What is Russian Spell Check? It is a program that checks Russian text documents for spelling errors - and some grammar errors.
Primarily, it is a tool, designed for students of the Russian language, but it will, of course, serve native Russian users as well. Please, notice that this is not a free program. See text below for details.
1. Introduction
2. Requirements
3. Installation
4. Operation
5. Evaluation
6. Shareware info
Introduction
Please, take a look at what is in this package.
1. A User's Manual (You're reading it now).
2. The Russian Spell Check program.
3. A Russian Dictionary - over 80,000 words.
4. A Grammar Coverage text file.
5. A sample text for testing the program - called "Oxygen City.”
6. A registration card.
7. A Version History text file.
8. A Requirements text file.
9. A Spelling Coverage text file.
10. An ASCII Font Table Clarisworks text file (including pictures).
11. A sample KOI8 text file - "Sample.KOI8" - is included.
12. A temporary spelling Dictionary "MySD.TXT".
13. A file containing geographical entries.
14. A preference file, called "RSC-150.PREF".
15. A Grammar Reference Table - suitable for printout. Use it as a handy guide.
16. A VERB AID Coverage text file.
17. A Dictionary Coverage file.
18. A statistical analysys text file "Russian Top 2800".
19. An informative Clarisworks text file "Soft Sign Nouns".
The program was created with the intention of making it easier (and more fun) for students to write and to spell check in Russian - without having to buy a fancy $400 program. All registered users of Russian Spell Check will receive information of new versions - and will benefit substantially by paying less for future versions, where grammar check is planned.
The included Dictionary contains words and renderings of words - a total of over 78,000 words. This version of the program (RSC-150) makes it possible to store 150,000 words. Upon registering You may order Russian Spell Check with larger or smaller storage capability.
The included sample document "Oxygen City,” is a short children's story, which has yet to be corrected. This makes it possible to try out the program immediately.
The font and installation of Russian script, have their origins from Internet, where they are available as freeware.
Requirements
Russian Spell Check requires 5.0 MB of free RAM. It works trouble free with RAM-Doubler installed. It requires system 7 (or later) and 256 color capability.
You must keep the two dictionaries ( "RusSD.TXT" and "MySD.TXT" ) in the same folder as Russian Spell Check. If You wish to have access to the dictionaries in any other folder, simply make a copy.
All documents must be TEXT documents. Selected fonts and styles will all appear as one font and style. The prime goal of this program is to check spelling (and later grammar) - nothing else. Please, note that document size is limited to 64 kb.
For more details, read the supplied Requirements text file.
Installation
You may place the Russian Spell Check folder wherever You wish. The Russian font, however, You install by moving it to Your Mac's font folder. Open the Russian Script folder and drag the Script icon to the System. ("Russian fonts and script are a part of the Russian System 7, obtained by FTP from FTP.Apple.Com.")
Now - restart Your Mac. And that's it!
Operation
When You start Russian Spell Check, the first thing that happens, is that it loads the dictionaries "RusSD.TXT" and "MySD.TXT".
Now, study the workplace and its buttons.
Please, study the functions of each button below.
OPEN FILE and SAVE FILE
The program prompts You whenever You need to press one of these buttons. Before You open a file, it must be saved as TEXT. When You save a file, it is - in like manner - saved as TEXT.
You will find, as a special feature, the option of saving Your spelling errors in a separate text file.
Now, You are able to select either a KOI8 or a Cyrillic filter each time
You open a file. The KOI8 filter works with many dicuments found on Internet. The Cyrillic filter covers many Russian documents used on PC machines. To use these filters, You must first register.
When loading Russian text documents, the program automatically replaces all ASCII characters 97 with 224. I have noted that many documents on Internet are written this way.
Q U I T
This button is virtually always active. Basically, it is only locked during saving or loading. Its function is self explanatory.
YES and NO
The computer will ask You questions, and when You respond, these colored buttons makes communication easy and fast.
H E L P
Clicking this button brings up the HELP instructions. By continually clicking YES, You read thru the instructions at Your own pace. To abort - simply click the HELP button again.
SPELL CHECK
After loading Your document, You will be prompted to click this button, to start the actual spell checking. Your Russian text will appear in the window above the buttons. As long as the program does not come across any spelling errors, it will continue to show the text that is currently checked.
Thanks to a unique Quick-Halve Search Technique, errors are discovered extraordinarily fast.
When an error is found, the program halts, and You have a range of buttons to use. We will discuss each button below. After completing Your inputs, the program resumes checking until it finds a new error, and so on - until the end of the document is reached.
ABORT
If You run out of time, You can press ABORT and the program skips to the end of the document. This way, You may still save Your work, and continue later. If You exceed the limit of edits (max. 990), AUTO ABORT is initiated.
IGNORE
If the program halts at, for instance, a name, You may not wish to correct it, or, not wish to add it to the Dictionary. With the ignore button You continue - and Russian Spell Check remembers to skip this word throughout the rest of Your document. At the end of each spell checking, You have the option of saving all ignored words (i.e. errors).
ADD to DICTIONARY
Because of the vast range of renderings, You will discover that the program halts on words that are correctly spelled. This is so, simply due to the fact, that the Dictionary is built on the most common words and some of their renderings. A word of warning, though: MAKE SURE You do not add an incorrectly spelled word to the Dictionary!
CHANGE
When the program halts, showing You an incorrectly spelled word, You can work inside the Russian Spell Check window, and change the to the correct spelling.
Next, click Change again, and the program will spell check Your correction. If You still have problem finding the right spelling, it is advisable to use the following button:
SUGGEST
By clicking on this button, You instantly switch from the text document to similar words in the Dictionary. In most cases You will find the correct spelling among these words.
When You have studied the suggestions, return to the text document by clicking on Suggest a second time.
PREFERENCES
With the aid of this button, You are able to change the program settings. These changes are stored in "RSC-090.Pref". Currently, the preferences include: FONTS, FONT
SIZE, ONCE/EACH error handling in spell checking, DELAY TIME in Grammar Check.
Click the PREFERENCES button and follow the instructions. Press desired numerical key to set changes. If You do not wish to alter the settings, simply press RETURN, and You will resume without changes.
VERB AID
When You click this button, You will get access to a special feature of Russian Spell Check. In the edit field You are able to type in a verb - and receive information on how this verb is declined. Please, read "VERB AID Coverage" for more details.
Gender Aid
This button gives You powerful access to determine the gender of nouns. Especially the nouns ending with the soft sign is a problem for many students. But now, built into Russian Spell Check, You may conveniently find the gender by simply pressing a button! Please, read the individual Gender Aid Coverage for details.
GRAMMAR CHECK
Grammar Check has been improved, and the user will find these existing functions:
1) to check for a missing, or incorrectly added, buffer vowel to 10 of the most common prepositions.
2) to check for correct ending of adjectives and nouns in various forms. See
Grammar Coverage for details. The program stops when it encounters an error.
However, the user will observe, that the indicated "error" is not always an error.
Hence, please, consider the advice as a suggestion.
3) to check for correct usage of adjectives and nouns following the numbers two,
three and four ( ‰‚‡, ‰‚Â, ÚË, ˜ÂÚ˚ ).
4) to check for correct usage of conjuction "ÌÂÒÏÓÚfl".
5) to check for pronouns that need to be in dative.
6) to check for incorrect usage in cases of obligation and necessity.
Please, read the Grammar Coverage text file for detailed information.
The active buttons work as in spell checking, with the exception of CHANGE. When You click CHANGE, the program automatically inserts or deletes the prepositional buffer vowel. NOTE, that if an incorrect ending is found, the CHANGE button works exactly as in spell checking.
In Russian Spell Check
all rules of GENDER AID are built into GRAMMAR CHECK.
Grammar Check is open only to those who register.
Please remember, that the complex structure of the rules for buffer vowels forces the user to be aware of exceptions to these rules. For a closer look on grammar rules coverage of Russian Spell Check - read the text file "Grammar Coverage.”
TEXT FILTER
When opening files, this special filter eliminates unwanted invalid characters. Please, take a look at the table below:
Latin letters: A B C E H K M O P T X Y a c e o p x y
Russian letters: Ä Ç ë Ö ç ä å é ê í ï ì ‡ Ò Â Ó ı Û
It is obvious to all, that these letters, which look the same in both alphabets, can be mixed by the writer and - escape notice! However, they will automatically be detected and deleted by Russian Spell Check.
CHECK DICTIONARY
By adding words from Russian text files of various origins, You will eventually encounter problems. If words, containing different ASCII configuration (usually look-
a-like letters) are found, then sorting and spell checking will suffer. However, in version 2.70, full protection is built-in against the intruding invalid letters.
By clicking CHECK DICTIONARY at the start of Russian Spell Check, an extensive check of the dictionary takes place. This feature offers the following features:
1. All invalid characters are replaced (see TEXT FILTER above).
2. Missing spaces in the dictionary are added to allow the Quick-Halve Search
Technique full speed of operation.
3. The dictionary is searched for incorrect alphabetical order. Words are then
automatically sorted to their proper place.
4. When double entries are found, they are eliminated.
5. Finally, the dictionary is saved and reloaded with all errors eliminated.
INDICATOR METERS
A new neat feature was built into Russian Spell Check. To improve the overall view of what is going on, two meters were added.
The meter "M" - This red indicator meter shows how much memory is
occupied in the dictionary "MySD.TXT". Since it holds 400 words,
this indicator slowly moves upwards as You enter new words to
the dictionary.
The meter "D" - This blue indicator meter shows how far You have progressed
in the current document. This indicator moves upwards very
fast, if You are checking a small document. This indicator
meter works both while spell checking and grammar checking.
The convenience of these meters is obvious. A quick glance is all You need to make a decision like, for example: Do I have time to continue checking right now? Well, the blue indicator meter tells You immediately how far You have progressed, and You are able to continue if just a minor part remains to be checked.
ERROR MESSAGE INDICATOR
As Russian Spell Check encounters errors in documents, it now displays a more precise definition - while You are GRAMMAR CHECKING. Let's face it, folks, that Russian Spell Check does do mistakes.
But due to this neat and especially conveinient feature the user can identify the error immediately - and consequently decide, whether to IGNORE or CHANGE. If You have not registered - its use is hardly mentionable. But if You did register, You will find this feature to be a great and speedy aid.
Evaluation
When the first version of Russian Spell Check program was completed, after months of work, it was tested and re-tested. Suggestions from friends and local users were noted. And all suggested changes were fulfilled, to give You, the user a fully operational and reliable program.
In recent days, about a year later, more tests have been run, and the program is continually being modified to meet the demanding needs of users.
There is always a chance, that bugs still exist, and as we stroll down the avenue of time, my work will continue. A future version with extended Grammar Check is under way. This is a humongeous, but challenging and interesting task.
Shareware info
Please, feel free to use the program during a trial period of 30 days. If You continue to use it, You are kindly asked to pay the shareware fee of only US$ 25 (see enclosed Registration Card) to the following address:
Christer Andreasson
Häckgatan 5
45232 Strömstad
Sweden
Registered users will pay less for future, more advanced versions.
Users, who purchased the first version for $15, do not have to pay anything extra to use this new version. All users, who register, will receive the latest version on a floppy via air mail. And there is more... Please, read the registration card file.
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RESPONSIBILITY
THIS SOFTWARE COMES "AS IS.” I CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR LOSS OF DATA CAUSED BY THIS PRODUCT DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, WHATEVER THE NATURE OF THE DAMAGE.
