Fora Dictionary is a versatile dictionary viewer.

Features

• Fast and fully offline operation
• Compatibility with StarDict, DSL, XDXF, Dictd, and TSV/Plain dictionaries
• Typing-friendly search with tolerance for case, diacritics, and punctuation
• Fuzzy search
• Full-text search
• In-page popup translator
• History and word list
• Customization options

Downloads

1. As all main features are available at no cost, the app is essentially Donationware.

Examples

Disclaimer: The installable packages above are provided solely to demonstrate the application's essential viewing functionality. The author of the application hereby disclaims any and all liability for the contents of these packages. This includes, but is not limited to, any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies that may be present in the contents.

Compatibility

Fora Dictionary supports the following dictionary and file types (with the main index file extension in parentheses):

• StarDict dictionaries (*.idx)
• DSL dictionaries (*.dsl)
• XDXF dictionaries (*.xdxf)
• Dictd dictionaries (*.index)
• TSV/Plain dictionaries (*.txt, *.dic)

The application also supports connections to DICT protocol servers.

Setting up dictionaries

• Connect your mobile device to your computer. This step is necessary as all modern mobile operating systems depend on a computer to transfer files to and from apps.
• Transfer the dictionary files to the app's private documents or files folder on your device. For detailed instructions, refer to Android help documentation.
  (The typical location of the app's documents folder is: Android/data/com.ngc.fora/files)
• Select the dictionary index file, as listed in the compatibility section above (or an archive of it), using the 'Import' option from the Dictionary Manager menu.
• (Optional) Attach resource ZIP files (if available) using the 'Attach ZIP' option in the dictionary menu.
• (Optional) Edit properties of the dictionary, such as its visible name, using the 'Edit Properties' option in the dictionary menu.
• (Optional) Create a full-text search index for the dictionary using the 'Upgrade' option in the dictionary menu.
• (Optional) Create profiles to group and organize dictionaries.

Resource files

Resource files of a dictionary can be placed into multiple ZIP files with the following properties:

i) Classic (non-ZIP64) ZIP file type
ii) Flat (no sub-directories) file structure
iii) Maximum 65,535 files per ZIP file

Use the "Attach ZIP" option in the dictionary menu to copy and attach ZIP files to a dictionary.

Troubleshooting: If your device fails to play some audio files in resource ZIP files, you can use a batch converter utility, like this app, to convert the files to a supported codec/format. Note that you must keep the filenames and extensions of audio files unchanged after the conversion, as they are hardcoded in article texts.

Full-text search

The app supports full-text searches of all dictionaries for exact matches. This feature requires a one-time upgrade of each dictionary, which may take a considerable amount of time to complete, as every word in the dictionary is indexed for searchability.

Synchronizing between devices

Copying or moving dictionaries between devices can be accomplished using one of the following methods:

• Export the dictionary to a *.zip file on the first device and then import that *.zip file on the second device.
• Copy or move the entire ".fora" folder or individual dictionary folders using a file manager.
  (After transferring, you may need to add dictionaries to a profile using the "Add to Profile" option in the Dictionary Manager menu.)

Search types

There are five types of searches you can perform on dictionaries:

• Regular search: Displays results that exactly match the query.
• Extended matching search: Displays results that match the query with case, diacritics, and punctuation ignored. Suggestions include in-phrase and phonetic matches.
• Full-text search: Provides a list of articles containing exact matches of the query. The search scope includes all text in articles, not limited to headwords, but also definitions, synonyms, examples, etc.
• Fuzzy search: Displays a list of articles most similar to the query. This search acts like a spell checker for words you're uncertain about spelling.
• Wildcard search: Displays a list of articles that match the criteria set by a wildcard query.

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Q: I bought an offline dictionary, can I use it in Fora Dictionary?
A: Probably not. Most standalone dictionaries use their own proprietary data formats, which are incompatible with general-purpose dictionaries. You need dictionary data in one of the supported formats.

Q: Suggestions are slow when a lot of dictionaries are installed.
A: Unlike traditional search auto-completion, the app performs a complete search and matches the query (e.g., occurrences in multi-word phrases) across all dictionaries in the profile when suggestions are activated. Grouping dictionaries into smaller sets based on usage context using profiles may help.

Q: I can't find the dictionary I need or the dictionary isn't displayed properly when searching.
A: Importing the dictionary using the latest version of the app or using alternate formats may be helpful. You can also use a converter app like PyGlossary to expand the formats available when searching the web for the dictionaries you need.

Q: I can't find the ".fora" folder.
A: Probably it is considered hidden, please use a third-party file manager that can view hidden files/folders.

Q: How do I uninstall Fora Dictionary from my Android device completely?
A: The application stores settings and dictionary data on the external storage. To clean up after uninstallation, you will need to manually delete the ".fora" folder from the external storage.

Android 10 or later

Starting with Android 10, the shared/external storage system, commonly referred to as the SD card, has been retired. The operating system now enforces app isolation, requiring apps to store their data within sandboxed folders. This includes dictionary data that was traditionally stored on the SD card. If you upgrade your device to Android 10 or later, you may need to connect your device to a computer and manually transfer the ".fora" folder from shared storage to the app's sandboxed folder (typically located at Android/data/com.ngc.fora/files) using a file manager.

Known limitations

• Slow importing: The app converts every dictionary to its own cross-platform format, which can be a lengthy process. Some large dictionaries may require this conversion to be performed on a powerful desktop computer, and even then, it might take a significant amount of time.
• Limited on-device upgrades: The optimization of the full-text search upgrade is not available on mobile devices due to cross-platform memory management implementation and the intensive nature of the operation. This limitation only affects the setup process and does not impact any usage features on any device.
• No embedded player: The app does not play resource files directly but uses the device's default media player. The default player determines which types of files can be played.

For developers

Technical documentation for integration with other apps or the operating system can be found here.