OpenOffice

Which dictionary should I add correctly spelled words to?

Asked by Endolith

If the spell checker flags a correctly spelled word, I want to add it to the dictionary so it isn't flagged again. However, the menu for this is completely unhelpful. It lists four "dictionaries":

  standard.dic
  Ubuntu.dic
  soffice.dic
  IgnoreAllList

Which should I use?

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Best FD (fdouw) said : 		#1

This is entirely up to you; the variety of dictionaries allows you to manage when to use which dictionary, you may even add your own dictionary. For instance, I might add a dictionary “Physics” for when I am writing a paper, and then switch it off when I am writing something else. To manage dictionaries go to: Tools > Options > Language Settings > Writing Aids.

About the dictionaries that you list: Ubunt.dic contains names and terms related to Ubuntu, soffice.dic contains names and terms related to OpenOffice.org, and IgnoreAllList is used when you select “Ignore All”, rather than “Add”.

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Endolith (endolith) said : 		#2

"Ubuntu.dic contains names and terms related to Ubuntu"
"soffice.dic contains names and terms related to OpenOffice.org"

What does this mean? "Related to"?

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FD (fdouw) said : 		#3

Ubuntu.dic contains the names of Ubuntu releases and flavours (eg, “Intrepid”, “Kubuntu”); likewise, soffice.dic contains the names of programmes in the OpenOffice.org suite, commands that you can use in these programmes, etc. You can see this if you go to: Tools > Options > Language Settings > Writing Aids, select Ubuntu [All] (or soffice [All]), and click “Edit…”. Here, also, you can edit these dictionaries.

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Endolith (endolith) said : 		#4

Then there's no reason why the user would want to add words to these dictionaries. They shouldn't be in this menu at all.

It looks like adding a word to IgnoreAllList does exactly the same thing as "Ignore All". Why does this even appear in the dictionaries list?

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FD (fdouw) said : 		#5

I am not one of the developers, so I cannot say how this construction was motivated, but it seems reasonable to me: there is the framework for using multiple dictionaries—to which you can add words of your own—, and the “Ignore All” feature is implemented by use of a dictionary, hence it appears in this list.

By the way, you might actually want to add a word to the Ubuntu or soffice dictionary if you think it is Ubuntu or OpenOffice.org related.

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Endolith (endolith) said : 		#6

Thanks Floris Douw, that solved my question.