Spell checker syntax

[whanigsberg]

Hi everyone,

In preparation for a demo I have been experimenting with the spell check feature which works nicely right from the genie. Bravo Alpha.

Having set up a button to spellcheck the currently active field I find that the checker returns a ui_msg_box informing me when the process is complete. The title of the box is the name of the field control as set in the form's object properties for that field.

I wonder if it is possible to have more control over the dialog, in effect to customize it. In attempting to do so I discovered that if you type "spellchecker." in the interactive window you have quite a few options for specific methods. However, I have located no documentation on these methods (which is not to say it doesn't exist). I did examine the code generated by the genie but it didn't take me very far.

So I ask,
-has anyone found documentation on spell check methods, and
-can I use them to customize the spell check process?

Thanks,
Bill

[Selwyn Rabins]

RE: Spell checker syntax

We did not document the spellcheker object in A5 becuase 1) we did not think that people would want to write their own user interface to the spell checker, and 2) we did not want to provide support for this object.

but, since you are curious, here is the internal documentation on the object:








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V
Add_Word(C word)

Description:
Add word to the user dictionary.

Examples:
-
sp.add_word(�Blah�) � adds
the word �Blah� to the dictionary so it is no longer marked as misspelled

�the following Xbasic code
creates a spellchecker and adds
� the first misspelled word to
the dictionary (�containz�)

�---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dim sp as p
sp = spellchecker.check(�This
containz misspeled werds�)
sp.find_error()
sp.add_word(sp.word())



P
Check(C text)

Description:
Check text (can be long text - like a memo) for errors

Examples:
-
sp = spellchecker.check(�This containz mispeled werds�)
� will check this text for errors
-
sp = spellchecker.check(sometext) �
will check the contents of sometext for errors if sometext is a character
variable

�the following Xbasic code
creates a spellchecker searches
�for errors, stores the first
misspelled word in bad_word,
�and stores a list of suggested
alternative words in suggestions

�---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dim sp as P
dim sometext as C
dim suggestions as C
dim bad_word as C

sometext = �This containz
mispeled werds�

sp = spellchecker.check(sometext)
if sp.find_error() = .T. then
bad_word = sp.word()
suggestions = sp.suggest()
end if



L
Done()

Description:
Returns TRUE if there are no more misspelled words.

Examples:
�The following Xbasic script
creates a CR/LF separated
�list of misspelled words

�----------------------------------------------------------
dim sp as p
dim badwords as c

badwords = ��
sp = spellchecker.check(�This
contins bad werds�)
if sp.find_error() = .T. then
while sp.done() =.F.
badwords =
badwords + chr(13)+chr(10) + sp.word()
sp.next_word()
sp.find_error()
end while
end if


L Find_Error()
Description:
Look for spelling error from current location, return FALSE if no errors found.
Moves the cursor to the misspelled word.

Examples:
-
See spellchecker.done() and spellchecker.check()


Ignore(C Word)

Description:
If current word is misspelled, ignore it and add it to the
ignored history

Examples:

� After the following Xbasic script is executed,
sp.word() = �werds�
� because �contins� was ignored

�-----------------------------------------------------------------------
sp = spellchecker.create(�This contins bad werds�)
sp.ignore(�contins�)
sp.find_error()
first_bad_word = sp.word()

See also:
-
Reset_history()


L
In_Dictionary()

Description:
Returns TRUE if current word is in the dictionary.

Examples:
-
sp.In_Dictionary() = .T. if sp.word() = �the�
-
sp.In_Dictionary() = .F. if sp.word() = �mistak� if �mistak� has not been
added to the user dictionary with add_word()

L In_Replace_History()
Description:
Returns TRUE if the �error' found
(current word) has been replaced previously and is in the replacement history

Examples:
-
sp.In_Replace_History() = .F. if the current word has been replaced
previously and sp.reset_history() has not been called
-
sp.in_replace_history() = .T. if the current word has never been replaced


L Next_Word()

Description:
Go to the next word in spellchecker.text(). Goes
to the next word, not the next misspelled word. Returns .T. if there are more
words, .F. otherwise.

Examples:
-
sp.next_word() � will move
the cursor to the next word.
-
See sp.done()



C
Replace(C Word[,L Add_to_history])

Description:
Replace current word with another - by default adds in history.
Returns old word.

Examples:
-
sp.replace(�replacement�) �
will replace the contents of sp.word() with �replacement�

dim sp as p
dim badword as c

sp = spellchecker.create(�Chek
this sentence�)
sp.find_error()
badword = sp.replace(�Check�,
.F.) �replace �Chek� with �Check� and don�t add to the history




Reset_History()

Description:
Reset the history (don't remember past ignored words).

Examples:
-
sp.reset_history() � no
longer remembers previously ignored words

See also: In_Replace_history()



C Suggest([N suggestion])

Description:
Returns the suggestion for correction (starting at
1) - returns all suggestions as a CR/LF separated character string if parameter
is omitted.

Examples:
-
sugg = sp.suggest(5) � will
store the fifth suggestion in sugg.
-
sugg = sp.suggestion() � will
return a list of all suggestions for sp.word() separated by CR/LF
-
see spellchecker.check(C Text)


C
Text()

Description:
Returns the current text (with corrections).

Examples:
� After this Xbasic script is run,
the_text will be
� �This contins som bad werds�

�------------------------------------------------------
dim the_text as p
dim sp as p

sp = spellchecker.create(�This
contins som bad werds�)
the_text=sp.text()

C
Word()

Description:
Returns the word that the spellchecker is currently looking at

Examples:
-
sp.word() = �werds� if the spellchecker cursor is currently positioned at
the beginning of �werds�
-
see examples for SpellChecker.Check(C Text)


N
Word_Length()

Description:
Returns the length of the current word.

Examples:
-
sp.word_length() = 5 if sp.word() = �werds�
-
see replace()


N
Word_Pos()

Description:
Returns the character position of the current word.

Examples:
-
sp.word_pos() = 6 � if
sp.text() = �Jack ind Jill went up the hill� and sp.word() = �ind�.
-
See replace()

[whanigsberg]

RE: Spell checker syntax

Thanks very much for letting us see.

Bill

[whanigsberg]

RE: Spell checker syntax

Selwyn,

The autocomplete is such a fantastic feature (my favorite) but it lifts the curtain and lets the audience see a bit of backstage! Hence my question.

I am just beginning to grasp how to exploit the new version.

Bill