HOW TO INTEGRATE A SPELL CHECKER WITH EZ-READER This file will discuss how to integrate a spell checker with EZ-Reader so you can be sure all of your messages are neat, clean, and well behaved when you send them on their way. All of the information in the file is current as of March 8, 1990. You will need the following files for this project: EZ127.ZIP The current version of EZ-Reader QEDIT21.ZIP The current version of QEdit SS16.ZIP The current version of ShareSpell I am assuming that you already have EZ-Reader up and running, and that you know how to use it to enter and reply to messages. If not, start this project by reading the EZ-Reader documentation. I am also going to assume that you have installed QEdit as your ASCII text editor in the EZ-Reader configuration profile. If not, consider doing so for two reasons. First, QEdit is an excellent ASCII text editor and is extremely easy to learn. Second, the instructions I am about to give for integrating a spell checker with EZ-Reader are written specifically for QEdit. You're on your own with anything else. MODIFYING EZ-READER The first step is to modify your EZ-Reader configuration profile. 1. Load EZ-Reader and press to pop up the configure menu. 2. Select Editor and press 3. On the Editor Line, place "!" in front of your path to QEdit. For example, my Editor Line looks like this: !C:\EDITOR\Q.EXE If Q.EXE is in your EZ-Reader directory, type: !Q.EXE The following WILL NOT WORK: C:\EDITOR\!Q.EXE The "!" in front of the QEdit path tells EZ-Reader to swap to disk when running QEdit. This frees up enough memory to run both QEdit and a spell checker. When you finish your message and exit QEdit, EZ-Reader will reload in the same place you left it. I have answered the rest of the Editor Window questions as follows: Reply Filename: MESSAGE.TXT Message Filename: MESSAGE.TXT Does the editor accept two filenames on the command line? N (Although QEdit will accept two filenames, by answering no, the original message you are replying to will be loaded into the edit window. Just use block mark to delete lines you don't want to quote in your reply.) Press to exit the Editor Window, and then press to save the profile. MODIFYING QEDIT You need to write a macro to invoke the spell checker from within QEdit. In addition, because QEdit works on files in RAM, we need to tell QEdit to replace the file in RAM with the file on disk we just ran through the spell checker. We can do that by following these steps: 1. Load the file QCONFIG.DAT into a text editor (how about QEdit?) This file comes with the QEDIT archive. Go back and get it from the archive if you don't have it in your directory. 2. Page down until you get to the "function key set" area. 3. I have put the spell check macro on the key (because that key is undefined in QCONFIG.DAT), but you can redefine it to another key if you wish. 4. Type the following EXACTLY after the key space, lining up the beginning of the macro with the definitions above it: MacroBegin SaveFile Dos 'SS ' CurrentFilename Return Return "M" EditFile CurrentFilename Return NewFile "N" Return The macro must all be on one line (I have to split it here to fit the format of the text file) so remember to join the lines together before you try to use it. 5. Save the file QCONFIG.DAT 6. Run QCONFIG.EXE to reconfigure QEdit 7. Select KEYS from the Configure Menu 8. You will be asked to enter the keyboard definition file, press for QCONFIG.DAT 9. Press to save your settings ADDING SHARESPELL 1. Unzip SS16.ZIP and put SS.EXE and SS.DIC in the the same directory as QEdit. (Be sure and add this directory to your DOS PATH statement.) MAKING IT ALL WORK If you followed the above directions, everything should work. The next time you enter or reply to a message using EZ-Reader, press while you are in QEdit. The current file in memory will be saved to disk, you will enter the spell checker, and when the spell checker is done, the perfectly spelled file on disk will be loaded into memory and you'll be back in QEdit. Save the file, quit QEdit, and you'll be back in EZ-Reader with a perfectly spelled message. FINAL WORDS: Shareware authors spend a lot of time developing useful tools for the rest of us. You should pay for programs you use on a regular basis. If you want to register any of the three programs mentioned above, or are having difficulties locating the software, write to the following addresses: EZ-Reader: Thumper Technologies P.O. Box 471012 Tulsa, OK 74147-1012 BBS: 918-627-0059 QEdit: SemWare 4343 Shallowford Road, Suite C-3 Marietta, GA 30062-5003 Voice: 404-641-9002 BBS: 404-641-8968 ShareSpell: Acropolis Software 4620 Hazel Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628 ABOUT BUTTON AND DIETZ, INC. Button and Dietz, Inc., is a human resources company in Texas specializing in training activities for health and human services professionals. We conduct seminars on family violence, sexual abuse, working effectively with angry and hostile people, communications skills, and other issues. We also do professional report writing and editing. If you are interested, you can reach us at (512) 444-9822. Allen Dietz Button and Dietz, Inc. P.O. Box 19243 Austin, TX 78760-9243 03/08/90