[real-eyes] Fw: Announcing WinBT 2.0 - a free, open source Windows braille translator

From: "Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:23:37 -0500

  ---- Original Message ------
  From: Jamal Mazrui <empower@xxxxxxxxx
  Date sent: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:46:53 -0400 (EDT)

  Now available at
  http://EmpowermentZone.com/wbtsetup.exe

  WinBT 2.0 is an updated distribution of the NFBTrans braille translator
  (BT), and the associated WinTrans graphical user interface (GUI).  The
  original programmers are no longer active in the project, and the
  wintrans-bt.org web site is discontinued.  Maintenance of NFBTrans has
  been led by Steve Jacobson as Vice President of the NFB in Computer
  Science.  He recruited additional programmers, and improved the default
  configuration settings of NFBTrans.

  The original author of WinTrans chose not to reveal his or her identity,
  using the name "Anonymous John" instead.  Since several years had elapsed
  since then (2003), we tried to find the author in case he or she now
  wished to be publicly acknowledged.  Ultimately, we found him via Tom
  Dimeo, who had introduced WinTrans to the world in a podcast of the Main
  Menu program by ACB Radio (an audio tutorial included in this
  distribution).  The two of them communicated about this new effort, and
  George McCoy has now authorized us to disclose that he is the one who
  authored WinTrans.

  Recent discussion about improving NFBTrans has occurred on the email list
  called "ProgrammingBlind," to which one can subscribe through the web site
  http://FreeLists.org

  The NFBTrans code was ported and recompiled by Tyler Littlefield, using
  Microsoft Visual C++ 2008, a free Express Edition of which is available at
  http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2008-edition
  s/express

  The new build resulted in a 32-bit rather than 16-bit executable, thus
  allowing it to run under 64-bit Windows, which, unlike prior Windows
  versions, does not run 16-bit programs.  The Visual Studio solution file,
  NFBTrans.sln, contains compiler configuration information that allows a
  developer to easily recompile the C code.  Anyone who finds ways of
  improving the code,  configuration settings, or documentation is
  encouraged to contribute such improvements back to the community.

  The WinTrans source code, WinTrans.bas, was recompiled by Jamal Mazrui
  using PowerBASIC 10.0, a commercial compiler available at
  http://powerbasic.com

  He also improved the WinTrans installer using Inno Setup 5, which is
  freely available at
  http://InnoSetup.org

  The script file, wbtsetup.iss, gives InnoSetup instructions for building
  the installer, wbtsetup.exe.  It creates a desktop shortcut for launching
  the WinBT dialog, with an optional hotkey assignment, Alt+Control+B (for
  braille translator).  The installer also creates a WinBT program group in
  the Windows Start/Programs menu with options for launching the program,
  reading the documentation, playing an audio tutorial, or uninstalling the
  program.  By default, the documentation is opened at the end of the
  installation process, and the audio tutorial may optionally be played then
  as well.    The program may also be launched by entering "WinBT" in the
  Windows Start/Run dialog (capitalization does not matter).

  The original distribution files for NFBTrans and WinTrans, nfbtr774.zip
  and winbt.zip (renamed from winbt.exe), are included in the WinBT program
  directory.  Also included there is the first public release of the
  WinTrans 1.0 source code in the PowerBASIC language, contained in
  WinTrans.zip.  By default, the program directory is located at
  C:\WinBT

  The WinBT installer, wbtsetup.exe, may be downloaded at
  http://EmpowermentZone.com/wbtsetup.exe

  A zip archive containing the same files is available at
  http://EmpowermentZone.com/wbtsetup.zip

  This documentation is also available online at
  http://EmpowermentZone.com/WinBT.htm

  The updated distribution can give a new life to WinTrans and NFBTrans.The
  installer makes the braille translator friendly to install, use, and
  learn.The documentation gives developers information about recompiling the
  source code, thus opening a possible path to improvements contributed by
  the open source community.  he original WinTrans and NFBTrans archives are
  also included, so that anyone can start from there instead if preferred.

  WinBT 2.0 has resulted from constructive collaboration among various
  parties for the common good of blind people.  Although imperfections
  undoubtedly remain, there is clear progress that is worth sharing.  We
  hope these contributions extend the value of NFBTrans and related
  technologies to users of electronic braille!


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[real-eyes] Fw: Announcing WinBT 2.0 - a free, open source Windows braille translator

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