Autotext entries

[ctkbShawn]

Is there a way to link the dictionaries used by the Spelling and Grammar feature to the Autotext feature, so you don't have to manually enter several entries to the autotext list? If not, is there a way to create a template of an entire dictionary that the Autotext can look in?

 

[Jay Freedman]

I'm having trouble understanding what spelling/grammar and dictionaries have
to do with AutoText. Are you perhaps thinking of AutoCorrect? If so, you
should be aware that letting the machine correct spelling without human
oversight can be embarrassing and at times dangerous.

For a summary of what AutoText is all about, see
http://members.verizon.net/~vze27sds/autotext.htm. For a template with a
macro that will help you load a large list of entries into AutoText,
download http://members.verizon.net/~vze27sds/downloads/autotextloader.zip.

 

[ctkbShawn]

Thank you for responding Jay.

What I want to do is make Word more user friendly for someone who has limited use of their hands and fingers. Rather than having to type the complete words - and fatigue their hands - simply type the first few letters and show a list of words they can choose from - hence the Autotext feature.

Now, the Spelling and Grammar feature has to "look" at a dictionary (.DIC) file when comparing text in the typed document. Can the .DIC files be added to the Look In: list of the Autotext feature?

----- Jay Freedman wrote: -----

I'm having trouble understanding what spelling/grammar and dictionaries have
to do with AutoText. Are you perhaps thinking of AutoCorrect? If so, you
should be aware that letting the machine correct spelling without human
oversight can be embarrassing and at times dangerous.

For a summary of what AutoText is all about, see
http://members.verizon.net/~vze27sds/autotext.htm. For a template with a
macro that will help you load a large list of entries into AutoText,
download http://members.verizon.net/~vze27sds/downloads/autotextloader.zip.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Unfortunately, no. The "Look in" entry must be a template, not any other
kind of file. Besides, the .DIC file is not simply a list of words -- it's a
binary-encoded pile of word roots, prefixes and suffixes, irregular forms,
synonyms, etc. The AutoText feature wouldn't have any idea of how to handle
that.

You can do a Google search to find other "dictionary" files that are simple
lists of words, and use the Autotextloader macro to make AutoText entries
from them (with some up-front work to use Table > Convert > Text to Table
and copy the first column to make an identical second column). It's up to
you whether this amount of work is worth the benefit.

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

In this situation, it will be even easier for them to use AutoCorrect, when
they type a few letters and they are automatically changed without having to
choose anything. Get them to write down some abbreviations that they might
use anyhow, as they go along they will likely develop more, and add those to
the AutoCorrect via Tools | AutoCorrect.

AutoCorrect and AutoText work nicely in conjunction with each other, and
both can be backed up and exported to other computers in the future.

DM

 

[TortFeasor]

Is there a way of making a table and a macro to load up a list of auto
correct entries? Like you did with the auto text loader dot macro?

 

[Jay Freedman]

It should be possible. I'll look into it as soon as I get that famous round
tuit...

 

[TortFeasor]

Thanks.

 

[Jay Freedman]

I adapted the AutoText macro to do AutoCorrect, and it's available for
download at
http://members.verizon.net/~vze27sds/downloads/autocorrectloader.zip.

After I did that, I remembered that this function is just half of the
macro in the template at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/ExportAutocorrect.htm. When I
looked at the code in that template, it turned out to be quite
similar. Great minds and all that...