HTTP:、FTP: 和 Dict:？

所提供的文本讨论了“DICT”协议，这是一种使用“dict”URI 方案通过网络访问字典的方法。该协议允许用户在各种在线词典中查找单词或短语，而无需单独下载每个词典。文中提到，由于技术的进步，例如更大的磁盘大小、更便宜的数据库和高效的搜索引擎，该协议的使用量有所下降。尽管如此，仍然可以通过在终端中运行命令（例如“curl dict://dict.org/d:Internet”）来利用该协议。此外，还可以使用此协议执行更复杂的任务，例如不同语言之间的翻译。文本提供了字典查找、列出数据库和请求帮助的命令示例。最后，文本表明，尽管其受欢迎程度下降，但该协议仍可能用于新的目的，尽管没有给出进一步的细节。

The provided text discusses the 'DICT' protocol, a method for accessing dictionaries over a network using the 'dict' URI scheme. This protocol allows users to lookup words or phrases in various online dictionaries without needing to download each dictionary separately. The text mentions the decline in usage of this protocol due to advancements in technology such as larger disk sizes, cheaper databases, and efficient search engines. Nevertheless, it remains possible to utilize the protocol by running commands in the terminal such as `curl dict://dict.org/d:Internet`. Additionally, more complex tasks such as translating between different languages can also be performed using this protocol. The text provides examples of commands for dictionary lookup, listing databases, and requesting help. Finally, the text suggests that despite its declining popularity, the protocol may still be utilized for novel purposes, although no further details were given.

I went for a spelunk^{through an ancient codebase a few weeks ago which contained a curious regex that I just couldn't grok^.}

{<((https?|ftp|dict|tel):[^\'">\s]+)>}i

I'm familiar with HTTP and FTP. I worked in the mobile industry, so knew that tel:+44... could be used to launch a dialer.

But DICT?!?!?!

It turns out that, lurking on the Internet are Dictionary Servers! They exist to allow you to query dictionaries over a network.

For many years, the Internet community has relied on the "webster" protocol for access to natural language definitions. […] In recent years, the number of publicly available webster servers on the Internet has dramatically decreased. Fortunately, several freely-distributable dictionaries and lexicons have recently become available on the Internet. However, these freely-distributable databases are not accessible via a uniform interface, and are not accessible from a single site.

The (informal) standard was published in 1997 but has kept a relatively low profile since then. You can understand why it was invented - in an age of low-size disk drives and expensive software, looking up data over a dedicated protocol seems like a nifty^idea.

Then disk size exploded, databases became cheap, and search engines made it easy to look up words.

You can try it out today!

Run this command in your terminal:

curl dict://dict.org/d:Internet

That will bring back the definition from the server's default dictionary. If you want to look up a word in a specific dictionary - like The Jargon File - you can run:

curl dict://dict.org/d:Internet:jargon

You can even use it for simple translation tasks. For example, to translate English to Japanese:

curl dict://dict.org/d:Internet:fd-eng-jpn

Perhaps the easiest way to explore the protocol and server is to use telnet:

telnet dict.org dict

Type the command HELP and help ye shall receive:

113 help text follows
DEFINE database word         -- look up word in database
MATCH database strategy word -- match word in database using strategy
SHOW DB                      -- list all accessible databases
SHOW DATABASES               -- list all accessible databases
SHOW STRAT                   -- list available matching strategies
SHOW STRATEGIES              -- list available matching strategies
SHOW INFO database           -- provide information about the database
SHOW SERVER                  -- provide site-specific information
OPTION MIME                  -- use MIME headers
CLIENT info                  -- identify client to server
AUTH user string             -- provide authentication information
STATUS                       -- display timing information
HELP                         -- display this help information
QUIT                         -- terminate connection250 ok

That will allow you to see all the dictionaries available - in a variety of languages - and the various commands you can use with them.

Are there any other Dictionary Servers still available on the Internet?
Did the Webster Protocol get specified outside of obscure source code?
Is there something interesting and modern one could do with a DICT server?

HTTP:、FTP: 和 Dict:？ HTTP: , FTP:, and Dict:?