# Usage

## Looking Up a Word

To look up the definition of a word, perform the following steps:

1. Type the word that you want to look up in the Search field.

2. StarDict will show the definition immediately. If not found, you can press `Return` to do a fuzzy query or just click the Fuzzy query button.

3. Use the scrollbar to scroll through the definition. Select the words in the Word list to view the related words.

## Clearing the Display Area

To clear the text of the Search field, click the Clear button on the left, or just press `Alt-C` or `ESC`.

## To Copy Text to Another Application

There are two ways to copy the text in the Definition area to another application:

- To copy all of the text, click the Copy button by the top of the Definition area.

- To copy some of the text, select the text that you want to copy, then click your mouse's right button and choose Copy.

## To Find Text in the Definition Area

To find text in the Definition area, perform the following steps:

1. click the Find button by the top of the Definition area.

2. Type the string that you want to find in the Find text box, then press `Return`. You cannot use wildcards.

3. To find the next occurrence of the word, press `Return` again.

## Scanning: operation guide

- Scenarios below assume that you make selection with mouse.

- Scan key is the modifier set by the "Scan modifier key" option, see Scan Selection.

### Scanning in Linux and Unix

#### Case 1. "Only scan while modifier key is being pressed" option is off

1. Select text to translate.

2. Wait for a few seconds. The Floating Window pops up.

#### Case 2. "Only scan while modifier key is being pressed" option is on

1. Press and hold the Scan key.

2. Select the text.

3. Wait for a few seconds. The Floating Window pops up.

4. Release the Scan key.

#### Case 2.1. "Only scan while modifier key is being pressed" option is on. A variation

1. Select the text and do not release the mouse button yet.

2. Press and hold the Scan key.

3. Release the mouse button.

4. Wait for a few seconds. The Floating Window pops up.

5. Release the Scan key.

Selection is made when you release mouse button. This is the time when the Scan key must be pressed down. It takes some time for StarDict to inspect selection, you must hold the Scan key all this time. What is why you need to hold the key for a few seconds after selection.

### Scanning in Windows

#### Case 1. "Only scan while modifier key is being pressed" option is off

1. Place the mouse pointer over the word you want to traslate.

2. Do not move the mouse for a few seconds. The Floating Window pops up.

#### Case 2. "Only scan while modifier key is being pressed" option is on

1. Place the mouse pointer over the word you want to traslate.

2. Press and hold the Scan key.

3. Do not move the mouse for a few seconds. The Floating Window pops up.

4. Release the Scan key.

For scanning in PDF documents see WordPick Adobe Acrobat plugin.

## Toggle Scan Mode

There are a number of ways to enable or disable the Scan selection mode. When in Scan mode, StarDict shows translation of the text you select in different windows. See Scan selection.

### Ways to enable the Scan mode

- Toggle the Scan selection checkbox at the bottom left corner of the StarDict Main window.

- Right-click the Notification area icon and check Scan in the pop-up menu.

- Press `Ctrl`+`Alt`+`x` shortcut (it toggles the Scan mode). To configure the shortcut see Scan Selection.

## Main window hotkeys

`Ctrl`+`q`

  Quit StarDict.

`Alt`+`x`

  Minimize to tray. StarDict Main window is closed, taskbar item disappears, but the application continues to run. You may open the Main window again clicking on the Notification area icon.

`Alt`+`z`

  Iconify the application. The Main window is hidden, the taskbar item remains.

`Alt`+`e`

  Save word definition to a file. See Definition area toolbar for more details.

`F1`

  Show help.

`Ctrl`+`f`

  Search in the Definition area. See Definition area toolbar for more details.

`Alt`+`Left`

  Go Back. Return to the word that was queried before.

`Alt`+`Up`

  Previous word. Query the previous word in the Word index.

`Alt`+`Down`

  Next word. Query the next word in the Word index.

`Alt`+`m`

  Menu. Show the Main menu.

`Ctrl`+`v`

  Query clipboard text in StarDict.

`Ctrl`+`u`

  Clear the Search field and focus it.

`BackSpace`

  The same as `Ctrl`+`u`.

`Enter`

  1. The focus is in the Word list.

     If the selected index item has children, expand or collapse the item. If the selected index item has no children, query the item in the main window.

  2. The focus is in the Definition area.

     Requery the text in the Search field.

`Space`

  Focus the Search field.

`Escape`

  1. The focus is in Definition area Search bar.

     Hide the search bar.

  2. Otherwise, this hotkey has the same effect as `Ctrl`+`u`.

`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`z`

  Open the Main window of StarDict. The Main window may be iconified, or StarDict may only exist as a Notification area icon. In all the cases pressing this hotkey presents the Main window to the user. You may change the hotkey in the Preferences dialog, see Options.

`Ctrl`+`Alt`+`x`

  Toggle the Scan mode. You may change the hotkey in the Preferences dialog, see Scan Selection.

## Installing new dictionaries

Dictionaries for StarDict you download are normally packed in archives. You must unpack them and copy into one of the StarDict dictionary directories. If you simply copy an archive file into the dictionary directory, StarDict will not find the dictionary. It is recommended to place each dictionary in its own directory. You may build a hierarchy of directories to organize your dictionary collection. StarDict search directories recursively. See also StarDict dictionaries.

### Installing a dictionary

1. Download a dictionary. Normally a dictionary is packed in an archive file, for example, WineEnRu.zip.

2. Unpack the archive in a new directory. You may name the directory after the archive name, though that is not required.

       WineEnRu/WineEnRu.dict
       WineEnRu/WineEnRu.idx
       WineEnRu/WineEnRu.ifo

3. Copy the dictionary directory into one of StarDict dictionary directories, see Directories.

4. Restart StarDict. The new dictionary will be added into the default dictionary group.

### Broken dictionaries

Some dictionaries you may find on Internet violate restrictions of StarDict dictionary file format. Using such a dictionary may result in StarDict crash. If StarDict becomes unstable, check your dictionaries, especially new ones, with StarDict Editor or stardict-verify command line tool.

## Removing dictionaries

To remove a dictionary it's enough to remove all files belonging to that dictionary. All files of a dictionary share the same base name, for example.

    WineEnRu.dict
    WineEnRu.idx
    WineEnRu.idx.oft
    WineEnRu.ifo

Some dictionaries may include resource database that is named differently. For complete list of file see StarDict dictionaries. If you follow the rule "one dictionary ‒ one directory", removing a dictionary will be easer.

### Removing a dictionary

1. Quit StarDict. Make sure that StarDict has really terminated, not just minimized into tray icon!

2. Remove dictionary files.