PC Win: Spelling and Custom Dict Entries in WIN.INI

• Microsoft Mail for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

Microsoft Mail put special Spelling and Custom Dict 1 entries into the WIN.INI file (other Microsoft products share a single Spelling and Custom Dict 1 entry). For example, Microsoft Mail adds the following three lines to the [MS Proofing Tools] section of the WIN.INI file:

   [MS Proofing Tools]
   Custom Dict=C:\win31\msapps\proof\CUSTOM.DIC
   Spelling 1033,0=c:\win31\msapps\proof\msspell.dll,
      c:\win31\msapps\proof\mssp_am.lex

->    C:\WIN31\MSAPPS\PROOF\MSSP_AM.LEX

Microsoft Mail takes this approach in order to leave existing Windows applications as they are while at the same time providing Microsoft Mail with the versions of the spell checker and the dictionaries it requires.

MORE INFORMATION

Here is the complete process Microsoft Mail follows:

1. Look for existing spelling entries in the WIN.INI file.

2. Check the .DLL file names of the spelling entries.

3. If the spelling entry .DLL filename is not MSSPELL.DLL, add a line to the WIN.INI so Microsoft Mail will not interfere with other Windows applications.

4. If the spelling entry .DLL filename is MSSPELL.DLL, try to update the DLL file to the latest version if possible. One problem here is that Microsoft Publisher requires version 1.01 of the speller. Microsoft Mail would break Microsoft Publisher if it updated the .DLL version rather than putting in a special section just for Microsoft Mail.

5. Look for a Custom Dict 1 entry in the WIN.INI file. If one is found, it may point to a dictionary that is not supported by Microsoft Mail. Because it is not possible to determine what type of dictionary (if any) is pointed to by a Custom Dict 1 entry, Microsoft Mail creates a new entry in the WIN.INI file to point to the custom dictionary (a Softart dictionary) that Microsoft Mail does support.

6. Create a Custom Dict 1 entry if none exists in the WIN.INI file.