Startup View

The Startup View may be changed using the combo box. There are three choices: DatabaseView, FlashCards, and Last Accessed. The choices are self-explanatory. When the software is run, the initial view it displays is the one chosen here. The last accessed view is that view being displayed when the software is terminated or closed.

Interface

The interface maybe changed using the corresponding combo box. For now, there is only one interface - English. So, it seems that this parameter is not yet significant. However, the Freeware and Commercial versions are both internationalized and localized. For the latter, the following additional localized interfaces will be provided: French, German and Spanish. Russian and Japanese interfaces are in the drawing board. The choice of interfaces matches correspondingly with the freely available text-to-speech engines.

Primary Language Set

The primary language set is used to specify test sentences for a particular language. To do this, the primary language id, a language description to distinguish it from other test sentences, and the test sentence itself, are required. To find out if a particular speech engine is working fine, the software provides mechanism for testing it. Speech engines of a particular language utilize the corresponding test sentence for such purpose. If there is none provided, it uses the default sentence provided by the application considering the current interface in effect. That is why test sentences are provided so that for instance, german sentences would be spoken by german speech engines, and english sentences for english speech engines.

These sentences and the settings are all saved conveniently in the windows registry, saving the users the burden of having to type the sentences over and over every session.

LANG ID

The primary language id is entered here. There are predefined language id’s in the combobox, just select it or type its name. Alternatively, specify their corresponding id’s. The latter method is also the only way to enter primary language id’s of languages not included in the selection. The choice of predefined entries matches correspondingly with the freely available text-to-speech engines. Other numbers will be published here later, or they maybe obtained from windows documentation on primary language id’s.

Language Desc

This is simply useful to the user. The labels here should be descriptive of the language for easy recall. To enter the label, type it in the edit box. Also, labels here maybe changed at any time.

The list box shows the languages having test sentences. Just select the particular language description to reveal the test sentence and the primary language id.

New, Apply Edit, and Delete Buttons

After specifying the three parameters, press the New button to create the test sentence. If the new values were just to change an existing value, press the Apply Edit button. To remove the test sentence from the list, select it from the Language Desc list box and then press delete. As many test sentences may be maintained, and all these are saved in the windows registry. However, only one test sentence may be maintained for a particular language.

Apply, OK, Cancel and Revert Buttons

Please take note that all the changes may be effective only for the current session or made permanent to apply to future sessions as well, depending on the button pressed. To make it permanent, press either the Apply or OK button. The difference of the two is that the former does not close the dialog, while the latter does. To abandon the changes currently made, press the Revert button which will immediately restore the permanent and saved settings. To exit the dialog without committing the changes to the windows registry; and hence, use the changes for the current session only; press the Cancel button. Later these changes may be finally committed or abandoned by going back to the Options dialog and pressing the appropriate button. However, if not committed these changes will be lost upon termination of the application. Closing the application does not warn the user of any pending changes in the Options dialog.