spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[Richard Smith]

On AppleMac "Air" - laptop - using as-installed emacs.

ESC-x ispell not working - nor any other spell command.  Have lived
for years without "spell" program in emacs

Then couple of days ago, got surprise when accidentally pressed what
must have been the ESC-tab command - and got spell-check on preceding
word.
So ispell is installed?
Can I get it to work?

Fifteen to twenty years ago, would charge forward typing text making
many typo's and let ispell sort it all out.
Miss it terribly - help appreciated.

PS - does it make more sense to install a full unix?
Miss GnuPlot, xfig, the GIMP, etc.

Rich

Re: spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[hector]

On Wed, Apr 19, 2017 at 03:50:52AM +0100, Richard Smith wrote:
> On AppleMac "Air" - laptop - using as-installed emacs.
> 
> ESC-x ispell not working - nor any other spell command.  Have lived
> for years without "spell" program in emacs
> 
> Then couple of days ago, got surprise when accidentally pressed what
> must have been the ESC-tab command - and got spell-check on preceding
> word.

That's not spell-check but "ispell-complete-word". By the way, I never
use spell checking. Didn't know about this key binding either.

Really strange that ispell-complete-word works but not any other
ispell command does.

> So ispell is installed?
> Can I get it to work?

Since I don't have access to any Apple system I can't tell. Try to find
out if you have ispell installed. There are many UNIX utilities that
should be standard and be available anywhere but the reality is that
they aren't.

> Fifteen to twenty years ago, would charge forward typing text making
> many typo's and let ispell sort it all out.
> Miss it terribly - help appreciated.
> 
> PS - does it make more sense to install a full unix?
> Miss GnuPlot, xfig, the GIMP, etc.

That is, like many matters in life, a question of taste or likings.
I can tell you, currently I wouldn't change my GNU/Linux system for
anything.

Re: spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[Ben Bacarisse]

Richard Smith <null@void.com> writes:

> On AppleMac "Air" - laptop - using as-installed emacs.

I don't know what version that is.  What does M-x version say?

> ESC-x ispell not working - nor any other spell command.  Have lived
> for years without "spell" program in emacs

What does not working mean?  Do you get told there is no such command or
what?  What do M-x apropos spell and M-x customize-apropos spell show
you?

> Then couple of days ago, got surprise when accidentally pressed what
> must have been the ESC-tab command - and got spell-check on preceding
> word.
> So ispell is installed?
> Can I get it to work?
>
> Fifteen to twenty years ago, would charge forward typing text making
> many typo's and let ispell sort it all out.
> Miss it terribly - help appreciated.

These days I prefer flyspell-mode which checks as you go, but the ispell
command does give you better information.

> PS - does it make more sense to install a full unix?
> Miss GnuPlot, xfig, the GIMP, etc.

I don't think anyone can answer that for you!

-- 
Ben.

Re: spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[Richard Smith]

Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> writes:

> Richard Smith <null@void.com> writes:
>
>> On AppleMac "Air" - laptop - using as-installed emacs.
>
> I don't know what version that is.  What does M-x version say?
>
>> ESC-x ispell not working - nor any other spell command.  Have lived
>> for years without "spell" program in emacs
>
> What does not working mean?  Do you get told there is no such command or
> what?  What do M-x apropos spell and M-x customize-apropos spell show
> you?
>
>> Then couple of days ago, got surprise when accidentally pressed what
>> must have been the ESC-tab command - and got spell-check on preceding
>> word.
>> So ispell is installed?
>> Can I get it to work?
>>
>> Fifteen to twenty years ago, would charge forward typing text making
>> many typo's and let ispell sort it all out.
>> Miss it terribly - help appreciated.
>
> These days I prefer flyspell-mode which checks as you go, but the ispell
> command does give you better information.
>
>> PS - does it make more sense to install a full unix?
>> Miss GnuPlot, xfig, the GIMP, etc.
>
> I don't think anyone can answer that for you!
>
> -- 
> Ben.

Hi Ben

Your questions answered as best I can:

----------------------------------------------------------------

GNU Emacs 22.1.1 (mac-apple-darwin) of 2017-03-17 on osx338.sd.apple.com

macOS Sierra Version 10.12.4


----------------------------------------------------------------

* you didn't ask for this, but this is what the "*Messages*" buffer
* shows when you "hit" ESC-tab (M-tab (?))

Loading ispell...done
Starting "look" process...

... then you see all the spelling options, just as if ispell were
running

----------------------------------------------------------------

* M-x apropos spell

** [I had searched C-h a for mention of "spell" !]

In this buffer, go to the name of the command, or function, or variable,
and type RET to get full documentation.

checkdoc-ispell
  Command: Check the style and spelling of everything interactively.
checkdoc-ispell-comments
  Command: Check the style and spelling of the current buffer's comments.
checkdoc-ispell-continue
  Command: Check the style and spelling of the current buffer after point.
checkdoc-ispell-current-buffer
  Command: Check the style and spelling of the current buffer.
checkdoc-ispell-defun
  Command: Check the style and spelling of the current defun with Ispell.
checkdoc-ispell-interactive
  Command: Check the style and spelling of the current buffer interactively.
checkdoc-ispell-message-interactive
  Command: Check the style and spelling of message text interactively.
checkdoc-ispell-message-text
  Command: Check the style and spelling of message text interactively.
checkdoc-ispell-start
  Command: Check the style and spelling of the current buffer.
erc-spelling-mode
  Command: (not documented)
flyspell-buffer
  Command: Flyspell whole buffer.
flyspell-mode
  Command: Minor mode performing on-the-fly spelling checking.
  Variable: (not documented)
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
flyspell-mode-off
  Function: Turn Flyspell mode off.
flyspell-prog-mode
  Command: Turn on `flyspell-mode' for comments and strings.
flyspell-region
  Command: Flyspell text between BEG and END.
ispell
  Command: Interactively check a region or buffer for spelling errors.
ispell-buffer
  Command: Check the current buffer for spelling errors interactively.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-change-dictionary
  Command: Change to dictionary DICT for Ispell.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-check-comments
  Plist: safe-local-variable
ispell-comments-and-strings
  Command: Check comments and strings in the current buffer for spelling errors.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-complete-word
  Command: Try to complete the word before or under point (see `lookup-words').
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-complete-word-interior-frag
  Command: Completes word matching character sequence inside a word.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-continue
  Command: Continue a halted spelling session beginning with the current word.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-customize
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-dictionary-alist
  Variable: An alist of dictionaries and their associated parameters.
  Plist: variable-documentation
ispell-dictionary-alist-1
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-dictionary-alist-2
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-dictionary-alist-3
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-dictionary-alist-4
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-dictionary-alist-5
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-dictionary-alist-6
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-help
  Function: Display a list of the options available when a misspelling is encountered.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-html-skip-alists
  Variable: *Lists of start and end keys to skip in HTML buffers.
  Plist: variable-documentation
ispell-kill-ispell
  Command: Kill current Ispell process (so that you may start a fresh one).
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-local-dictionary
  Plist: safe-local-variable
ispell-local-dictionary-alist
  Variable: *List of local or customized dictionary definitions.
  Plist: variable-documentation custom-autoload custom-loads
ispell-menu-map
  Function: Prefix command (definition is a keymap associating keystrokes with commands).
  Variable: Key map for ispell menu.
  Plist: variable-documentation
ispell-menu-map-needed
  Variable: (not documented)
ispell-menu-xemacs
  Variable: Spelling menu for XEmacs.
  Plist: variable-documentation
ispell-message
  Command: Check the spelling of a mail message or news post.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-minor-mode
  Command: Toggle Ispell minor mode.
ispell-pdict-save
  Command: Check to see if the personal dictionary has been modified.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-personal-dictionary
  Variable: *File name of your personal spelling dictionary, or nil.
  Plist: variable-documentation custom-autoload custom-loads
ispell-region
  Command: Interactively check a region for spelling errors.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
ispell-skip-region-alist
  Variable: Alist expressing beginning and end of regions not to spell check.
  Plist: variable-documentation
ispell-tex-skip-alists
  Variable: *Lists of regions to be skipped in TeX mode.
  Plist: variable-documentation
ispell-word
  Command: Check spelling of word under or before the cursor.
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
separator-spell
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
spell
  Plist: event-symbol-element-mask event-symbol-elements modifier-cache
spell-buffer
  Command: Check spelling of every word in the buffer.
spell-filter
  Plist: risky-local-variable
spell-region
  Command: Like `spell-buffer' but applies only to region.
spell-string
  Command: Check spelling of string supplied as argument.
spell-word
  Command: Check spelling of word at or before point.
turn-off-flyspell
  Function: Unconditionally turn off Flyspell mode.
turn-on-flyspell
  Function: Unconditionally turn on Flyspell mode.


----------------------------------------------------------------


* M-x customize-apropos spell

This is a customization buffer.
Square brackets indicate buttons; type RET or click mouse-1 to actuate one.
Editing a setting changes only the text in the buffer.
Use the setting's State button to set it or save changes in it.
Saving a change normally works by editing your Emacs init file.
See [Custom file] for information on how to save in a different file.

See [Help] for more information.

Operate on all settings in this buffer that are not marked HIDDEN:
 [Set for Current Session] [Save for Future Sessions]
 [Undo Edits] [Reset to Saved] [Erase Customization]   [Finish]

Ispell Alternate Dictionary: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] File: /usr/share/dict/web2
   [State]: STANDARD.

Alternate dictionary for spelling help.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Check Comments: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] on
   [State]: STANDARD.

Spelling of comments checked when non-nil. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Choices Win Default Height: [Hide Value] 2
   [State]: STANDARD.

The default size of the `*Choices*' window, including mode line. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Complete Word Dict: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] File: /usr/share/dict/web2
   [State]: STANDARD.

Dictionary used for word completion.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Extra Args: [Show Value]
   State: HIDDEN, invoke "Show" in the previous line to show.

If non-nil, a list of extra switches to pass to the Ispell program. [More]

Ispell Following Word: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Non-nil means `ispell-word' checks the word around or after point. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Format Word Function: [Hide Value] upcase
   [State]: STANDARD.

Formatting function for displaying word being spell checked. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Grep Command: [Hide Value] egrep
   [State]: STANDARD.

Name of the grep command for search processes.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Grep Options: [Hide Value] -i
   [State]: STANDARD.

String of options to use when running the program in `ispell-grep-command'. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Have New Look: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Non-nil means use the `-r' option (regexp) when running `look'.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Help In Bufferp: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] off
   [State]: STANDARD.

Non-nil means display interactive keymap help in a buffer. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Highlight Face: [Hide Value] (sample) isearch
   [State]: STANDARD.

The face used for Ispell highlighting.  For Emacses with overlays. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Highlight P: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] block
   [State]: STANDARD.

Highlight spelling errors when non-nil. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Keep Choices Win: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  on (non-nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

When non-nil, the `*Choices*' window remains for spelling session. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Lazy Highlight: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  on (non-nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Controls the lazy-highlighting of spelling errors. [More]
Parent groups: [Lazy Highlight] [Ispell]

Ispell Local Dictionary: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] default
   [State]: STANDARD.

If non-nil, the dictionary to be used for Ispell commands in this buffer. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Local Dictionary Alist: [Show Value]
   State: HIDDEN, invoke "Show" in the previous line to show.

List of local or customized dictionary definitions. [More]

Ispell Look Command: [Hide Value] /usr/bin/look
   [State]: STANDARD.

Name of the look command for search processes. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Look Options: [Hide Value] -df
   [State]: STANDARD.

String of command options for `ispell-look-command'.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Look P: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  on (non-nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Non-nil means use `look' rather than `grep'. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Message Dictionary Alist: [Show Value]
   State: HIDDEN, invoke "Show" in the previous line to show.

List used by `ispell-message' to select a new dictionary. [More]

Ispell Message Fcc Skip: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] Integer: 50000
   [State]: STANDARD.

Query before saving Fcc message copy if attachment larger than this value. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Personal Dictionary: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] default
   [State]: STANDARD.

File name of your personal spelling dictionary, or nil. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Program Name: [Hide Value] ispell
   [State]: STANDARD.

Program invoked by M-$ and M-x ispell-region commands.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Query Replace Choices: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Corrections made throughout region when non-nil. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Quietly: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Non-nil means suppress messages in `ispell-word'.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Silently Savep: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

When non-nil, save the personal dictionary without confirmation.
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Skip Html: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] use-mode-name
   [State]: STANDARD.

Indicates whether ispell should skip spell checking of SGML markup. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Skip Tib: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

Does not spell check `tib' bibliography references when non-nil. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Use Framepop P: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

When non-nil ispell uses framepop to display choices in a dedicated frame. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell Use Ptys P: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  off (nil)
   [State]: STANDARD.

When non-nil, Emacs uses ptys to communicate with Ispell. [More]
Parent groups: [Ispell]

Ispell group: [Go to Group] 
   User variables for Emacs ispell interface.

----------------------------------------------------------------

* You didn't ask about this - hope it's helpful.
* Find code for "spell" programs is, apparently, included
* /usr/share/emacs/22.1/

  /usr/share/emacs/22.1/:
  find . \( -iname \*spell\*  \) -exec ls -ld \{\} \;
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  844 17 Oct  2005 etc/images/low-color/spell.xpm
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  185 17 Oct  2005 etc/images/spell.pbm
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  1279 17 Oct  2005 etc/images/spell.xpm
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  1662  1 Apr  2007 lisp/erc/erc-spelling.el.gz
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  4709 17 Mar 01:23 lisp/erc/erc-spelling.elc
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  20031 25 May  2007 lisp/textmodes/flyspell.el.gz
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  52722 17 Mar 01:26 lisp/textmodes/flyspell.elc
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  43683 25 May  2007 lisp/textmodes/ispell.el.gz
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  96846 17 Mar 01:26 lisp/textmodes/ispell.elc
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  2089 21 Jan  2007 lisp/textmodes/spell.el.gz
  -rw-r--r--  1 root  wheel  3854 17 Mar 01:26 lisp/textmodes/spell.elc

* I did try things like M-x load-file ispell - which didn't change
* anything, FWIW

* here is effect of then giving command ESC x ispell (M-x ispell (?))
Starting new Ispell process [default] ...
apply: Searching for program: no such file or directory, ispell


----------------------------------------------------------------

Re: spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[Aleksandar Simic]

Hello Richard

On Wed, Apr 19, 2017 at 3:50 AM, Richard Smith <null@void.com> wrote:

> On AppleMac "Air" - laptop - using as-installed emacs.
>
> ESC-x ispell not working - nor any other spell command.  Have lived
> for years without "spell" program in emacs
>
> Then couple of days ago, got surprise when accidentally pressed what
> must have been the ESC-tab command - and got spell-check on preceding
> word.
>

The default config for spell checking a word is M-$.

With default Emacs install that comes on OS X, ESC-TAB which is M-TAB runs
the command lisp-complete-symbol.

Not sure about your setup.

Maybe run M-x describe-key M-TAB to see what the key is bound on your Emacs.


> So ispell is installed?
>

What does "which ispell" tell you?


> Can I get it to work?
>

I don't think that ispell is installed by default. So you're left with the
option of installing a spell checker for Emacs for yourself.

I'd advise you to install aspell, because it can spell check camel cased
words.

See this about the different options:
https://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractiveSpell

And see this write up with further details:
http://blog.binchen.org/posts/what-s-the-best-spell-check-set-up-in-emacs.html

PS - does it make more sense to install a full unix?
> Miss GnuPlot, xfig, the GIMP, etc.
>

You have many options on how to install the software you mention above.
Look into Homebrew https://brew.sh/ and pkgsrc https://www.pkgsrc.org/

Hope that helps
Aleksandar

Re: spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[hector]

Richard Smith wrote:
> So ispell is installed?
> Can I get it to work?

Wow, hold on. Okay, you have Emacs ispell commands available.
But you have to find out if ispell is installed on your system.
All the Emacs commands use ispell program internally. It you don't have
it installed anything else is futile.

You can run complete-word because the internal command is not ispell but
look, a program similar to grep.

So I think you don't have ispell installed. You should know how to
find out whether some program is installed in your system.
You could use something like (taking you have locate installed)

locate -b |grep bin

or 

find -name '*spell'

This is basic user knowledge. Every system is different so it's difficult
to guess.

Re: spell make it work emacs on AppleMac

[Ben Bacarisse]

Richard Smith <null@void.com> writes:

> Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> writes:
>
>> Richard Smith <null@void.com> writes:
<snip>
>>> ESC-x ispell not working - nor any other spell command.
<snip>
> Your questions answered as best I can:

Thanks.  Very fully.

I'm going cut a lot but that's just because it shows things that look
OK.

<snip>
> * M-x customize-apropos spell
<snip>
> Ispell Alternate Dictionary: [Hide Value] [Value Menu] File: /usr/share/dict/web2
>    [State]: STANDARD.

Does this file exist?

<snip>
> Ispell Look Command: [Hide Value] /usr/bin/look
<snip>
> Ispell Look P: [Hide Value] [Toggle]  on (non-nil)
>    [State]: STANDARD.
>
> Non-nil means use `look' rather than `grep'. [More]
> Parent groups: [Ispell]

Check that the look system command exists and runs in your machine.  (I
mean in a terminal.)

<snip>
> Ispell Program Name: [Hide Value] ispell
>    [State]: STANDARD.

My emacs is configured to use aspell (and ispell replacelemt), but the
key thing is, does ispell (as a command in a terminal) run on your
system?  I suspect not.

[My emacs has a full path here: /usr/bin/aspell.  I doubt that's
important, but if you do have a spell command installed, try putting the
full path here.]

<snip>
-- 
Ben.