How can a spell checker be so bad?

[jimauburn]

I did not have high expectations for the spell checker built into RoboHELP, but in ac

tual use, this "tool" is next to useless. Examples of words it flags as misspelled: Microsoft

(it wants Micro soft), toolbar (it wants tool bar), hyperlink (it wants hyper link), and the list goes on an one, with each new example seeming more absurd than the last. Why bother including a spell checker if what you're going to offer the user is garbage, pure and simple?

[RoboColum_n_]

If I may interject here I think the problem is that not everyone wants to spell these terms (with the exeception of Microsoft) as one word. They are the generally accepted form and in the Microsoft Style Guide as one word but some may not want to follow this standard. As such having them as two words is the only way to allow for this. You can always add the term to your custom dictionary for it to never raise your blood pressure again. Hopefully a crumb of comfort.

---

• Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips, tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.
• Follow the RoboColum(n) on Twitter

[jimauburn]

Some may not want to follow this standard? Heck, some don't want to follow any standard. The purpose of a spell checker is to suggest the "standard" way of spelling something, right? The real problem is that the spell checker in RoboHELP is horrible. Please provide me with even one example of "someone" who wants to spell hyperlink or toolbar as two words. And I should point that these examples are just a few of the many I found when dealing with the spell checker in RH.

[RoboColum_n_]

How would you deal with “There are some one of which is....”. Admittedly this is a bad example and there should be a comma between "some" and "one" but if this is left out, your spell checker would change it to "someone" which is incorrect. Anyway the point I am trying to make is that producing a generic spell checker that meets everyone's needs is a task I'll never want to undertake. I'm really not trying to defend RoboHelp's spell checker, just try to make you see that it is not as easy as it first looks

---

• Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips, tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.
• Follow the RoboColum(n) on Twitter

[jimauburn]

My point is I've not seen a worse spell checker since the mid 90s freeware versions. We're talking about commercial software here--expensive commercial software at that--not some freeware add-on. So my point is they need to do better--a lot better.

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

As you obviously have a strong opinion about it you really need to aim the feedback to the channel where Adobe listens. The forums aren't the place to do this. They listen to the Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form. Link is in my sig.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[Guest]

I'll definitely be passing some feedback along these lines. I have a couple PNGs on my hard drive here of screenshots I took of rather unhelpful spell check recommendations by RH8. In fact, one is for "reccomends"! Seriously pathetic.

[RoboColum_n_]

What dictionary are you using? I can't get a suggestion of "reccomends" at all. Don't forget that in RH8 you can check spelling by setting the dictionary at project, topic and paragraph.

---

• Read the RoboColum(n) for a tips, tricks and musings on the Technical Communication Suite products.
• Follow the RoboColum(n) on Twitter

[Guest]

I'm just using whatever default dictionary comes with Robohelp. Not sure how to specify other, better dictionaries.

As to the other point, it seems I have led you slightly astray. Robohelp is not suggesting "reccomends," I was trying to say that when it sees the word "reccomends," it suggests nothing close to "recommends."