Querying Case-sensitive dictionary does not work

[tie-ling]

= Description =
In the German language, nouns and verbs are distiguished by capitalisation.

For example, the following dictionary entries points to different words.
https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Essen
https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/essen

I am attempting to convert German Wiktionary to dictd format. I observed that querying the dictionary does not work.

= Minimal reproducible example =

Create a new text file:

%%h Case Sensitive Dictionary
%s

%h hello
%d

%h Essen
%d

This is a noun.

%h essen
%d

This is a verb.

Format the dictionary:

dictfmt -p test-dict-case-sensitive --case-sensitive --utf8 --columns 0 < test-dict.txt 

The dictfmt command produces two files,

[yc@mini:~]$ cat test-dict-case-sensitive.dict 


00-database-dictfmt-1.13.3
This file was converted from the original database on:
          Sun Jan  4 21:32:44 2026

The original data is available from:
     unknown

The original data was distributed with the notice shown below. No
additional restrictions are claimed.  Please redistribute this changed
version under the same conditions and restriction that apply to the
original version.

%%h Case Sensitive Dictionary
%s


Essen

This is a noun.

essen

This is a verb.
unknown
00-database-short
     unknown
Eens

And the index file

[yc@mini:~]$ cat test-dict-case-sensitive.index 
00databasealphabet	IE	F
00databasecasesensitive	B	B
00databasedictfmt1133	C	b
00databaseinfo	d	GR
00databaseshort	Hl	f
00databaseurl	Hd	I
00databaseutf8	A	B
Essen	Gu	Y
essen	HG	X

Then add the new case-sensitive dictionary to dictd service configuration

... omitted ...
database test-dict-case-sensitive {
  data /home/yc/test-dict-case-sensitive.dict
  index /home/yc/test-dict-case-sensitive.index
}

Only non-capitalised Query succeeds:

$ dict essen

From unknown [test-dict-case-sensitive]:

  essen
  
  This is a verb.

$ dict Essen

No definition found for "Essen".

[tie-ling]

Somehow the capitalised words shows up in regex search results, but the word itself is still not accessible:

Lookup matching words for ‘^.ssen’ in ‘*’ using ‘re’
239 matching words found

Matches from wiktionary-de:
Essen -> not accessible
...
essen

[tie-ling]

Log

:C: "dict 1.13.3/rf on Linux 6.18.0"

:S: Searching in 'wiktionary-de'

:S:   database search

trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba90bf91b

compare "trinken" with "traditionalistischerer" (sizes: 7 and 22)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (105 != 97) 

trinken 0x7fcba909b8c9 0x7fcba90bf91b

compare "trinken" with "trockenresistenteste" (sizes: 7 and 20)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (105 != 111) 

trinken 0x7fcba909b8c9 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "tratst dagegen" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (105 != 97) 

trinken 0x7fcba90a48e6 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "treudoofen" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (105 != 101) 

trinken 0x7fcba90a90fe 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "trifft wieder" (sizes: 7 and 13)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (110 != 102) 

trinken 0x7fcba90ab50e 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "trippet" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (110 != 112) 

trinken 0x7fcba90ab50e 0x7fcba90ac6fb

compare "trinken" with "trinitarischen" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (107 != 105) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abe1c 0x7fcba90ac6fb

compare "trinken" with "trinkfertige" (sizes: 7 and 12)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (101 != 102) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abe1c 0x7fcba90ac282

compare "trinken" with "trinken tot" (sizes: 7 and 11)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -1

trinken 0x7fcba90abe1c 0x7fcba90ac04a

compare "trinken" with "trinkbarer" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (101 != 98) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abf45 0x7fcba90ac04a

compare "trinken" with "trinke weg" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (110 != 32) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abfcf 0x7fcba90ac04a

compare "trinken" with "trinken an" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -1

trinken 0x7fcba90abfcf 0x7fcba90ac009

compare "trinken" with "trinke zu" (sizes: 7 and 9)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (110 != 32) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abff9 0x7fcba90ac009

compare "trinken" with "trinken" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 0

trinken 0x7fcba90abff9 0x7fcba90abff9

binary_search returns 0x7fcba90abff9

compare "trinken" with "trinken" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 0

linear_search returns 0x7fcba90abff9

compare "trinken" with "trinken" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 0

compare "trinken" with "trinken an" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -1

:M: wiktionary-de exact "trinken" 1

:S: Searching in 'wiktionary-de'

:S:   database search

trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba90bf91b

compare "trinken" with "traditionalistischerer" (sizes: 7 and 22)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (105 != 97) 

trinken 0x7fcba909b8c9 0x7fcba90bf91b

compare "trinken" with "trockenresistenteste" (sizes: 7 and 20)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (105 != 111) 

trinken 0x7fcba909b8c9 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "tratst dagegen" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (105 != 97) 

trinken 0x7fcba90a48e6 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "treudoofen" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (105 != 101) 

trinken 0x7fcba90a90fe 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "trifft wieder" (sizes: 7 and 13)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (110 != 102) 

trinken 0x7fcba90ab50e 0x7fcba90ad8f2

compare "trinken" with "trippet" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (110 != 112) 

trinken 0x7fcba90ab50e 0x7fcba90ac6fb

compare "trinken" with "trinitarischen" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (107 != 105) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abe1c 0x7fcba90ac6fb

compare "trinken" with "trinkfertige" (sizes: 7 and 12)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (101 != 102) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abe1c 0x7fcba90ac282

compare "trinken" with "trinken tot" (sizes: 7 and 11)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -1

trinken 0x7fcba90abe1c 0x7fcba90ac04a

compare "trinken" with "trinkbarer" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (101 != 98) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abf45 0x7fcba90ac04a

compare "trinken" with "trinke weg" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (110 != 32) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abfcf 0x7fcba90ac04a

compare "trinken" with "trinken an" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -1

trinken 0x7fcba90abfcf 0x7fcba90ac009

compare "trinken" with "trinke zu" (sizes: 7 and 9)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 1 (110 != 32) 

trinken 0x7fcba90abff9 0x7fcba90ac009

compare "trinken" with "trinken" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 0

trinken 0x7fcba90abff9 0x7fcba90abff9

binary_search returns 0x7fcba90abff9

compare "trinken" with "trinken" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 0

linear_search returns 0x7fcba90abff9

compare "trinken" with "trinken" (sizes: 7 and 7)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = 0

compare "trinken" with "trinken an" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -1

:D: wiktionary-de "trinken" 1

:I: quit: d/m/c = 1/1/34; 0.000r 0.000u 0.000s

:C: "dict 1.13.3/rf on Linux 6.18.0"

:S: Searching in 'wiktionary-de'

:S:   database search

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9370b80

compare "Trinken" with "vorhersahen" (sizes: 7 and 11)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 118) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba91f41e0

compare "Trinken" with "unverwertbar" (sizes: 7 and 12)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 117) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9135d0b

compare "Trinken" with "ummeldenden" (sizes: 7 and 11)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 117) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba90d6ab2

compare "Trinken" with "treibest vor" (sizes: 7 and 12)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba90a717a

compare "Trinken" with "timokratischer" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba908f4d4

compare "Trinken" with "teilvergoldeter" (sizes: 7 and 15)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9083691

compare "Trinken" with "tastest weiter" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba907d76c

compare "Trinken" with "talentfreie" (sizes: 7 and 11)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba907a7d6

compare "Trinken" with "tagelangen" (sizes: 7 and 10)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9079018

compare "Trinken" with "tackerest" (sizes: 7 and 9)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9078435

compare "Trinken" with "tablettierendes" (sizes: 7 and 15)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9077e30

compare "Trinken" with "tabellarischen" (sizes: 7 and 14)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9077b40

compare "Trinken" with "tabakfarbenes" (sizes: 7 and 13)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba90779be

compare "Trinken" with "tabakbraunen" (sizes: 7 and 12)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba907790c

compare "Trinken" with "tButanols" (sizes: 7 and 9)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba90778af

compare "Trinken" with "t" (sizes: 7 and 1)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba907787a

compare "Trinken" with "t" (sizes: 7 and 1)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba9077864

compare "Trinken" with "t" (sizes: 7 and 1)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

Trinken 0x7fcba907785a 0x7fcba907785a

binary_search returns 0x7fcba907785a

compare "Trinken" with "t" (sizes: 7 and 1)

   We are inside index.c:compare_allchars

   result = -2 (84 != 116) 

linear_search returns (nil)

:N: wiktionary-de exact "Trinken"

:I: quit: d/m/c = 0/0/19; 0.000r 0.000u 0.000s