How to: Use Spell Checking with a Context Menu
By default, when you enable spell checking in an editing control like TextBox or RichTextBox, you get spell-checking choices in the context menu. For example, when users right-click a misspelled word, they get a set of spelling suggestions or the option to Ignore All. However, when you override the default context menu with your own custom context menu, this functionality is lost, and you need to write code to reenable the spell-checking feature in the context menu. The following example shows how to enable this on a TextBox.
Example
The following example shows the Extensible Application Markup Language (XAML) that creates a TextBox with some events that are used to implement the context menu.
<Page x:Class="SDKSample.SpellerCustomContextMenu"
xmlns="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="https://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
Loaded="OnWindowLoaded">
<TextBox
Name="myTextBox"
TextWrapping="Wrap"
SpellCheck.IsEnabled="True"
ContextMenuOpening="tb_ContextMenuOpening">
In a custum menu you need to write code to add speler choices
because everything in a custom context menu has to be added explicitly.
</TextBox>
</Page>
The following example shows the code that implements the context menu.
Namespace SDKSample
Partial Public Class SpellerCustomContextMenu
Inherits Page
Private Sub OnWindowLoaded(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RoutedEventArgs)
'This is required for the first time ContextMenu invocation
'so that TextEditor doesnt handle it.
myTextBox.ContextMenu = GetContextMenu()
End Sub
Private Sub tb_ContextMenuOpening(ByVal sender As Object,
ByVal e As RoutedEventArgs)
Dim caretIndex, cmdIndex As Integer
Dim spellingError As SpellingError
myTextBox.ContextMenu = GetContextMenu()
caretIndex = myTextBox.CaretIndex
cmdIndex = 0
spellingError = myTextBox.GetSpellingError(caretIndex)
If spellingError IsNot Nothing Then
For Each str As String In spellingError.Suggestions
Dim mi As New MenuItem()
mi.Header = str
mi.FontWeight = FontWeights.Bold
mi.Command = EditingCommands.CorrectSpellingError
mi.CommandParameter = str
mi.CommandTarget = myTextBox
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, mi)
cmdIndex += 1
Next str
Dim separatorMenuItem1 As New Separator()
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, separatorMenuItem1)
cmdIndex += 1
Dim ignoreAllMI As New MenuItem()
ignoreAllMI.Header = "Ignore All"
ignoreAllMI.Command = EditingCommands.IgnoreSpellingError
ignoreAllMI.CommandTarget = myTextBox
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, ignoreAllMI)
cmdIndex += 1
Dim separatorMenuItem2 As New Separator()
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, separatorMenuItem2)
End If
End Sub
' Gets a fresh context menu.
Private Function GetContextMenu() As ContextMenu
Dim cm As New ContextMenu()
'Can create STATIC custom menu items if exists here...
Dim m1, m2, m3, m4 As MenuItem
m1 = New MenuItem()
m1.Header = "File"
m2 = New MenuItem()
m2.Header = "Save"
m3 = New MenuItem()
m3.Header = "SaveAs"
m4 = New MenuItem()
m4.Header = "Recent Files"
'Can add functionality for the custom menu items here...
cm.Items.Add(m1)
cm.Items.Add(m2)
cm.Items.Add(m3)
cm.Items.Add(m4)
Return cm
End Function
End Class
End Namespace
using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Documents;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Media.Imaging;
using System.Windows.Shapes;
namespace SDKSample
{
public partial class SpellerCustomContextMenu : Page
{
void OnWindowLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
//This is required for the first time ContextMenu invocation so that TextEditor doesnt handle it.
myTextBox.ContextMenu = GetContextMenu();
}
void tb_ContextMenuOpening(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
int caretIndex, cmdIndex;
SpellingError spellingError;
myTextBox.ContextMenu = GetContextMenu();
caretIndex = myTextBox.CaretIndex;
cmdIndex = 0;
spellingError = myTextBox.GetSpellingError(caretIndex);
if (spellingError != null)
{
foreach (string str in spellingError.Suggestions)
{
MenuItem mi = new MenuItem();
mi.Header = str;
mi.FontWeight = FontWeights.Bold;
mi.Command = EditingCommands.CorrectSpellingError;
mi.CommandParameter = str;
mi.CommandTarget = myTextBox;
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, mi);
cmdIndex++;
}
Separator separatorMenuItem1 = new Separator();
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, separatorMenuItem1);
cmdIndex++;
MenuItem ignoreAllMI = new MenuItem();
ignoreAllMI.Header = "Ignore All";
ignoreAllMI.Command = EditingCommands.IgnoreSpellingError;
ignoreAllMI.CommandTarget = myTextBox;
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, ignoreAllMI);
cmdIndex++;
Separator separatorMenuItem2 = new Separator();
myTextBox.ContextMenu.Items.Insert(cmdIndex, separatorMenuItem2);
}
}
// Gets a fresh context menu.
private ContextMenu GetContextMenu()
{
ContextMenu cm = new ContextMenu();
//Can create STATIC custom menu items if exists here...
MenuItem m1, m2, m3, m4;
m1 = new MenuItem();
m1.Header = "File";
m2 = new MenuItem();
m2.Header = "Save";
m3 = new MenuItem();
m3.Header = "SaveAs";
m4 = new MenuItem();
m4.Header = "Recent Files";
//Can add functionality for the custom menu items here...
cm.Items.Add(m1);
cm.Items.Add(m2);
cm.Items.Add(m3);
cm.Items.Add(m4);
return cm;
}
}
}
The code used for doing this with a RichTextBox is similar. The main difference is in the parameter passed to the GetSpellingError method. For a TextBox, pass the integer index of the caret position:
spellingError = myTextBox.GetSpellingError(caretIndex);
For a RichTextBox, pass the TextPointer that specifies the caret position:
spellingError = myRichTextBox.GetSpellingError(myRichTextBox.CaretPosition);
See Also
Tasks
How to: Enable Spell Checking in a Text Editing Control
How to: Use a Custom Context Menu with a TextBox