Closed Bug 1519169 Opened 6 years ago Closed 3 months ago

Postcode flagged as spelling error

Categories

(Core :: Spelling checker, defect, P3)

Unspecified
All
defect

Tracking

()

RESOLVED WORKSFORME

People

(Reporter: najoll, Unassigned)

References

Details

(Whiteboard: dom-lws-bugdash-triage)

User Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.3; Win64; x64; rv:64.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/64.0

Steps to reproduce:

Created a new email, with the dictionary set to British English. Typed an address that included this postcode: W1F 8SJ.

Actual results:

'W1F 8SJ' was flagged as a spelling error.

Expected results:

It should not be flagged as an error. Microsoft Word, for example, manages not to flag it. The same goes for Libre Office Writer.

The problem occurs on Thunderbird 60, on both Windows (Windows 8.1, Thunderbird 60.4) and Linux (Mint, Thunderbird 60.2).

I'm not familiar with UK Postcodes, but just entering W1F 8SJ in TB 60.4.0 on Windows 10 with English (United Kingdom) spellcheck language selected in the composition window wasn't flagged as incorrect.

I'm using https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/british-english-dictionary-2/

For TB 60.2.1 on Linux Mint 19 I don't even have to install the extension. I have a whole list of languages I can chose from in the bottom right of the composition window. I tested a few and none of them flagged that postal code.

I use spellcheck as I type.

I find that spellcheck-as-one-types does not flag the postcode as an error - but that spell-check-before-sending does.

I find also the following (which seems like a further bug). If one has check-while-typing disabled, and then starts a new email, and then enables check-while-typing, the latter does not actually come on; it comes on only when one creates a further new email.

That you use Check before sending should have been mentioned in the steps to reproduce.

Looks like it is a valid postal code.

Using check before sending flags the SJ after the 8 for me. Is that what you see?

Flags: needinfo?(najoll)

That you use Check before sending should have been mentioned in the steps to reproduce.

True. I forgot about the other spell-check method.

The postcode (W1F 8SJ) is indeed a valid one, so far as I know.

Using check before sending flags the SJ after the 8 for me. Is that what you see?

It is what I see on Linux. But on Windows, the check flags 'SJ' but, also, flags the initial character 'W'. On Linux, I have this entry under Add-ons -> Languages. 'English (GB) Language Pack. Language pack for Thunderbird for en-GB'. On Windows, I have, under Add-ons -> Dictionaries, 'British English Dictionary (Updated) 1.19.6'.

Flags: needinfo?(najoll)

Thunderbird and Firefox use the same Spellchecker.

See https://mzl.la/2FoVpUj

Component: Untriaged → Spelling checker
OS: Unspecified → All
Product: Thunderbird → Core
Version: 60 → unspecified

On the page you link I see many unresolved bug reports, all filed under 'Spelling checker' and with very few assigned to anybody. None of those bugs mention postcodes (not in their titles, anyway).

I am unsure whether you would like me to do anything with that information.

Flags: needinfo?(wls220spring)

I did a search and posted the link for informational purposes.

I can duplicate this bug on Windows 10 and Linux Mint 19.1.

Status: UNCONFIRMED → NEW
Ever confirmed: true
Flags: needinfo?(wls220spring)

Do we really expect that postcodes won't be flagged as spell errors - that seems quite esoteric unless the code is in the dictionary? Is it confirmed that these codes are in the dictionary?

Flags: needinfo?(najoll)

I do expect that postcodes will not be flagged as spelling errors. For, a correct postcode is not a mistake and I presume that Thunderbird - without a dictionary - can recognise the postcode format of at least some countries, i.e. can ignore certain sequences of numbers and capital letters. Indeed: somehow one of Thunderbird's spell-check procedures is managing this already - as we know from previous contributions to this bug report. I doubt that the way Thunderbird manages to not flag postcodes (when it does manage that) is via a dictionary entry for the exact postcode. For, I had never entered that postcode into Thunderbird before, and surely no dictionary can have all of a country's postcodes. Also: as I have mentioned, two other programs manage not to flag postcodes as errors.

Flags: needinfo?(najoll)

Word is a poor example - it simply doesn't give a crap. example: w1234f isn't a post code, and word doesn't flag this as a spelling error.

I can confirm that Word ignores that string - and that LibreOffice Writer does too (er, I think; Writer seems to behave confusingly . .). Perhaps it is hard to exclude all and only postcodes. Still, you could try, and perhaps if necessary you could rest content with 'not giving a crap' - for, perhaps false positives and worse than false negatives..

Priority: -- → P3
See Also: → 1709677, 621523
Severity: normal → S3

It works for me with this dictionary.

Feel free to re-open with more details in case you see this again. Thank you for your support!

Status: NEW → RESOLVED
Closed: 3 months ago
Resolution: --- → WORKSFORME
Whiteboard: dom-lws-bugdash-triage
You need to log in before you can comment on or make changes to this bug.