worddiv - query LaTeX’s word division (hyphenation) dictionary

The LaTeX typesetting software includes high quality dictionaries of word division patterns, which define the points at which a word may be broken across the end of a line.

worddiv is a simple script that makes it convenient to query the LaTeX word division dictionary interactively using a terminal emulator. This can help, for example, when proofreading galleys that do not adhere to the word hyphenations presented in an approriate high quality dictionary.

The worddiv package includes two shell scripts: worddiv, which is written to be POSIX-compatible, and worddiv.fish, written in fish. Take your pick.

installation and configuration

0. Install dependencies

   worddiv assumes you have working copies of TeX and LaTeX on your system. Type tex -version and latex -version to check if this is the case. (Helping you install these dependencies is beyond the scope of this project.)

1. Clone the worddiv repo.

2. Adjust project_path variable.

   The script hardcodes a location where it will temporarily store some data that it needs. The script’s variable project_path thus needs to point to an existing directory. For worddiv to work, you’ll probably need to alter the value of that variable.

   If you intend to use worddiv.fish, you’ll first need to edit that file to alter the value (the path) assigned by the line beginning:

   set -f project_path

   If using the POSIX-compatible worddiv, the line you’ll want to alter is the one beginning

   project_path=

   In either case, the value you assign can be the directory where your clone of the repo resides, or it can be some other directory (e.g. /tmp).

3. Ensure the package location is in your $PATH.

usage

Call the script. Then type a word and press Enter to see its hyphenation patterns. Type q and then Enter to quit.