text editing

[ldow]

I wish Xara was more compatable with Word documents -- and that it included a spell checker. I have a fair amount of text on the graphics I do using the program and often would like to import documents from Word. As that doesn't work well, I particularly miss a spell checker.

[roman]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Charles Moir:
Back in the mists of time when we did our first word processor (1983 - the total program took just 8KBytes, less than a small JPEG) we proposed that the spelling checker should be part of the OS, so that there was one common spell checker program and one common dictionary and user dictionary available to all programs. So here we are 20 years later and still Microsoft haven't got the point. At least Apple have - wrong platform though.

But I can't spell to save my life and so would love to have one in Xara X and a plug-in is the way to do it. The trouble is that there's nothing for it to plug-in to. We'd have to do the work of accepting a plugin and talking to an external spell checker and that's probably 90% of the work required to implement full spell checking anyway. It's on the wish list - just lower than a lot of other things. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

How high is national keyboard and accentuated characters? ;-)

[RAMWolff44]

You said it Ed!! http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[ldow]

. . . my style is graphics heavy . . .

see what I mean?

[jens g.r. benthien]

The perfect word processor and spell checker companion for Xara is NoteTab Pro (http://www.notetab.com).
Open as many documents you want, create your own clips and snippets, just download free plug-ins for many languages, html, php, css coding, use the clipboard function to edit, pasted and copy text back and forth between NoteTab Pro and any other app. It's small, sleek, fast, stable, offers the best find & replace functions in any text editor. You can do everything with it - except formatting text. But on the other hand you can compare the content of 2 docs, view and edit 2 docs side by side - with the free plug-ins there is no limit. Install it on a USB mem stick and you'll have your swiss army knife for any text & coding always available.

Last but not least: it's easier to use the clipboard function than to code a plug-in interface, and it won't increase the file size of Xara.

Less than US$ 20 !


Just my 2 cents.

[amoore]

I'm in the "do your spellchecking elsewhere" camp. And I second Jens' suggestion of NoteTab, although I use the free version so I don't use it for spellchecking. I'd rather spend potential bloat "dollars" on functions I don't already have all over my system.

BTW, I never paste text from Word into any other application without cleaning out the junk first, either by passing it through NoteTab or another text editor or by using Paste Special as Text. Same goes for copying text from one Word doc to another. For that matter, between any two applications. Saves a lot of grief. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

[masque]

I agree with Jens. If you have an application with a spell checker then type into that then copy and paste to Xara in manageable chunks of text that can be placed as you wish etc.
I produce various text heavy items in Xara from booklets to menu's (you try spell checking a menu for a Chinese or Indian restaurant), and I produce the text so it can be spell checked in Word and paste in as needed.
I could use Quark, but then I'd have to paste in the graphics; or CorelDraw which would do everything (sort of), including ring the creativity bell and blow a whistle, but the best option I find for sanity and work flow is Xara coupled with Word.
Seriously a spell checker would be useful, so would the ability to scan direct into Xara and a number of other things too, but then you end up with 'XaraDraw Graphics Suite' which would be another 'jack of all trades, master of non' instead of undisputed master of what it does do ...... draw pictures.

derek

[Turan]

I do all my poster work in Xara - it being the best graphics tool out. I'd therefore die for a spell checker so think (at leat a plug in ) would be an excellent idea. I hate the thought of having to open word to check things - even worse is when I've been so focused on getting that perfect curve on the words 'Welcome to our school' etc that it's not until I've converted text to shape that I realise it says weclome!

All that said I recognise that it is a grapics program and that I'm using it as a DTP prog also and I live with it.

Just my thoughts - if it helps a plugin development.

Turan

[jens g.r. benthien]

John,

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> You would have to have an option to have it automatically check every word when it is typed. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Use NoteTab Pro - it'll solve your problem on the spot in combination with Ultima Shell. Maybe someone can install Ultima Shell and try to run it with Xara X?

[raynerj]

Jens,

Like the coffemaker idea... Kill switch no... Suicide switch, now that is something to think about...

I want to add a... Erk http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/wink.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

Charles,

thanks for the answer. Adding the hooks for the plugin would be the hard part. http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/biggrin.gif