[liblouis-liblouisxml] COM Object: Re: Re: liblouisxml and mathml
- From: "John J. Boyer" <john.boyer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: liblouis-liblouisxml@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 01:58:23 -0600
neil,
It would be great to have a COM object to acd to the sources. I hope you
or someone can get around to updating it. The interfaces to liblouis and
liblouisxml are not likely to change, except that some new functions
might be added.
It seems we have a demand for more user-friendly ways of finding both
suitable liblouis tables and liblouisxml configuration
files. It might be possible to do this using the liblouis table facility
and the replace opcode.
John
On Sun, Nov 08, 2009 at 09:39:00PM -0800, Neil Soiffer wrote:
> I have a COM wrapper to liblious (and UMCL) that has gone stale.* I keep
> meaning to update it to the current build, but never get around to it.*
> I'd like to update it and get it into the sources so anyone can use it.
>
> There are essentially two parts to the interface:* discovery and usage.*
> Discovery means finding the COM components that support the interface and
> what info they provide and usage is actually calling for the translation.*
> The advantage of using COM versus compiling in a version of liblious is
> that the application (in my case, MathPlayer) can evolve separate from
> LibLious and people can independently update.* Using a DLL does that also,
> but COM means that others can implement the interface (as UMCL did), so
> you have a wider range of choices -- every product is bound to have their
> own set of "quirks"/bugs.* The downside to COM is that although it is a
> cross platform solution, it is really only used on Windows.* If you are
> providing a windows solution, it is a great way to go.
>
> I can't remember how we solved the names that we present to users, but I
> don't think it was a good solution (I think only Nemeth existed we we
> wrote it).* Definitely, it would be much better to have some meta info at
> the top of the file that could be read without reading the entire file.* A
> commenting convention as Michael proposes would be OK -- just try to keep
> it simple.
>
> *** Neil
>
> On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 3:47 AM, Michael Whapples <[1]mwhapples@xxxxxxx>
> wrote:
>
> I have a few thoughts, possibly influenced from some of the python
> stuff.:
>
> * Could we have description as another option? I don't know how
> liblouisxml reads the configuration files but in python if using the
> ConfigParser module then a programme would not be affected by extra
> options not originally thought about, it would just ignore the extra
> options (if liblouisxml works this way then it would be able to accept a
> description option as it stands).
> * May be a comment done in a certain way at the beginning of the file
> then only the start of the file needs to be read. I would imagine you
> may want something to determine that it is actually a description
> comment so that for files with no description then the app won't show
> the sort of comments existing at the top of the configuration files
> which do not help understand what that file is for. I will admit I
> haven't looked back at the discussion about liblouis tables, I do intend
> to. I am thinking as an example the comment for a description may start
> #* instead of just #.
> Michael Whapples
> On 08/11/09 03:48, John J. Boyer wrote:
>
> Selecting configuration files is similar to the problem of selecting
> liblouis tables that Christikn discussed a couple of days ago. The
> files
> could begin with a descriptive comment and the application could just
> display these in a radio-button list. We'll be working on tables and
> can
> consider configuration files also.
>
> John
>
> On Sat, Nov 07, 2009 at 10:51:46PM +0000, Michael Whapples wrote:
> *
>
> Thanks will look at that.
>
> As for selecting the configuration files, couple of questions:
> * Is there any way for a programme to find out the lbx_files
> directory?
> * While the three cfg files have reasonably easy to understand file
> names at the moment, I was just wondering whether there was a way to
> get
> a more readable configuration name or may be even a description? I
> do
> doubt this as the contents of the file don't hold this information.
> Its
> just I would have liked it that a application could present to the
> user
> a list like:
> "UK maths Braille output with capitals for A4 paper"
> "UK maths Braille output without capitals for A4 paper"
> "Nemeth Braille output for A4 paper"
> ...
>
> I know that the above may not represent the current options with
> liblouisxml but as people develop more configurations, tables, etc
> such
> a list could start forming and filenames may not be enough to keep
> it
> easy for the user.
>
> Michael Whapples
> On 07/11/09 21:39, John J. Boyer wrote:
> * *
>
> Liblouisxml will handle bare equations in MathML. This is already
> done
> by an application from ViewPlus. Use the function
> lbx_translateString
> which is described in the documentation. The configuration file
> specifies which braille math code to use. The lbx_files directory
> contains various configuration files, such as nemeth.cfg
> ukmaths.cfg
> marburg.cfg I think all the user would have to do is pick the math
> code.
>
> John
>
> On Sat, Nov 07, 2009 at 07:17:35PM +0000, Michael Whapples wrote:
>
> * * *
>
> Hello,
> I know that liblouisxml can handle MathML but I would like to
> know a
> little about what it can do. I am looking into using liblouisxml
> possibly to add some sort of math Braille access in screen
> readers
> (either NVDA or orca, to be decided as I don't know how well
> they can
> communicate with firefox).
>
> If I hand liblouisxml (from a programme) some MathML, but it is
> only the
> equation will liblouisxml be able to handle this? I have noticed
> that
> when sending a full document to liblouisxml it lays it out as if
> it will
> be embossed, my use is for a Braille display, will it do this
> for the
> example of just sending an equation?
>
> Some separate stuff: How can I get my programme to know what the
> various
> configurations will do so it could present the user with a list
> of
> options, or will I have to manually map these to easy to
> understand names?
>
> I am sure I have some other comments on liblouisxml and mathml,
> but
> those are slightly different and so I will deal with them in
> another
> message.
>
> Michael Whapples
> For a description of the software and to download it go to
> [2]http://www.jjb-software.com
>
> * * * *
>
> * * *
>
> For a description of the software and to download it go to
> [3]http://www.jjb-software.com
> * *
>
> *
>
> For a description of the software and to download it go to
> [4]http://www.jjb-software.com
>
> References
>
> Visible links
> 1. mailto:mwhapples@xxxxxxx
> 2. http://www.jjb-software.com/
> 3. http://www.jjb-software.com/
> 4. http://www.jjb-software.com/
--
John J. boyer; President, Chief Software Developer
Abilitiessoft, Inc.
http://www.abilitiessoft.com
Madison, Wisconsin USA
Developing software for people with disabilities
For a description of the software and to download it go to
http://www.jjb-software.com
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