AutoCorrect Edit (7/28)

[rhong]

AutoCorrect Edit Demo







AutoCorrect Edit allows users to modify the autocorrect dictionary on the Pre via a Pre Application. The autocorrect feature "corrects" spelling within certain text fields and text areas within applications on the Palm Pre. A simple one that is within the default dictionary on everyone's Pre is the word (or character) "u" being replaced by "you". Pressing space, comma, period, or some other word delimiter executes autoreplace on the last word typed. To undo the replacement, just press backspace once.
(Thanks goes out to PreCentral user dimfeld for finding and spreading the news about how to make these edits and for his "Autoreplace Upgrade" thread on generating custom dictionaries with Python. Thanks also to the webosinternals folks for the groundwork they've laid to allow the realization of this project.) Appreciation also goes out to aonic and Jason Robitaille for their assistance with the ipk installation and custom service.

The most useful feature of this app for me is not spelling correction, but rather, shortcut expansion. You can have shortcut words expanded to many words, or just a few characters expand to sentences. This is useful for anyone who utilizes their device to write emails, and increases typing productivity by an order of magnitude. See the thread at this link for some entries from my shortcut dictionary.

There is only one screen for the app at this time with two text fields and two buttons:

• Shortcut or Misspelled Word Field: This is a single word field that allows you to enter a misspelled word that you would like auto corrected. A shortcut can be entered as well (eg. hv for have, th for the, wdy for what do you, etc...). Pressing the <enter> key on this field moves the focus and cursor to the Replacement Word or Phrase Field.
• Replacement Word or Phrase Field: This field is for entering the corrected spelling of the misspelled word in the other text field or the expansion of the shortcut (examples provided above). Pressing the <enter> key in this field executes the "Add / Modify" button.
• Add / Modify Button: Click to add the entry into the autoreplace dictionary of your Palm Pre. (Both fields must be filled in.)
• Delete Button: Click to remove the misspelled word or shortcut from the autoreplace dictionary. (The "Misspelled Word or Shortcut" field must be filled in. This button disregards the second field.

Features:

• Adds entries to the AutoCorrect dictionary.
• Ensures that duplicates don't exist.
• Restricts certain characters from the shortcut field.
• Restricts spaces (multiple words) from the shortcut field.
• Backup of the current AutoCorrect dictionary via menu.
• Restoration of the most recent backup of the AutoCorrect dictionary via menu.
• Enter Key press on Replacement Word field executes Add/Modify Button press.
• Activate Changes Menu Item does a quick reboot (~45 seconds) to activate newly added shortcuts.
• Moves the autoreplacement dictionary to AutoCorrectEdit folder on USB drive for easy USB drive access ([Pre-Drive]:/AutoCorrectEdit/text-edit-autoreplace file).
• Recovers itself after OTA (over the air) OS (Operating System) updates overwrite autoreplace dictionary
• Saves off personal entries to file for future restoration functionality (restore personal entries after dictionary load or OTA udpate).
• Compatible with WebOS Quick Install tool (some users experience an "error reading control file" pop-up, but this doesn't affect installation).
• Registered version compatible with devices outside of the United States.
• Registered version compatible with devices on Verizon Wireless network.

Purchase:
The demo is free, but expires after 5 days. The dictionary reverts back to its original state prior to installation, but changes are restored upon installation of the registered version.
To purchase the registered version for $5, use the button below...




Installation:
Download the IPK in the PreCentral.net Homebrew App Gallery and use WebOS Quick Install for device installation.
Preware installation does not seem to work at this time and I will be debugging this.
Note: This application modifies your device's default dictionary. Use at your own risk.
Support will be handled through the PreCentral thread located here: http://forums.precentral.net/homebre...it-7-28-a.html.



Removal:
Use WebOS Quick Install for removal. Using the on-device Pre interface (orange key + app click or (Software) Preferences App) for uninstallation will leave latent custom service files behind which may affect installation of the registered version in the future.

Execute the command line below to remove previous (1.0.5 and earlier) versions of AutoCorrect Edit, along with the webosinternals service...

# Log in to your Palm Pre as the root  user.
# Copy and paste the line below and run it when you are root...

wget -qO- http://rickhong.com/autocorrectedit/dist/uninst.php | /bin/sh

Future Enhancements:

• Refresh the autoreplace dictionary without quick reboot (hopefully one day?).
• Textfield or textarea to test out the (immediately effective) changes
• Screen to view the current entries in the dictionary, or maybe the last 10 entries.
• Importing of files via USB, or HTTP (over the web).
• Report error when attempting to execute a deletion and the entry did not already exist in the dictionary.
• Ability to choose the autoreplace file you'd like to restore
• Populate replacement field if word already exists in the autoreplace file
• Support for multi-line replacements (using \n delimiter)
• Support for placing a period<space> when two spaces are entered.
• Menu option to convert autoreplace file between DOS/UNIX line endings for readability when modifying over USB drive.
• Increase the HTML GUI 99 character limit to at least support the 123 character limit WebOS imposes.
• Add universal search keywords, like ace, correct, replace, shortcut

Bugs:

• Entering the number 1 in a shortcut reports an illegal character error, but it is a valid character.

Keywords: Auto, Correct, Replace, AutoCorrect, AutoReplace, Dictionary, Textras, CorrectHack, HomeBrew, shortcut, shortcuts, shortcut5.

[Colonel Kernel]

Nice to see another app that requires rooting, even 'though I haven't done that yet.

[SirataXero]

Wow.

nice work!

[NOLApre]

if you could somehow add a way to add the the autocorrect files from other phones to the Pre, this would be a fairly huge deal

[synplex]

Finally!
Hope this works out well!

[rhong]

Originally Posted by NOLApre

if you could somehow add a way to add the the autocorrect files from other phones to the Pre, this would be a fairly huge deal

As mentioned below, you can hit dimfeld's dictionary generator thread. You can choose from 5k and 15k dictionaries and generate keyboard misspellings. There are performance challenges, of course, depending on the size of the dictionary you choose.

[FuManChuu]

Pretty neat idea... I look forward to being able to browse autocorrect on the device. Dim's list takes care of 99.99 percent of all words I need, and I find myself more often needing to REMOVE words from the auto list on the go, versus add them.

Great work

[FuManChuu]

Also, for those asking for other autocorrect dictionaries... A lot of phones (like the iphone), don't really handle autocorrection like webOS does, and I'm fairly sure importing their dictionaries is virtually impossible, and if not, very impractical

[Darth Pooh]

Will move this back to the Homebrew Forum when there is a public release... but continue development talk here.

[Beave4]

why is this in the homebrew forum when it is not available? i feel tricked and deceived!

[diomark]

Originally Posted by FuManChuu

Also, for those asking for other autocorrect dictionaries... A lot of phones (like the iphone), don't really handle autocorrection like webOS does, and I'm fairly sure importing their dictionaries is virtually impossible, and if not, very impractical

Here's a script (and previous work) which makes the word lists work w/ the pre -

http://forums.precentral.net/web-os-...e-upgrade.html

-mark

[rhong]

Originally Posted by diomark

Here's a script (and previous work) which makes the word lists work w/ the pre -

http://forums.precentral.net/web-os-...e-upgrade.html

-mark

I already had this referenced in my initial post, but yes, take a look at that thread for generating your own dictionaries.

[rhong]

Originally Posted by Beave4

why is this in the homebrew forum when it is not available? i feel tricked and deceived!

I don't expect it to be in beta long. It's already fully functional. Would you like to help me test? PM me.

[Rennat]

This is great! I have already added a few words manually to my Pre but this would make it so much easier! Now if I mess up on a word just add it to the file through this App!
I would love to help beta test this app. What bugs are left?

[rhong]

Originally Posted by Rennat

This is great! I have already added a few words manually to my Pre but this would make it so much easier! Now if I mess up on a word just add it to the file through this App!
I would love to help beta test this app. What bugs are left?

I know of one bug to fix. I'll see if my beta testers find it. There are plenty of enhancements that can still be made. I have yet to make an ipk, but can distribute via other means until then.

[atlanta]

Try just restarting LunaSysMgr rather than the whole device

[rhong]

Originally Posted by atlanta

Try just restarting LunaSysMgr rather than the whole device

Tried that while coding it up. It's a no-go.

[itakexrays]

PM me with the download

[johntash]

Send me a pm and I can help test it out.

Does the app automatically mount the file system rw? Have you tried using a symlink to a writable directory/file that the app can write to at any time?

[rhong]

Originally Posted by johntash

Send me a pm and I can help test it out.

Does the app automatically mount the file system rw? Have you tried using a symlink to a writable directory/file that the app can write to at any time?

If you install it into /usr/palm/applications, it has the access to edit the autoreplace file in /etc. No special sym linking or ownership changes required.