Spell Check Help

[JRR]

Up until recently all PB forums if the admin chose to use had a Spell check button and of course when it was clicked any words that had been misspelled would be listed with a list of correctly spelled words to use. The Spell check was added by means of what Proboards calls plugins. Recently the author of the plugin decided he wasn't going to give help support to the plugin thus it was scrapped and doesn't even work any more.


I don't know if I'm posting this request in the right section so please bear with me but I would like to add my own spell check something like this:

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/...ry-editor-prog

Can someone help me put this on my forums?

[jscheuer1]

Huh? Doesn't virtually every device/browser have its own built in spell checker now? Seriously, there can be almost no point in providing this as a feature for a forum. It most likely would be more of a nuisance (like for people who want to but who cannot seem to find a way to turn it off) than a help to anyone.

[JRR]

Quite the contrary John. I have a lot of non computer older people and even though you are correct it's not really needed if you use what's available want and use a spell check just like this. Also the way this is set up if you don't use it you never know it's there. It works only by clicking on the "Spell Check" button. Don't click you never know it's there. Take note of the button at the bottom of the page here in the Quick Reply posting area:

http://scooterdoc.proboards.com/thre...ride-long-time

When you click on it you come up with the 404 error. Also the way this spell check was set up it won't even respond until you post text in the reply window so it's not a nuisance at all, just there "if" you want to use it. The spell check when it did work was a apples to apples copy to the link I posted. It actually worked very well.

[jscheuer1]

I'm not convinced. There has been no activity on the project you linked to since 2001, the developer of the version/application to PB has let this go. I think you probably should too.

That said, it is possible to run command line programs from PHP, and something MIGHT be able to be worked out. But, most hosts don't allow that anyway. Like I can set that up on my WAMP server, but not on my shared host live web pages. It depends upon what kind of host you have. My guess is shared though, because those cost less and are more widely available.

Your best bet would be some similar thing either specifically for PB (best choice probably) or perhaps one for PHP based forums in general if either is available and currently supported.

Maybe you could still use your current one. What exactly happened? Why did it stop working? Did you update to a newer version of PB, or is it more mysterious than that? If it just stop working for no apparent reason, there might be a way to fix it. Otherwise, like I say, your best bet is another similar plugin if any such thing could be found.

Again though, this really sounds like something almost everyone in the world except you is willing to let go of. Nothing lasts forever.

See also (if you haven't already):

http://support.proboards.com/thread/...rollTo=5013712

They seem to agree with me.

This video seems to contradict that post though:

https://vimeo.com/70542030

But then you may have a later version of PB or the plug in may have been discontinued. That's says it's for version 5. I was unable to find any current spell check plug in for PB.

[JRR]

Long story short John Spell check has been a long time staple of PB. I've been through 3 different versions from V3 to the present V5 as you mentioned and they are planning a new V6 as we speak.

Here is the thread where it was stated that the plugin has simply been discontinued:

http://support.proboards.com/thread/...boards-support

When PB converted to V5 about 1-1/2 years ago they did away with their spell check but believe me when I say this thousands of members world wide asked for it back thus Patrick clinger the CEO of Proboards created a spell check plugin and up to about march of this year it worked but as I stated now it doesn't and the plugin has been discontinued but anyone can make their own.

I don't have a clue as to why it quit working and some plugins are left by the maker as editable some not and here is this plugin:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d8utsyfjll...ecker.pbp?dl=0


You can go on the forum link I provided scroll down the page and hit the spell check to what it is doing. When it did stop PB didn't give a reason for not wanting to fix it, they just said they would not support it any more but again they have no problem with you making one for yourself.

[jscheuer1]

Hmm . . . Well, I don't have a clue how to develop for PB in particular. And, though it appears the plug in has been discontinued, and sort of offered up at the same time to anyone who wants to struggle with it, that's not really in my wheelhouse, and I doubt anyone else's on this forum. Also - I notice that the more experienced and higher ranked participants in the discussion are basically saying what I initially did -

Browsers and Operating Systems do that now (spell check). There's no reason for PB developers to waste time on it any longer.

I know it can be hard to let go of a cherished feature or even application. I'm still having some withdrawal from the Opera Browser's development team's decision to basically become just a variant of Chrome. At the same time, I'm beginning to appreciate the new look and feel.

Heck, in some ways I still miss Windows NT. That was a great OS and MS has yet to fully duplicate all it had to offer in a similar package.

Anyways, and as I guess you know I'm trying to say, time marches on. It's not always a bad thing. I don't miss flat DOS, Win 3.2, or Vista. And, as I've been saying along with many others about this, spell check is now handled by the browser and/or OS.

Now, like I said, it's not like there's no chance someone will develop/update this for you. But I think it is pretty unlikely. Even if they do, it's a little questionable as to whether or not it's something you should continue to offer on your forums.

One of the ideas on this I've seen a bit is to the effect that - Now, with so many browsers having spell check, it would be virtually impossible to detect them all and override their actions in our own pop up spell checker. Not being able to do so would be very confusing if not more problematic for our users.

As I said, sad as it may be, I think it's just time to just let go on this one. That would be my advice even if a substitute were to become available.

[JRR]

I'm not unhappy about it myself nor do I have any remorse about it being gone, just was trying for some of my members. Myself I can't stand spell check and DO NOT use it at all, have it turned off on all my browsers. Not bragging but I know how to spell and don't need it. I'm old school and was brought up in school at a time when they actually did things like taught you how to spell, learned how to do math without a calculator and had to use your brain instead of a phone and/or a computer. Yes that long ago.

But to me it would also seem that if places like the link can still do a spell check by code it is still being used other than a browser? Also as I said the way this spell check was set up it had no effect on what your browser did one way or another, IMO it was not a bad idea for those who truly need such a thing. It was a use it if you wanted too instead of it always stepped in if you misspelled a word like the browser thing does. It did not interfere with a browser spell check in any way some of my members never even noticed it was that there? To me the browser spell check is a nuisance along with email spell check on Outlook that I use again I have mine turned off I hate them. The only option as far as this plugin goes is if the author of the plugin that quit would allow editing on his plugin so whatever caused it to stop could be fixed, I could ask and if allowed then the plugin code could be seen to find out why it quit working? No big deal one way or another.


Thanks for looking.

[jscheuer1]

Hmm, I don't think you get the bit of the browser spell check interfering with the pop up spell check. You have yours off. But when the popup comes, if the suggestions on it are not in the browser's dictionary, they will be highlighted for correction and suggestions made if one tried to copy or otherwise use them as replacements for the originally misspelled word.

I'm like you in how I learned, but, though I'm good at math and spelling, I'd rather think about other things. I love calculators and spell checkers. I figure there's only so much time for details, and I want to only spend it on the really necessary/interesting ones.