In this tutorial, we explore how we use BudouX to bring intelligent, phrase-aware line breaking to languages where whitespace is not naturally present, such as Japanese, Chinese, and Thai. We begin by setting up the library and working with its default parsers to understand how raw text is segmented into meaningful chunks. We then move into HTML transformation, where we visually see how BudouX improves readability in constrained layouts by inserting invisible breakpoints. As we progress, we dive deeper into the underlying model, inspecting its learned features and weights to understand how decisions are made. We also experiment with custom model manipulation, integrate BudouX into practical workflows like line wrapping and JSON-based pipelines, and evaluate its performance. Also, we build a minimal end-to-end training pipeline to gain intuition about how such lightweight ML models are constructed.
import subprocess, sys
def pip(*pkgs):
subprocess.check_call([sys.executable, "-m", "pip", "install", "-q", *pkgs])
pip("budoux")
import json, time, textwrap, html, random, re, os, tempfile
from pathlib import Path
import budoux
from IPython.display import HTML, display, Markdown
print(f"โ
BudouX version: {budoux.__version__ if hasattr(budoux,'__version__') else 'installed'}")
def header(title):
display(Markdown(f"## {title}"))
header("1๏ธโฃ Default parsers โ Japanese / Chinese (Simplified & Traditional) / Thai")
samples = {
"Japanese (ja)": ("ไปๆฅใฏๅคฉๆฐใงใใBudouXใฏๆฉๆขฐๅญฆ็ฟใ็จใใๆน่กๆดๅฝขใใผใซใงใใ",
budoux.load_default_japanese_parser()),
"Simplified Chinese": ("ไปๅคฉๆฏๆดๅคฉใBudouX ๆฏไธไธชไฝฟ็จๆบๅจๅญฆไน ็ๆข่กๆด็ๅทฅๅ
ทใ",
budoux.load_default_simplified_chinese_parser()),
"Traditional Chinese": ("ไปๅคฉๆฏๆดๅคฉใBudouX ๆฏไธๅไฝฟ็จๆฉๅจๅญธ็ฟ็ๆ่กๆด็ๅทฅๅ
ทใ",
budoux.load_default_traditional_chinese_parser()),
"Thai (th)": ("เธงเธฑเธเธเธตเนเธญเธฒเธเธฒเธจเธเธตเธกเธฒเธเนเธฅเธฐเธเธฑเธเธญเธขเธฒเธเธญเธญเธเนเธเนเธเธดเธเนเธฅเนเธเธเธตเนเธชเธงเธเธชเธฒเธเธฒเธฃเธเธฐ",
budoux.load_default_thai_parser()),
}
for name, (text, parser) in samples.items():
chunks = parser.parse(text)
print(f"\nโข {name}")
print(f" raw : {text}")
print(f" parsed: {' | '.join(chunks)} ({len(chunks)} phrases)")We install BudouX and set up all required imports to begin working with the library. We load default parsers for multiple languages and pass sample sentences through them to observe how the text is segmented into meaningful phrases. This helps us understand the core functionality of BudouX and how it handles different linguistic structures out of the box.
header("2๏ธโฃ HTML translation with `translate_html_string`")
ja_parser = budoux.load_default_japanese_parser()
html_in = "ไปๆฅใฏ<b>ใจใฆใๅคฉๆฐ</b>ใงใใ"
html_out = ja_parser.translate_html_string(html_in)
visible = html_out.replace("\u200b", "ยท")
print("Input HTML :", html_in)
print("Output HTML :", html_out)
print("Visualised :", visible)
demo_text = ("BudouXใฏๆฉๆขฐๅญฆ็ฟใ็จใใฆใCJK่จ่ชใฎๆ็ซ ใๆๅณใฎใใ"
"ใใฌใผใบใซๅๅฒใใ่ช็ถใชไฝ็ฝฎใงๆน่กใงใใใใใซใใพใใ")
demo_html = ja_parser.translate_html_string(demo_text)
display(HTML(f"""
<div style="display:flex; gap:16px; font-family:'Hiragino Sans',sans-serif;">
<div style="width:140px; border:2px solid #c33; padding:8px;">
<b style="color:#c33;">โ Plain</b><br>{demo_text}
</div>
<div style="width:140px; border:2px solid #2a8; padding:8px;">
<b style="color:#2a8;">โ
BudouX</b><br>{demo_html}
</div>
</div>
"""))
header("3๏ธโฃ Model introspection โ features & weights")
model_dir = Path(budoux.__file__).parent / "models"
print("Bundled models:", [p.name for p in model_dir.glob("*.json")])
with open(model_dir / "ja.json", encoding="utf-8") as f:
ja_model = json.load(f)
print(f"\nFeature categories in ja.json: {list(ja_model.keys())}")
total = sum(len(v) for v in ja_model.values())
print(f"Total learned features: {total:,}")
for cat, feats in ja_model.items():
print(f" โข {cat:5s} โ {len(feats):,} features")
flat = [(cat, feat, w) for cat, d in ja_model.items() for feat, w in d.items()]
flat.sort(key=lambda x: x[2], reverse=True)
print("\nTop 5 features that vote 'BREAK HERE':")
for cat, feat, w in flat[:5]:
print(f" [{cat}] {feat!r} โ weight={w}")
print("\nTop 5 features that vote 'DO NOT BREAK':")
for cat, feat, w in flat[-5:]:
print(f" [{cat}] {feat!r} โ weight={w}")We use BudouX to transform HTML strings by inserting invisible breakpoints that improve text wrapping. We visualize the effect by comparing plain text rendering with BudouX-enhanced output in a constrained layout. We also inspect the internal model structure, exploring feature categories and weights to understand how the segmentation decisions are learned.
header("4๏ธโฃ Loading a custom model with `budoux.Parser(model)`")
neutered = {cat: {k: 0 for k in d} for cat, d in ja_model.items()}
flat_parser = budoux.Parser(neutered)
print("All-zero model output :", flat_parser.parse("ไปๆฅใฏๅคฉๆฐใงใใ"))
print("Default model output :", ja_parser.parse("ไปๆฅใฏๅคฉๆฐใงใใ"))
header("5๏ธโฃ Practical: custom separators, line-wrapping, JSON export")
def wrap_with_budoux(text, parser, max_width=12, sep="\n"):
lines, current = [], ""
for phrase in parser.parse(text):
if len(current) + len(phrase) > max_width and current:
lines.append(current); current = phrase
else:
current += phrase
if current: lines.append(current)
return sep.join(lines)
novel = ("ๅพ่ผฉใฏ็ซใงใใใๅๅใฏใพใ ็กใใใฉใใง็ใใใใจใใจ่ฆๅฝใใคใใฌใ"
"ไฝใงใ่ๆใใใใใใใๆใงใใฃใผใใฃใผๆณฃใใฆใใไบใ ใใฏ่จๆถใใฆใใใ")
print("Wrapped at width 12:")
print(wrap_with_budoux(novel, ja_parser, max_width=12))
seg = {"text": novel, "phrases": ja_parser.parse(novel)}
print("\nJSON payload (first 120 chars):", json.dumps(seg, ensure_ascii=False)[:120], "...")We experiment with a custom model by modifying all feature weights to zero and observing how segmentation behavior changes. We then implement a practical text-wrapping function that respects BudouX phrase boundaries for better readability. Finally, we export the segmented output as JSON, making it easy to integrate into downstream systems or front-end applications.
header("6๏ธโฃ Performance benchmark")
big_text = novel * 200
t0 = time.perf_counter()
phrases = ja_parser.parse(big_text)
elapsed = time.perf_counter() - t0
print(f"Parsed {len(big_text):,} chars โ {len(phrases):,} phrases "
f"in {elapsed*1000:.1f} ms ({len(big_text)/elapsed/1000:.0f}k chars/sec)")
header("7๏ธโฃ Mini end-to-end trainer (toy demo)")
training_lines = [
"็งใฏโ้
ๅป้ญใงใโๅพ
ใกๅใใใซโใใคใโ้
ๅปใใฆโใใพใใพใใ",
"ใกใผใซใงโๅพ
ใกๅใใโ็ธๆใซโไธ่จใโใใใใใญใใจโ่ฌใใฐโใฉใใซใโใชใใจโๆใฃใฆโใใพใใใ",
"ๆตทๅคใงใฏโใฑใผใฟใคใโๆใฃใฆโใใชใใ",
"ไปๆฅใฏโใจใฆใโใใโๅคฉๆฐใงใใ",
"ๆๆฅใฏโ้จใโ้ใโใใโใใใพใใใ",
"้ฑๆซใฏโๅ้ใจโๆ ็ปใโ่ฆใซโ่กใใพใใ",
] * 20
SEP = "\u2581"
def extract_features(s, i):
def g(idx): return s[idx] if 0 <= idx < len(s) else ""
feats = []
for off in (-3,-2,-1,0,1,2):
feats.append(f"U{off}:{g(i+off)}")
for off in (-2,-1,0,1):
feats.append(f"B{off}:{g(i+off)}{g(i+off+1)}")
for off in (-1,0):
feats.append(f"T{off}:{g(i+off)}{g(i+off+1)}{g(i+off+2)}")
return feats
def make_examples(lines):
X, y = [], []
for line in lines:
clean = line.replace(SEP, "")
breaks = set()
j = 0
for ch in line:
if ch == SEP: breaks.add(j)
else: j += 1
for i in range(1, len(clean)):
X.append(extract_features(clean, i))
y.append(1 if i in breaks else -1)
return X, y
X, y = make_examples(training_lines)
print(f"Training examples: {len(X)} (positives: {sum(1 for v in y if v==1)})")We benchmark BudouXโs performance to evaluate its efficiency in processing large amounts of text. We then begin constructing a minimal training pipeline by preparing labeled data and extracting features around potential breakpoints. This gives us insight into how training data is structured and how features contribute to segmentation decisions.
def adaboost(X, y, rounds=80):
n = len(y)
w = [1/n]*n
feat_set = sorted({f for fx in X for f in fx})
fmap = [set(fx) for fx in X]
model_rounds = []
for r in range(rounds):
best_feat, best_err, best_pol = None, 1.0, 1
for f in feat_set:
err_pos = sum(w[i] for i in range(n) if (f in fmap[i]) != (y[i]==1))
err_neg = 1 - err_pos
if err_pos < best_err: best_feat, best_err, best_pol = f, err_pos, +1
if err_neg < best_err: best_feat, best_err, best_pol = f, err_neg, -1
if best_err >= 0.5 - 1e-9: break
eps = max(best_err, 1e-6)
alpha = 0.5 * ( (1-eps)/eps ) ** 0.5
new_w = []
for i in range(n):
pred = best_pol if best_feat in fmap[i] else -best_pol
new_w.append(w[i] * (0.5 if pred == y[i] else 2.0))
s = sum(new_w); w = [x/s for x in new_w]
model_rounds.append((best_feat, best_pol, alpha))
return model_rounds
print("Training (this is a toy trainer โ be patient ~10s)...")
t0 = time.perf_counter()
rounds = adaboost(X, y, rounds=60)
print(f"Done in {time.perf_counter()-t0:.1f}s, {len(rounds)} stumps kept.")
correct = 0
for fx, label in zip(X, y):
score = sum(a if (f in fx) == (p==1) else -a for f,p,a in rounds)
pred = 1 if score > 0 else -1
correct += (pred == label)
print(f"Training accuracy of toy model: {correct/len(X)*100:.1f}%")
print("๐ For a production model, use `scripts/train.py` from the BudouX repo with the matching feature extractor โ this section is illustrative.")
header("8๏ธโฃ Real-world demo โ narrow column comparison")
paragraph = ("BudouXใฏGoogleใ้็บใใใชใผใใณใฝใผในใฎๆน่กใฉใคใใฉใชใงใใ"
"ๆฉๆขฐๅญฆ็ฟใขใใซใไฝฟใฃใฆใๆ็ซ ใๆๅณใฎใใใใฌใผใบใซๅๅฒใใ"
"่ชญใฟใใใไฝ็ฝฎใงใฎใฟๆน่กใ่ตทใใใใใซใใพใใ"
"ไพๅญ้ขไฟใใชใ่ปฝ้ใชใใใใฆใงใใตใคใใใขใใคใซใขใใชใซ"
"็ฐกๅใซ็ตใฟ่พผใใใจใใงใใพใใ")
display(HTML(f"""
<div style="display:flex; gap:24px; font-family:'Hiragino Sans','Yu Gothic',sans-serif; font-size:15px;">
<div style="flex:1; border:2px solid #c33; padding:12px; max-width:180px;">
<b style="color:#c33;">Without BudouX</b>
<p style="line-height:1.7;">{paragraph}</p>
</div>
<div style="flex:1; border:2px solid #2a8; padding:12px; max-width:180px;">
<b style="color:#2a8;">With BudouX</b>
<p style="line-height:1.7;">{ja_parser.translate_html_string(paragraph)}</p>
</div>
</div>
<p style="font-size:12px;color:#666;">Resize the browser/Colab pane to see the difference more clearly โ BudouX never breaks a phrase mid-word.</p>
"""))
print("\n๐ธ Tutorial complete. Try plugging BudouX output into your own UI.")We implement a simple AdaBoost-based training loop to build a toy segmentation model from scratch. We evaluate the modelโs accuracy to understand how well it learns phrase boundaries from the data. Finally, we present a real-world comparison that shows how BudouX improves readability in narrow layouts, reinforcing its practical value.
In conclusion, we developed a comprehensive understanding of how BudouX applies machine learning to solve the nuanced problem of natural line breaking in CJK and similar languages. We saw how it operates efficiently without heavy dependencies, making it ideal for web and mobile integrations. Through hands-on exploration, from parsing and HTML rendering to model introspection, customization, and even training, we learned how to use BudouX and also how to extend and adapt it for our own use cases. This equips us with both the practical tools and conceptual clarity needed to incorporate phrase-aware text segmentation into real-world applications with confidence.
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