# Implementing Chinese Telegraph Code with Large Static Lookup Tables on Android How 16,000+ characters are translated locally with optimal performance - **Source:** [Developing Android Apps](https://brifing.si/source/aa76b6c1-28c1-49f8-967e-b6a0eeadfa86) - **Published:** 2026-07-13 - **Topic:** [Software & Engineering](https://brifing.si/c/engineering) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/b80867f9-9e4e-481d-9fa2-f6fd4b258008 ## An Uncommon Engineering Challenge The absence of Chinese Telegraph Code support in Morse apps presented a unique problem requiring fast translation of 16,000+ characters. The developer created an optimized solution for this specific need. ## Size-Performance Tradeoff The system manages static data tables efficiently, achieving O(1) lookup while keeping app size under 100KB. This is crucial given mobile devices' limited resources. ## Bidirectional Translation Supporting both mainland (Simplified) and Taiwanese (Traditional) variants with short digit modes, users can convert codes to characters and vice versa seamlessly. ## AI Integration Integrated with an existing AI module that recognizes handwritten/printed Morse code, the system provides real-time translations like '你好' (hello) directly from camera input. ## Fully Offline Operation Requiring no server connection or API calls, the solution maintains user privacy while delivering low-latency performance with embedded data tables. ## Mobile Optimization Lessons This case study demonstrates efficient management of large static datasets on mobile, serving as a benchmark for balancing performance and storage constraints. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.reddit.com/r/androiddev/comments/1uv9nb7/an_android_use_case_for_large_static_lookup/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._