Spell Checking in TeXmacs 2.1.5 -- where are personal dictionary files saved to?

#1

Does anyone have an idea where personal dictionaries are now saved to?

In the good old days, i.e. before 2025, TeXmacs used to save modified personal dictionary files on macOS to ~.Library/Spelling/.

I’ve got two dictionary files in that directory, de and us, which have not been modified since July 2024, despite the fact that I use spell quite often, and during a spell run regularly add entries to these personal dictionaries. But where are they?

Cheers, Tilda

#2

I have browsed the code and I have the impression that you need to look for the personal dictionary file of either aspell or ispell.

It is just my impression, I can’t follow C++: I found a function call aspell_speller_add_to_personal where the function is not defined inside the code. So I think it may be part of the interface to the spelling programs; this impression is also strengthened by finding in Internet functions with similar names (for example one for Python).

This may mean that the spelling programs, not TeXmacs, save to the personal dictionary.

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#3

Dear @pireddag, thanks for investing into this, and pointing out that it may be an aspell issue.

I’ll try to figure out how MaxPort’s aspell 0.60.8.2 is configured on my system and how to apply the necessary modifications. Yet that may take some time.

#4

I did some research and testing. In a nutshell:

On macOS 14.8.4 with MacPort’s aspell 0.60.8.2 installed and working with TeXmacs 2.1.5 the following hold true:

  • MacPort’s aspell 0.60.8.2 is working correctly.

  • TeXmacs 2.1.5 and TeXmacs 2.1.4 (Mogan/LiiiSTEM) don’t use aspell for spellchecking at all. Instead,

  • the macOS versions of TeXmacs call AppleSpell for spellcheck runs

  • AppleSpell no longer saves users’ dictionaries to

~./Library/Spelling/en
~./Library/Spelling/de
  • active AppleSpell dictionaries are now saved here:
~./Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.AppleSpell/Library/Spelling/

and can be edited there, if necessary.

Hope this helps.
Cheers, Tilda

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