This step-by-step guide is intended to outline the main steps for the WebSpellChecker application installation on a Windows Server with Apache HTTP Server. In this guide we will run you through the whole installation process from downloading installation packages to embedding spell/grammar checking functionality to your web-based system.

Before you begin:

  1. Check if your environment configuration meets Installation requirements.
  2. Acknowledge with Architecture diagram.

  3. Make sure that you have a valid license:

    First of all you need to get a valid License Ticket ID to proceed with the license activation. Depending on the server license type, it may be a commercial (e.g. 1 year) or a 30-day trial license. Except the validity period, there is no difference between ticket types from the technical perspective.

    Good to know:

    • If you do not have a license yet, you can obtain it using one of the following ways:
    • Starting from v5.8.1 released on December 30, 2020, the license is no longer validated by or tied to the hardware characteristics of a machine or server. License for older versions of the packages is hardware-dependent. 
    • If you are migrating WebSpellChecker from one server to another, you will need to deactivate (detach) a license on the current server and then reactivate it on a new one. Check carefully the Migrating License to New Server guide under the Licensing section.
    • If you have problems with your license, contact us.

1. Download Installation Package

Download WebSpellChecker application package for a corresponding version of your operating system (OS). By default, it is provided on a license purchase or maintenance renewal. You can also request it contacting us at [email protected]. 

2. Install WebSpellChecker


Follow the instructions in the setup window, selecting the options that are appropriate to your environment. It is recommended that you install the AppServer as a service. To do so, select the Install Application Server as service checkbox.

2.1. Run the installation package (e.g. wsc_app_win_x64_release_5.5.x.x_xx.exe). 

2.2. Before proceeding with the installation, read and confirm WebSpellChecker Software License Agreement.

Visit WebSpellChecker Software License Agreement page to acknowledge with the full terms and conditions of WebSpellChecker Software.



2.3. Select WebSpellChecker installation location and click Next to proceed. The default WebSpellChecker installation folder is C:\Program Files\WebSpellChecker. Click Browse… and specify a different installation location if it is necessary. 

2.4. Select the products to install and click Next to proceed. By default, WProofreader as well as Demo Samples and Documentation are installed.

If you selected the WSC Dialog Plugin for CKEditor 4, all the requests and static files will be served by a selected web server or Java application server via the FastCGI protocol (SSRV.CGI component) which you need to enable later. For details, refer to WebSpellChecker diagram description. All other products communicate with AppServer directly and don't require any additional configuration and enabling FastCGI protocol.

2.5. Select the type of protocol that will be used for communication with the WebSpellChecker service and a web server or Java application server and click Next to proceed. By default, HTTPS is selected.

2.6. Specify the service port. The default port of AppServer is 2880. Press Next to proceed with the installation using port 2880.

If the port is already in use, the following error message appears. 

To continue the installation under the port 2880, press OK and select the Ignore and use this port even if it is in use option.

If you also have an installation of WebSpellChecker Server on the same server, and AppServer is running under the port 2880, you need to select a different unused port (e.g. 2881) for this installation.

2.7. Select Apache Web Server (Apache HTTP Server) as a web server and configure its settings.

2.8. Specify the path to the Apache HTTP Server configuration file (httpd.config).

If you selected WSC Dialog plugin for CKEditor 4 during products selection step, you need to enable FastCGI module for Apache HTTP Server. To do so:

  • Download mod_fastcgi.so from an external resource.
  • Unzip the downloaded file to the Apache HTTP Server folder with other modules.
  • Define the FastCGI module in the httpd.config file. To do so, add the following sample:
LoadModule fastcgi_module modules/mod_fastcgi.so
AddHandler fastcgi-script fcgi

2.9. Define settings of the selected Apache HTTP Server web server and click Next to proceed.

  • Specify a domain name (e.g. localhost).
  • Specify a port number of a web server. The installer will suggest the port number based on the specified protocol and selected web server. The default ports for web servers are 80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS protocols.

Provide the name of the virtual directory for WebSpellChecker service. The default value is wscservice.

2.10. If you have selected HTTPS on the step with the protocol type, you need to configure SSL connection. When configuring Service SSL certificate, choose one of the available options: 

Option 1: Export your SSL certificate from Windows Certificate Store 

When choosing to export SSL certificate from Windows Certificate Store which is a Windows-native certificate store, make sure you have specified a fully qualified HostName (also Common Name) and selected a proper store name. You need to select one of reserved certificate store names: 

  • MY = Personal
  • Root = Trusted Root Certification Authorities
  • Trust = Enterprise Trust
  • CA = Intermediate Certification Authorities
  • USERDS = Active Directory User Object

For details, refer to Microsoft official website certificate stores description. If you are still having a hard time to define the correct Common Name and Store Name of your certificate, check this Importing SSL сertificate to IIS store guide.

Option 2: Skip now and configure manually in the SSL tag of the AppServerX.xml configuration file

If you choose to configure SSL connection manually in the SSL tag parameters of AppServerX.xml file. There are two ways available: using STORE (Windows Certificate Store) or FILE specifying a path to an SSL certificate file (*.pfx file).

Option 3: Apply an SSL Certificate that is used by your Web or Java Application Server.

Select this option if you plan to use WSC Dialog plugin for CKEditor 4. After you have selected this option, FastCGI module should be properly configured later, and the certificate information is obtained from the Web or Java Application Server.

If you choose to apply an SSL Certificate that is used by your web or Java application server, your connection configuration takes place using FastCGI protocol. Thus, you enable scenario B of WebSpellChecker Architecture diagram when FastCGI proxies service requests before AppServer. 

If for some reason the installer fails to connect the selected certificate from your Windows Certificate Store, the following error occurs:

Configure Service SSL Certificate

You can either try to type the certificate common name and select a proper Certificate Store Name or skip this option and provide the information later using the SSL tag values of the AppServerX.xml file.

For more details, refer to Microsoft Certificate Store description and AppServer SSL parameters description.

2.11. Select WebSpellChecker Start Menu folder and type a program name which will be used as a Start Menu item and click Next to proceed.

2.12. On this step the installer summarizes the information that you have entered on the previous steps. Click Install to proceed with the installation process or return to previous steps if you want to make any changes.

2.13. As soon as the installation process is finished, select Activate License if you are installing WebSpellChecker Server for the first time and then click Finish to close the installation dialog. You can view the samples and verify application operability in newly opened web browser tabs, namely Samples page, a page with Status check, and a page with Version check. Note that all these options are selected by default. The Activate License option is not selected only if you reinstall WebSpellChecker on the same server.

3. Activate License

Refer to the License Activation on Windows guide if you are installing WebSpellChecker Server for the first time to find out how to activate a license on a Windows-based server.

4. Configure Grammar Engine

The Grammar engine requires 64-bit version of Java 8 or higher. The installation wizard will try to auto-detect a path to an existing Java Virtual Machine (JVM). If no path is found, you will be asked to specify the path to JVM using the next window:

You have an option to set a path to JVM manually or change the auto-detected path to your custom one. Refer to the Enabling Grammar Engine to find out more.

5. Verify Operability

Check the status and version of AppServer to verify if WebSpellChecker Server works properly. To do so, use the links below to navigate to the detailed commands and responses descriptions:

6. Integrate WebSpellChecker

Integrate WebSpellChecker products into your web application.

Do not use 2880 port when accessing samples or other statics files like wscbundle.js file as such files will be processed by a selected web server or Java application server. 2880 is an internal port that WSC AppServer listens to and which is designed to process service requests (check spelling, grammar and others).

Option A. Integration Guides

Visit Products and integrations guides to learn more how to get started with WebSpellChecker products, one of them being WProofreader.

WProofreader

WProofreader is multilingual proofreading tool for web applications. It enables grammar and spell check while you type or work with your text in a dedicated dialog. It detects editable fields in focus, be it HTML editable controls or WYSIWYG editors, and enables spelling and grammar checking there. View the full list of supported integrations.

WProofreader benefits: 

With the Cloud-based version of WProofreader you can access and use its features without server-side installation. In the Server-based version, all the application data is securely processed on your own server. Refer to the Get started with WProofreader Server (autoSearch) guide for more details.

WProofreader allows users to see and correct spelling and grammar problems on the fly while they are typing directly in the text input field. Every misspelled word found will be underlined with a red wavy line and every grammar problem detected will be marked with a green one respectively. The user just needs to hover a marked word or phrase and replace it with a proper one from the list of given corrections.

Option B. Demo Samples

Depending on the type of elements, namely HTML native elements or rich text editors where the spelling and grammar check is needed, you may choose and use the demo samples that are shipped with the package. 

To access the default samples, go to http(s)://your_host_name:port/wscservice/samples/ where port is the port of your web server or Java application server. The default samples contains all the necessary samples and instructions that will help with the integration of the WebSpellChecker products. Moreover, each sample contains detailed development documentation with a list of methods and parameters available.