eSpeak - version 1.12 release

[Willem van der Walt]

Hi Jonathan
There would be an immediate benefit if Espeak becomes available under 
Windows through Microsoft speech API (MSAPI).
The technology used by people with speech disabilities to communicate is 
based on Windows and can use a MSAPI speech synthesizer.  It would allow 
these people to communicate in Afrikaans which currently is not possible.
It would also allow the users of the windows screen readers to use the 
Afrikaans voice.  If the current code compiles under Windows, I think it 
should not be too difficult to get it done.
I think one does not have to support the full MSAPI which I think, allows 
for feedback from the synthesizer, IE which word has last been spoken etc.
Hopefully, other languages will also be developed which would make the 
effort more useful.
I will ask around a bit and come back to you regarding possible porting.
Regards, Willem


On Tue, 29 Aug 2006, Jonathan Duddington wrote:

> In article <000601c6cb9b$3cd10ae0$6501a8c0 at SeaTrout>,
>   Chris Hofstader <chris.hofstader at knology.net> wrote:
>>> Do you know if this will run with a screen reader in windows?
>>
>> If it is a SAPI 5 synthesizer, it should work immediately with JAWS
>> or Window-Eyes if its installer registers it properly.  If not, one
>> would either need to write a SAPI wrapper for it or write a direct
>> JAWS or WE synthesizer interface for the screen reader to access it
>> properly.
>
>> Also, I am not sure its a Windows program so some major porting may be
>> necessary.
>
> Firstly, yes, the program code can run OK on Windows.  Someone has
> incorporated the eSpeak program code within their Windows application
> and tells me it's working OK.  (the project is:
> http://apocalyx.sourceforge.net, an open source 3D graphics engine for
> games). I made a few changes so that it would compile OK.
>
> But what you need is a stand-alone speech engine with a SAPI interface.
> Would that be a DLL?  I know nothing about Windows programming, so I
> don't know how to do that, or how to register the service it provides
> with the Windows OS.
>
> If anyone wants to write such a wrapper, let me know and I'll offer
> help.
>
> I hadn't thought that a Windows version would be useful, as there are
> good software synthesizers available either free or at little cost.
>
> Unless you somehow prefer this parody of my voice :-)
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
>

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