Hunspell GDExtension for Godot

A native spell-checking solution for Godot 4.4 using the Hunspell library. Hunspell is an open-source spell checker and morphological analyzer used in popular software like LibreOffice, Firefox, and Chrome. It supports numerous languages, handles complex morphology, and allows custom dictionaries through its flexible affix rules system.

Features

• Fast, native spell-checking through Godot's GDExtension system
• Support for multiple languages through standard Hunspell dictionaries
• Supported platforms: Windows and Linux
• Easy-to-use API for spell checking and getting suggestions
• Support for custom dictionaries (adding/removing words)

Installation

Method 1: Godot Asset Library

1. Open your Godot project
2. Navigate to the AssetLib tab
3. Search for "Hunspell Spellchecker"
4. Download and install the addon

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Download the latest release from the GitHub repository
2. Extract the contents into your project's addons/ directory
3. Download Hunspell dictionaries for your desired languages and place the .aff and .dic files in the dictionaries folder

Setup

1. Create a dictionaries folder inside the addons/hunspell/ directory if it doesn't exist already
2. Download Hunspell dictionaries for your desired languages and place the .aff and .dic files in the dictionaries folder
   • Dictionary files can be found from LibreOffice dictionaries or other sources
   • Each language typically requires two files: a .aff file and a .dic file with the same base name (e.g., en_US.aff and en_US.dic)

Exporting Your Project

When exporting your project with this addon, you must add the dictionary files to the export filters:

1. Go to Project → Export → Resources → Filters to export non-resource files/folders
2. Add the following pattern to include all dictionary files:

   addons/hunspell/dictionaries/*.aff,addons/hunspell/dictionaries/*.dic
   

3. Alternatively, you can specifically include only the dictionaries you use:

   addons/hunspell/dictionaries/en_US.aff,addons/hunspell/dictionaries/en_US.dic
   

Without this step, dictionary files won't be included in your exported project, and spell checking will not function.

Basic Usage

# Create a SpellChecker instance
var spell_checker = SpellChecker.new()

# Load a dictionary
var success = spell_checker.load_dictionary("res://addons/hunspell/dictionaries/en_US.aff", 
                                           "res://addons/hunspell/dictionaries/en_US.dic")
if success:
    # Check if a word is spelled correctly
    if spell_checker.spell("hello"):
        print("Word is spelled correctly")
    else:
        print("Word is misspelled")
        
        # Get suggestions for misspelled words
        var suggestions = spell_checker.suggest("hello")
        print("Suggestions: ", suggestions)
        
    # Add a custom word to the dictionary
    spell_checker.add_word("godot")

Example Project

The addon includes a simple test scene (hunspell_test.tscn) that demonstrates how to use the SpellChecker class. You can use this as a reference for implementing spell checking in your own projects.

Troubleshooting

• Dictionaries not found: Make sure your dictionary files are placed in the addons/hunspell/dictionaries/ folder and have the correct extensions (.aff and .dic).
• Spell checker not working in exports: Check that you've added the dictionary files to your export filters as described in the "Exporting Your Project" section.
• Performance issues: Consider loading dictionaries asynchronously or at application startup to avoid slowdowns during gameplay.

License

This addon is distributed under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for more information.

The Hunspell library is distributed under a combination of licenses (GPL/LGPL/MPL). See the Hunspell license for more information.

Credits

• Hunspell - The spell checking library
• godot-cpp - C++ bindings for the Godot API

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please file an issue on the GitHub repository.