line
logLevel: 0
to
logLevel: 3

7. Re-install and start the application then translate again "homeless"

8. Please post the log output following to the message "start translation" ("Time for open file", "Time for read file", ...) here in the forum

A general note: the translation time does increase with the number of found results ("hits"). So for example when a translation has 5 results, then it is normal that it takes more time than for 1 result.

Thank you !
Gert

Update, 13.04.2007: In step 3, please do this translation twice ! The time for the second translation will probably be less than the first, because on the first translation the Java code is compiled to native code for the CPU (typically a CPU with the ARM architecture).

Shadowdh · 13. April 2007, 10:09:27

Ok did it and the first part entering homeless and translating...

response time was 2257ms and I got 1 hit...

So I tried to follow the instructions in number 6 and have to now figure out how to edit the JAD to change the 0 to a 3... back in a moment...

Gert · 13. April 2007, 18:15:26

Thanks ! Let me know if you should have any trouble to edit the JAD-file.

Gert

Shadowdh · 13. April 2007, 20:44:02

I am having a wee bit of trouble.. I am really not sure how to go about it... is there a guide or something similar I can read to find out how to do it...?? Thanks

Gert · 13. April 2007, 21:16:00

In the ZIP archive there is the file DictionaryForMIDs_EngChi_CEDICT.jad. Open this file in any editor. On Windows, use wordpad or notepad. Then just change the last line from
logLevel: 0
to
logLevel: 3

Save the file, then re-install the JAD-file.

Please keep asking !
Gert

Gert · 13. April 2007, 21:18:39

Besides, could you report the response time on this version:
http://www.kugihan.de/dict/download/test_versions/cedict_bigger_files/DictionaryForMIDs_3.1.0_ZhEng_Cedict_BM.zip

This one has fewer files with bigger sizes. Will be interesting to know if the response time is better !

Gert

Shadowdh · 14. April 2007, 08:59:51

Part 1

Ok I figured out how to open in notepad and edit it (prior to this I couldnt edit only open) and will see if it changes... then I will try the other file in part 2...

response time - 2553
Hits - 1

but now has a whole lot more info, it looks like a complete breakdown of every step in the search for the word... it also started with more than just "word for translation"... at the top it has Initialized logging, next line is Initialized values and then its word for translation and then after this its display elements created, settingsform created, construct application and then complete... now to try the other file...

Shadowdh · 14. April 2007, 09:16:46

Part 2

I tried the new file and it comes up with...

Thrown de.kugihan
dictionary for mids.general.g:javax.microedition.rms.
RecordStoreException: Can't get FileName/javax.
microedition.rms.
RecordStoreEception: Can't get FileName

And apart from that it doesnt do anything... cheers

Gert · 14. April 2007, 09:44:04

And the only thing that is different is the following line ?

logLevel: 3

Gert

Shadowdh · 20. April 2007, 18:40:25

Hi there,

Sorry its taken me so long to reply but its been a busy week or two... yes thats the only change I made...

Its a good tool and works well.. just takes time to look things up..

Gert · 20. April 2007, 19:25:15

Just for me so that I understand correctly:

There is file 1: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/dictionarymid/DictionaryForMIDs_2.7.0_EngChi_CEDICT.zip?download

Did you try to set the logLevel to 3 for this one ? Did it work ? If yes, could you please report the results (i.e. the times of the log output) ?

And there is file 2: http://www.kugihan.de/dict/download/test_versions/cedict_bigger_files/DictionaryForMIDs_3.1.0_ZhEng_Cedict_BM.zip

File 2 does not work at with logLevel = 3, is this correct ? But it worked with the original setting of logLevel=0 ?

Thanks for clarifying !!
Gert

cdict fan · 09. May 2007, 09:40:25

I checked the time for the 'homeless' translation'. It took 3837 ms the first time. If hit translate again it goes down to 2218, but if I go back to the edit field and hit translate it goes back up to 3837. I dont currently have my cord, so I will have to do the next step later.

For me it is not the translation times that are slow, rather it's the startup time that takes about 30 seconds on my Moto L7. I have a great trick to cut that down in that I don't exit, rather I always hit the 'end call' key and it asks me if I want to suspend or exit, I chose suspend and unless I turn off the phone, when I go back to java box it will ask me if I want to resume, and resume is very quick, less than a second.

Gert · 09. May 2007, 17:01:21

Ok, thanks !

On my S65 the reason for the long response times on some dictionaries is the same reason as for the long startup times: the number of files in the JAR file.

So if you could report the times from the log file , that would be helpful !

Gert

Shadowdh · 15. May 2007, 15:36:25

Quote from: Gert on 20. April 2007, 19:25:15
Just for me so that I understand correctly:

There is file 1: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/dictionarymid/DictionaryForMIDs_2.7.0_EngChi_CEDICT.zip?download

Did you try to set the logLevel to 3 for this one ? Did it work ? If yes, could you please report the results (i.e. the times of the log output) ?

And there is file 2: http://www.kugihan.de/dict/download/test_versions/cedict_bigger_files/DictionaryForMIDs_3.1.0_ZhEng_Cedict_BM.zip

File 2 does not work at with logLevel = 3, is this correct ? But it worked with the original setting of logLevel=0 ?

Thanks for clarifying !!
Gert

Hi there,

again sorry for the long time in replying but I am in the middle of exams right now and its murder...!!! I have to be honest its been a while so the memory is fuzzy (not helped by all the study either)... but as far as I recall I dont think I tried the editing of the file 1 only file 2. I cant remember if it worked with a setting of 0... when exams are over (and we finish moving into our new house) I will play with it some more... but in the meantime I still use it alot and its very handy...

Shadowdh · 15. May 2007, 15:37:13

Quote from: cdict fan on 09. May 2007, 09:40:25
I checked the time for the 'homeless' translation'. It took 3837 ms the first time. If hit translate again it goes down to 2218, but if I go back to the edit field and hit translate it goes back up to 3837. I dont currently have my cord, so I will have to do the next step later.

For me it is not the translation times that are slow, rather it's the startup time that takes about 30 seconds on my Moto L7. I have a great trick to cut that down in that I don't exit, rather I always hit the 'end call' key and it asks me if I want to suspend or exit, I chose suspend and unless I turn off the phone, when I go back to java box it will ask me if I want to resume, and resume is very quick, less than a second.

now that sounds handy... thanks for the tip... only question is does this take up alot of battery power...??