jpn-dict

jpn-dict provides a Go interface for looking up Japanese dictionary entries from JiTenDex.

JiTenDex Usage

JiTenDex downloads the MDict archive, opens the local jitendex.mdx file, and returns both raw HTML/text and a parsed entry structure.

Install

go get github.com/DarlingGoose/jpn-dict

Basic Example

package main

import (
	"encoding/json"
	"fmt"
	"log"

	jpndict "github.com/DarlingGoose/jpn-dict"
)

func main() {
	dict, err := jpndict.NewJiTenDex("", "", true)
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}

	if err := dict.Download(); err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}

	resp, err := dict.Search("かぜ")
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}

	out, err := json.MarshalIndent(resp, "", "  ")
	if err != nil {
		log.Fatal(err)
	}

	fmt.Println(string(out))
}

Constructor

dict, err := jpndict.NewJiTenDex(dir, zipFilePath, audioEnabled)

Arguments:

• dir: local cache directory. If empty, the package uses os.UserCacheDir()/jpndict.
• zipFilePath: path or URL to the JiTenDex MDict zip. If empty, it uses the latest release URL baked into the package.
• audioEnabled: when true, the dictionary tries to fetch pronunciation audio and stores it under <dir>/audio.

Required Flow

Call Download() before Search().

Download():

• downloads and extracts the JiTenDex MDict assets when they are not already present
• opens <dir>/jitendex/jitendex.mdx

Search(query):

• resolves MDict redirect entries such as @@@LINK=...
• returns the original HTML
• returns stripped plain text
• parses structured fields like headword, reading, pronunciation, glosses, examples, and cross references

Response Shape

Search() returns *jpn_dict.Response:

type Response struct {
	Query string
	Key   string
	HTML  string
	Text  string
	Raw   []byte
	Entry *Entry
}

Useful parsed fields in Entry include:

• Headword
• Reading
• IsPriority
• Pronunciation
• Senses
• Links

Each Sense may contain:

• PartsOfSpeech
• Glosses
• Notes
• Examples
• XRefs

Local Files

After Download(), JiTenDex data is stored under:

<dir>/jitendex/jitendex.mdx
<dir>/jitendex/jitendex.mdd
<dir>/jitendex/jitendex.css
<dir>/jitendex/common.css

If audio is enabled, downloaded audio is cached under:

<dir>/audio

Notes

• The current public interface returned by NewJiTenDex is Dictonary.
• If you need JiTenDex-specific configuration, set it when constructing the dictionary.
• The package name is jpn_dict, so importing with an alias like jpndict makes examples cleaner.