RE: Cross platform speech API

  • From: "Ken Perry" <whistler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 11 Dec 2010 16:37:03 -0500

pyTts is the closest but you need to use python to be able to really take
advantage of it.

ken

-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of QuentinC
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2010 4:36 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Cross platform speech API

Hello everybody,
I would like to know if somebody knows of a trully cross platform API to 
make simple speech. I don't find what I want on google.
Some months ago there was saytool, but I believe that it is only for windows

(correct me if I'm wrong)

I need only one thing in fact : say a particular string, with ability to 
choose if it should do it interruptibly or not, that is, if it has to stop 
all previous speech before saying the specified string or not. The thing 
must respond fast enough to be used in a gam
Of course, if we can do more (set volume/rate/pitch/change voice/select 
language/record to buffer, etc.) it is even cooler ! but it is not strictly 
required right now.

The best would be to
1. Detect if a popular screen reader (like jaws/NVDA/windows eye on windows,

voice over on mac, etc.) is running, and use it if possible
2. Else detect if a speech synthesizer alone is present (eloquence, espeak, 
etc.), and use it if possible, and if it is of course not illegal (thinking 
about recent eloquence discussions)
3. IF all that isn't possible, try a general fallback mechanism (like SAPI 
on windows, speech dispatcher on linux, etc.)

IF such an API doesn't yet exist, I would be happy to collaborate in making 
it if I can be useful (ony in windows side). I find that important because 
there are now many cross platforms APIs for many things but not for speech. 
It could be interesting to accessibilize applications via plugins, make 
audio games, or other tings...
The best language to do that is probably C/C++ or even only C, because it is

the universal language. From C you can afterwards add bindings to other 
languages (java, python, C#, etc.). I love java but that's not a problem.

Please let know what you think and share links if you have.
Thank you.

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