future of spellcheck for TinyMCE

Hi Deborah,

I'm not sure how far Dave got in his research into the PHP Enchant module, but whether or not we are able to build Enchant support into a future CMSB version, it will depend on whether or not each individual web server also has the appropriate libraries installed, and so I would recommend also being aware of other spell checking options.

Firstly, as you noted, most browsers do support native spell checking. In the latest version of CMSB, TinyMCE should be configured to allow this native behaviour to function. I was able to use browser spellcheck in current IE, Chrome, and FireFox, using CMSB v3.50, so this may be a local issue with the computer your client is using.

Alternately, it may also be worth looking into browser plugins/add-ons. I personally use Grammarly (https://grammarly.com/).

Let me know if you have any further questions!

Thanks,

Hi Deborah, 

A few additional comments on this.

We've found that the browser spell-checkers have progressed to the point where they are a lot better than the service-side alternatives these days.   We were previously disabling any browser spell checking just to implement our own, which wasn't even as good.  Additionally, from a user-experience point of view, we want the spellcheck functionality to be consistent for the user.  If they're used to spellcheck working a certain way everywhere else and then we change it, then that can be confusing.

So no plans to re-implement spellcheck.  We could add a button to explain to users how to enable it in their browser.

What browser is your client using?  Are they not getting automatic spell checking through their browser? 

Thanks!

Dave, thanks for the explanation. That direction taken for CMSB makes perfect sense.

I've just learned that the client who inquired is using Safari browser. I don't have that browser, but sent instructions for menu settings:
Edit > Spelling and Grammar > Check Spelling While Typing

My Chrome, Firefox, and MS Edge all seem to have spellcheck built in, so possibly only Safari has that disabled by default.

~ Deborah