Relocate
|
Talker
|
|
A implementation of the text-to-speech capabilities built-in to
Windows XP. Supports command line calls for customizing. |
| |
Talker is a really small app (~151kb) that I created when I saw
a code snippet by Valuater on the AutoITScript forums one day. Granted the code there was
Spartan and not customizable if compiled. I quickly turned it into a
executable that would except a command line parameter string that would convert the
supplied text into 'Stephen Hawking'-styled verbiage.
It's Windows-based, open source (GNU),
and solely written, maintained, hosted, and supported by me, Sean Shrum. Source code is written with
AutoIT (.au3) and the
most recent version can be found via the source link in the navbar above. If you're just looking for the latest binary build, it can be downloaded from
the binary link in the navbar above.
One reason I created this was the kewlness factor. Another reason was so I could create audio cues for when
processes were finished, like long backups or uploads. Another reason was to create a alarm clock of sorts. Using
Windows AT command, I can call the app and have talker remind me that it's time
for lunch or even time to go home at the end of the day. Plus I can make it say: "Would you like to play a game?"
:-)
Talker uses only 1 parameter: the string to convert to speech. This must be wrapped
in double quotes like this:
talker.exe "This is a test of the emergency broadcast system"talker.exe "Your weekly backup has completed."talker.exe "We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a
minor planet."- ...and so on...
In the absence of a command line, talker will generate a window into which you can create your command line
You can put calls to Talker in your batch files or even call it via the
Windows
AT command. To launch Talker via AT, just remember to include the full
pathname to where you put the talker executable in the command line like this
(remember to use double quotes if the pathname contains spaces in it):
"C:\Program Files\Talker\talker.exe" "This is a test"
This is because when the AT command launches, it starts in the Windows
System32 folder (most likely not where you plan on placing the executable file).
