Reputation: 25
How can you check if a certain string is in the Windows dictionary?
Or, in other words, how to you grab the entirety of the Windows dictionary, so you can set a new dictionary to have that content?
Upvotes: 0
Views: 1985
Reputation: 6543
For Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 there is a Spelling Checking API, that can be consumed from VB.Net via COM.
There is a link to the Microsoft Word Dictionary format (.dic file) listed on Wotsit.org, unfortunately the site is currently unavailable (the link provided is via the Wayback machine).
Microsoft provide a Common Speller API (CSAPI) for Office spell checking, however it appears to require a third party dictionary.
Merriam-Webster provide an online Dictionary API which is free for non-commercial use.
Microsoft Small Basic provides a Dictionary API which connects to an online service and can be consumed from VB.Net, simply import the SmallBasicLibrary.dll.
Imports Microsoft.SmallBasic.Library
Module MyModule
Sub Main()
Dim definition = Dictionary.GetDefinition("vowel")
' A string is returned if the word exists in the dictionary
Console.WriteLine(CStr(definition))
End Sub
End Module
Upvotes: 1