Simple abstraction layer to interact with the UNIX aspell library via Ruby

aspell_spell_checker.rb

module Spelling
  require 'net/https'
  require 'uri'
  require 'rexml/document'
  
  ASPELL_WORD_DATA_REGEX = Regexp.new(/\&\s\w+\s\d+\s\d+(.*)$/)
  ASPELL_PATH = "aspell"
  
  #
  #  @param String: spell_check_text - represents the source string
  #  @param String: command - "checkWords" or "getSuggestions"
  #  @param String: lang - Languages to check against.  Must match installed aspell dictionaries
  #  @return String: XML list of suggestions based on the provides spell_check_text
  #
  def check_spelling(spell_check_text, command, lang)
    xml_response_values = Array.new
    spell_check_text = spell_check_text.join(' ') if command == 'checkWords'
    
    tf = Tempfile.new("aspell_buf") # adds pid
    tf.write(spell_check_text)
    tf.seek 0
    spell_check_response = `cat #{tf.path} | aspell -a -l #{lang}`
    tf.close!

    # spell_check_response = `echo "#{spell_check_text}" | #{ASPELL_PATH} -a -l #{lang}`
    if (spell_check_response != '')
      spelling_errors = spell_check_response.split("\n").slice(1..-1)
      if (command == 'checkWords')
        for error in spelling_errors
          error.strip!
          if (match_data = error.match(ASPELL_WORD_DATA_REGEX))
            arr = match_data[0].split(' ')
            xml_response_values << arr[1]
          end 
        end 
      elsif (command == 'getSuggestions') 
        for error in spelling_errors 
          error.strip! 
          if (match_data = error.match(ASPELL_WORD_DATA_REGEX)) 
            error.slice!(/\A.*\:/)
            xml_response_values << error.split(',').collect(&:strip!)
            xml_response_values = xml_response_values.first
          end
        end 
      end 
    end 
    return xml_response_values
  end 
end