Free Spellchecking is Here
 

There has been a PERL script out for some time that allows you to make use of aspell libraries that you can have installed on your server with PHP.

I have also included a text file that has the javascript that you insert into your editpost, newthread and newreply templates to add spell checking to your forums. The edited text is then inserted into the original document when submitted.

You need to have a cgi-bin, or similar directory, set up on your server and the aspell or ispell libraries for PHP on your server. (Do a look up for aspell or ispell on google, etc. on these libraries if you don't know about them.)

If someone wants to look over the enclosed PERL script and write it in PHP that would be great and make it to were you didn't have to have PERL on your server.

Enjoy!

Parker

Thanks, I'd love it if someone rewrote it in PHP :D

I second that

*misses spellchecker.net* :(

Unknown553.

This works just like spellchecker.net but it also gives you a pull down menu for each misspelled word to chose from. The other difference is its free. :)

Parker

that is so wierd guys One of the forums I am at, uses spellchecker, and has never payed for it.... yet it still functions 100%

there is another free spellchecker released. i saw it before but i dont use it..

Ok I installed it, works pretty well. However, the spell check button does not match the color/size of the other buttons, so I went ahead and fixed it (and I suggest you update the original file too ;)).


I changed this

to

This works great! I used Unknown's button fix, too. Thanks! :)

Unknown:

Thanks for the fix on the button. I have uploaded a new .zip file with the updated code.

Parker

any more help on the libraries needed. I found the sourceforge.net stuff but got a little confused when I downloaded what I thought I needed and where to put them. Am I looking for library files or word files or what.

Just a little more help in this area would be great.

Chazman

Hm.. I never get a dropdown box to select the "right spelling".. of a word.

Does someone have an example please?

It's fully functional on my site, but guests can only post in the feedback forum :) Also, the dropdown box will onyl show up on misspelled words, so if you don't see a drop down box, then you spelled everything correctly.

http://unknown553.bojangle.net/forum...p?s=&forumid=5

chazman:

Sorry. My ISP put the libraries on my server for me. I am not sure of what all you need to install them.

Parker

diettalk:

Here ya go.

Thanks.. I go not get those dropdown boxes... All the other windows I get fine.

I think I have an issue with aspell.

Hmm, are you sure you have the aspell or ispell libraries on your server?

Yea... Got it working... the only thing is when you try to "Insert in Document"... it doesn't work.

And the path to your spell.pl file is correct? (<form name="send" action="/cgi-bin/spell.pl" method="POST" target="SpellChecker">) And make sure the directory has write access (0777).

This is sweet and works super. I am very curious as to why Jelsoft or no one else has taken it upon themselves to even look at this idea.

It installs in 1 minute and checks spelling just as well as the services that were incorporated into the older vBulletin versions.

This is fantastic. Why is it that no one has done this, or thought about it till now?

Thanks Parker.

diettalk:

Make sure your paths to the spell.pl are correct, that the path to your aspell libraries are correct and that both the cgi-bin directory and spell.pl file are chmod 777. The spell.pl file has to be in the cgi-bin directory and not in the root or the vbulletin directory. (I am sure you have already done this but just to double check).

Hooper:

The spell.pl file has been available for some time that utilizes the aspell libraries with PHP. I just got the javascript code to work or I would have had this up a couple of months ago.

Hopefully someone will write the spell.pl file in PHP and jelsoft will incorporate it in the next version of vBulletin.

Parker

Got it totally working. Thanks...

fyi.. you should also add it to priv_sendprivmsg template as well for the PM's.

diettalk:

Glad to hear that you have it working. I added it to my priv_sendprivmsg template already but forgot to add it to the list of templates to modify.

Thanks for reminding me. I will update the .zip file.

Parker

Actually, it doesn't have to. My spell.pl file is in /forum and it works fine. Just chmod'd the directory to 777 and changed the path (/forum/spell.pl).

I know some servers only let you run PERL files out of the cgi-bin. Chmod 777 can also be bad news for PERL files depending on the server setup. I have the spell.pl file in the cgi-bin and the directory and file are chmodded to 755. Of course, all of this is one of the reasons I much prefer PHP to PERL. :)

Fortunately, this very cool hack works fine. :cool:

That's what I was thinking earlier.

:laugh:

Yeah the server has to be set up to allow PERL files in directories other than a cgi-bin directory or similar. I will try changing my spell.pl to 755.

I prefer PHP over PERL myself I just wish I knew how to convert from one to the other.

Parker

Ok. Perl to PHP. Who's a doin it?

Perl / Php conversion

Hooper:

Unless someone has written a program that will convert one into the other for you I won't be doing it. I am lucky if I get have the stuff that I write to work as it is.

Parker

Double Post...

Satan

How accurate is the Spelling?

Satan

hellsatan:

As far as I can tell it pretty acurate.

If you guys want to keep up with changes that the author of the script has done to the program then go to:

WBOSS. The javascript is included on the same page.

Parker

Good Good...

If you say it is fairly accurate, it might be worth installing...

Satan

seems that everyone is having good luck. Can we get more information on getting the libraries installed on the server. I haven't done this yet. Is this something for the server administrator to do?

Chazman

Parker, this looks like a very good addition (I've seen and used it over at HTF). Congratulations on another excellent addition.

Chazman, I'm wondering about this too. I'm on a shared web hosting package. I've just been on the Live Chat of my web host's support team, and they don't seem to think that it's installed (not much chance of getting it installed either I don't think). The web link Parker listed above seems to suggest that ispell may be installed by default (??as part of PHP4 - not sure about this). My web host gave me the link to the output of their PHP options and it's not listed there. I've got PHP installed on my own home machine and I didn't install Ispell then.

To the people who have this script working, did you install Ispell or Aspell yourself as a user option, or did your webhost have to insall it in their PHP or Perl setup?

Thanks.

Darren.

Excellent addition, thanks very much.

My ISP installed the aspell libraries on my server with PHP. If you already have PHP on your server I don't see any reason why they wouldn't install the libraries for you too. They are freeware so it would just be a matter of getting them to do it.

We all need to thank the author of WBOSS. I have emailed him and asked him if he would be willing to write this in PHP too. One of the nice things about the newest version of the script is that you can add a custom dictionary server side so it won't try to correct things with apostrophies and words that you might see a lot of on your site.

Parker

If your on a dedicated, you can install the libraries yourself.
If your on a shared account, just ask your host to install the
libraries. They should be more than willing to help you in this
area.

ispell, which is the other one spellchecker used.. may already be on the server (if it's red hat)..... Not sure about the other flavors of linux.

My Shared Hosting Administrator is looking into it he said. I looked at the installed PERL modules and didn't see ispell or aspell listed. So I guess I am now at the mercy of the ADMIN.

Chazman

Parker - How can you add words like "don't" which seem to get flagged?