
                          CHAPTER II
                    MODES AND CONVENTIONS




    II-A. The different modes.


    Before going further into details concerning the use of
VOXPARLE it is essential to define the different working modes
of the software. There are three modes available corresponding
to three action levels of the program.


    II-A-1. The live mode.

    It is actually the most frequently used working mode in
which VOXPARLE behaves as a background program while the user
is working on any application software such as a word
processor, a spreadsheet or other standard applications.
VOXPARLE behaves differently depending upon the functions
activated by the user. It is in fact the "normal" working mode
with or without adaptations.


    II-A-2. The command mode.

    This is the second working level of VOXPARLE. It offers
three types of commands. When in this mode you can:
    - Activate or not the services only working in live mode.
    - Run a macro.
    - Enter reading mode.
In VOXPARLE's default setting you enter command mode by
pressing then releasing one of the two CONTROL keys located
left and right-hand side of the qwerty block at the level of
the SPACE bar. A beep is given out and VOXPARLE is waiting for
you to press a key. If you do not issue a command before some
time, the software automatically returns you to live mode
after giving out a different beep. Except for the command
enabling you to go into reading mode, the other commands
automatically take you out of the command mode to return you
to live mode.


    II-A-3. The reading mode.

    This is the third working level of VOXPARLE. It is used
for the detailed reading of information displayed on the
screen and to handle the different files required by the
software and so on. To enter reading mode you simply have to
press the SPACE bar when in command mode. When in live mode
the keystroke to go into reading mode is:
    CONTROL SPACE.
    You exit reading mode either by pressing the ESCAPE key or
by hitting the ALT and ESCAPE keys simultaneously.


    II-B. Conventions.


    In the next chapters a number of keyboard keys is going to
be mentioned. From now on it is therefore useful to give their
names an abreviation in order to be as concise as possible in
the following explanations.

    Key                                 Abreviation
    ALTERNATE and ALTERNATE GRAPHICS    ALT
    LEFT or RIGHT CONTROL               CTRL
    LEFT SHIFT                          LSH
    RIGHT SHIFT                         RSH
    LEFT or RIGHT CAPS LOCK             CPL
    CARRIAGE RETURN                     CR
    ESCAPE                              ESC
    BACKSPACE                           BKSP
    TABULATION                          TAB
    INSERT                              INS
    DELETE                              DEL
    LEFT ARROW                          LAR
    RIGHT ARROW                         RAR
    DOWN ARROW                          DAR
    UP ARROW                            UAR
    PAGE UP                             PGUP
    PAGE DOWN                           PGDN
    HOME                                HOM
    END                                 END

    The other keys will be called by their usual names.

    Some keys have to be pressed together whereas others must
be hit one after another. In the first case the keys will be
separated by a dash. In the second case they will be separated
by a blank character.



    II-C. Vocal parameters/options tables.


    Many search or programming functions used in reading mode
are under the form of vocal tables consisting of "horizontal"
parameters, each one being made up of a number of "vertical
options".
    You cycle through the different parameters simply by
moving horizontally with the left and right arrow keys. You
select an option by moving vertically either with the up and
down arrow keys or with the HOME and END keys. After each
horizontal movement the speech synthesizer pronounces the name
of the current parameter. Similarly after a vertical movement
the speech synthesizer speaks the name of the option which can
be a colour, an ASCII code and so on, depending on the
context.
    To validate the table with its different options only
press CR (CARRIAGE RETURN). You can also exit the parameters
table without saving the options by using the ESC key(ESCAPE).



    II-D. Special symbols.


    Some symbols can have several names or representations. If
you are confused the following table might help.

    Symbol   Name
    |       Pipe (ASCII 124)
    (       Left parenthesis
    )       Right parenthesis
    &       Commercial and
    .       Full stop
    $       Dollar
    @       Commercial A)
    \       Antislash (ASCII 92)

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