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https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary

VSM-dictionary interface specification, and parent class with shared code for subclasses
https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary

dictionary identifiers ontology-search terms vsm

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VSM-dictionary interface specification, and parent class with shared code for subclasses

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README 

        
# vsm-dictionary







## Intro



[VSM-sentences](http://scicura.org/vsm/vsm.html)

are built from terms (=words or phrases) that are linked to semantic identifiers

(=unique IDs that represent a concept with a definition).



These terms+IDs are typically stored on various 'dictionary' servers

that make them accessible through their own API.



`vsm-dictionary` provides a standardized interface for communicating with

dictionary webservers, in order to support VSM-sentence-building tools.

(Tools such as [`vsm-autocomplete`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-autocomplete),

or more advanced components for searching, storing, and managing terms).



`vsm-dictionary` is also designed to handle multiple 'sub-dictionaries',

as well as multiple synonyms per term.  

And it supports the representation of stylized terms,

e.g. with italic or superscript parts, like Ca2+, and more.







## Overview



`vsm-dictionary` contains only:

- a full [specification](Dictionary.spec.md)

  for the above interface (for search, creating terms, etc);

- a '`VsmDictionary`' parent-class implementation, which provides VSM-specific

  and shared functionality that subclasses should use.



The real interface with a dictionary service is thus

*implemented by subclasses of `VsmDictionary`*.



Currently there are at least two such implementations available:

- [`vsm-dictionary-local`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary-local):  

  a full implementation of a local (in-memory, serverless) VsmDictionary.

  - This module can be used as a fully functional placeholder that does not

    depend on a third-party term-server, while developing new tools

    that depend on a VsmDictionary.

  - Or it could provide mock terms+ids while running

    standalone demos of VSM-sentence building tools.

  - The many automated tests in VsmDictionaryLocal can give inspiration

    for testing future, webserver-linked subclasses.

- [`vsm-dictionary-remote-demo`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary-remote-demo):  

  a bare-minimum demo-implementation of a VsmDictionary that connects to a

  hypothetical server API.

  - This module only serves as inspiration for developing real interfaces

    to an online dictionary service.

  - Still, it includes a live demo that connects to a real server API.







## How to implement a VsmDictionary subclass







### Specification



• Any implementation of a VsmDictionary (which communicates with

a particular dictionary-webservice) must follow the interface specified in 

----> [Dictionary.spec.md](Dictionary.spec.md) <----- .  

• `VsmDictionary` is the parent class that all implementations must

'`extends`' from.  

• 

(Note: we simply use the name 'Dictionary' for VsmDictionary,

in the spec & source code).  







### Installation with NPM for Node.js:



```

mkdir vsm-dictionary-newwwww

cd    vsm-dictionary-newwwww

npm init -y

```

```

npm install vsm-dictionary

```







### Template for a subclass, as a Node.js module:



(See also [`VsmDictionaryLocal`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary-local)

and [`VsmDictionaryRemoteDemo`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary-remote-demo)).







```javascript

// Import the parent class.

const VsmDictionary = require('vsm-dictionary');



// Make subclass and export as Node.js module.

module.exports = class VsmDictionaryNewww extends VsmDictionary {



  constructor(options) {

    // Must call the parent constructor first.

    super(options);



    // ...



  }



  // Methods for Create, Read, Update, Delete of terms, subdictionary-info

  // objects, etc. (see spec).



  // ...

  // ...



  getEntryMatchesForString(str, options, cb) {

    var matches = [];



    // ...



    cb(null, { items: matches });

  }



}

```






(If the above code is placed in a file named 'VsmDictionaryNewww.js',

it can already be used in another file 'test.js':

```javascript

var Dict = require('./VsmDictionaryNewww.js');

var dict = new Dict();

console.dir(dict);

dict.getMatchesForString('42', {}, (err, res) => console.dir(res));

```

by running: `node test.js`).










## Tests



Run `npm test`, which runs tests with Mocha.  

Run `npm run testw`, which automatically reruns tests on any file change.







## Demo



See [`vsm-dictionary-local`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary-local)

and [`vsm-dictionary-remote-demo`](https://github.com/vsm/vsm-dictionary-remote-demo)

for interactive demos of at least the string-search functionality.







## License



This project is licensed under the AGPL license - see [LICENSE.md](LICENSE.md).