The Dictionaries Dialog allows you to open and close user dictionaries, and to edit the contents of an open user dictionary. The contents of dictionaries are saved in disk files. You can open some or all of your user dictionary files at any time. Only open dictionaries are searched during a spelling check.
Action list: Used to select an action that is associated with words in the dictionary. The action tells the spelling checker what to do when it finds a word in the dictionary. The following actions can be selected:
Auto change (use case of checked word): This action allows you to automatically replace one word with another. For example, if you often type recieve instead of receive, you might enter the word recieve with receive as the other word and "Auto change (use case of checked word)" as the action. The spelling checker will automatically correct recieve wherever it appears. If recieve was capitalized (Recieve), the spelling checker would automatically replace it with Receive. Note that the replacement is made automatically only if the "Auto Change" option is enabled (see the Options Dialog for information on the Auto Change option).
Auto change (use case of other word): This action allows you to automatically replace one word with another, always with the same case pattern as the other word. This action is useful for automatically expanding abbreviations. For example, you could enter the word TBD with to be determined as the other word and "Auto change (use case of other word)" as the action. The spelling checker will automatically replace TBD with to be determined wherever it appears. Note that the replacement is made automatically only if the "Auto Change" option is enabled (see the Options Dialog for information on the Auto Change option).
Conditionally change (use case of checked word): This action allows you to optionally replace one word with another. For example, if you often type recieve instead of receive, you might enter the word recieve with receive as the other word and "Auto change (use case of checked word)" as the action. The spelling checker will ask if you want to replace recieve with receive. If recieve was capitalized (Recieve), the spelling checker would ask if you wanted to replace it with Receive.
Conditionally change (use case of other word): This action allows you to optionally replace one word with another, always with the same case pattern as the other word. This action is useful for optionally expanding abbreviations. For example, you could enter the word TBD with to be determined as the other word and "Conditionally change (use case of other word)" as the action. The spelling checker will ask if you want to replace TBD with to be determined.
Exclude (treat as misspelled): This action tells the spelling checker that the word is misspelled, even if it is listed in another dictionary. Words marked with this action will never be offered as suggestions for misspelled words, and they will be reported as misspellings when they are encountered by the spelling checker. Note that the spelling checker looks up words in user dictionaries in the order in which they appear in the Files list. If you want to exclude a word, make sure it doesn't appear in a previous user dictionary.
Ignore (skip): This action tells the spelling checker that the word is spelled correctly, and so can be skipped over. This is the most common action.
Add File button: Opens a user dictionary file. When you select the Add File button, a dialog appears which you can use to select the dictionary file to open. The set of open dictionary files is remembered, so once you add a dictionary file you don't need to add it again. If you need to create a new user dictionary, use the New button. You can open other applications' user dictionary files.
Add Word button: Causes the word entered in the edit area of the Words list to be added to the currently selected dictionary. The currently selected action and other word are associated with the word. You can use the Add Word button to change the action or other word associated with a word. Note that the Add Word button is enabled only when a new word is typed in the edit area of the Words list. The words you add may contain virtually any character, but only words which contain embedded periods should have trailing periods (e.g., U.S.A. is OK, but USA. is not).
Close button: Closes the Dictionaries dialog.
Delete Word button: Causes the word appearing in the edit area of the Words list to be removed from the currently selected dictionary. The associated action and other word are also removed.
Export button: Saves the contents of the currently selected dictionary to a text file. When you select the Export button, a dialog appears which you can use to select the name of the text file to which words in the dictionary will be exported. The words are written to the file one per line.
Files list: Contains the list of open dictionary files. When you select a file from the list, its contents are displayed in the Words list.
Import button: Adds the words contained within a text file to the currently selected dictionary. When you select the Import button, a dialog appears which you can use to select the text file to be imported. Each word in the selected file is loaded into the dictionary. Note that importing a large list of words may take some time.
Language: Displays the language (e.g., English or French) of the words in the currently selected dictionary.
New button: Creates a new user dictionary file. When you select the New button, a dialog appears which you can use to specify attributes of the new dictionary. See the New Dictionary Dialog for details.
Other Word box: Contains an alternate word associated with the currently selected word. The other word is used in the "Auto change" and "Conditionally change" actions to supply a replacement word. You can enter more than one word in the Other Word box, but the total length should be limited to 63 characters.
Remove File button: Closes the currently selected dictionary file. Closed dictionaries are not checked during a spelling check. Although the file is closed, it is not deleted. Closed dictionary files can be later reopened using the Add File button.
Words list: Contains the list of words in the currently selected user dictionary.