# Suggestion Controls > Set the suggestion list and dictionary list of the Windows Forms spell check dialog, and show CreateSuggestions results in a ListBox below the misspelled word. - **Product:** TX Spell .NET for Windows Forms - **Section:** Documentation - **Kind:** Topic - **Path:** TX Spell .NET for Windows Forms > User Interface > Suggestion Controls - **4040 words** - **Web URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/suggestions/ - **LLMs URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/suggestions/llms.txt - **LLMs-Full URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/suggestions/llms-full.txt --- Suggestions are the words TX Spell .NET offers in place of a misspelled one. The user sees them in the list of the spell check dialog, at the top of the context menu, or in a control of your own that you fill. TX Spell .NET has no separate suggestion control to drop on a form: you set up the lists of its dialog and menu, or you show suggestions in a standard `ListBox`. Each of these places is covered below, with what it shows and the properties that change it. ### Where Suggestions Appear | Place | What you set | Covered in | |---|---|---| | **Suggestions** list of the spell check dialog | [SuggestionList](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestionlist/llms-full.txt) | [The Suggestion List of the Dialog](#the-suggestion-list-of-the-dialog) | | **Suggestions Dictionary** list of the dialog | [SuggestionDictionaryComboBox](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestiondictionarycombobox/llms-full.txt) | [The Suggestions Dictionary List](#the-suggestions-dictionary-list) | | Top of the context menu | The `maxSuggestions` parameter of `GetMenuItems` | [Suggestions in the Context Menu](#suggestions-in-the-context-menu) | | A control of your own | `CreateSuggestions` or the `SpellingCorrectionUIProvider` | [Show Suggestions Next to the Word](#show-suggestions-next-to-the-word) | Which suggestions are found at all depends on the dictionaries: only a dictionary whose [IsGetSuggestionsEnabled](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/dictionary/isgetsuggestionsenabled-property/llms-full.txt) property is `true` provides suggestions. It is `true` by default, and the user changes it in the **Suggestions** column of the [Options Dialog](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/options-dialog/#the-spell-checking-dictionaries-tab). ### The Suggestion List of the Dialog The spell check dialog lists the suggestions for the current word below the sentence. The [SuggestionList](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/spellcheckdialog/suggestionlist-property/llms-full.txt) property of the `SpellCheckDialog` describes this list: ![The Spelling dialog over a RichTextBox with the misspelled word "sampke" and the suggestions sample, spake, smoke, samples, sampler and sampled in the Suggestions list.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/richtextbox-spelling-dialog.b515f6c9.webp) | Property | Default | Effect | |---|---|---| | [MaxSuggestions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestionlist/maxsuggestions-property/llms-full.txt) | 10 | The largest number of suggestions in the list | | [IsNoSuggestionsItemEnabled](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestionlist/isnosuggestionsitemenabled-property/llms-full.txt) | `true` | When no suggestion is found, the list shows an item that says so | Set them before the dialog opens, for example in the constructor of the form: ```csharp using TXTextControl.Proofing; SpellCheckDialog dialog = txSpellChecker1.SpellCheckDialog; // Show the five best suggestions only dialog.SuggestionList.MaxSuggestions = 5; // Offer "All" in the Suggestions Dictionary list dialog.SuggestionDictionaryComboBox.IsAllItemEnabled = true; ``` The second setting belongs to the list below the suggestions, described next. ### The Suggestions Dictionary List **Suggestions Dictionary** chooses the dictionary the suggestions come from. With one dictionary, it shows that dictionary. With several, for example English and a dictionary of medical terms, the user switches between them, and the list of suggestions changes with the choice: ![The Spelling dialog over TX Text Control Words with the Suggestions Dictionary list open, offering en_US.dic and Shared Medical Dictionary.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/spelling-dialog-dict-list.87947a59.webp) The [SuggestionDictionaryComboBox](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/spellcheckdialog/suggestiondictionarycombobox-property/llms-full.txt) property of the `SpellCheckDialog` describes this list: | Property | Default | Effect | |---|---|---| | [IsAllItemEnabled](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestiondictionarycombobox/isallitemenabled-property/llms-full.txt) | `false` | Adds an **All** item that takes suggestions from all dictionaries at once. It appears only when more than one dictionary provides suggestions | | [IsAllItemSelected](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestiondictionarycombobox/isallitemselected-property/llms-full.txt) | `false` | Whether **All** is selected | | [SuggestionDictionary](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestiondictionarycombobox/suggestiondictionary-property/llms-full.txt) | | The selected [Dictionary](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/dictionary/llms-full.txt), or `null` when **All** is selected | The list shows a dictionary by its file name, such as *en\_US.dic*, unless you give it a [DisplayName](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/dictionary/displayname-property/llms-full.txt). The picture shows "Shared Medical Dictionary" as the display name of a second dictionary. [Options Dialog](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/options-dialog/#hide-or-rename-a-dictionary) sets one in code. To open the dialog with suggestions from one dictionary, pass it to [Show](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/spellcheckdialog/show-method/llms-full.txt), as in `Show(textControl1, dictionary)`. ### Suggestions in the Context Menu The context menu of a misspelled word starts with its suggestions. When you build the menu yourself with [GetMenuItems](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/txspellchecker/getmenuitems-method/llms-full.txt), its last parameter is the largest number of suggestions: ![Four TextControls with red underlines, and the context menu of a misspelled word with its suggestions at the top.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/four-textcontrols-context.0b87ecfe.webp) The *Context menu strip* samples of the setup pass 5. When no suggestion is found, the menu shows an item of the type `NoSuggestions` in their place. [Context Menus](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/context-menus/llms-full.txt) builds the whole menu. ### Show Suggestions Next to the Word Suggestions can also appear while the user types, right below the misspelled word, without a right-click. The blog article [Interactive Spelling Suggestions Using TX Spell .NET](https://www.textcontrol.com/blog/2014/07/30/interactive-spelling-suggestions-using-tx-spell-net/) shows a sample that does this with a panel of tiles: ![A TextControl in the AutoText sample: while the word "Suggestion" is typed, a panel of tiles below it offers suggestions such as Suggest and Surges, and a click replaces the word.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/suggestion-panel-autotext.18cd7be8.webp) This form does the same with a `ListBox`. It creates its controls in code, so it runs in a new Windows Forms project with the TX Text Control and TX Spell .NET packages; add a `Main` method or create the form from *Program.cs*: ```csharp using System.Drawing; using System.Windows.Forms; using TXTextControl; using TXTextControl.Proofing; public class SuggestForm : Form { private readonly TextControl textControl1 = new TextControl(); private readonly TXSpellChecker txSpellChecker1 = new TXSpellChecker(); private readonly ListBox suggestionList = new ListBox(); public SuggestForm() { textControl1.Dock = DockStyle.Fill; textControl1.SpellChecker = txSpellChecker1; textControl1.IsSpellCheckingEnabled = true; Controls.Add(textControl1); // The list floats over the text, hidden until there are suggestions suggestionList.Visible = false; suggestionList.Width = 150; suggestionList.Height = 100; textControl1.Controls.Add(suggestionList); suggestionList.MouseClick += suggestionList_MouseClick; textControl1.Changed += (sender, e) => ShowSuggestions(); textControl1.InputPositionChanged += (sender, e) => ShowSuggestions(); textControl1.Zoomed += (sender, e) => ShowSuggestions(); } private void ShowSuggestions() { // The misspelled word at the input position MisspelledWord word = textControl1.MisspelledWords.GetItem(); if (word == null || textControl1.Selection.Start < word.Start - 1 || textControl1.Selection.Start > word.Start + word.Length - 1) { suggestionList.Visible = false; return; } txSpellChecker1.CreateSuggestions(word.Text, 6); if (txSpellChecker1.Suggestions.Count == 0) { suggestionList.Visible = false; return; } suggestionList.Items.Clear(); foreach (Suggestion suggestion in txSpellChecker1.Suggestions) { suggestionList.Items.Add(suggestion.Text); } // Place the list below the word; the text positions are in twips int twipsPerPixel = (int)(1440 / textControl1.CreateGraphics().DpiX); Rectangle bounds = textControl1.TextChars[word.Start].Bounds; suggestionList.Location = new Point( (bounds.Left - textControl1.ScrollLocation.X) / twipsPerPixel * textControl1.ZoomFactor / 100, (bounds.Bottom - textControl1.ScrollLocation.Y) / twipsPerPixel * textControl1.ZoomFactor / 100); suggestionList.Visible = true; } private void suggestionList_MouseClick(object sender, MouseEventArgs e) { if (suggestionList.SelectedItem == null) return; // Replace the misspelled word with the clicked suggestion textControl1.MisspelledWords.Remove(textControl1.MisspelledWords.GetItem(), suggestionList.SelectedItem.ToString()); suggestionList.Visible = false; textControl1.Focus(); } } ``` The code works as follows: - The `Changed`, `InputPositionChanged` and `Zoomed` events of the `TextControl` update the list whenever the text, the input position or the zoom changes. - [GetItem](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/misspelledwordcollection/getitem-method/llms-full.txt) without a parameter returns the misspelled word at the input position, or the next one when there is none. The comparison with [Selection.Start](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/selection/start-property/llms-full.txt) hides the list when the input position is not in the word or directly in front of or behind it. `Selection.Start` counts from 0 and `Start` of the word from 1. - [CreateSuggestions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/txspellchecker/createsuggestions-method/llms-full.txt) creates at most six suggestions for the word and stores them in [Suggestions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/txspellchecker/suggestions-property/llms-full.txt), a collection of [Suggestion](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestion/llms-full.txt) objects with a [Text](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/suggestion/text-property/llms-full.txt). - [Bounds](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/textchar/bounds-property/llms-full.txt) of the first character of the word, in twips, gives the position below the word. [ScrollLocation](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/textcontrol/scrolllocation-property/llms-full.txt) and [ZoomFactor](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/textcontrol/zoomfactor-property/llms-full.txt) turn it into a position on the screen. - [Remove](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol/misspelledwordcollection/remove-method/llms-full.txt) of the `MisspelledWords` collection replaces the word with the clicked suggestion. [Incorrect Words and Suggestions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/spell-checking/suggestions/llms-full.txt) explains `CreateSuggestions` and its overloads in detail. ### Bind a List to the Correction Provider For a correction panel that works through the misspelled words one by one, like the dialog, bind a `ListBox` to the [SpellingCorrectionUIProvider](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/spellingcorrectionuiprovider/llms-full.txt). Its [Suggestions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/spellingcorrectionuiprovider-suggestionshandler/suggestions-property/llms-full.txt) always hold the suggestions for the current word, and its [SuggestionDictionaries](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/reference/txtextcontrol-proofing/spellingcorrectionuiprovider-suggestiondictionarieshandler/suggestiondictionaries-property/llms-full.txt) fill a list of dictionaries like the one of the dialog. The list updates through data binding, without event handlers of yours. [Spelling Correction Modes and UI Provider](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/spell-checking/correction-modes/llms-full.txt) builds such a panel. ### Next Steps - [Incorrect Words and Suggestions](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/spell-checking/suggestions/llms-full.txt): create suggestions in code. - [Context Menus](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/context-menus/llms-full.txt): the menu with the suggestions at the top. - [Customizing the Spell Check Dialog](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/customizing-dialog/llms-full.txt): change the buttons, the font and the preview of the dialog. - [Loading and Managing Dictionaries](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/dictionaries/managing/llms-full.txt): add the dictionaries that suggestions come from. --- ## Nearby - **Previous:** [Context Menus](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/context-menus/llms-full.txt) - **Next:** [Localization and Resource Kit](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-spell-dotnet-winforms/user-interface/localization/llms-full.txt)