New Posting Features - vB Spell

What this does: vB Spell allows you to install a dictionary (English dictionary included) into your MysQL database, and provide a spell checking window that works in both of vB's editor modes, standard and WYSIWYG.

Background: This mod was originally developed by tamarian for vB 3.5.x. With the release of 3.6.x the installer stopped working for fresh installs and the template changes were considerably out of date, tamarian gave me permission to release a 3.6.x version with updates.
This version should work with both 3.5.x and 3.6.x series.

Features:

• Supports most recent versions of browsers. Tested on IE, Firefox, Mozilla/Netsacpe, Opera and Konqueror (Konqueror implies Safari, but please confirm Mac folks).
• Learn Feature uses cookies, so it won't increase the database size.
• Admin panel options.
• Spell Check button appears anywhere there is a WYSIWYG Enhanced or Standard Editor Toolbar [includes quickreply but not quickedit].
• Skips quoted text and other tags (PHP, code, etc.).
• Usergroup permisisons.
• Template based interface, and uses your default style.
• Link buttons (Thesarus and Lookup) with links to Merriam Webster's online thesarus and dictionary links with the suggestion for misspelled words.

Installation:

• Unzip main package.
• Upload the contents of the 'upload' folder to your forum home directory.
  Regular Install:
  • Unzip dictionary-reg.zip.
  • Upload DICTIONARY.DIC to your forum home directory.
  Alternate Install
  • Unzip dictionary-alt.zip.
  • Import the SQL files to your database.
• Import product-spellvb.xml.
• Go to AdminCP > vBulletin Options > vB Spell and edit your usergroup permisisons.
• Template changes are now automatic. [accept for quickedit]

Q: What is the Alternate Install method for?
A: If you are having problems with the Regular Install (such as your dictionary import freezes at x%) then you should consider using the Alternate Install. If neither of these methods work for you then there might be an issue with your server host.

Upgrading:

• Unzip main package.
• Upload the contents of the 'upload' folder to your forum home directory.
• Import product-spellvb.xml.

To manually force the quickedit template to work with this mod:
postbit_quickedit
Find

		<if condition="is_browser('ie')">
			<td><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_editor]/separator.gif" width="6" height="20" alt="" /></td>
			<td><div class="imagebutton" id="{$editorid}_cmd_spelling"><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_editor]/spelling.gif" width="21" height="20" alt="$vbphrase[check_spelling]" /></div></td>
		</if>

Replace with

		<td><img src="$stylevar[imgdir_editor]/separator.gif" width="6" height="20" alt="" /></td>
		<td><div class="imagebutton" id="{$editorid}_cmd_spelling(null)"><img onclick="spellCheck('3', '$editorid', '2');" src="$stylevar[imgdir_editor]/spelling.gif" width="21" height="20" alt="$vbphrase[check_spelling]" /></div></td>

History:
0.10.x NyNe versions
v0.10.3b - 06/22/07:
Compensated for an issue brought up in this post.
v0.10.3 - 06/22/07:
Added a check to the product installer so it would not remove the vbspell table after just having created it.
Added $vboptions[bburl] to all template code that asks for files (this *might* fix the PhotoPost issues - no promises).
v0.10.2b - 08/26/06:
Fixed error in product installer (removed table prefix).
Changed all <? to <?php for php5 compatibility.
v0.10.2a - 08/26/06:
Removed alt product installer.
Product installer included now checks for dictionary file, if dictionary file is not found it continues installing.
Product installer no longer drops dictionary table before installing.
v0.10.2 - 08/22/06:
vbspell template is now XHTML 1.0 Transitional.
Fixed a version check for vbspell template (made compatible with 3.5.x).
vB Spell window should now open on top of other windows.
Removed table prefix for vbspell sql table (product installer includes code to remove old tables).
Included alternate installation method (Credit goes to Replicators for the SQL Install method).
v0.10.1 - 08/21/06:
Beta release for 3.6.x series.
Switched to product/plugin based installer.

0.9.x tamarian versions
v0.9.12 - 12/25/05:
Security fix for cases where you allow HTML posts and they contain malicious code (Credit goes to Brendan Donahue for finding the issue and alerting TechGuy, and to TechGuy for alerting me to it).
v0.9.11 - 11/02/05:
Fixes a bug with slashes in text.
v0.9.10 - 10/17/05:
Check for primary and secondary group for permission.
Bug fix for quoted words.
v0.9.9 - 09/13/05:
Bugfix for JS on IE with RC3.
v0.9.8 - 07/15/05:
Bugfix for JS code mismatch with template.
v0.9.7 - 07/14/05:
Initial release for vB 3.5 beta-4.

NOTE: The above section says NyNe versions, because I go by the name NyNe everywhere accept here.

Scrrenshots: (from tamarian's 3.0.7, but it's identical)

[kyzyl]

I've just installed this mod and I've gotten everything to work, except the spell check itself!

I uploaded the dictionary file, installed the product, but when I spell check a post it finds the errors but doesn't give any suggestions?!

Any help would be appreciated.

[perfphysio]

Installed OK on 3.6.2

It quickly flashes open in a new window in firefox which is annoying as it is so fast that you don't notice it and it does not remain on top of the forum window so you have to find it in the bottom nav bar of the browser.

Also does this need to learn all words? I just did a test and it did not give any options for any words really and so I had to click on learn for every second word. I did the normal install as this is the first time I have installed this hack. This meant I just ftp'd the dictionay file to the root and nothing more than that. I did not use anything in the dictionary-alt zip file. Was I supposed to use both?

Thanks for any assistance on this one

regards Richard

[R1lover]

Help Please.............

[Eq4bits]

Finally got this re-installed after upgrading forum.
I have the pop-under window problem as well as when the pop-up loads it says every other word in the post is incorrectly spell and no alternatives are offered at all.
Anyone?

[Eq4bits]

Well I've compared the vbspell.js file in this version to the previous one for 3.5.3 I think it was and they are identical line by line. So does that mean that's not the problem or that it IS the problem?

Also, just for giggles and snorts i opened the vbspell template as if i was going to edit it, clicked the 'preview' button and low and behold look at the 'message' in it.... is this a 'fluke' or normal? (see attached screenshot)

[davidw]

Just curious - for those having the pop-under problem - what version of vb are you running?

Edited for spelling :P

[Eq4bits]

3.6.2 here
but it doesn't really matter if it 'pops-under' since it doesn't offer corrections/suggestion, and recognizes correctly spelled words as incorrectly spelled/needed to be learned... In fact every word in this post would come up as needing correcting.

[davidw]

I'm wondering as I've had this working well (It's working on 3.6.1) - but I've seen where a couple people have 3.6.2 and have issues with it and if more people with 3.6.2 have issues with it then there may be an incompatibility with 3.6.2 and this hack. Possibly on more than one level.

[Eq4bits]

one thought does occur to me. My host recently made some changes to the MySQL and there is now another 'column' in all my table sturctures called 'collation'. So my question is what should the collation be for the vbspell table (latin 1?) and also since I'm having to import the sql files splitting the actual dictionary up, when I import them which character set should I use, myPHPadmin gives me a drop-down of several to choose from... should it be the utf8 or another?

[r5e]

I got the pop-up problems when I changed from 3.5.x to 3.6.x, or when I changed from the last version (0.9.12) to this latest version (0.10.2b). As such, it is hard to say whether it was the latest vbspell that caused it, or the latest vbulletin that caused it. I can say that I get the same problems on 3.6.1 and on 3.6.2 as I had these problems before 3.6.2 came out.
Now as for whether this is caused by the javascript...? I have also compared the files of vbspell.js, vbspell.php and vbspell_iframe.php between the old and the current versions. Mostly the only changes are very minor, such as changing the name ?vBSpell? to ?vB Spell?. However, there are a few key changes which might be interesting.

10.2b:

function openSpellWin(wx, hx) {

        window.open("", "spellWindow", 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width='+wx+',height='+hx);
        window.focus;

}

9.12:

function openSpellWin(width, height) {

        window.open("", "spellWindow", 'toolbar=no,location=no,directories=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,width='+width+',height='+height+'\'');
}

Looks like some minor changes with height and width changing to wx and hx. Does this make a difference?

Well, I decided to test the theory by simply renaming the 3 (current veriosn) files on my server and then simply copying the 3 files of the old version (vbspell.js, vbspell.php and vbspell_iframe.php) in their place. What happened? Absolutely nothing! No difference. I still get the pop-up happening behind the edit window, not in front. It seems to me that the idea of looking at the javascript may be a dead end.

I really have no idea, but I?d have to theorise that something has changed in 3.6.x to make this happen. I?d guess this could be something along the lines of code compliance and how browsers interpret this. For example, maybe the doc type has changed (it is currently ?XHTML 1.0 Transitional?)? actually, bad example, I just checked and 3.0.x is also XHTML 1.0 Transitional.

So, I have not brought any new useful information to this thread, but I can tell you this:

1. I have written to the author asking for them to have a quick check in here as although they are regularly in the forum, they have not been here for a while. It?s not fair to nag or judge the author of free software for a lack of support, but I wanted to know if they had finished with it and would be happy with someone else to pick up and run with it. Unfortunately, they have neither replied, nor posted in here.
2. It would seem on the surface that the javascript is not at fault, as the old version which used to work does not work in here.
3. I have not yet looked into the product.xml. I think that this is where it will have to be. (If no one else can solve this before I do)