A word processor that can capitalise compound words correctly. If I use the case toggling feature in Word for something like smartcase, it will change to SMARTCASE and then Smartcase. What I want is SmartCase. This is just a question of spotting valid dictionary words within words, I think.
-- gravelpit, May 15 2001

FlexiCaps http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/FlexiCaps
a related idea [st3f, May 15 2001]

You can use Microsoft Word's AutoCorrect function for this. You set up an entry so that every time you type, say, 'sc' it replaces it with 'SmartCase'. I would guess that similar functionality exists in other packages.
-- angel, May 15 2001


Further to angel's annotation you could also put in an autocorrect entry for smartcase to SmartCase so that it capitalises it even if you forget to type the sc abbreviation. Unless I'm missing something in your posting, gravelpit, this is starting to sound baked.

<oh_no_hes_off_on_one_again>When I read the title, though, it did make me think of an idea that I had a few years back. Have a look, gravelpit. Maybe you can find a fusion between the two ideas. </oh_no_hes_off_on_one_again>

I'll post the link as soon as I write it.
-- st3f, May 15 2001


I think [angel] and [st3f] miss the point, which is to automatically find "SmartCase" without having to build a dictionary. I think *everyone* misses the other point, which is that this is not about default autocorrection (since there is no way, short of a dictionary, to know when InterCaps are appropriate); there would instead be a key or a button bound to "toggle SmartCase".

(I'm not sure why that would be any faster than typing it correctly in the first place, except perhaps that the toggle would also override AutoCorrect.)

One of my lingering problems with Microsoft's Autocorrect is that, even if its dictionary knows that a word needs internal capitalization, it will still remove it after you type the word. Then it will mark the word as misspelled, and when you fix it, the capitalization is properly reset... at least until you next edit the word. In short, the spelling dictionary and the on-the-fly capitalization corrector are distinct.
-- egnor, May 15 2001


Arrgh! No! Just let me type the thing myself--I know when I want caps and when I don't. Word and WordPerfect are already slobby overloaded pigs, and I prefer simple useful apps like Mini Notetab. Adding more grammar, spellchecking, and capitalization features is like adding maggots to a dead elephant.

(I can hardly believe I wrote that but I think I'll let it stand.)
-- Dog Ed, May 15 2001


Believe me, I have no interest in the kind of I-know-what-you-meant-to-type-really features like Autocorrect. Even if all the company and product names that use InterCaps [thanks for the jargon heads-up, egnor] could be incorporated into the Autocorrect dictionary, I still wouldn't want to use it because I want to stay in control of what I write. SmartCaps is just a typing shortcut that provides you with the *option* to toggle to this increasingly common capitalisation style, but leaves it entirely up you whether or not to invoke it.

On reflection though, I don't think I'd pay even a penny for an upgrade to a version of Word that supported it so maybe MS shouldn't waste too much development time on it.
-- gravelpit, May 16 2001



random, halfbakery