This document was last updated February, 2005.

WordWeb Developer provides easy to use visual thesaurus/dictionary COM components, as well as allowing direct database access. The Source Code edition also includes full Delphi source code and native Delphi VCL components for powerful low level database access.

The WordWeb Developer COM interface is provided by WWDevCOM3.dll, a 32-bit in-process COM server that provides dictionary and thesaurus lookup services from any compiled or interpreted language that supports COM dual interfaces. This includes several popular development platforms, e.g. Borland Delphi, Borland C++ Builder, Microsoft Visual C++, Microsoft Visual Basic, and Microsoft Office products. Appendix B provides examples of how easy it is to use WordWeb Developer from each of these platforms.

WordWeb Developer provides programmatic access to two different dialogs from which the end-user may specify which related word or phrase best matches the word being looked up. Examples in Appendix B show how to display the dialogs using Borland C++ Builder and Borland Delphi.

Software developer can also access the database directly without using the user interface by specifing categories and relations from Appendix A.

The following files and folders are contained in WordWeb Developer folder.

These files and folders are described in more detail below.

4. Developing Applications with WWDevCOM

Using a pop-up thesaurus dictionary
This is just a few lines of code. Just pen the database giving the the filename of the dictionary file, show the window, then close the database. In pseudo-code:

WWDevCOM.Open(in databasePath);
   // open a WordWeb-compatible database
wwDevCOM.ShowWordWeb(in lookupText,out outText,in Handle);
   // show the pop-up window
WWDevCOM.Close();
   // close the previously opened WordWeb-compatible database

The window is opened with the definition for lookupText displayed. If the user press the Copy button to close, outText contains the selected text, otherwise outText is empty. Handle is a handle of a parent window, and can just be zero. There are code samples in various real languages. See also the WWDevCOMTest project provided in the Demo folder of the distribution.

Accessing the database

WWDevCOM is the name of the COM object contained inside WWDevCOM3.dll. WWDevCOM supports the COM Single-Threaded Apartment model. The only unique restriction on concurrent usage is that a single WordWeb-compatible database may be opened by only one WWDevCOM object in one application at a time.

"IWWDev" is the only interface supported by WWDevCOM. This interface currently implements five functions: Open, Lookup, GetCount, GetRelated, and Close. This is the order that these functions will usually be invoked. The following pseudo-code demonstrates the general manner in which the WWDevCOM interface functions are used.

WWDevCOM.Open(in databasePath);
   // open a WordWeb-compatible database
WWDevCOM.Lookup(in lookupText, in wordType, in senseNumber, in tryDerived, in matchPart);
   // lookup a word or phrase
WWDevCOM.GetCount(in relation, out count);
   // determine number of related words/phrases or definition senses
for each index 0 to count - 1 do begin
   WWDevCOM.GetRelated(in relation, in index, out relatedText);
   // get a related word/phrase or definition sense
   //...do something with relatedText;
end;
WWDevCOM.Close();
   // close the previously opened WordWeb-compatible database

The current IWWDev interface functions are described in detail below in terms of their IDL (Interface Definition Language) definitions. See your development environment documentation for a description of IDL-specific terms. AddRelated and DeleteRelated are two additional functions that have been defined, but are not implemented in the current version of the server. Both of these unimplemented functions simply return E_NOTIMPL.

Included in Appendix B are code snippets that demonstrate proper usage of WWDevCOM from several development environments.

S_OK	- Returned if call is successful.
E_INVALIDARG	- Returned if an argument is invalid (e.g. out of range)
E_FAIL	- Returned for all other error conditions.

                 http://wordweb.info/developer/users.html

                 http://wordweb.info/

See Redistributing WWDevCOM with Your Application for details on product installation. These samples all illustrate the proper usage of the WordWeb thesaurus / dictionary user interface component. The WordWeb simple thesaurus user interface component can also be used. Direct database access is also demonstrated, e.g. using WWDSynonyms (to silently determine synonymns) or WWDDefinition (to silently determine definition senses). See Developing Applications with WWDevCOM for a general overview of how to use WordWeb Developer to retrieve all manner of words, phrases, or definition senses related to the lookup word.

A Delphi demo project is included in the Demo folder of the distribution, demonstrating use of the graphical components and direct database access.

Step 1. Import the WWDevCOM type library to the project.

WWDevCOM3.tlb is a type library file that your development environment may need in order to use the WWDevCOM Interface Functions. Your development environment may also be able to determine this information directly from WWDevCOM3.dll. The type library is a compiled version of the WWDevCOM3.idl file. WWDevCOM3.idl contains a human-readable description of the WWDevCOM interface that is written in IDL (Interface Definition Language). Neither the type library nor the IDL file should be installed on the end-user's computer system. Follow the instructions below to setup the type library file for use in your development environment.

A WWDevCOM header file is needed by your development environment in order to make the WWDevCOM Constants available for use in your program. The header file should not be installed on the end-user's computer system. Follow the instructions below to make a header file available to a program from your development environment.

      1. Borland C++ Builder
      2. Borland Delphi
      3. Microsoft Office 2000/XP, Visual Basic 6
      4. Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
      5. Microsoft Visual Basic .NET - direct database access
      6. Microsoft Visual C# .NET
      7. Microsoft Visual C++ 6 and Visual C++ .NET
      8. Microsoft Visual C++ 6/C++ .NET - direct database access

// Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
// User's Guide.
//
// This sample looks up the word 'text' in the WordWeb window.

// Include the WWDevCOM constant identifiers.
{$INCLUDE 'WWDevCOM.h'}

procedure WWDevComTest()
var
    wwDev: TWWDev3;
    OutText: WideString;

begin
  // Create a WWDevCOM object that must be manually released.
    wwDev := TWWDev3.Create(Application);

    // Open the database.
    wwDev.Open('c:\program files\wordweb developer 3\bin\Wweb.ww3');

    wwDev.ShowWordWeb('text',OutText,0);
    
    if (OutText<>'') then Form1.Caption:=OutText;

    // Close the database.
    wwDev.Close;

    // Free the WWDevCOM object.
    wwDev.Destroy;

end;

' Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
' User's Guide. Two lines of code need to be deleted in this
' sample and two lines need to be uncommented, depending on which
' development environment you are using.
'
' This sample uses the ShowWordWeb interface to allow the user
' to select a synonym and definition sense for the word 'text'.

Sub WWDevComTest()
     Dim wwd As WWDev3 
     Dim outText As String
  
    ' Create a WWDevCOM object that will be released when
    ' it goes out of scope.
     Set wwd = New WWDev3 
 
    ' Open the database (change to correct file location)
    Call wwd.Open("c:\program files\wordweb developer 3\bin\Wweb.ww3")
     
    ' Show the
    Call wwd.ShowWordWeb("text", outText, 0)

    ' Display the selected synonym if Copy button pressed
    If outText <> "" Then MsgBox (outText)

    ' Close the database.
    Call wwd.Close
End Sub

' Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
' User's Guide. Two lines of code need to be deleted in this
' sample and two lines need to be uncommented, depending on which
' development environment you are using.
'
' This sample uses the ShowWordWeb interface to allow the user
' to select a synonym and definition sense for the word 'text'.

Sub WWDevComTest()
    Dim wwd As WWDevCOM3.WWDev3 
    Dim outText As String
  
    ' Create a WWDevCOM object that will be released when
    ' it goes out of scope.
     wwd = New WWDevCOM3.WWDev3()

    ' Open the database (change to correct file location)
    Call wwd.Open("c:\program files\wordweb developer 3\bin\Wweb.ww3") 
     
    ' Show the
    Call wwd.ShowWordWeb("text", outText, 0)

    ' Display the selected synonym if Copy button pressed
    If outText <> "" Then MsgBox (outText)

    ' Close the database.
    Call wwd.Close
End Sub

' Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
' User's Guide. 
'
' This sample performs a silent database lookup and displays
' words related to the lookup text, organized by word type and
' definition. The output is similar to what is displayed by
' the ShowWordWeb user interface.

Sub WWDWordWebSimulation()

        Dim count As Integer
        Dim definition As Integer
        Dim definitionCount As Integer
        Dim index As Integer
        Dim irregular As Integer
        Dim lookupText As String = "swimming"
        Dim relatedText As String
        Dim relation As Integer
        Dim relationLabel() As String = {"Synonyms", "Antonyms", "Attribs", "Causes", _
            "Derived", "Entails", "Parts", "Type of", "Types", "Part of", "Participle", _
            "See also", "Similar"}
        Dim root As Integer
        Dim rootText As String
        Dim str As String
        Dim wordType As Integer
        Dim wordTypeLabel() As String = {"Noun: ", "Verb: ", "Adjective: ", "Adverb: ", _
            "Preposition: ", "Conjunction: ", "Pronoun: ", "Interjection: ", "Other: "}
        Dim wwd As WWDevCOM3.WWDev3

        ' Create a WWDevCOM object that will be released when it goes out of scope.
        wwd = New WWDevCOM3.WWDev3

        ' Open the database.
        Call wwd.Open("c:\program files\wordweb developer 3\bin\Wweb.ww3")

        ' Display the lookup text
        str = "Lookup: " + lookupText + Chr(13) + Chr(13)

        ' For each possible word type...
        For wordType = WWDevCOM_h.WWDNoun To WWDevCOM_h.WWDInterjection
            ' Narrow lookup to the word type form of the lookup text.
            Call wwd.LookupWord(lookupText, wordType, WWDevCOM_h.WWDAllSenses)

            ' Determine if definition senses exist for this word type.
            Call wwd.GetCount(WWDevCOM_h.WWDDefinition, definitionCount)

            ' If definition senses for this word type form exist then...
            If definitionCount > 0 Then
                ' Begin the word type display header line.

                ' Display the word type label.
                str = str + wordTypeLabel(wordType)

                ' Determine the root form of the lookup text.
                rootText = lookupText

                ' If a root form of the lookup text might exist then...
                If wordType <= WWDevCOM_h.WWDAdj Then
                    ' Determine if a root form exists.
                    root = WWDevCOM_h.WWDNounRoots + (wordType - WWDNoun)
                    Call wwd.GetCount(root, count)

                    ' If a root form exists then get it.
                    If count = 1 Then
                        Call wwd.GetRelated(root, 0, rootText)
                    End If

                End If ' a root form of the lookup text might exist.

                ' Display the root text.
                str = str + rootText

                ' If irregular forms of the root text might exist then...
                If wordType <= WWDevCOM_h.WWDAdj Then
                    ' Lookup the root text
                    Call wwd.Lookup(rootText, wordType, WWDevCOM_h.WWDAllSenses, True, False)

                    ' Determine if irregular forms exist.
                    irregular = WWDevCOM_h.WWDIrregularNouns + (wordType - WWDNoun)
                    Call wwd.GetCount(irregular, count)

                    ' If irregular forms of the root text exist then display them.
                    If count > 0 Then
                        ' Begin irregular form display.
                        str = str + " ("

                        ' For each irregular form...
                        For index = 0 To count - 1
                            ' Get the irregular form.
                            Call wwd.GetRelated(irregular, index, relatedText)

                            ' Display the irregular form.
                            str = str + relatedText

                            If index < count - 1 Then
                                str = str + ","
                            End If

                        Next ' Irregular form

                        ' End irregular form display.
                        str = str + ")"
                    End If ' irregular forms of the root text exist

                End If ' irregular forms of the root text might exist.

                ' End the word type display header line.
                str = str + Chr(13)

                ' For each definition sense of the word type form of the lookup text...
                For definition = 0 To definitionCount - 1
                    ' Narrow the lookup to (other) words related to this definition sense.
                    Call wwd.Lookup(lookupText, wordType, definition, True, False)

                    ' Display the definition sense.
                    Call wwd.GetRelated(WWDevCOM_h.WWDDefinition, definition, relatedText)
                    str = str + Space(4) + Format(definition + 1) + ". " + relatedText + Chr(13)

                    ' For each way that a word may be related...
                    For relation = WWDevCOM_h.WWDSynonyms To WWDevCOM_h.WWDSimilar
                        Call wwd.GetCount(relation, count)

                        ' If there are related words...
                        If count > 0 Then
                            ' Display the relation header label.
                            str = str + Space(8) + relationLabel(relation) + ": "

                            ' For each related word...
                            For index = 0 To count - 1
                                ' Get the related word.
                                Call wwd.GetRelated(relation, index, relatedText)

                                ' Display the related word.
                                str = str + relatedText

                                If index < count - 1 Then
                                    str = str + ", "
                                Else
                                    str = str + Chr(13)
                                End If

                            Next ' related word.

                        End If ' there are related words.

                    Next ' way that a word may be related.

                Next ' definition sense of the word type form of the lookup text.

            End If ' definition senses for this word type form exist.

        Next ' word type.

        ' Display the WordWeb simulated output.
        MsgBox(str, MsgBoxStyle.OKOnly, "")

        ' Close the database.
        Call wwd.Close()
End Sub ' WWDWordWebSimulation

// Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
// User's Guide.
//
// This sample uses the ShowWordWeb interface to allow the user
// to select a synonym and definition sense for the word 'text'.

private void WWDevCOMTest()

{
	WWDevCOM3.IWWDev3 wwDev;
	string outText;
		
	// Create a WWDevCOM object that must be manually released.
	wwDev = new WWDevCOM3.WWDev3Class();

	// Open the database.
	wwDev.Open("c:\\program files\\wordweb developer 3\\bin\\Wweb.ww3");

	// Lookup all noun, verb, adjective, etc. synonyms for the
	// word 'text'. 
	wwDev.ShowWordWeb("text",out outText,0);

	//Show replacement word if Copy button was pressed
	if (outText != "") System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(this, outText);

	wwDev.Close();
}

// Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
// User's Guide. Note that WordWeb Developer does not require MFC
// support when used with Visual C++, although this sample uses
// it for convenience.
//
// This sample uses the WWDWordWeb interface to allow the user
// to select a synonym and definition sense for the word 'text'.

// Import the WWDevCOM type library information.
#import "wwdevcom3.tlb"

// Include the WWDevCOM constant identifiers.
#include "WWDevCOM.h"

void WWDevComTest()
{
  WWDevCOM3::IWWDev3Ptr wwDev;
    BSTR outText;
    CString str;

    // Initialize COM if needed.
    //CoInitialize(NULL);

    // Create a WWDevCOM object that must be manually released.
    wwDev.CreateInstance(__uuidof(WWDevCOM3::WWDev3));

    // Open the database.
    wwDev->Open(L"c:\\program files\\wordweb developer 3\\bin\\Wweb.ww3");

    // Lookup all noun, verb, adjective, etc. synonyms for the
    // word 'text'. 
    wwDev->ShowWordWeb("text", &outText, 0);
    str = outText;

    SysFreeString(outText);

    // If Copy pressed, show replacement word
    if (str != "") AfxMessageBox(str);

    // Close the database.
    wwDev->Close();

    // Free the WWDevCOM object.
    wwDev.Release();
}

// Follow the Sample Setup Instructions in the WordWeb Developer
// User's Guide. Note that WordWeb Developer does not require MFC
// support when used with Visual C++, although this sample uses
// it for convenience.
//
// This sample silently finds all synonyms for a given word

// Import the WWDevCOM type library information.
#import "wwdevcom3.tlb"

// Include the WWDevCOM constant identifiers.
#include "WWDevCOM.h"

void WWDevComTest()
{
    WWDevCOM3::IWWDev3Ptr wwDev;
    BSTR outText;
    CString str, showStr;
    short count;

    //Initialize COM if required.
    //CoInitialize(NULL);

    // Create a WWDevCOM object that must be manually released.
    wwDev.CreateInstance(__uuidof(WWDevCOM3::WWDev3));

    // Open the database.
    wwDev->Open(L"c:\\program files\\wordweb developer 3\\bin\\Wweb.ww3");

    // Lookup all noun, verb, adjective, etc. synonyms for the
    // word 'text'. Try derived word types, but don't go out
    // of the way to match the part of speech.
    wwDev->LookupWord("text", WWDAllWordTypes, WWDAllSenses);

   //Find how many synonyms are in the database.
    wwDev->GetCount(WWDSynonyms, &count);

    showStr = "";
    //Get all the synonyms   
    for (int index = 0; index < count; ++index) {

            // Get each related item.
            wwDev->GetRelated(WWDSynonyms, index, &outText);
            str = outText;
            // Free the system allocated string.
            SysFreeString(outText);

            // Add the related item to the buffer.
            if (index != 0) {showStr = showStr + ", ";}

            showStr = showStr + str;

    } // end for

    // Show the string of synonyms
    if (str != "") AfxMessageBox("Synonyms: " + showStr);

    // Close the database.
    wwDev->Close();

    // Free the WWDevCOM object.
    wwDev.Release();

}

Purchase of WordWeb Developer grants a non-transferable non-exclusive license as follows:

WordWeb Developer 3 Copyright © 2005 by Antony Lewis. All rights reserved.

WordNet 2.0 Copyright © 2003 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

THIS SOFTWARE AND DATABASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, DATABASE OR DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADEMARKS OR OTHER RIGHTS.