Wintertree Spell Check Applet
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Frequently asked questions

This document contains frequently asked questions about Wintertree Spell Check Applet.

1. How can I install the applet and dictionaries permanently on the client machine so they don't have to be downloaded every time?

The Spell Check Applet is an unsigned applet, and browsers will not allow unsigned applets loaded from a remote site to access local files. Some browsers will allow applets to access local files if the applet is located in the browser's Java CLASSPATH. However, the procedure for doing this is platform and browser dependent, so we cannot support use of the applet this way.

2. How can updates made to a user dictionary be shared by all users?

First, we don't recommend doing this, at least not without some form of review and control. A user who adds a misspelled word to a shared dictionary compromises the effectiveness of the spelling checker for all users. A much better approach is to have users submit words for review, and add valid words carefully to a shared dictionary only after review.

The example files included with the Spell Check Applet store the user dictionary in a browser cookie. It should be possible to create an HTML form that collects the user-dictionary contents from the cookie and submits them to a CGI script, ASP/JSP page, etc. for processing, but this feature is not included in Wintertree Spell Check Applet.

3. How can I reduce the download time on slow connections?

Starting with version 1.5, Wintertree Spell Check Applet includes dictionaries in three sizes. Using a smaller dictionary on a slow connection will reduce the start-up time required. See Current Version for upgrading instructions.

4. Why does the applet stop checking text after a "&" or "<" in the document?

When the IGNORE_HTML_MARKUPS_OPT option is enabled, Spell Check Applet assumes that the text being checked contains correctly formed HTML. In HTML, characters such as "&" and "<" are used to denote character entities and markups. Correctly formed HTML does not use these characters literally; instead, it represents them using &amper; and &lt; character entities. The solution is to either disable IGNORE_HTML_MARKUPS_OPT or replace any "&" and "<" characters in the text with &amper; and &lt;.