Anyway to convert a txt file or list into supermemo?

[Shadowdh]

Hi there all, does anyone know if I can convert those flash card files that are UTF8 text files into something that can be used by supermemo? I have just started using supermemo and its a real pain in the rear to get it loaded to use...

[renzhe]

Supermemo should be able to import TSV files (tab-separated variables).

Format your text file so that the space after the Chinese-language field is replaced with a tab, then try to import that. Try it on a small excerpt first.

I don't know if Supermemo supports three-sided cards or not.

[self-taught-mba]

If not already tab-delimited:

Move to excel and use the text to data import wizard to add delimiters needed to space and split by cell, then resave into appropriate format. (or hightlight text and find the function under the Data section of the menu)

[Shadowdh]

ok I will give that a whirl... sounds like a bit of a tedious job going through the file to replace the space with a tab... can you do a simple replace action like in windows etc?

[self-taught-mba]

You could. (But there might be extraneous stuff there)

Excel seems "cleaner" but not worth the process for a small number of words.

[renzhe]

You can't replace EVERY space with a tab, just the space after the chinese characters.

In a powerful editor, you could probably do some sort of regular expression search and replace, but it's not trivial either.

Where did you get the vocabulary list from, and is it possible to get it in a different format (e.g. one suitable for importing as flashcards)?

[Shadowdh]

Ah I didnt see MBAs advice earlier... I will give that a go perhaps...

Renzhe I got the lists from pleco and another flashcard site... they are lists of around 1000 characters or more...

Right I will let you know if it works with excel...

[renzhe]

What types of characters? Anything special, or just regular HSK lists and most-common-1000-character lists?

If it's the latter, I can send you already formatted stuff.

[Shadowdh]

I have HSK lists... 4 lists of grades 1-4. So its just the regular HSK lists... if you could send them to me that would be vastly appreciated... would save me some hair tearing moments... PM me if you need my email address, many thanks.

[roddy]

Or you could attach them on here for the good of the people

[renzhe]

Sure, I can do this as soon as I come back home (it's on my home computer). I've attached them before in another thread, but I can't find it now.

But if it's just HSK lists, and you can't wait that long then you can pull them out of this site, at http://www.chinese-forums.com/vocabulary/ . Export as CSV and see if Supermemo can import that.

The advantage of my version is that I've separated characters (all characters that appear) from multi-character words, so you can drill the characters before learning compound words if you wish to do so.

[Shadowdh]

Thanks for the link and the offer, if you could attach them that would be great.

[renzhe]

Here are the tables. They are in UTF-8, with two tab-separated fields, one is the Hanzi part, the other one is pinyin + meaning. Tables from this site, definitions from CEDICT + manual editing of duplicates. Characters with several pronunciations get the more common one.

You should be able to load this in basically every flashcard program out there.

Small errors are possible, but should be mostly ok.

hsktables.zip

[Shadowdh]

Thanks Renzhe... will try to get that loaded today...

[ipsi()]

Are you looking at importing these into Supermemo on a Palm device running CJKOS? If so, then you'll need them in GB2312 (for Simplified) or Big5 (for Traditional). CJKOS doesn't understand UTF-8...

[Shadowdh]

Hey there Ipsi()... nope will be using them on an HTC TyTN II/Kaiser/VarioIII...

[Shadowdh]

HI there all, ok I am pretty tech illiterate so it is probably just me, but I am having trouble importing the files to supermemo... (I really think they need to work on the ease of use with this program anyway, importing lists an whatnot but thats by the by)... I use the import function on the File menu and import Q&A not the html so it then says it imports the file and even creates the three files in the appropriate folder as the others I have created in supermemo but when I pull up the file its has no items and it gives me no questions...what am I doing wrong...

[renzhe]

Sorry, but Supermemo is closed source and doesn't work on anything but Windows, so I can't test it. Their website doesn't even mention importing, so I don't know what it can and can't do. I know that virtually every flashcard program under the sun can import TSV or CSV text files, and there are versions available for Mnemosyne (also read by Anki) and Parley.

Maybe someone else has experience with Supermemo?

Alternatively, I've had good experience with both Anki and Mnemosyne, both are a free download and open-source and work on Win/Linux/Mac. You could try one of those.

[Shadowdh]

Thanks for your help Renzhe, I also looked for anything re importing files and came up nada... I am using it on my pda/phone though and would like to find a program that can be used on that as its the one I use most... I do have the others you mention but as I dont carry my laptop with me very often it makes more sense to have a pda WM compatible program...

[renzhe]

Maybe there's a difference between the PDA version and desktop version of Supermemo?

Have you tried loading it using the full-blown version and then saving in Supermemo's own format and then loading that onto your PDA?

Which PDA anyway? Anki has a PalmOS version.