Editing GNU Aspell

{{Short description|Free software spell checker}}
{{About|the software|the jockey|Leighton Aspell}}
{{Infobox software
| name                   = GNU Aspell
| title                  = 
| logo                   = Heckert GNU white.svg
| logo size              = 100px
| screenshot             = <!-- [[File: ]] -->
| caption                = 
| collapsible            = 
| author                 = 
| developer              = GNU Aspell developers
| released               = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=yes/no}} -->
| discontinued           = 
| latest release version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1368325|P348|P548=Q2804309}}
| latest release date    = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1368325|P348|P548=Q2804309|P577}}
| latest preview version = {{wikidata|property|preferred|references|edit|Q1368325|P348|P548=Q51930650}}
| latest preview date    = {{wikidata|qualifier|preferred|single|Q1368325|P348|P548=Q51930650|P577}}
| programming language   = [[C++]]
| operating system       = [[Cross-platform]]
| platform               = 
| size                   = 
| language               = 
| status                 = 
| genre                  = [[Spell checker]]
| license                = [[GNU Lesser General Public License|GNU LGPL]]
| website                = {{URL|aspell.net}}
}}
'''GNU Aspell''', usually called just '''Aspell''', is a [[free software]] [[spell checker]] designed to replace [[Ispell]]. It is the standard spell checker for the [[GNU]] operating system. It also [[compiler|compiles]] for other [[Unix-like]] [[operating system]]s and [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]. The main program is [[software license|licensed]] under the [[GNU Lesser General Public License]] (GNU LGPL), the [[documentation]] under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]] (GNU FDL). Dictionaries for it are available for about 70 [[language]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-10-23 |title=GNU Aspell supported languages |url=http://aspell.net/man-html/Supported.html |access-date=2022-06-07 |website=aspell.net |archive-date=2014-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140726221515/http://aspell.net/man-html/Supported.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The primary maintainer is Kevin Atkinson.

== Comparison to Ispell ==
Unlike [[Ispell]], Aspell can easily check [[UTF-8]] documents without having to use a special dictionary. But the mechanism behind is still 8-bit.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=http://aspell.net/0.60.7/man-html/Languages-Which-Aspell-can-Support.html#Languages-Which-Aspell-can-Support |chapter=Appendix B Languages Which Aspell can Support |url=http://aspell.net/0.60.7/man-html/index.html#Top |title=GNU Aspell 0.60.7 |access-date=2021-11-15 |quote=Even though Aspell will remain 8-bit internally}}</ref> Aspell will also do its best to respect the current [[Locale (computer software)|locale]] setting. Other advantages over Ispell include support for using multiple dictionaries at once and intelligently handling personal dictionaries when more than one Aspell process is open at once. However, Ispell follows the Unix convention of being a command applied to a file, e.g., {{code|ispell text-file-with-spelling-errors}}, whereas Aspell requires other command-line options, and the "{{code|--help}}" option is more comprehensive.  Sample uses include:
* Interactively run through the {{var|text_file}} checking the spelling ({{code|aspell check text_file}}).
* Allow typing a word (followed by newline and {{kbd|Ctrl-D}}) to find words that sound the same ({{code|aspell soundslike}}).

== Windows ports ==
{{As of|2017|7}}, the latest official Windows port of GNU Aspell was still 32-bit version 0.50.3 (Dec 2002), with dictionaries of similar age.<ref>[http://aspell.net/win32/ Aspell Windows port page]</ref> The developer says he has "no time and very little interest in maintaining a Windows port", and has been looking for somebody to maintain it.<ref>{{cite web |last=Atkinson |first=Kevin |date=2008-04-16 |title=Need Someone to Maintain Aspell Windows Port |url=http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/aspell-announce/2008-04/msg00003.html |access-date=2008-07-06 |website=gnu.org}}</ref>  However, the [[LyX]] project maintains a separate fork of Aspell for Windows and dictionaries, and says "the LyX project has long solved the Windows packaging problem by forking Aspell."{{Citation needed|date=July 2017}} LyX is being maintained and {{As of|2023|10|lc=on}} the latest version is 2.3.7, dated 7 January 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=LyX News |url=http://www.lyx.org/News#item1 |access-date=2018-03-21 |website=lyx.org}}</ref>

The regularly updated [[Cygwin]] port of aspell can also be used in [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] and it is the latest version.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

== Integration ==
Aspell has been integrated into [[software]] such as [[Gajim]],<ref>Gajim and Aspell: {{cite web | url = http://trac.gajim.org/wiki/SpellerHelp | title = Gajim SpellerHelp | access-date = 2011-09-12 | archive-date = 2016-04-26 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160426184603/https://trac.gajim.org/wiki/SpellerHelp | url-status = dead }}</ref> [[LyX]], [[Notepad++]], [[Claws Mail]] and previously [[Pidgin (software)|Pidgin]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Software |first=Edgewall |title=Versions older than 2.7.0 use Aspell |url=https://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/Installing%20Pidgin#manual_win32_spellcheck_installation |access-date=2012-09-29 |website=pidgin.im}}</ref> [[Opera (web browser)|Opera]],<ref>Opera 10 now uses [[Hunspell]]: {{cite web | url = http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/2009/04/03/turbo-in-10 | title = Opera Desktop Team Blog | access-date = 2009-04-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012013758/http://my.opera.com/desktopteam/blog/2009/04/03/turbo-in-10 |archive-date=2011-10-12 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/opera/spellcheck/ | title = Spell-checking With Opera | access-date = 2006-02-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515235708/http://www.opera.com/support/tutorials/opera/spellcheck/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-05-15 }}</ref> [[gedit]] and [[AbiWord]].

== See also ==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[Enchant (software)|Enchant]]
* [[Hunspell]]
* [[Ispell]]
* [[MySpell]]
* [[Pspell]]
* [[Virastyar]]

== Notes and references ==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://aspell.net Aspell Homepage]
* [http://aspell.net/suggest/ Aspell Spell Helper]
* [http://aspell.net/test/ Test Results of Aspell Compared to Other Spell Checkers]
* [http://aspell.net/man-html/index.html The GNU Aspell documentation] under the [[GNU Free Documentation License]]
* [http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/aspell/ GNU Aspell download page] ([[file transfer protocol|FTP]] link)
* [http://wiki.lyx.org/Windows/LyXWinInstaller LyXWinInstaller (includes Aspell for Windows)]
* [http://lists.freedesktop.org/pipermail/utf-8/2004-February/000005.html Aspell and UTF-8/Unicode]
* [http://savannah.gnu.org/projects/aspell/ GNU Aspell summary page] at [[GNU Savannah|Savannah]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040925091906/http://cocoaspell.leuski.net/ Mac OS X interface for Aspell]
* [https://code.google.com/p/unix-spell/ Original Unix spell (1978-81), on which Aspell is based]

{{GNU}}

[[Category:GNU Project software]]
[[Category:Spell checkers]]
[[Category:Free software programmed in C++]]
[[Category:Free spelling checking programs]]
[[Category:Language software for Linux]]
[[Category:Language software for macOS]]
[[Category:Language software for Windows]]
[[Category:Software using the GNU Lesser General Public License]]