YourTraySpell Readme
(Demo version)
and
What's New in YourTraySpell (See Release History below)

Thank you downloading the award winning YourTraySpell Word Suite, offering easy access to Spell Check dictionaries, Thesaurus and YTSEditor, a NotePad replacement. We hope you find it useful and have fun using it to spell check any text that you copy to the clipboard.

If possessing a central word repository is important to you,  give YourTraySpell an whirl.

YourTraySpell tucks itself away in the Win95 System Tray awaiting your commands.

Features include easy and fast access to Spell Checking and Thesaurus from the Win95 System Tray or configurable HotKeys, an advanced text editor and more planned to make YourTraySpell central to your word needs.

Spell checking, via the ClipViewer, supports Rich Text Formatting(bold, italic, underline, bullets).

Register to get the latest version with all the newest features, which are being added frequently. 

YourTraySpell is shareware and you can try it out for 30 days. After that, if you decide you will be using it, you must register it (see Help: Registering YourTraySpell). Both the splash screen and the tags, that are pasted along with the corrected words, are removed when you register.

The YourTraySpell install program will install all files into C:\Program Files\D C AL CODA\YourTraySpell, unless you choose another folder.

You can open and begin using YourTraySpell instantly (see the QuickStart instructions below).

Thanks again and you can contact us at:

kenhale@dcalcoda.com

Latest versions of YourTraySpell will always be available at:

http://www.dcalcoda.com/

We would love to hear from you if you use this application. We like to hear compliments and suggestions to make YourTraySpell even better. We also want to know of any problems you encounter.

Upgrading from a previous version:

You may just run the install program, setup.exe, and install into the same folder as your existing version. This will overwrite the program files and help file, but leave your default dictionary and other configuration intact.

You can also choose to install to a different folder, if you want.

Support can be obtained by writing to:

kenhale@dcalcoda.com

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Use, Copyright, Disclaimer, ETC. 

YourTraySpell is copyrighted and is protected by the law. By installing this application, you are indicating your agreement to abide by the copyright laws and this license.


YourTraySpell is Shareware. You may try it out for 30 days and if you decide to use it, you must pay for it.

And now the standard disclaimer. Neither Ken Hale nor anyone associated with D C AL CODA will be held responsible for any damage to your computer or life even if it seems that said damage was caused by the installation or use of Software.

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QuickStart:


Starting YourTraySpell the first time:

The easiest way to use YourTraySpell the first time is to open the program and perform a Spell Check. Copy a word onto the clipboard and initiate a Spell Check, by single clicking the TrayIcon or right click the TrayIcon and choose Spell Check (Clipboard) from the Popup Menu. YourTraySpell is shipped with the American dictionary and this will be configured as the Main Dictionary.

Spell Check (Application):

All you have to do is highlight the word(s), in your working application, hit the configurable HotKeys (see below) and YourTraySpell will spell check that selection and automatically paste the accepted corrected text into your working application. 

The default HotKeys are Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S, which can be configured in the Preferences form.

To test one of your favorite applications that is not on the list of known HotKey Supported Applications, open the application and type something into it. Something distinctive, like "This is a testr of ThisApp". 

Highlight it and use the Spell Check (Application) HotKey, which by default is Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S. This will invoke the ClipViewer and begin the spell check. Look to see if the sentence you typed is on the ClipViewer. If it is proceed with the spell check, accepting the suggested change of "testr" to "test" and hitting the OK button when the spell check is completed. YourTraySpell will then automatically paste the corrected sentence into your working application and you will know this application supports YourTraySpell messages!

(If the above sentence does not appear in the ClipViewer, make sure it is highlighted and try again. If this time it does not appear, the application that you are testing does not support YourTraySpell messages.

Here is a short list of applications which support YourTraySpell HotKeys.

Web-O-Rama
EditPad
Pegasus 2.54
Eudora 3.x
HelpScribble
Notepad
NextPad
ICQ
MIRC
MiniNotePad
SuperNotePad
InControl3
ScratchPad Jr
MS Access97
MS Outlook97
MS Outlook Express
Win95 Paint
Win95 WordPad
Netscape 4.x Messenger

Spell Check (ClipBoard):

Open YourTraySpell, copy something onto the clipboard (from any windows application), initiate a Spell Check from YourTraySpell's TrayIcon menu, a HotKey or a single left mouse click on the TrayIcon. YourTraySpell is self-configuring for the included American Dictionary and Thesaurus. There are more available dictionaries. 

The default HotKeys are Ctrl + Shift + Alt + V, which can be configured in the Preferences form.

Thesaurus (Application):

Thesaurus (Application) will automatically initiate a Thesaurus lookup on that word and automatically paste your chosen Replaced word. 

The default HotKeys are Ctrl + Shift + Alt + T, which can be configured in the Preferences form.


Thesaurus (ClipBoard):

Thesaurus (ClipBoard)can be initiated by either the HotKeys , popup MenuItem or a mouse click action. All are configurable in the Preferences form.

The default HotKeys are Ctrl + Shift + Alt + H, which can be configured in the Preferences form.

2. HotKeys

HotKeys enable you to access Spell Checking, Thesaurus and the new YTSEditor by hitting a few shortcut keys. When YourTraySpell is open, running quietly in the Tray, it is listening for these configurable HotKeys which are combinations of keys to make up a shortcut to initiate the various YourTraySpell actions.

The HotKeys, configurable on the Options|Preferences form, HotKeys Tab, are:

Spell Check (Application), (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + S by default)
Thesaurus (Application), (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + T by default)
YTSEditor, (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + E by default)
Spell Check (ClipBoard), (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + V by default)
Thesaurus (ClipBoard), (Ctrl + Shift + Alt + H by default)

Configuring the HotKeys. The HotKeys have default values and may be changed to almost any key or key combination. You can go to the Preferences from the TrayIcons' popup menu, via the Options|Preferences|HotKeys Tab.

It is recommended that you choose HotKeys that will not interfere with the many different shortcut keys in many applications and even Windows 95, itself. A couple examples will illustrate the point, Ctrl + S is often used as the shortcut for File|Save, the Windows 95 shortcuts start with Ctrl + Alt + ?. 

The default use of Ctrl + Shift + Alt + {key of your choice} is fairly safe, even if it seems like too many keys to push at the same time. With practice you will be able to hit all the three keys.

By keeping YourTraySpell running all the time in the Tray, these HotKeys are constantly available.

3. YourTraySpell Editor, YTSEditor

YTSEditor is an advanced text editor intended to replace your Windows Notepad. Use of YTSEditor is pretty easily learned, conforming to the Windows 95 use conventions, and also has an extensive Help file.

YTSEditor is fully integrated into the YourTraySpell suite, accessible via the  HotKeys and sharing the spell check configuration, which is common to either spell checking via YourTraySpell or spell checking a file within YTSEditor.


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Overview:

YourTraySpell spell checks the Windows Clipboard contents. This means that any text that is copied onto the Clipboard, from any program, can be spell checked.

An important YourTraySpell feature is the included Roget's 1911 Public Domain Thesaurus, containing over 1000 context topics and 30,000 words.

The basic method is, as you are working in a program like Notepad, Copy a word or the entire text, click the YourTraySpell icon, located in the System Tray, and go through the spell check process. When the spell check is complete, go back to the program and Paste the Clipboard contents into it, whether it is a single word or the entire text. If a single word, make sure that word is selected (highlighted) before you Paste. If a paragraph or the entire file, make sure that paragraph or the entire text is highlighted before you Paste.

Note: Often the text will remain highlighted (in the application in which you are working) and if you put the focus back on that program by clicking your mouse on the Titlebar, that will leave the text, chosen to spell check, highlighted and you can just Paste the corrected word or text back in your working program.

The Spell Check Steps, using Spell Check (ClipBoard):

1. Open YourTraySpell, leaving it run idle in the System Tray
2. Open another program, your working application
3. Type something into the program that you know is misspelled, like testr
4. Highlight a word or some text
5. Copy that onto the Windows Clipboard, by using CTRL + C, or Edit Menu|Copy
6. Single left click (or double click) on the YourTraySpell icon, in the Tray, or right click and choose Spell Check (Clipboard)
7. Perform the spell check, hitting the OK button when completed
8. Go back to your working application, make sure the previously selected text is still selected (it usually remains selected, unless the focus has changed somehow), Paste the corrected text, using CTRL + V or the Edit Menu|Paste (Windows Trick: click working application's Titlebar or the Taskbar button and you will see that the selected text remains highlighted, meaning that if you paste the corrected text, it will replace that text. (Windows programs will usually "remember" what was highlighted , if you do not click the mouse around inside the program before wanting to Paste your corrected word or text back.)

That's all there is to it. It is actually more accessible and faster than explaining it.:-} It really becomes a quick copy, click, spell check, OK, paste.

Configuring the mouse's single click and double click to initiate a Spell Check or open the Thesaurus. From the Options MenuItem, choose the Preferences MenuItem which will open YourTraySpell Preferences. Here you can assign either No Action, Single Click or Double Click to the left mouse button. This will allow you to quickly initiate a spell check with a single or double click.

Roget's 1911 Public Domain Thesaurus, containing over 1000 context topics and 30,000 words, is accessed via the right click menu.

The Thesaurus Steps:
1. Highlight and copy a word from your work document, via Ctrl + C, the work application's menuitem or Copy button. this copies that word onto the Windows Clipboard.
2. Open YourTraySpell's Thesaurus
3. Your chosen word will appear in the Word: editbox, as well as other words, if found in the Thesaurus, will appear in the Topic Listbox and the Word Listbox. If the word was not found, there will be a "Not found." in the Topic Listbox

4. When you find a word that you want to use as a replacement, hit the Replace button. This will close the Thesaurus and place the chosen word onto the Windows Clipboard, ready to paste into your work document, via Ctrl + V, the work application's menuitem or Paste button.

5. Note that you may drill down more levels into the suggestions by clicking a word in the Word Listbox, moving that word into the Word: editbox. This will start a new lookup based on that new word.

Release History:

7/1998
Version 1.3.1

Made one very minor change to the setup program, to better accommodate first time installations on various sizes of monitors and different screen resolutions.

Spell Check Configuration:
Removed "AutoSuggest" and "Use Primary Only" Spell Check Configuration Options and set these Spell Check options to True and False, respectively. YourTraySpell  will now always suggest a correct spelling and will use any dictionary that you have checked in the Configuration.

YTSEditor
The Most Recently Used File List (File|Reopen MenuItem) does not remove the file name upon clicking it. The file name remains on the Reopen menu.


4/1998
Version 1.3

Added the YourTraySpell Editor and more HotKey support. This version marks the beginning of the YourTraySpell Word Suite, with more planned features that will create a word repository that includes spell checking, thesaurus, dictionary, text editor and more.

This version also contains so many different little changes that they can not be listed here.

Note: The Help file is pretty uptodate with all the changes, however a few little things were changed that are not included in the Help File, such as changing the DateTime MenuItems and adding one new item. In cases like this, please accept what you are seeing in the application rather than the Help File.:-}

3/1998

Version 1.2

An internal version which was not released, which added RichText support and Hotkeys.

1/26/1998

Version 1.1

Added ClipViewer, which allows the viewing of the word or words being spell checked. You can now follow along with the spell check progress.

Redesigned Thesaurus dialog

New Options:

Automatically run YourTraySpell at Windows Startup option

Single and Double Click Preferences, configure the mouse clicks to suit your working style.

	Spell Check Clipboard
	Spell Check ClipViewer
	Thesaurus


Character Preferences
	Quoted Characters, ClipViewer spell check will ignore lines beginning with this chosen character
	Ignore Prefix, such as the apostrophe '
	Ignore Suffix, such as 's

Improved Help File

Added context help buttons to About/Preferences dialog

Slight redesign of tray icon's popup menu

Added animation to the tray icon, which gives visual feedback that 
the spell check is in progress

Know issues.

1. Can't find the Default.udt file, when Automatically running YTS on Startup.

If you are having YTS run on Windows Startup, the Open Default Custom Dictionary dialog will open up looking at the Windows Desktop Folder. You will have to navigate your way to the YTS home folder, which is by default C:\Program Files\D C AL CODA\YourTraySpell, unless you chose to install into a different folder.

2. Error on spell check Cancel.

This is a rarely reported problem. Sometimes YourTraySpell, on different computers, will cause an apparent error if the Spell Check is canceled when it is working, looking for the next misspelled word. If this happens you may see one or two different Error messages and then the spell check is canceled. This is an annoying error, but YourTraySpell should recover from that error and allow you to continue using it.

When we find a way to more gracefully avoid such an error, we will post the update file on our site.

11/06/1997

Added an error message to help with an error that happens if the default users dictionary is accidentally removed from the Spell Check Configuration dialog.

updated Help file

11/02/1997

Version 1.01

Fixed a problem with the way the Single and Double click preferences were being saved.

Added a What's New topic in Help File
Corrected a few errors in the Help File

10/26/1997

Version 1.0 

Initial release
