README

CopySpeaker

November 9, 2004


Description

CopySpeaker is a simple text-to-speech application that reads aloud text that is copied to the system clipboard. It can read text when directed to do so, or it can read automatically whenever text is copied to the clipboard. Furthermore, CopySpeaker can substitute misread or mispronounced words with phonetic equivalents. The list of words to substitute and their respective substitutions are listed in a simple XML file format. This XML file may be hand modified to meet your reading requirements. CopySpeaker is intended to (1) demonstrate NewJ and (2) provide a modest enabling tool for blind and other visually impaired persons.

Development Technology

CopySpeaker was developed with NewJ for C++ from PureNative Software. It also uses MFC and the Microsoft Speech API. The XML file parsing tasks are performed by the barebones XML package in NJSamples. NJSamples may be downloaded from pure-native.com.

System Requirements and Build Instructions

To run CopySpeaker, speech support must be installed on your system. CopySpeaker requires support for Microsoft Speech API (SAPI) version 4. Windows XP ships with SAPI 4 support by default.

To build CopySpeaker, Microsoft Speech SDK must be installed on your system. (Note: If you experience problems installing the Microsoft Speech SDK version 4 on your Windows XP/2000 system, it may be necessary to run the installer in Windows 98/ME compatibility mode.) Furthermore, your development environment must be configured to have the Microsoft Speech SDK in its Include directory path setting. For default installations of the Speech SDK, this is "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Speech SDK\Include". However, CopySpeaker does not link directly to any library files in the Speech SDK.

To build CopySpeaker, the NJSamples library is also required. NJSamples may be downloaded from pure-native.com. Be sure to add the NJSamples library output directory to the Libraries directories setting for your development environment.

How to Use

To read text automatically:

  1. Run CopySpeaker.
  2. Make sure automatic reading is enabled. It is enabled by default. If it has been disabled, to enable it, choose the Options button. Check the item Automatically read when text is copied. Choose OK. Now automatic reading is enabled.
  3. Switch to the application containing the text you wish to read.
  4. Select the text.
  5. Copy the text to the clipboard. The usual keystroke is Ctrl+C for English versions of Windows.
  6. Now CopySpeaker will read your text.
  7. To read more text, repeat steps 3 through 5.
To read text manually:
  1. Run CopySpeaker.
  2. Make sure automatic reading is disabled. It is enabled by default. To disable it, choose the Options button. Uncheck the item Automatically read when text is copied. Choose OK. Now automatic reading is disabled.
  3. Switch to the application containing the text you wish to read.
  4. Select the text.
  5. Copy the text to the clipboard. The usual keystroke is Ctrl+C for English versions of Windows.
  6. Switch back to CopySpeaker.
  7. Press the letter R to begin reading.
  8. Now CopySpeaker will read your text.
  9. To read more text, repeat steps 3 through 7.

Substitutions XML File Format

The schema for Substitutions XML file format is as follows: 

   <substitutions>
      <substitution>
         <original>originalWord</original>
         <replacement>replacementWord</replacement>
      </substitution>
      ...
   </substitutions>

By default, the substitutions feature is disabled. To enable the substitutions feature, select the Options button. When the Options dialog appears, check Use substitutions in file:. Now choose Browse... Navigate to and select your Substitutions XML file. Choose Open. Chose OK. Your substitutions will take effect for the next reading.

Updates

The latest version of CopySpeaker may be obtained from http://www.pure-native.com/download.

Source Code Availability

The source code for CopySpeaker may be obtained from http://www.pure-native.com/download.


CopySpeaker is a sample NewJ program developed by PureNative Software.
For more information, visit http://www.pure-native.com.