Wanted - Spellchecker [Resolved]

[MartinLiss]

As some of you are aware, this site used to have a built-in spellchecker, but it was turned off (I think) because it used up too much resources. Anyhow, is there anyone out there who is talented enough to write one that individual users like me could use when creating or editing a post? Here are what I see as the requirements:

• It should be installable on my (or any user's) PC
• It should be activated by clicking Ctrl-S while creating a new post or editing an old one. I want to use Ctrl-S rather than a right-click activation because I already use the VB-WORLD Forum Tag Editing Tools 1.0 which is activated via the right-click.
• It should use Word in the background for spellchecking and the interaction between it and my post should be similar to the way the Word spellchecker interacts with a document. In other words, misspelled words in the post should be highlighted and replaced automatically at my option.
• It should have its own custom dictionary, separate from CUSTOM.DIC, so that I can add words to it which are OK in a post and not have that affect my spellchecking of a Word doc.

[plenderj]

There are lots of code samples of using word for checking spelling if one searches.
So it shouldn't be too difficult.

I also have dictionary lists.

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by plenderj
There are lots of code samples of using word for checking spelling if one searches.
So it shouldn't be too difficult.

I already use them (or similar) in my apps, but I know nothing about web apps, so it would be very difficult for me.

[plenderj]

Well really you just need to use a keyboard hook to hook CTRL+S and then use sendkeys or something similar.
I'll look into it ...

[MartinLiss]

Originally posted by plenderj
Well really you just need to use a keyboard hook to hook CTRL+S and then use sendkeys or something similar.
I'll look into it ...

Did you find out anything?

[The Hobo]

CTRL S would be bad, since that's the Universal Save shortcut.

It'd be cool if it would only be enabled if the VB Q and A window had focus, that way no matter what the shortcut key, it wouldn't interfere with any other programs.

[MartinLiss]

OK, any other shortcut then. Do you have any interest in writing it?

[The Hobo]

I don't know how possible it'd be to actually do it. I gave it a try with this code:

Public Const WH_KEYBOARD = 2
Public Const VK_SHIFT = &H10
 
Declare Function CallNextHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long, _
  ByVal ncode As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
  
Declare Function GetKeyState Lib "user32" (ByVal nVirtKey As Long) As Integer
 
Declare Function SetWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" Alias "SetWindowsHookExA" _
  (ByVal idHook As Long, ByVal lpfn As Long, ByVal hmod As Long, _
  ByVal dwThreadId As Long) As Long
  
Declare Function UnhookWindowsHookEx Lib "user32" (ByVal hHook As Long) As Long
 
Private Declare Function GetWindowText Lib "user32" Alias "GetWindowTextA" _
  (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal lpString As String, ByVal cch As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function GetForegroundWindow Lib "user32" () As Long
 
Public hHook As Long
 
Public Function KeyboardProc(ByVal idHook As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, _
  ByVal lParam As Long) As Long
Dim lHwnd As Long, strCaption As String
    
  If idHook < 0 Then
    KeyboardProc = CallNextHookEx(hHook, idHook, wParam, ByVal lParam)
  Else
    If (GetKeyState(VK_SHIFT) And &HF0000000) And wParam = Asc("S") Then
            
      strCaption = String(100, Chr$(0))
      lHwnd = GetForegroundWindow
      GetWindowText lHwnd, strCaption, 100
            
      If InStr(1, strCaption, "VB Q and A") Then
        MsgBox "Got ya!"
      End If
    End If
    
    KeyboardProc = CallNextHookEx(hHook, idHook, wParam, ByVal lParam)
  End If
End Function

But IE seems to distrupt the hook.

[MartinLiss]

Are you familiar with the VB-WORLD Forum Tag Editing Tools? They modify text of a post so it should be possible.

[RAEsquivelC]

Just a suggestion, though you might think it takes too many keystrokes.

1. Highlight your message and hit Ctrl+c (Edit, Copy)
2. Hit the Word shortcut that you have put into a left, hiding folder
3. Hit Ctrl+v (Edit, Paste) to paste your message into Word
4. Hit the F7 key (Tools, Spelling and Grammer), and do your spell-checking.
5. When finished, hit Ctrl+a (highlight all) and then Ctrl+c
6. Go back to your forum (or wherever your were) and hit Ctrl+v.
Done!

Now, one of you good VB prorammers might just put the above together in a one- or two-keystroke code. Then we can all benefit!

[MartinLiss]

I forgot I had asked this question. In the meantime I wrote one which can be used with the VB forum tool (see the Here is a valuable forum tool link in my signature) and/or appended to the context menu of the posting screen. I've attached the htm file.