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What is VocRecaptor?

VocRecaptor is a small program you can use in your foreign language studying. VocRecaptor allows you to create personal word dictionaries and helps you to learn words from them. VocRecaptor is written in java thus it's cross-platform so you can use your dictionary in your Windows or Linux PCs.

What do I need to run it?

To start using it you need to download and install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 (or later) and executable jar-file. JRE's installation instructions you can find in the official web-site. To run the VocRecaptor from the command line, go to the dist folder and type the following: java -jar "Svr.jar". You can also execute the program by double clicking on the jar-file.

How to use it?


Let's assume you are reading a book on a language you are studying (for example english) or you are making a home assignment for your english language courses and you don't want to miss any single word you've met for the first time and you want to learn it. Of course, you can write it out in special hotebook but let's make it otherwise.
Start VocRecaptor. The program icon will appear in a system tray:


After a double click on the icon the Program manager window will appear:


To open existing dictionary press ... button and choose dictionary file. If a format of the specified file is incorrect the message will appear:


In this case you should create a new dictionary (storage). To do this press New... button and in opened standard File save dialog specify storage path, file name and file extension (you may use .txt or whatever you like). Created storage file will be set as a program dictionary:


Close Program manager window. Right-click on program icon in system tray and click on Words editor:


Since version 1.4 If dictionary file is not set the notification window will appear:


In this case you have to open the Program manager and specify a dictionary file. If dictionary file was set correctly the Editor window will appear:


Each time you start editor window the new session is started. During this session you can add as many words as you like and all these words will be saved within this session. It will allow you to recap words from specified session. Why do I need this? For example, when you are making excersises for tomorrow's lession you add all the words within a single session so when your teacher will ask you to refresh in mind all the words from one of the previous lession you will make it easy if you remember the date and time of that session.
Since version 1.3 each time you start editor window you will be asked whether you want to continue a previous session or start a new one:


If you want the previous session to be continued (for example in case this session were closed accidentally) you should press Continue previous button, otherwise press Start new button.
To add a new word you should choose a category from Category list or create new category by pressing New... button and specifying it's name:


Press OK and category wll be added to category list and set as word's category. After this you should add word definition (input field Definition), translation into your language (input field Translation) and expression wich uses this word (input field Example of usage). Definition is required field so while this field is empty the Submit button will stay disabled. Press Submit button to add the word to dictionary. The filds will be cleared and you can add a next word. If the word you want to add is already exists in you dictionary you will get an information message:


Here you can see all the words and words combinations with this word in form: word - translation (category). If you don't want to add the word - press Do not submit button otherwise press Submit.
Since version 1.3 you can check whether the storage is containing the word definition you are entering or not before submit operation. To do this you should press Check... button after the definition is entered. If the definition or the expression with this definition is presents in the storage you will get a message:


Getting this message you can decide should you submit this definition (press Continue button) or not (press Cancel button). If you press Cancel button input field Definition will be cleared and you can add the next word. If the storage doesn't contain the word definition the Check... button will switch to disabled state and you can continue:


If you don't want to fill the dictionary word by word you can import the word list from a file. File should be a plain text file where each line contains: word[tabulation]translation[tabulation]example of usage. Only files of this format can be imported. All the words will be imported within current session and will be included to the specified category.
To import word list press Import... button and specify a source file:

After pressing Open button import operation will start and after it will be finished the notification message in the system tray area will be shown:


If something goes wrong you'll get an error message in the system tray area.
After adding new words you can start to learn it. Double click on program icon in system tray to start the Program manager. Ensure that the path string contains your storage file. Category list contains all categories and Session list contains all sessions from specified storage:


You can choose any combination of these parameters. For example, you can choose all the words from law category, all the words from yesterday's session or all law words from today's session. To force the program to choose all categories or sessions from the list you should choose the empty value wich in the both lists comes first. To preview the list of words just choose desirable criterias and press Show list button. The list will be displayed at the text area:


Under the text area you can see a words counter.
Now you want to learn the words from this list. Go to the system tray area, right click on the program icon and choose Words recap:


Recap window will appear. Drag it to the system tray area of the desktop. This window is modal thus it will stay over the others opened windows:


As you can see from the message in this window to start recaping you should specify the word list. Switch to the Program manager window and press Set for recap button:


The Recap window will start periodically display the words from the list: firstly definition, secondly translation and then example of usage if it exists.
You can specify desirable intervals for definition, translation and example displaying. Open Recap manager tab in Program manager window:


Here you can choose display periods for each of these items.
If you want to recap the words in reverse order (translation appears before definition) - set Show definition and translation in reverse order checkbox. If you want to display words in random order you can do it here as well.
The Program manager allows to export currently recaping word list to file (for printing). To do this switch to the Words manager tab of the Program manager:


Export list... button is enabled only if recap list is set. Press this button and specify the file name where you want to save words list to:


After the export operation completion you will get a notification message near the system tray area:


Now you can open this file, print it and hang it on the toilet door.
Note: When you are working with the Editor window and the Program manager window simultaneously categories and sessions you've just added in Editor window will not be added to the Program manager's lists. You should reopen Program manager to update the lists.

Since version 1.4 you can learn the words. This means that when you are working with Recap window you can exclude any word from recap list by making a left-click on Recap window area (not on the window header). Current word will be marked as learned and will be excluded from recap list. When all the words from current recap list are learned you'll get a message:


All learned words still will be displayed on Program manager window word list when you press Show list button but won't be added to recap list anymore when you press Set for recap button.

The program is cross-platform thus the interface will slightly differ between platforms. You can also choose the look and feel which you like more. Open Program manager tab in Program manager window. Here you can specify desirable Look and feel mode from the available modes:


Some of them are cross-platform (for example Metal), some only for Windows (Windows, Windows classic). The list of available modes will differ between platforms. To set up a new look and feel mode select it from the list on press Apply button:




Application supports two languages - english and russian. Application automatically sets it's interface language according to the OS locale. In case your OS localized for third language (neither english nor russian) the default language (english) will be set.

Since version 2.0 you can do exercises. Exercises will help you to study words from your dictionary more carefully and memorize them better. You can also do exercises to refresh the words you've learned in your mind. Before the start of exercising you should specify the word list. Please refer to the following part of this guide to remember how to do this: setting recap list. You will learn this list by groups of 10 words in accordance with the order these words have in your dictionary. For instance, if the group you've chosen consists of 17 words firstly you'll do all exercises for first 10 words, and then for last 7 words. Each cycle includes 7 exercises in this order: Cards (1 time), Translation guessing (1 time), Writing (1 time), Definition guessing (1 time), Translation choice (1 time), Definition choice (1 time), Mosaic (3 times).

To start exercises make a right-click on program icon in system tray and click on Exercises:


Exercises | Cards window will appear:


Carefully read the word (the first one) and its translation (the second one) and try to remember them. After this make a left-click in the window area. You'll see the next pair of words. Remember them and so force. Do this for each word from this group.

After you remeber all words from the current tenner the window Exercises | Translation guessing will appear:


After the window opening the countdown timer is started and you have 5 seconds to remember the translation of the word given. If you remember it press Remember button, timer will stop and after 2 seconds the next word will be shown.


In case you cannot remember the correct translation for sure press Forget button. In this case timer will stop and after 2 seconds the next word will be shown.

After you finish this exercise for all the words from the current group the next exercise will start. Here you are about to write the words. Window Exercises | Writing is appearing:


Here you see the word translation and text field where you have to write to word to. To check the word you've written press Answer button. If you've entered the word correctly you'll get the next word to write, otherwise you'll get a message:


If you cannot remember the word press Check button and program will show you the right word:


Read it carefully and try to remember because after you'll start entering the word again the hint will disappear. Also pay you attention that you can guess the word structure by structure of the word masked with asteriks *. You can skip current word by pressing Skip button.

The next exercise "Definition guessing" is equal to "Translation guessing", but here you should guess the word by given translation. After the window Exercises | Definition guessing the countdown timer is started and you have 5 seconds to remember the definition by its translation:


If you remember the word - press Remember button, otherwise press Forget:


In the next exercise "Translation choice" you'll have to choose a translation for the word. Here you can see how the window Exercises | Translation choice looks like:


The word is placed at the top of the window. All translations are given as a buttons. To choose a translation just press the button. If the pair "word-translation" is correct you'll get the next word to choose, otherwise you'll get nothing. Try again.

After you match all the pairs you'll see the next exercise window - Exercises | Definition choice:


Here you need to preform an opposite task - to choose the word by translations.

The last exercise Exercises | Mosaic looks like this:


At the left-hand column there are words arranged randomly, at the right-hand column - translations. You have to match all the pairs by pressing the buttons from the opposite columns. Choose the word from, for instance, the left column and press the button. After you press it it became suppressed:


Now you have to choose the word, in this case a translation, from the opposite column and press the button. If you've chosen the pair correctly - the pair will disappear:


After you do all the exercises for current group of word you'll start do it again for the next group. If you've just finished the last group you'll see the message like this:


In this case you can to do exercises again for the same group or choose another group.

What if I don't want to create a custom dictionary? Can I use the VocRecaptor somehow?

If you don't want or don't have time to create and support your own dictionary you can download a default dictionary containing 50273 words in 75 categories. This is russian-english dictionary and almost all the groups named in Russian language.

What can I expect in the future releases?

  • Functionality of "learning words" will be improved
  • Word editor will allow to edit words (definition, translation, examples) and groups
  • Program will have a schedule of exercises to make your study more effective

How can I contact with the author?

VocRecaptor was written for personal usage but if you've tried it and have your own opinion about the program you can share it. If you have any ideas concerning the program improvement or you have found some bugs - please contact me.


© Sandlex, 2007-2008