wlcp_to_pleco_windows

This program converts WLCP XML to PlecoDict2 Flashcard XML for Windows users.  See here for Mac and Linux 

Instructions:

1. Unzip wlcp_to_pleco_windows.zip such that  wlcp_to_pleco.py, wlcp_to_pleco.xsl, and msxsl.exe are in the same folder as your WLCP-provided XML files.
2. Run wlcp_to_pleco_windows.py just as you would welovechinesepod.py
3. It will ask you for a lesson name, type it in just as you would with welovechinesepod.py
4. Advanced: You can avoid typing in the lesson names by typing all of the lesson names in a file called lessons.txt just like with welovechinesepod.py

What you get:

• For example, with the lesson called night-cat, it will read the WLCP-provided XML file night-cat.xml and create the file night-cat-pleco.xml.

I've come across the following issues:

1.  There is no "Save As Draft" feature when creating a new post.  This is important as the website has been known to crash while writing a lengthy post.  Also the "New Post" box is extremely short...not very good when creating long posts and/or posting photos.

2.  I've noticed in many lessons that the Vocabulary and Expansion Sentences are duplicated.

3.  The problem I had, and at least one other user had, with characters not showing up.  It's a simple fix, but should be communicated to the community.  See here.

4.  WLCP no longer works.  This to me, and others I'm sure, is huge.  It's become the main way I have studied lessons for the past 6 months. 

I know that WLCP is a "third-party application," but it is, IMO, the best tool for reinforcing lessons and vocabulary on the computer and on the go.

The WLCP PlecoDict tool is by far the best way (actually the only way for me) to study lesson vocabulary.  It has helped to increase my vocabulary immensely. Why is it so great?  Because it is automated.  With the click of a button, I can have a lesson's vocabulary downloaded into an xml file that I can then import into PlecoDict.  I know not everyone has PlecoDict, but this export concept can be used for many popular flashcard programs and platforms.  By the way, if I haven't mentioned it before, PlecoDict is without doubt the greatest dictionary and flashcard tool available :)  I will link to them a million times, because there is no similar product that is better.

Again, I know that WLCP is third-party, but I hope that Cpod learns from what Andrew and Jon have created, and implements something very similar into the website.  To be honest, I don't find Cpod's vocabulary manager to be useful at all - I never use it because it's not user-friendly and the flashcard program is not very powerful.  And now, those who use the new traditional feature, will have a hodgepodge of traditional and simplified characters in their vocab. manager.  Hopefully there will eventually be a trad./simp. toggle for all the vocab. in the manager.

As I stated in a previous post, this is definitely the most useful website upgrade I've seen on Cpod to date, but I wanted to post this in case Cpod isn't aware of the above issues (which I'm sure you are).  And I especially wanted to comment on WLCP, because the lack of that tool really limits my study potential here.

As always, thanks for listening.

I use Firefox 3.05 as my default browser. However, recently, when I try to open an xml file, it opens in IE 7.0.6xxx. I've tried unsuccessfully to reset the default app for opening xml files to no avail. So, my desktop apps are at war and I am caught in the crossfire. This probably has nothing to do with wlcp. However, I can't get the xml file to open on my HP iPAQ 211. I've tried several different wlcp xml files using Iris browser, which, I think, isn't meant for this work, IE, Opera beta 9.5, and HTML reader, and all I get is a blank screen. (These exact same files open on the desktop.)

Any ideas? I reaslly need to be able to open the xml files on  my PDA because that's where I study.

Thanks,

WLCP community, please don't miss this blog post:

ChinesePod API Project Requests

Getting all the right requests in is crucial to the continued development of WLCP.