DECtalk Software for Digital UNIX
Runtime User's Guide

March 1996

This manual provides information on installation, overview, getting started and step-by-step procedures for the DECtalk Software Runtime kit for the Digital UNIX product.

Revision/Update Information: This is a revised manual

Operating System: Digital UNIX 3.0, later

Software Product Version: 4.2A

Digital Equipment Corporation
Maynard, Massachusetts

Title Page Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Appendix A Appendix B

Preface: About this Guide

This guide contains instructions for the installation of the Runtime segment DECtalk Software product. It also contains the information you need to run the DECtalk Software applications that are included with this product.

What's the Difference Between the DECtalk Software Runtime Kit and the DECtalk Software Development Kit?

DECtalk Software is packaged as a Runtime kit and a Development kit. The Runtime kit gives you access to the following DECtalk Software applications: mailtalk, say, speak, emacspeak, DECface, aclock, and windict.

In order to develop your own DECtalk Software applications, you must order the DECtalk Software Developer's kit. DECtalk Software Developer's kit gives you access to the DECtalk Software API and sources for some sample application programs.

License Requirements

You can run one copy of any DECtalk Software application at a time without needing an LMF license. A license is required to run more than one copy. See the section on LMF Licensing in Chapter 1 for more information.

Features in DECtalk Software 4.2A

The following is a list of important features in DECtalk V4.2A:

Expanded main dictionary

Added user-dictionary suffix processing to help locate words in user dictionary

Expanded pronunciation rules and improved pronunciation

Homograph processing

Improved inline index-mark processing

Added the following inline commands:

Play command to play audio files in line with text

Tone command to generate tones

Dial command to generate DTMF tones used to dial telephone numbers

Stereo volume control commands

A new version of the mailtalk program that is fully integrated with mail

An enhanced Motif windows-based user dictionary builder that automatically translates text strings into phonemes

An improved command-line program, say, used to run DECtalk from the Digital UNIX command line

Improved computational efficiency

Two new sample applications

DECface

Emacspeak

Support for CDE desktop environment

Purpose and Audience

This guide is for the user who wants to run the text-to-speech applications that are part of DECtalk Software Runtime kit.

The instructions documented in this guide do not cover basic Digital UNIX operating instructions or program-development instructions for designing Digital UNIX applications other than that information specific to building a DECtalk application.

This guide contains instructions for installing DECtalk Software.The installation procedure installs all files in subdirectories under:

/usr/opt/DTKRT420

Structure

This guide is designed to provide you with quick and easy access to all information. You can easily learn about new topics and perform specific tasks related to running DECtalk Software application programs for the Digital UNIX operating system.

This guide's organization is listed below: 

Chapter                 Description                      
Chapter 1               Installing DECtalk Software      
Chapter 2               Introduction to DECtalk          
                        Software                         
Chapter 3               Using DECtalk Software           
Chapter 4               Advanced Voice Control Topics    
Appendix A              Voice Control Commands           
Appendix B              DECtalk Reference Tables         
Glossary                                                 
Index

On-line Help

DECtalk Software on-line help is accessible in two forms:

  • Manpages --Invoke manpage help from the UNIX command line with the %man speak command

  • HTML Hypertext -- Start Netscape hypertext help by launching Netscape and loading the DtkUsersGuide.html file.

    Conventions

    This guide uses the following conventions: 
    Convention      Explanation                                
        enter  Enter means type the required information   
               and press the Return key.                   
        mouse  Mouse refers to any pointing device, such   
               as a mouse, a puck, or a stylus.            
          MB1  MB1 indicates the left mouse button         
     click on  Click on means to press and release MB1.    
 double click  Double click means to press and release     
               MB1 twice in rapid succession without       
               moving the mouse.                           
         drag  The phrase drag means to press and hold     
               MB1, move the mouse, and then release MB1   
               when the pointer is in the desired          
               position.                                   
       Ctrl/x  A sequence such as Ctrl / x indicates       
               that you must press the Ctrl key while      
               you press another key.                      
 Menu Command  The right arrow key indicates an            
               abbreviated instruction for choosing a      
               command from a menu. For example, File      
               Exit means pull down the File menu, move    
               the pointer to the Exit command, and        
               release MB1.                                
 Courier type  Courier type indicates text that you type   
               and is displayed on the screen. This is     
               most often used for program code examples.  
   User Input  Boldface type in interactive examples       
               indicates information you enter from the    
               keyboard. For example: 
	 % ls speak  
       " xxx"  Indicates a word, words, or phrases you     
               must speak.

    Unless otherwise noted, press Return after entering commands or responses to command prompts.