org.licas_text.search.semantic

Class OnlineDictionary

java.lang.Object

org.licas_text.search.semantic.OnlineDictionary

Direct Known Subclasses:

WordNet

public abstract class OnlineDictionary
extends java.lang.Object

This base class defines the methods required to query an online dictionary, or other web resource.

Author:

Kieran Greer

Field Summary

Fields

Modifier and Type	Field and Description
protected java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>>	alternativeDefinitions Stores the alternative definitions
protected int	timeout Maximum allowed length for the call in milliseconds

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor and Description
OnlineDictionary() Create a new instance of OnlineDictionary.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method and Description
protected java.lang.String	convertCode(java.lang.String languageCode, boolean threeChar) Convert the language code into the required word for querying.
protected java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>	getReplyHash(java.lang.String alternativeDescription) Get the reply hashtable relating to the alternative description that is passed in.
boolean	isDefaultLanguage(java.lang.String languageCode) Return true if the language code is the default one for the dictionary.
abstract java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>	queryDictionary(java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters) Query the dictionary using a single http GET request.
abstract java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>	queryDictionary(java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters, java.lang.String language) Query the dictionary using a single http GET request.
abstract java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>	requeryDictionary(java.lang.String whichMeaning, java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters) Re-query the dictionary using a single http GET request.
java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>	requeryDictionary(java.lang.String whichMeaning, java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters, java.lang.String language) Re-query the dictionary using a single http GET request.

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Detail

timeout

protected int timeout

Maximum allowed length for the call in milliseconds

alternativeDefinitions

protected java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?>> alternativeDefinitions

Stores the alternative definitions

Constructor Detail

OnlineDictionary

public OnlineDictionary()

Create a new instance of OnlineDictionary.

Method Detail

queryDictionary

public abstract java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?> queryDictionary(java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters)
                                                               throws java.lang.Exception

Query the dictionary using a single http GET request.

Parameters:

parameters - the parameter list of type String[2] (name, value).

Returns:

key parts of the reply produced from executing the query.

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - any error.

queryDictionary

public abstract java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?> queryDictionary(java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters,
                                                                      java.lang.String language)
                                                               throws java.lang.Exception

Query the dictionary using a single http GET request.

Parameters:

parameters - the parameter list of type String[2] (name, value).

language - the code for the language the query should be in.

Returns:

key parts of the reply produced from executing the query. This default implementation returns null.

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - any error.

requeryDictionary

public abstract java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?> requeryDictionary(java.lang.String whichMeaning,
                                                                        java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters)
                                                                 throws java.lang.Exception

Re-query the dictionary using a single http GET request. This makes a second more detailed call when the first call is ambiguous.

Parameters:

whichMeaning - which meaning to query if alternatives are possible.

parameters - the parameter list of type String[2] (name, value).

Returns:

key parts of the reply produced from executing the query.

Throws:

java.lang.Exception - any error.

requeryDictionary

public java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?> requeryDictionary(java.lang.String whichMeaning,
                                                               java.util.ArrayList<java.lang.String[]> parameters,
                                                               java.lang.String language)

Re-query the dictionary using a single http GET request. This makes a second more detailed call when the first call is ambiguous.

Parameters:

whichMeaning - which meaning to query if alternatives are possible.

parameters - the parameter list of type String[2] (name, value).

language - the code for the language the query should be in.

Returns:

key parts of the reply produced from executing the query. This default implementation returns null.

getReplyHash

protected java.util.HashMap<java.lang.String,?> getReplyHash(java.lang.String alternativeDescription)

Get the reply hashtable relating to the alternative description that is passed in.

Parameters:

alternativeDescription - the intended meaning when there is more than one.

Returns:

the hashtable with all of the relevant reply parts.

isDefaultLanguage

public boolean isDefaultLanguage(java.lang.String languageCode)

Return true if the language code is the default one for the dictionary.

Parameters:

languageCode - the code for the specified language.

Returns:

true if the default language, or false if a different language. This implementation returns true for the English language code 'en' by default.

convertCode

protected java.lang.String convertCode(java.lang.String languageCode,
                                       boolean threeChar)

Convert the language code into the required word for querying.

Parameters:

languageCode - the code to convert

threeChar - true if return the three char version.

Returns:

the related word that would be used in the query.