/*
 * [Lookup.java]
 *
 * Summary: Interface to a web based Dictionary or a local dictionary.
 *
 * Copyright: (c) 2000-2017 Roedy Green, Canadian Mind Products, http://mindprod.com
 *
 * Licence: This software may be copied and used freely for any purpose but military.
 *          http://mindprod.com/contact/nonmil.html
 *
 * Requires: JDK 1.8+
 *
 * Created with: JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA IDE http://www.jetbrains.com/idea/
 *
 * Version History:
 *  2.2 2008-04-06 add build to title, tidy code, fix spelling errors.
 */
package com.mindprod.esper;

/**
 * Interface to a web based Dictionary or a local dictionary.
 * <p/>
 * It can describe ordinary dictionaries or cross language
 * dictionaries.
 *
 * @author Roedy Green, Canadian Mind Products
 * @version 2.2 2008-04-06 add build to title, tidy code, fix spelling errors.
 * @since 2000
 */
public interface Lookup
    {
    /**
     * Save any changes to this dictionary, and disconnect from it.
     */
    public void close();

    /**
     * Add a definition to the dictionary. May be a dummy if definePossible is false.
     *
     * @param word       The word to be defined in the source language. If word already exists in dictionary, new
     *                   definition replaces.
     * @param definition The definition of the word in the target language. If null, removes existing definition.
     */
    public void define( String word, String definition );

    /**
     * Is it possible to define new words in this dictionary?
     *
     * @return true if you can add definitions, false otherwise.
     */
    public boolean definePossible();

    /**
     * lookup up a word in one language and get the equivalent in another.
     *
     * @param word word to look up, trimmed.
     *
     * @return translation of word
     */
    public String lookup( String word );

    /**
     * Open a connection to this dictionary.
     */
    public void open();
    } // end interface Lookup