Convert Babylon BLG to Stardict IFO dictionaries

If you use the excellent ColorDict for Android, which is capable of modal windows (unlike, say GoldenDict, which in turn can read many dictionary formats), then you may be in need for more dictionaries than Google allows.

Here's how to quickly convert Babylon BLG dictionary files to the Stardict, aka IFO, aka ColorDict format in Windows.

• Download a BLG dictionary file itself, from the Babylon site, or e.g. from a torrent here. (We will use Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain), 13.5 dictionary file below, saved to C:\Temp\Babylon stardict files\)
• Download and install Python 2.* to C:\Program Files\Python27\ (Important: Python 3.* is not compatible with the script, as of yet)
• Download PyGlossary 2011 from the PyGlossary site to e.g. C:\Temp\Babylon stardict files\pyglossary-2011.06.16\. (Important: the older versions seem not do not produce Stardict compatible files)
• Here's the trick. Do not run its otherwise nice GUI. Run a DOS command instead:
  

  "C:\Program Files\Python27\python.exe" "C:\Temp\Babylon stardict files\pyglossary-2011.06.16\src\pyglossary.pyw" "C:\Temp\Babylon stardict files\A Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain).BGL" "C:\Temp\Babylon stardict files\A Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain).ifo"

•  You should see:
  

  Reading file "C:\Temp\Babylon stardict files\A Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain).BGL"
  numEntries = 80289
  defaultCharset = cp1252
  sourceCharset = cp1252
  targetCharset = cp1252
  defaultEncoding = cp1252
  sourceEncoding = cp1252
  targetEncoding = cp1252
  sourceLang = Spanish
  targetLang = English
  creationTime = 2006/12/12, 09:22
  middleUpdated = 2010/02/23, 07:54
  lastUpdated = 2010/02/23, 07:54
  title = A Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain), 10.2
  author = Tony
  email = alozano@ugr.es
  copyright =
  description = This is a compilation of terminology in the social sciences that students and professionals generally encounter when reading professional literature with a particular emphasis on information organisation and retrieval. Last update February 2010. (http://eubd1.ugr.es)
  Loading: |Ôľł                                               /  2.5% ETA: 00:00:3
  Loading: |ÔľłÔľł                                              -  5.0% ETA: 00:02
  Loading: |ÔľłÔľłÔľł                                             \  7.5% ETA: 00:
  Loading: |ÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľł                                            | 10.0% ETA: 0
  Loading: |ÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľł                                           / 12.5% ETA:
  Loading: |ÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľłÔľł                                         - 14.9%

   etc.
  
  
  • Be patient! The script seems to get stuck on:

  Writing to file "c:\temp\A Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain).ifo"
  filename=c:\temp\A Spanish-English Dictionary (Granada University, Spain).ifo

  but after about a dozen of minutes it terminates with:
  

  Done

  and returns to the command prompt.
  You should get:
  Copy these to the \sdcard\dictdata directory on your Android and run ColorDict.