Spell check not working - pspell or aspell?

[Bonnie]

The spell check function does not appear to work on my SMF 2.0.4 forum. Clicking on the button just brings up a blank window.

It's enabled in the admin panel, and when I click on the little question mark for more information, it says: "Enable spell checking. You MUST have the pspell library installed on your server and your PHP configuration set up to use the pspell library. Your server DOES appear to have this set up."

However, my web host has told me this: "After much digging around, I've found pspell has been discontinued since 2001. Please convert SMF to use aspell instead of pspell -- I've confirmed aspell library is indeed installed. You may need to update your version here -- the requirements list Aspell (pspell has not been worked on since 2001) and not spell: http://download.simplemachines.org/requirements.php"

It is true that the SMF requirements mention aspell and not pspell. So why does the little help icon in SMF refer to pspell... and more importantly, why isn't the spell check working if pspell is installed?

I'm so confused! Can anyone help please?

[Arantor]

SMF isn't going to be converted to use Aspell either, technically both are discouraged with PHP 5.3, which is supposed to use enchant.

However, pspell does work just fine - it's in use here.

That said, I really wouldn't bother personally. Most browsers have a better spell check built in than what you can install on the server anyway.

[Bonnie]

Hm, I wonder why it isn't working on my server then? My host has told me they have compiled the dictionary and enabled pspell. I literally just get a blank popup when I click to check spelling.

A lot of the users of the forum are not very tech-savvy and I think prefer the ease of a "Spell Check" button, so would like to get it working for them. I just have no indication of what could be wrong as there is no error and nothing is getting recorded in the error log.

[Arantor]

Honestly, the spell check in browsers is even easier than having to press a button because it just works straight away - I don't have to press anything and if I make a typo, it's automatically underlined in red just like it is in Word.

[Bonnie]

That's what I use (in Chrome) - I never use the SMF spell check thing either. Presumably IE, which the majority of our users use, has a spell check too? If so then that may be our only option...

[Arantor]

Not out of the box, but there is an option in the form of http://www.iespell.com/

The way to sell it to your users is that it will include spell checking in all the sites they go to, not just yours. Or get them to move to a more up to date browser.

[kat]

http://www.speckie.com

[knagl]

I'm in the same boat (albeit with the 1.x SMF branch), and I have to say that I'm really disappointed that the reply in every thread about this is, "tell your users to use a better browser."  How about fixing the fact that SMF relies on an outdated, depreciated, and now unsupported PHP function in order for an option in the SMF software to work?

I realize that I'm coming off as a whining, complaining SMF user, and that's not my goal (I really do love SMF), but I just don't get why nobody seems to be interested in fixing what has become a usability issue for a number of people (and presumably more and more people will run into this issue as hosts upgrade their PHP version to 5.3 or above).  A Google search yields a number of threads about this exact issue, and every time the reply has been, "just tell your users to change their browser."

I get it, Internet Explorer is pretty crummy, but the reality is that there are members of my forum (and probably just about every forum out there) who use it.  I use Chrome, and even though I don't need the spell check button myself, I don't think it's great support to acknowledge that it's broken but not try to do anything to fix it.  If that's the official SMF stance, why not just remove the spell checking functionality altogether?

[Storman™]

I'm running aspell 0.60.6 with php 5.3.22 and it works just fine with the SMF spellchecker.

[Arantor]

How about fixing the fact that SMF relies on an outdated, depreciated, and now unsupported PHP function in order for an option in the SMF software to work?

Because it's a LOT of work for a feature that doesn't really work all that well for the use case for users.

It relies on host configuration - which has always been variable and inconsistent, followed by the host installing all the dictionaries that a site wants to use.

but I just don't get why nobody seems to be interested in fixing what has become a usability issue for a number of people

Because it is a massive amount of work for a low payoff.

Quite a few changes are required - it's not a simple one-for-one changeover, there are changes required to every single language pack, changes to the admin panel in at least 3 places followed by changing the spell checking code in all the places it's used, which is in the posting area, the search area and possibly even the signature area (I know some installations exposed that functionality)

The reality is that the majority of users (based on the fact that IE is the number 2 browser according to many sources, and Chrome+Firefox+Safari+Opera+mobile browsers now have a much greater majority) have a spell checker built into their browser and which uses the language they want, including adding their own words to the dictionary.

Encouraging users to get that sorted out means they have spell checker for *every* website, not just the ones that choose to enable it.

I don't think it's great support to acknowledge that it's broken but not try to do anything to fix it.

There are far bigger things that should be done first but no-one's interested.

If that's the official SMF stance, why not just remove the spell checking functionality altogether?

I know in my SMF fork I already did remove it.

I'm running aspell 0.60.6 with php 5.3.22 and it works just fine with the SMF spellchecker.

You still have the pspell library installed since SMF expressly checks for pspell functions, not aspell functions, and the point is actually kind of irrelevant. Yes, it works - but the reality is that pspell support is being phased out, as it is, it has to be installed manually. Technically it is unsupported so something *should* be done.

[dimspace]

Just to add to this. I too with Pspell libraries all installed and working just get a blank popup when trying to use spellcheck.

I was actually specifically requested by my members, an english language spellchecker to be installed as for many of the members english is not their first language, and their browser has the spellchecker of their default language, not english by default.

[Storman™]

I too with Pspell libraries all installed and working just get a blank popup when trying to use spellcheck.

You might have the libraries installed but have you actually got a language dictionary installed as well ?

No dictionary, no worky ..... 

[dimspace]

I too with Pspell libraries all installed and working just get a blank popup when trying to use spellcheck.

You might have the libraries installed but have you actually got a language dictionary installed as well ?

No dictionary, no worky ..... 

you know, i thought i had.. turns out i missed out the slightly vital makeinstall at the end

For those who need to install dictionary. following is instructions for English dictionary

in SSH (linux)

Code Select Expand

# wget ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/dict/en/aspell6-en-7.1-0.tar.bz2
# tar -xjvf aspell6-en-7.1-0.tar.bz2
# cd aspell6-en-7.1-0
# ./configure
# make
# make install

other languages here> ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/dict/0index.html#0.60

[Arantor]

Yup, you actually need both - pspell is the code that does the work for PHP, aspell contains the dictionaries themselves (that's not entirely 100% accurate but it's a good enough simplification for the most part)

[dimspace]

Yup, you actually need both - pspell is the code that does the work for PHP, aspell contains the dictionaries themselves (that's not entirely 100% accurate but it's a good enough simplification for the most part)

indeed, thats just the dictionary instructions. assumedly the user has got as far as installing pspell.

[Arantor]

And just for fun, pspell is deprecated in PHP 5.3+, so while it's installable it's distinctly not the preferred setup for going forward (but switching to enchant is a royal PITA)

[Burke ♞ Knight]

Is this issue solved or do you still require assistance?


If this is solved feel free to mark it as solved otherwise reply with some details of what isn't working.

[roshaoar]

I too with Pspell libraries all installed and working just get a blank popup when trying to use spellcheck.

You might have the libraries installed but have you actually got a language dictionary installed as well ?

No dictionary, no worky ..... 

you know, i thought i had.. turns out i missed out the slightly vital makeinstall at the end

For those who need to install dictionary. following is instructions for English dictionary

in SSH (linux)

Code Select Expand

# wget ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/dict/en/aspell6-en-7.1-0.tar.bz2
# tar -xjvf aspell6-en-7.1-0.tar.bz2
# cd aspell6-en-7.1-0
# ./configure
# make
# make install

other languages here> ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/dict/0index.html#0.60

Hi,

I can't seem to get this to work. SSH just hangs trying to connect to ftp.gnu.org

Would anyone be able to suggest an alternative?

I need to apparently install an English (British) language and this post is the nearest one I could find to some help

Many thanks,

-Johan

added - tried ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/dict/en/aspell6-en-2015.04.24-0.tar.bz2 apparently file not there but when on webpage it is.

[Kindred]

They have both been deprecated anyway...