544448 - Can't select spell-check dictionary from message context menu (like subject line, Firefox can)

Status: RESOLVED DUPLICATE of bug 620781

(Thunderbird :: Message Compose Window, enhancement)

Description

[Dave Royal]

User-Agent:       Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-GB; rv:1.9.2.0) Gecko/20100115 SUSE/3.6.0-1.1 Firefox/3.6
Build Identifier: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.7) Gecko/20100111 Thunderbird/3.0.1

I have 3 dictionaries: EN-US, EN-GB, FR. I compose a mail in plain-text with 'spell as you type' enabled. In the subject line I can change the dictionary for spell checking. It behaves like Firefox: I can right-click and select language and it retrospectively rechecks the subject line - e.g. if the subject is "colour color couleur" it changes the two that are underlined in red.

This doesn't happen in the main message window. Spelling options are absent from the context menu. And changing the dictionary using other method does not recheck spelling.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Install 3 dictionaries (probably 2 will do) I use EN-US, EN-GB, FR
2. Configure 'spell as you type'
3. Compose a message in plain text (I haven't checked in HTML)
4. Type "color colour couleur " into subject line and note which are marked misspelled
5. Right-click in subject line, select Languages, and change dictionary
6. Note that the mispelled word marking changes as expected
7. Try all that in the message window
8. Note that there are no spelling options in the context menu
9. Type "color colour couleur " into the message window
10. Change the dictionary by doing steps 5 in the _subject_ window
11. Note that the misspelled words in the message window have not changed
12. Repeat step 9.
13. Note that the newly typed words are checked with the _new_ dictionary
14. Repeat steps 10-12 but change the dictionary using edit>prefs>composition
15. Note same result - spelling of message not rechecked


Expected Results:  
I should be able to change the dictionary in the message window using the context menu as I can with the subject line.

When the dictionary is changed, the message text should be rechecked as it is with the message window. 

I first saw this on my SUSE build
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i686; en-GB; rv:1.9.1.7) Gecko/20100111
SUSE/3.0.1-9.1 Thunderbird/3.0.1
The same happens in safe mode on that build (for some reason the 2 EN dictionaries are still available)

I just downloaded and repeated the test with the official build. It has no addons except the 3 dictionaries. I can't check in safe mode because all 3 dictionaries are disabled.

Comment 1

[Nathan Tuggy (:tuggyne)]

Using Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.9.1.7) Gecko/20100111 Lightning/1.0b2pre Thunderbird/3.0.1 ThunderBrowse/3.2.8.1 ID:20100111101938, I can partially reproduce this. Specifically, there seems to be a delay of up to several seconds after setting current dictionary from toolbar button before previous words are spell-checked, although after leaving the compose window open for a while, this drops to less than a second -- perhaps the delay is for loading the dictionary?
Changing current dictionary from subject line or Preferences/Options, on the other hand, does not initiate a recheck of message body at all.

Note that the absence of spell-checker options in the compose window appears to be by design: there's a toolbar button for spell-checking that is only enabled when focus is set to the compose pane. If you want, you can file a separate enhancement bug to add the context-menu options back in.

Comment 2

[Dave Royal]

Ah. I didn't notice I could change the dictionary with the toolbar button. And that method does re-spellcheck the message. (I didn't notice a delay.)

I immediately went to the context menu when I wanted to spellcheck French because that's how Firefox works (e.g. in the text box I'm typing this into). And it works with the subject line in TB (I was surprised and pleased by that.)

The subject line of this bug is "dictionary selection ... __inconsistent__ ...." It is the lack of the context-menu method that was my main point.

If it's by design, I suggest /this/ bug be changed to an enhancement.

Comment 3

[Nathan Tuggy (:tuggyne)]

It appears there's actually three issues in this bug:
1. Lack of spell-check context menu in compose pane
2. Failure to re-check spelling after dictionary changed from Preferences/Options
3. Failure to re-check spelling after dictionary changed from subject-line context menu

I'll file an additional bug (or two) accordingly with the latter two problems, and cc: you on it (them).

Comment 4

[Nathan Tuggy (:tuggyne)]

Renaming to make purpose clearer.

Comment 5

[Jonathan Protzenko [:protz]]

I think it's a duplicate, feel free to correct me and protest if I'm wrong :-).