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@lambdamusic
Last active February 15, 2023 14:52
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Access osx dictionary in python
#!/usr/bin/env python
"""
# Version
2021-08-31
# Tested on
Python 3.9
# Originally Modified from
http://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=26675
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/90040/look-up-a-word-in-dictionary-app-in-terminal
# HowTo
chmod 755 define.py # make file executable
alias define="'/Users/me/Script/define.py'" # => add to .bash_profile
-> then (from command line)
define recursive # or any other word
-> output ..
Dictionary entry for:
recursive | rɪˈkəːsɪv | adjective characterized by recurrence or repetition.
• Mathematics & Linguistics relating to or involving the repeated application of a rule, definition, or procedure to successive results: this restriction ensures that the grammar is recursive.
• Computing relating to or involving a program or routine of which a part requires the application of the whole, so that its explicit interpretation requires in general many successive executions: a recursive subroutine.
DERIVATIVES
recursively | rɪˈkəːsɪvli | adverb
ORIGIN
late 18th century (in the general sense): from late Latin recurs- ‘returned’ (from the verb recurrere ‘run back’) + -ive. Specific uses have arisen in the 20th century.
---------------------------------
"""
import sys
try:
from DictionaryServices import *
except:
print("WARNING: The pyobjc Python library was not found. You can install it by typing: 'pip install -U pyobjc'")
print("..................\n")
try:
from colorama import Fore, Back, Style
except:
print("WARNING: The colorama Python library was not found. You can install it by typing: 'pip install colorama'")
print("..................\n")
def main():
"""
define.py
Access the default OSX dictionary
2021-08-31
-improved so to work with Python 3.9
2015-11-27
-added colors via colorama
"""
try:
searchword = sys.argv[1]
except IndexError:
errmsg = 'You did not enter any terms to look up in the Dictionary.'
print(errmsg)
sys.exit()
wordrange = (0, len(searchword))
dictresult = DCSCopyTextDefinition(None, searchword, wordrange)
if not dictresult:
errmsg = "'%s' not found in Dictionary." % (searchword)
print(errmsg)
else:
# print(dictresult)
s = dictresult
#split numbered items up to ten (hackish..)
for n in reversed(range(1, 11)):
new_n = doColor(f"\n{str(n)} ", "red")
s = s.replace(f" {str(n)} ", new_n)
for x in ["noun", "adverb", "adjective"]:
particle = doColor(x, "green")
s = s.replace(x, particle)
bullet = doColor("\n •", "red")
s = s.replace('•', bullet) # bullet
phrases_header = doColor("\n\nPHRASES\n", "important")
s = s.replace('PHRASES', phrases_header)
phrasal_verbs_header = doColor("\n\nPHRASAL VERBS\n", "important")
s = s.replace('PHRASAL VERBS', phrasal_verbs_header)
derivatives_header = doColor("\n\nDERIVATIVES\n", "important")
s = s.replace('DERIVATIVES', derivatives_header)
origin_header = doColor("\n\nORIGIN\n", "important")
s = s.replace('ORIGIN', origin_header)
print(doColor("Dictionary entry for:\n", "red"))
print(s)
print("\n---------------------------------")
def doColor(s, style=None):
"""
util for returning a colored string
if colorama is not installed, FAIL SILENTLY
"""
try:
if style == "comment":
s = Style.DIM + s + Style.RESET_ALL
elif style == "important":
s = Style.BRIGHT + s + Style.RESET_ALL
elif style == "normal":
s = Style.RESET_ALL + s + Style.RESET_ALL
elif style == "red":
s = Fore.RED + s + Style.RESET_ALL
elif style == "green":
s = Fore.GREEN + s + Style.RESET_ALL
except:
pass
return s
if __name__ == '__main__':
main()
@alichtman
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alichtman commented Feb 20, 2020

$ python3
Python 3.8.0 (default, Nov  6 2019, 21:33:59)
[Clang 11.0.0 (clang-1100.0.33.12)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import DictionaryServices
>>> DictionaryServices.__file__
'/usr/local/var/pyenv/versions/3.8.0/lib/python3.8/site-packages/FSEvents/_callbacks.cpython-38-darwin.so'
>>>

I'm not sure how it's coming from that module, but...

$ pip install MacFSEvents might fix your issue. I never ran into this problem but I might have had the dependency satisfied already. I'm not sure.

@fangwangme
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works for me after install PyObjC.

pip install pyobjc

Mac OS: Catalina
Python: 3.7.6

@lambdamusic
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Author

I cleaned up the script and tested it on python 3.9 - the formatting is not perfect, but it works

@Foxtrod89
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Can we query non-osx dictionary? I have a ton of custom dictionaries.

@tik9
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tik9 commented Oct 11, 2022

After pip install pyobjc I get the following installed:
pip list

pyobjc 8.5.1 pyobjc-core 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Accessibility 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Accounts 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AddressBook 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AdServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AdSupport 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AppleScriptKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AppleScriptObjC 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ApplicationServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AppTrackingTransparency 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AudioVideoBridging 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AuthenticationServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AutomaticAssessmentConfiguration 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Automator 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AVFoundation 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-AVKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-BusinessChat 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CalendarStore 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CallKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CFNetwork 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ClassKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CloudKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Cocoa 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Collaboration 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ColorSync 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Contacts 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ContactsUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreAudio 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreAudioKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreBluetooth 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreData 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreHaptics 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreLocation 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreMedia 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreMediaIO 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreMIDI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreML 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreMotion 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreSpotlight 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreText 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CoreWLAN 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-CryptoTokenKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DataDetection 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DeviceCheck 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DictionaryServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DiscRecording 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DiscRecordingUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DiskArbitration 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-DVDPlayback 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-EventKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ExceptionHandling 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ExecutionPolicy 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ExternalAccessory 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-FileProvider 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-FileProviderUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-FinderSync 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-FSEvents 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-GameCenter 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-GameController 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-GameKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-GameplayKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ImageCaptureCore 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-IMServicePlugIn 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-InputMethodKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-InstallerPlugins 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-InstantMessage 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Intents 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-IntentsUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-IOSurface 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-iTunesLibrary 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-KernelManagement 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-LatentSemanticMapping 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-LaunchServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-libdispatch 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-LinkPresentation 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-LocalAuthentication 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-LocalAuthenticationEmbeddedUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MailKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MapKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MediaAccessibility 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MediaLibrary 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MediaPlayer 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MediaToolbox 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Metal 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MetalKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MetalPerformanceShaders 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MetalPerformanceShadersGraph 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MetricKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MLCompute 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ModelIO 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-MultipeerConnectivity 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-NaturalLanguage 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-NetFS 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Network 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-NetworkExtension 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-NotificationCenter 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-OpenDirectory 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-OSAKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-OSLog 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-PassKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-PencilKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Photos 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-PhotosUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-PreferencePanes 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-PushKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Quartz 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-QuickLookThumbnailing 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ReplayKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SafariServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SceneKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ScreenCaptureKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ScreenSaver 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ScreenTime 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ScriptingBridge 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SearchKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Security 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SecurityFoundation 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SecurityInterface 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ServiceManagement 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-ShazamKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Social 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SoundAnalysis 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Speech 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SpriteKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-StoreKit 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SyncServices 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SystemConfiguration 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-SystemExtensions 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-UniformTypeIdentifiers 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-UserNotifications 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-UserNotificationsUI 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-VideoSubscriberAccount 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-VideoToolbox 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Virtualization 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-Vision 8.5.1 pyobjc-framework-WebKit

Does this make sense if I only need the DIctionaryService? It seems that all python objects are installed and most of em never used. The dic now works.
pip freeze | grep pyobjc-framework | xargs pip uninstall -y will be sensible.

pyobjc-framework-CoreServices and macfsevents did not help to make the dic work.

@robertoaceves
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Try installing both
pip3 install pyobjc-framework-CoreServices
pip3 install pyobjc-framework-DictionaryServices

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