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by wodenokoto 1419 days ago
While iOS comes with high quality, built-in dictionaries, it still lacks an app.

Since the dictionary works as a pop-up on any selectable text, then if I look up a word and there's a "see other word", there is no way to jump to the next word. If the definition contains a word I don't understand, there is no way to click through to that word.

This is the dictionary I'd like to see on my phone.
1 comments
dombili 1419 days ago
Exactly and I don't know why dictionary apps don't take advantage of it. I wonder if it's against App Store guidelines to make a dictionary app based on the built-in dictionary.

There are a lot of dictionary apps out there but I think most developers miss the forest for the trees. I don't know why there's still not a single dictionary app that is blazing fast, use the built-in dictionary and have some common sense design choices (literally not came across a single dictionary app that doesn't enable keyboard as soon as you open it -- it's a dictionary app, why do they think I open the app?!).

Kotoba (https://github.com/willhains/Kotoba) is almost perfect but there's no way to download it from the App Store and I don't want to deal with the hassle of sideloading on iOS as a non-developer.

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tawfiqh 1418 days ago
Yep! Kotoba is quick and easy to use.

It has the added benefit of being integrated with the system dictionary, so if you add any extra dictionaries to the system, such as foreign languages, they will also be immediately supported in Kotoba.

Unfortunately: "App Store guidelines disallow using the built-in system dictionary to create a dictionary app"

Write up on daring fireball here: https://daringfireball.net/linked/2018/06/19/kotoba

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dombili 1418 days ago
That's too bad. I wish there was an alternative App Store version that used another dictionary because I really like its design choices. At least I did, when I tried it on my iPhone, but I don't imagine they had drastic changes since then. I didn't stick with it because of weird limitations Apple has with sideloading apps. (IIRC, that 7 day limit was the deal breaker.)
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