I want to share with you some hacks I did to a kanji reviewing software.

Maybe some of you have already stumbled upon "KanjiTraining 0.2.1" for not-so-powerful J2ME phones:
http://japanesetraining.blogspot.com/

I did a few weeks ago, and I really love being able to take my kanji with me everywhere. My notebook and my Nintendo DS have several programs for this same goal, but the truth is only my phone is always on my pocket.

The problem: there were some aspects of the application I didn't quite like. First, it is exclusively in English, while I study the kanji in Spanish most of the time. Second, the way it chooses the next card to review is really naive: randomly among the selected ones (and the review never ends until you exit from it). I once ended up answering the same card three times in a row, for instance.

So, last week I spent some time "correcting" those "problems". I made a python script that can take a list of keywords (with the same format that is used in "Manage -> Import", on this website) and create a substitute for "kanjidef.dat" (the file, inside the jar archive, that carries the keywords within). Besides, I also took the interface of "RandomCharacters.class" and programmed a replacement for it. Now the review goes through all the cards on your deck, randomly shuffled, without repetitions, and when you reach the end, you can keep going, because they are reshuffled once again.

It has some problems, though: the interface is still in English, and if you go to the options menu and reselect the kanji, you won't be able to see the new ones (and forget about the old ones) until you end the review again (so the deck is reloaded and shuffled); but you can always exit the application and rerun it to do so. A fix for that is possible, but I didn't wanted to override more files than I already did.

All of this was for my own sake, but if you are interested, let me know, sharing it will make me glad. Alas, I'm not totally aware of the legal implications. I'm pretty sure I cannot redistribute the modified .jar, because the application is gratis, but certainly not free. On the other hand it is not clear to me if I can, or cannot, distribute my own "kanjidef.dat" (in Spanish) and "RandomCharacters.class" (or "RandomCharacters.java", the source code). Finally, I'm convinced it is posible to give out my python script without problems, so at least you can do the translation yourselves.

You've done a great job. I'd really love to have a patched version in English. Can you send it?

And how can I add new kanji there? Or may be there is already a version with supplementary and upper level kanji?

Hi! It's been a while. I completely missed your answer, I'm sorry. I was really starting to think I'm the only user of kanji.koohii.com who hasn't a smartphone ;-)

After thinking of it, I'm afraid I won't redistribute the work, but of course we can talk by e-mail so I can explain you how to patch the app. I already sent you one.

About adding more kanji, I think it's just a matter of playing with the files that hold the data: adding more .png files with kanji shapes, and the corresponding description to "kanjidef.dat", but it's been a while since I worked on this and right now I'm not completely sure that will suffice.

If I find some spare time I'll look into that, and if it isn't a lot of work, maybe I could write a small python helper program. But I'm at kanji ~1500, so it isn't a priority for me at the moment. And I have very little time to spend on kanji learning (I do it on my own just for fun... other people play sudokus ;-), let alone time to spend on tweaking tools for the former. Really, I mean very little. It's been five years (!) or so since I have Heisig's book and I'm still at ~1500.

On the positive side, I was at ~800 six or seven months ago, which means since I have this app in my phone, together with the book in png format, I practically doubled the kanji I know in one tenth the time. The main reason: I stopped reading books or newspapers while on the train or bus, which is the only time of the day when I really can read one or two pages of Heisig's or do a quick kanji review.

hi. It would be a great help to those who have less in life. Sorry to barge in. But do you have any idea how edit the contents of these http://sourceforge.net/apps/wordpress/ab...=Main_Page


it has a Study section but uses Leitner and only has 5 boxes.

It's been more than a year since last activity of the Iranian developer. He promised an editable version but haven't heard of him since.

Ps. There's also a toned-down text-only java app at http://www.keepinhead.com but it is a paid one. Like its desktop client.

I'm sorry, but I have no idea, and as I said, no time to look into it. Anyway, there are a few alternatives.

Anki has a problem: for J2ME devices, you can only use it through the web interface, which will cost you money (connection bill).

But I've just found another alternative I overlooked in the past: mnemosyne, and its mnemogogo plugin. Together with the mnemojojo J2ME application, it can serve your purposes. There is also a mnemododo Android app, and I read there is an app that works with blackberry too. The downside is no iPhone/iPad app yet (and maybe never).
Besides, I heard it is easier to make decks for it than it is for Anki. Google for it.