(For size reasons, the list is split up into word-groups - click the link of the group you want to select a word from)
What´s this?
As the name implies, this is an "explainer"
This here is where you can chose words, or enter them, to be displayed in Klingon (pIqaD) glyphs as well as in IPA glyphs, along with translation(if possible), and other useful resources.
Should the word be in the programs database, it´ll give you links to the mu'tay videos, so you can download them to get further information.
Additionally, there might be a picture of the item in question, as well as a translation.
The character glyphs are all linked to MP3 files that contain some explanation on how to pronounce it.
It´s not yet finished, I´ll add more features in time, but till now I had to work to make it function as intended...
How to use it
With ever more features, comes ever more complexity.
I strongly recommend that you give this section a look, though it isn´t as complicated as it probably looks, it´s good to know exactly how it works.
Roughly speaking, you have two options:
Enter a Klingon/English word
Chose a word from the list
The second should be self-explanatory, but the first will need some details.
When you enter a klingon word, it is recommended to also select a word type - Klingon has many homonymous words, and the program can´t know which word you´re looking for.
If you leave it at "whatever", the program will take the first word(s) that match your input - useful when you don´t know what kind of word it is you want to look up, or if you´re searching for a sentence. I cannot guarantee that you will find what you are looking for, though. Maybe it´ll be easier to search it in the list(s).
When entering an english word, you have to correctly set the checkbox - when set, the whole word will be searched, when unset, your input is seen as string that should be contained in the english word.
IOW: With checkbox set, the word "mother" will get you SoS, while you would get Sos taj when the checkbox is unset. Naturally, you will get more precise results by leaving the checkbox set.
If both Klingon and English words are entered, the english word takes precedence.
BTW, right now, the number of characters allowed in either input box is 20. If necessary, I will change it.
Features(read on if curious, or simply run the script)
As of now, you will get the following information about a word:
Optimum case
(Very few at first, as much information has to be entered/reworked by hand)
Translation of word, along with type of word and category(food, weapon, etc...)
Picture of the item
Display of characters in Klingon/IPA glyphs
Links to MP3 files for pronounciation of characters(image-links)
Option to download the word in Klingon/IPA glyphs as picture
Link to mu'tay section/direct links to vocabulary videos
One or more MP3s with persons(usually Gowron/Okrand) saying the word
Worst case
Worst case is when the word isn´t in the translation database OR in the mu' DelwI' database.
Display of characters in Klingon/IPA glyphs
Links to MP3 files for pronounciation of characters(image-links)
Option to download the word in Klingon/IPA glyph as picture
Usual case
Most likely, it´ll be a mixture of these cases. The translation database is rather large, so you´ll get at least that. Pictures/persons saying the word will be limited at first, as I have to build the database(actually a mere text file ;-).
If you want to have more features, or think something´s wrong - feel free to tell me.
Right now I added about 100 MP3 files of Gowron saying various words - I´m afraid you won´t notice much of that, as there are still much more words without MP3 files.
Since I´m (for now) taking resources from KLL, there is not much I can do about that - I will add the words for Okrand, but these require manual rework, as they´re not single words in files, but explanations along with the word.
I probably won´t be able to expand Gowrons section, since I do not think it´d be a good idea to include words from the movies/series - because his pronounciation there mostly is useless(he´s been instructed for KLL, so his pronounciation is much better there).
Technical information
First off, though I like this part of my page, I do not like the way it is created. It uses a rather large background-image, which, though not large in size, is too large to fit on 800x600 displays. Of course, most users have 1024x768 or more - but it is my sincer belief that a site should work on ANY resolution. Well, any reasonable resolution ;-) It´s not really possible to actually design a site that would run on any resolution equally good - you wouldn´t be able to use margins and such.
Too many sites use fixed layouts requiring 900 Pixel or similar - for no apparent reason.
This page now, or rather, the one you´re about to reach, does use a fixed layout as well - out of necessity, though. The background image defines the layout, and while I can change the image, it would always remain static - resizing it "on-the-fly" would require client-specific scripting - something I do not wish to use. The client has to be irrelevant, a site should work on all. (Of course, no matter how good that sounds, it doesn´t always work - as it is with IE, for example.)
The image size(dimensions) has been carefully chosen - large enough to contain useful amounts of text, yet small enough to keep the important parts inside an 800x600 window.
It´ll be best, for almost any resolution, to view it with window size at maximum.
Browser
In theory, it should work with any browser. Of course, in the end, it´s all different. IE works more or less, but since I´m not restricting myself to ancient HTML/CSS, or using the "gadgets" only IE offers, it mightn´t look as intended.
Firefox and Opera render it OK, of course. There is a slight bug with Opera before version 8, which means you´ll have difficulties reading this text here.
Sorry for that.
