To overcome that difficulty, you can have more than one custom.dic. So the
best solution would be let users continue using their own custom.dic for
their own spell settings.
Create a new set of dictionaries for the departments - such as Finance.dic -
and place on the server in its own folder. Add the Finance.dic to the Custom
Dictionaries in Word Options, Proofing. You are able to add many custom
dictionaries because you may need scientific or medical specific
dictionaries.
Terry
"PA" wrote in message
...
Terrific stuff, thanks Herb.
"Herb Tyson [MVP]" wrote:
You can do it, but you won't 100% perfect results. The .dic file is
loaded
when you first open Word. During the current session, anything you add is
automatically stuffed into memory, so that such words are in your
personal
"ok" list. And words that I add, are also stuffed into my personal "ok"
list.
But, your "ok" list won't show up on my Word session until the next time
I
close Word and re-open it. Similarly, my "ok" list won't show up on your
Word session until the next time you close Word and re-open it.
When you click Add to Dictionary, it is added instantly. So, unless two
people happen to do it at the exact same time, there shouldn't be any
sharing conflicts. You also don't have to worry about changes getting
lost,
since it's not like a regular Word document when one person's changes can
wipe out someone else's if they're saving over the same master copy
without
some kind of file coordination system supervising the changes. It's like
a
dart board that's sittting in a central area. Each person's dart gets to
the
dart board. The only problem would be if two people try to throw darts at
the exact same moment, in which case there would be a momentary sharing
violation for one of the two (I would think... but I can't be sure since
I
can't seem to get things to happen at the exact same moment).
At worst, if you & I add the same word, it can show up twice in the .dic
file. No big deal. But, just so you know.
Otherwise, it can work fine. I keep my default .dic file on my desktop
computer's public folder so that if I add words while writing on my
laptop,
they get added to my main .dic file. That way, I accomplish the aim you
seek.
First, copy the most complete .dic file you have to a shared location. I
named mine shared.dic to prevent confusion. But, you're not so
constrained.
Then, choose Tools - Options - Spelling and Grammar - Custom
Dictionaries -
Add. Navigate to the shared location and click OK. Back in the custom
dictionaries dialog, with that dictionary selected, click Change Default.
--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com
"PA" wrote in message
...
We have a Department that deals with State oversite offices, and the
rules
are quite stringent. They also have quite a selection of terminology
that
must be employed within a "properly" formatted document. Thus we are
constantly adding words to the (custom) dictionary.
In Word 2003, how can I set up a dictionary for them that is shared so
that
all the words not found in the standard dictionary need only be added
once,
by one individual. We do have many shares available to accomplish
this,
if
possible.