Why doesn't "change all" in spell check work?

[gulland]

When I click "change all" in spell check, only one word is corrected.
Is there anything I can do to fix this very annoying problem. I've been
using Find and Replace, but that quiet a bit more work. The "Change
All" button in Word Spellcheck is supposed to do this job!

 

[Elliott Roper]

When I click "change all" in spell check, only one word is corrected.
Is there anything I can do to fix this very annoying problem. I've been
using Find and Replace, but that quiet a bit more work. The "Change
All" button in Word Spellcheck is supposed to do this job!

It works for me. Do supply more details. e.g. Word version, how you
initiated spell check. Checking a selection or the whole document?

(In my quick check that worked, I had nothing selected, insertion point
was near the end, I hit cmd-opt-L, then hit change all for each
mis-spelling it found. It never asked me again for any instance of the
same word mis-spelled the same way anywhere in the document and it
*did* correct them. Honest! Word 11.2.3 as reported by Finder (really
does have all the updates to 11.2.6, but that is a rant I have ranted
before)

You might also tell us what preferences you have set, particularly in
Edit and Spelling and Grammar. Then maybe someone could reproduce your
bug and suggest a work-around.

 

[gulland]

It works for me. Do supply more details. e.g. Word version, how you
initiated spell check. Checking a selection or the whole document?

Word 11.2.3. It does work on short word documents, but not on a very
large ones (which is when you most need it). By large, I mean about 500
pages. I'm checking the whole document. The misspelled word occurs many
times in the document.

(In my quick check that worked, I had nothing selected, insertion point
was near the end, I hit cmd-opt-L, then hit change all for each
mis-spelling it found. It never asked me again for any instance of the
same word mis-spelled the same way anywhere in the document and it
*did* correct them. Honest! Word 11.2.3 as reported by Finder (really
does have all the updates to 11.2.6, but that is a rant I have ranted
before)

You might also tell us what preferences you have set, particularly in
Edit and Spelling and Grammar. Then maybe someone could reproduce your
bug and suggest a work-around.

In edit, my prefs are:
typing replaces selection,
include paragraphy mark
allow accented uppercase
keep track of formatting
match font with keyboar
show paste options
use smart cut and paste (all options selected under settings)
enable click and type (default Paragraph style is copy)

In spelling & grammar, I've checked:
hide spelling errors
always suggest corrections
ignore internet
hide gramatical errors

I've eliminated all custom dictionaries, thinking that that may have
been the problem: it isn't.

Thanks! I hope someone can help.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

A question‹(I tried to check this on my 374 page doc, but it was too time
consuming just now--I'll try to return to it later)

Did you finish checking the document? For instance, when you click "Change
All", Word does only fix that single instance. I don't think it immediately
searches the rest of the document and changes the other instances. Instead,
when it gets to the next instance, it changes it without asking you again.
But you still have to click through all the questionable words to the end of
the document, to get Word to check each line and each page, so that the
Change All can take effect. Could that misunderstanding be the issue?

I only clicked through my first chapter, and Change All properly changed the
words in the first chapter, but not chapter 6, because Spell-check never got
to chapter 6 at all (because I got bored). The tedium of clicking through
500 pages might be why you think Change All doesn't work in long documents,
but does in short ones.

Side notes:
--If you really misspelled a word several times in a 500 page doc, you might
consider setting up some custom AutoCorrects to fix such a word.

--if the word isn't really misspelled, but you are doing something like
switching from British to US English, Find and Replace might be worth
doing--it should then speed up spellcheck. And if you do this regularly, you
could set up a macro that runs the F&R for several words in one click.

Semi-related Question--I'd like your help . There was a problem with the
SpellCheck dialog not refreshing in long docs, as described here:
http://word.mvps.org/mac/SpellCheck.html#SpellingGrammarDialog

Can you tell whether that bug still exists?

It works for me. Do supply more details. e.g. Word version, how you
initiated spell check. Checking a selection or the whole document?

Word 11.2.3. It does work on short word documents, but not on a very
large ones (which is when you most need it). By large, I mean about 500
pages. I'm checking the whole document. The misspelled word occurs many
times in the document.

(In my quick check that worked, I had nothing selected, insertion point
was near the end, I hit cmd-opt-L, then hit change all for each
mis-spelling it found. It never asked me again for any instance of the
same word mis-spelled the same way anywhere in the document and it
*did* correct them. Honest! Word 11.2.3 as reported by Finder (really
does have all the updates to 11.2.6, but that is a rant I have ranted
before)

You might also tell us what preferences you have set, particularly in
Edit and Spelling and Grammar. Then maybe someone could reproduce your
bug and suggest a work-around.

In edit, my prefs are:
typing replaces selection,
include paragraphy mark
allow accented uppercase
keep track of formatting
match font with keyboar
show paste options
use smart cut and paste (all options selected under settings)
enable click and type (default Paragraph style is copy)

In spelling & grammar, I've checked:
hide spelling errors
always suggest corrections
ignore internet
hide gramatical errors

I've eliminated all custom dictionaries, thinking that that may have
been the problem: it isn't.

Thanks! I hope someone can help.

 

[Phillip Jones]

Also to look for is you might have the same word misspelled several
different ways. IT will will skip over the other misspellings and you'll
have to run through again and again. Don't Laugh its possible. I know
from first hand experience.

A question‹(I tried to check this on my 374 page doc, but it was too time
consuming just now--I'll try to return to it later)

Did you finish checking the document? For instance, when you click "Change
All", Word does only fix that single instance. I don't think it immediately
searches the rest of the document and changes the other instances. Instead,
when it gets to the next instance, it changes it without asking you again.
But you still have to click through all the questionable words to the end of
the document, to get Word to check each line and each page, so that the
Change All can take effect. Could that misunderstanding be the issue?

I only clicked through my first chapter, and Change All properly changed the
words in the first chapter, but not chapter 6, because Spell-check never got
to chapter 6 at all (because I got bored). The tedium of clicking through
500 pages might be why you think Change All doesn't work in long documents,
but does in short ones.

Side notes:
--If you really misspelled a word several times in a 500 page doc, you might
consider setting up some custom AutoCorrects to fix such a word.

--if the word isn't really misspelled, but you are doing something like
switching from British to US English, Find and Replace might be worth
doing--it should then speed up spellcheck. And if you do this regularly, you
could set up a macro that runs the F&R for several words in one click.

Semi-related Question--I'd like your help . There was a problem with the
SpellCheck dialog not refreshing in long docs, as described here:
http://word.mvps.org/mac/SpellCheck.html#SpellingGrammarDialog

Can you tell whether that bug still exists?

It works for me. Do supply more details. e.g. Word version, how you
initiated spell check. Checking a selection or the whole document?

Word 11.2.3. It does work on short word documents, but not on a very
large ones (which is when you most need it). By large, I mean about 500
pages. I'm checking the whole document. The misspelled word occurs many
times in the document.

(In my quick check that worked, I had nothing selected, insertion point
was near the end, I hit cmd-opt-L, then hit change all for each
mis-spelling it found. It never asked me again for any instance of the
same word mis-spelled the same way anywhere in the document and it
*did* correct them. Honest! Word 11.2.3 as reported by Finder (really
does have all the updates to 11.2.6, but that is a rant I have ranted
before)

You might also tell us what preferences you have set, particularly in
Edit and Spelling and Grammar. Then maybe someone could reproduce your
bug and suggest a work-around.

In edit, my prefs are:
typing replaces selection,
include paragraphy mark
allow accented uppercase
keep track of formatting
match font with keyboar
show paste options
use smart cut and paste (all options selected under settings)
enable click and type (default Paragraph style is copy)

In spelling & grammar, I've checked:
hide spelling errors
always suggest corrections
ignore internet
hide gramatical errors

I've eliminated all custom dictionaries, thinking that that may have
been the problem: it isn't.

Thanks! I hope someone can help.

--
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616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
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[Elliott Roper]

A question‹(I tried to check this on my 374 page doc, but it was too time
consuming just now--I'll try to return to it later)

Did you finish checking the document? For instance, when you click "Change
All", Word does only fix that single instance. I don't think it immediately
searches the rest of the document and changes the other instances. Instead,
when it gets to the next instance, it changes it without asking you again.
But you still have to click through all the questionable words to the end of
the document, to get Word to check each line and each page, so that the
Change All can take effect. Could that misunderstanding be the issue?

I only clicked through my first chapter, and Change All properly changed the
words in the first chapter, but not chapter 6, because Spell-check never got
to chapter 6 at all (because I got bored). The tedium of clicking through
500 pages might be why you think Change All doesn't work in long documents..

I confirmed that with a complex 500 page doc. It only corrects all as
far as you check for other mis-spellings. But it does work properly up
till then. Manic bashing on the "ignore all" button shows that it too
respects your wishes.

I'm not sure whether this test exercised the bug mentioned in your
spelling grammar dialog but it survived umpty-eleven ignore alls before
I got RSI. in 11.2.3 aka 11.2.6 (can I get this dig in one more time?)

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Yeah, I noticed that it Changed All "creole" to "Creole" but ignored
"creoles". Good point.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

I confirmed that with a complex 500 page doc. It only corrects all as
far as you check for other mis-spellings. But it does work properly up
till then. Manic bashing on the "ignore all" button shows that it too
respects your wishes.

I'm not sure whether this test exercised the bug mentioned in your
spelling grammar dialog but it survived umpty-eleven ignore alls before
I got RSI. in 11.2.3 aka 11.2.6 (can I get this dig in one more time?)

Ah, repetitive strain injury. Yeah, I stopped too, after about 30 pages,
but didn't see the refresh spellcheck bug. Last time I tested the refresh
spellcheck bug, apparently it wigged out on page 18 of the same 374 page
doc--but I distinctly remember that I was selecting Change All for every
single flag, and there were lots of nineteenth century spellings. And under
those conditions--yep, stops refreshing at page 18 again. Bummer.

Thanks for testing.

 

[gulland]

Thank you for the clarification. Entourage does seem to "change all",
but only for the section of the document covered during that session,
and even then it's a little quirky. (I.e. changing "teste" to "test"
but then sometimes selecting it as a "misspelled" word.)

I'm working on a 17th century manuscript, paragraph by paragraph,
changing it into modern English, and when I command change ALL
instances of alle to all, that's what I want to see. In frustration, I
have been using Find and Replace, but it's slower to use than
spell-check. I have to copy and paste and type in the correction for
each word. I can't believe that there isn't a true "change all" ability
in a program as powerful as Word. It USED to be there, as I recall.

Are there any other word processing programs with this ability? I've
checked out background spellcheck programs with very poor results.

 

[CyberTaz]

For what you seem to be looking for you may have to go to a third-party
Spell Checker. I don't know if it will perform as you want, but one of the
more comprehensive I've seen is SpellCatcher X available from:

http://www.rainmakerinc.com/products/

There are probably others as well... You might try googling or through
VersionTracker.com for more.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hi--

Thank you for the clarification. Entourage [Word] does seem to "change all",
but only for the section of the document covered during that session,

Yes, that's as designed. Nothing you can do about that. It doesn't look
ahead, it just remembers.

You can use Help | Send Feedback in Word to suggest a design change.

and even then it's a little quirky. (I.e. changing "teste" to "test"
but then sometimes selecting it as a "misspelled" word.)

That's odd. Are you seeing this while running spellcheck? I've seen that on
the fly--incorrect red underlines while typing. While typing, if you
right-click for a suggestion, Word will realize it is confused and remove
the line.

I'm working on a 17th century manuscript, paragraph by paragraph,
changing it into modern English, and when I command change ALL
instances of alle to all, that's what I want to see.
In frustration, I
have been using Find and Replace, but it's slower to use than
spell-check. I have to copy and paste and type in the correction for
each word.

If you can come up with a list of words in advance, you could probably build
a macro to Replace them all in one-click. Ask if you want help with that,
though I'm not sure it would really work out any faster--the time to set up
the macro and write the list vs. doing each F&R separately might be about
even.

Side Note: if the same names show up frequently, you might use Find and
Replace to replace the names with themselves but formatted "do not check
spelling and grammar," so that spellcheck skips them. This could be
tedious, but I would consider it less tedious than having spellcheck stop on
every seventeenth century name over 500 pages. However, I would rather work
harder with F&R than deal with clicking Ignore repeatedly for 500 pages, so
that might just be a personal solution.

Are there any other word processing programs with this ability? I've
checked out background spellcheck programs with very poor results.

No idea. You might try Mellel, just because a lot of academics praise it
very highly, though I've no experience with it myself.
http://www.mellel.com/
I don't know how good the spellcheck is, but since it's designed to be
multilingual, might be worth testing.

I just did a quick check with AbiWord, and it seemed to search the document
and Change All, as you are looking for. (free)
http://www.abiword.com/
So maybe others will as well. NeoOffice.org is also free.

 

[gulland]

Thank you Daiya. I checked out Mellel, but it didn't have "change all".
AbiWord did, as you said, but it was along the same concept as Word
(although not quite so quirky). the NewOffice download would take 16
hours, so I'm not going to go there.

The search goes on, but in the meantime, I think the answer is never to
close down a spellcheck session ... and since this project is apt to
take months, I doubt that that's realistic. Sigh.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Sorry! I thought AbiWord did do what you wanted, but turns out I set my
test up wrong and don't know how to manipulate AbiWord at all.

I honestly don't see how Find & Replace is really so slow. Shift-cmd-h,
type a word, hit tab, type a word, click Replace All. You might need to
click the blue triangle to expand the dialog and select Whole Word, for
things like "alle", but Word might even remember that setting for the next
word. At the least, it sounds preferable to me than doing it in one
spellcheck session.

I would not advise never closing a very long doc. Word does some
housekeeping when you close a doc, so I'd kinda feel iffy about having 500
pages open for months.

Daiya

 

[CyberTaz]

It can be even faster than that - if the word to be found is 'selected' when
you launch F&R it doesn't need to be typed, it will automatically be
displayed in the Find What field.

Also, once you type the replacement - not sure on Mac - but try Option+A to
trigger Replace All without having to grab the Mouse... I know Alt+A works
in PC Word. Even if that doesn't work but you don't want to grab the Mouse
you can Tab to the button & pess return.

 

[Elliott Roper]

It can be even faster than that - if the word to be found is 'selected' when
you launch F&R it doesn't need to be typed, it will automatically be
displayed in the Find What field.

Not here it doesn't. Furthermore, a cmd-V drags the trailing space with
it into the find what field (That will be a stupid preference I could
have disabled)

Also, once you type the replacement - not sure on Mac - but try Option+A to
trigger Replace All without having to grab the Mouse... I know Alt+A works
in PC Word. Even if that doesn't work but you don't want to grab the Mouse
you can Tab to the button & pess return.

cmd-A is good.

You might have noticed from other posts that I'm a bit musophobic. Find
and replace is pretty good from the keyboard. Select the word to find,
cmd-shift-h, cmd-v, del (the trailing space) tab (insert replacement
text, possibly assisted by a cmd-v if the replacement is similar)
cmd-a ret (in answer to do you want to continue from the beginning) esc
(to dismiss the find and replace box) The final dance is to bring the
insertion point back to where you started from. Of course, you would
use variations if you had more words to change.

Back at the spell checker, I find it is not that onerous to do a change
all if you combine the exercise with add to dictionary. Create a custom
dictionary for your book project, add all the correctly spelt proper
names and technical terms to it on your first pass. Then, keeping
inside Daiya's 18 change alls per pass limit, subsequent passes with
ignore alls once you are past 18, will be almost as quick as change
all.
Your dictionary will help it speed past all the funny looking stuff
that is really spelt right.

If I had a zillion changes to make, I *might* consider exporting the
book as html, writing a program in teco or emacs or sed or awk or perl
or python to make the substitutions in one fell swoop, and then bring
it back into Word.

I'd have to consider how long I'd spend debugging the program. I have a
feeling that I'd need a fairly large zillion before that was quicker.

 

[gulland]

I tried the spell checker program two times and it was really tricky to
figure out -- and I'm good at these things. Plus, it was annoying,
speaking when not spoken to etc.

I don't buy that using Find and Replace is all that fast. Compare
"Click" (in a spellcheck) to:

select word
copy word
call up Find and Replace
paste in word
tab
TYPE in the correct word
click "select all"

What I don't get is WHY a global "change all" isn't possible in a spell
check program. If anyone knows of a good stand-alone spell-check, I'd
be delighted. Virtually every word in this 500 page manuscript needs to
be corrected.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

I tried the spell checker program two times and it was really tricky to
figure out -- and I'm good at these things. Plus, it was annoying,
speaking when not spoken to etc.

Huh? You mean SpellCatcher?

I don't buy that using Find and Replace is all that fast. Compare
"Click" (in a spellcheck) to:

Well, at 500 pages of intensive reading, say you do 20 pages a session,
you'd need to click Change All 25 times for each word. So I'm comparing 25
clicks to that F&R process, which would only need to be done once for each
word. I'm not saying it's great, just that it doesn't strike me as that bad
an alternative, and overall, much less frustrating, as by the time you got
to page 300, probably 70% of the words will already be modernized, making
the reading far easier, and making spellcheck run much faster. That's where
I see the big advantage of F&R, in fact.

Your workflow is your personal choice, of course--a workflow you aren't
comfortable with won't be more efficient, regardless of click totals, and
maybe your sessions are longer than I think. I do nineteenth century
history, but I do think I have a sense of what you are doing and what your
document might look like, and all I'm saying is that F&R is the workflow I
would choose in that situation, for the reasons above, since you cannot get
a true one-click solution to your issue in Word.

Daiya

PS. I just tested NeoOffice, it doesn't do what you want either.

 

[gulland]

Daiya, I have been doing F&R for months, for that very reason. It's
faster than the existing spell check in Word. But for all that, it's
slow and tedious, and I'd love to find a spell check that really does
"change all"--which is why I came here.

Yes, it's SpellCatcher. I have found so extremely frustrating I tossed
it twice.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

I can see if I can figure out how to put together a macro to run several
F&Rs at once. You'd still have to go into Visual Basic Editor and manually
enter each pair, but it might speed it up. Do you want to try it?

Google actually turned up something with the basic principle you want, but
it says it doesn't work on MacWord, though I don't see why. Unfortunately,
it's designed for British to American conversion and wouldn't be
customizable anyhow. But it proves it ought to be doable.
http://www.slyman.org/right_projects_msword.php

Daiya

PS. Since you knew Word doesn't do what you want, this is not really the
right place to ask for a word processor that does. You might try asking
on this mailing list, maybe--
http://emailman.newsgrouphosting.com/readgroup?group=emailman.software.wordp
roc.mac

Or a newsgroup that is generally devoted to text or something. You need a
wider base than Word users.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

I can see if I can figure out how to put together a macro to run several
F&Rs at once. You'd still have to go into Visual Basic Editor and manually
enter each pair, but it might speed it up. Do you want to try it?

Eh. Stacking up macros is simple enough, but it's not that efficient, and
I'm not good enough to write a macro that will loop through a list of words.

Daiya