NAME

       screader  -  Screen  reader  using  a software Text-To-Speech package or a hardware speech
       synthesizer.

SYNOPSIS

       screader [`screen' options]

DESCRIPTION

       The screader background program reads the screen and puts the  information  through  to  a
       software  Text-To-Speech package (Like `festival') or a hardware speech synthesizer. (like
       `Accent') It uses the device /dev/vcsa. (See below)

       A reverse space at column 80 indicates the line containing the internal pointer.

SCREADER KEYS

       The following TTS-commands are available: (Each command must be pressed with the left-ALT-
       key, unless screader is in direct mode. See the `z'-command.)

       a      Toggles auto_speak on or off. When toggled on screader will speak out the character
              being typed or the typed word if word_mode is toggled on.

       b      Put internal pointer to  begin  of  current  line  and  speaks  that  line  out  if
              line_speak is toggled on.

       c      Screader speaks out the line containing the cursor.

       d      Puts  the  internal pointer one line down.  If line_speak is on screader speaks out
              that line.

       e      Speak out character or word under the cursor.

       f      Toggle for the internal pointer to follow the cursor or not.

       g      Puts the internal pointer to the  bottom  of  the  screen.   If  line_speak  is  on
              screader speaks that line out.

       h      Puts  the  internal pointer to the top of the screen.  If line_speak is on screader
              speaks that line out.

       i      Toggles line_speak on or off. When toggled on screader will  speak  out  the  line,
              which is pointed to by the internal pointer, every time it has changed.

       k      Toggles  key  clicking  on or off. When toggled on screader will give a short click
              after a key is pressed.

       ,      Puts the pointer left one word. If auto_speak is toggled  on  screader  speaks  out
              that word.

       l      Puts  the internal pointer one character left. If auto_speak is on, screader speaks
              out the character pointed to by the internal pointer.

       m      Toggles the word_mode on or off. When toggled on screader speaks out words  instead
              of characters.

       n      Toggle  for  numbers.  If toggled on (default) screader speaks out the value of the
              digits.  Otherwise screader speaks out digit by digit.  If in word_mode, words will
              be spelled.

       o      Silence please.

       p      Speaks out character or word pointed to by the pointer.

       q      Toggles  punctuation on or off.  When toggled on screader will put each punctuation
              mark through to a  script punctuation.N.sh.  Otherwise screader will  replace  each
              punctuation  mark  by a space, so  that  only  alphabetic characters and digits are
              spoken.  (See PUNCTUATION SCRIPT.)

       .      Puts the pointer right one word. If auto_speak is toggled on  screader  speaks  out
              that word.

       r      Puts the internal pointer one character right. If auto_speak is on, screader speaks
              out the character pointed to by the internal pointer.

       s      Screader speaks out the line pointed to by the internal pointer.

       u      Puts the internal pointer one line up.  If line_speak is  on  screader  speaks  out
              that line.

       w      Speaks out the whole screen.

       x      Re-read the `tts' file. (if another TTS is desired.)  Each time this combination is
              pressed screader will select the next TTS-command from this file. (if any, else the
              first one will be selected. and so on)

       z      Put  screader  in  direct  mode. In this mode each command can be given without the
              alt-key, so that reviewing the screen is easier.   When  the  `z'-key  is  pressed,
              screader  goes back to application mode, so that you can work with your application
              again.

       -      Toggles repeat_mode on or off. If toggled on, every sequence of the same characters
              will  be  spoken  as  `character  n  times`.  where n stands for the number of that
              character in the sequence.

       '      Toggles caps_mode on or off. If toggled on screader speaks the  word  `cap'  before
              each capitalized character.

       =      Makes the internal pointer equal to the cursor.

SCREEN_DEVICE

       Screader  reads  its  information from a device /dev/vcsa. Kernels 1.1.92 or later provide
       this device.

PUNCTUATION SCRIPT

       Each time screader encounters a punctuation mark, it will  be  put  through  to  a  script
       called  punctuation.N.sh,  where  N corresponds to the Nth tts-command in the tts-file. If
       there is no punctuation script the punctuation mark will be directly put  through  to  the
       current tts-command.

FESTIVAL CLIENT

       If you want to use the server/client option of Festival place the line:

              festival_client.sh

       as  first  command  in  the file /etc/screader/tts.  It is supposed that before using this
       tts-command the festival server is started by the following command:

              festival --server &

       Festival Speech Synthesis System
       Copyright (C) University of Edinburgh, 1996,1997.
       All rights reserved.

BUGS

       When typing fast sometimes the whole line will be spoken out  instead  of  the  characters
       being typed when line_speak and auto_speak are toggled on.  Also when word_mode is toggled
       on the whole line will be spoken out when typing.

FILES

       /etc/screader/tts
              This file contains the name(s) of the Text-To-Speech utility(s) to be used.

       /etc/screader/punctuation.?.sh
              Punctuation scripts.

       /dev/vcsa
              Screen_device.

SEE ALSO

       screen(1L), vcs(4), festival(1)

AUTHOR

       Jos Lemmens (jlemmens@inter.nl.net)