Converting Text to Speech

The AnswerText.java file converts the welcome text message to speech. Listing 8-3 shows the contents of the AnswerText.java file:

Listing 8-3: The AnswerText.java File

 /*Import required io classes*/ import java.io.File; /*Import required util classes*/ import java.util.Locale; import java.util.Vector; import javax.speech.synthesis.SynthesizerAdapter; import javax.speech.synthesis.SynthesizerEvent; import java.net.URL; /*Import required speech classes*/ import javax.speech.synthesis.*; import javax.speech.Central; import javax.speech.Engine; import javax.speech.EngineList; import javax.speech.synthesis.Synthesizer; import javax.speech.synthesis.SynthesizerModeDesc; import javax.speech.synthesis.SynthesizerProperties; import javax.speech.synthesis.Voice; /* Class:AnswerText-Speaks the text Fields: voiceName:Represents the voice selected by the end user. synthesizer:Represents an object of Synthesizer class. Methods: speakSelText():Uses the object of Synthesizer class to speak the text. closeSynthesizer():Closes the synthesizer and stops the speaking operation. pauseSynthesizer():Pauses the synthesizer. resumeSynthesizer():Resumes the paused speaking operation of the synthesizer. */ public class AnswerText extends SynthesizerAdapter {    /*Declare variables*/    URL url;    String l;    String voiceName;    SynthesizerModeDesc desc;    Synthesizer synthesizer;    AutoAnswerObserver txtpad;    /*    AnswerText():    Parameters:    k:String representing the text that the synthesizer speaks.    selvoice:String representing the voice selected by the end user.    Return Type:NA    */    public AnswerText(String k, String selvoice)     {       /*       Set the value of l to the text that the synthesizer speaks.       */       l=k;       voiceName = selvoice;       System.out.println("Using voice:" + voiceName);       try       {          /*          Initialize an object of SynthesizerModeDesc class.          */          desc = new SynthesizerModeDesc          (             null,             "general",             Locale.US,             null,             null);             synthesizer = Central.createSynthesizer(desc);             /*             Prints the message if no synthesizer is available.             */             if (synthesizer == null)             {                String message = "\nCan't find synthesizer.\n"                + "Make sure that there is a\"speech.properties\" file"                + "at either of these locations: \n";                message += "user.home:"                + System.getProperty("user.home") + "\n";                message += "java.home/lib:" + System.getProperty("java.home")                + File.separator + "lib\n";                System.err.println(message);                System.exit(1);             }             /*             Allocate a synthesizer to speak text.*/             synthesizer.allocate();             synthesizer.resume();             desc = (SynthesizerModeDesc) synthesizer.getEngineModeDesc();             /*             Retrieve all the available voices in an array.             */             Voice[] voices = desc.getVoices();             Voice voice = null;             for (int i = 0; i < voices.length; i++)              {             if voices[i].getName().equals(voiceName))              {                voice = voices[i];                break;             }           }           /*          Print error message if selected voice is not available.           */           if(voice == null)            {             System.err.println("Synthesizer does not have a voice named" + voiceName + ".");              System.exit(1);           }          /*           Set the selected voice for the synthesizer          */ synthesizer.getSynthesizerProperties().setVoice voice);       }       catch(Exception e)       {          System.out.println(e);       }    }    /*    answerSelText():Speaks the text    Parameters:NA    Return Value:NA    */    public void answerSelText(AutoAnswerObserver st)    {       try       {          txtpad=st;          /*          Invoke speakPlainText() method to speak the text.          */          synthesizer.cancelAll();          synthesizer.speakPlainText(l, null);          System.out.println("Speaking Text");       }       catch (Exception e)        {          e.printStackTrace();       }       try       {          /*          Invoke waitEngineState() method to wait end of speech.          */          { synthesizer.waitEngineState(Synthesizer.QUEUE_EMPTY);          }          catch(Exception e)          {          }       }       /*       closeSynthesizer():Close the synthesizer and stop the speaking operation.       Parameters:NA       Return Type:NA       */       public void closeSynthesizer()       {          try          {             /*             Stop the synthesizer and cancel the speaking operation.             */             synthesizer.cancelAll();             System.out.println("Speaking Operation Cancelled");          }          catch (Exception e)           {             e.printStackTrace();          }       }       /*       pauseSynthesizer():Pause the synthesizer. This pauses the text that the synthesizer is       currently       speaking.       Parameters:NA       Return Value:NA       */       public void pauseSynthesizer()       {           try          {             /*             Pause the synthesizer             */             synthesizer.pause();             System.out.println("Speaking Operation Paused");          }          catch(Exception e)          {             e.printStackTrace();          }       }       /*       resumeSynthesizer():Resumes the speaking operation that is paused by the end user.       Parameters:NA       Return Value:NA       */       public void resumeSynthesizer()       {          try          {             /*             Resume the synthesizer that speaks the text.             */             Synthesizer.resume();             System.out.println("Speaking Operation Resumed");          }          catch(Exception e)          {             e.printStackTrace();          }       }    } 

 

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In the above code, the constructor of the AnswerText.java class takes two strings as input parameters, k and selvoice. The k string represents the text that the synthesizer reads out. The selvoice string represents the voice selected by an end user in which the synthesizer reads out the welcome text message.

The methods defined in Listing 8-3 are:

• speakSelText(): Uses the object of the Synthesizer class to read out the welcome text message.

• closeSynthesizer(): Closes the synthesizer and stops the welcome message.

• pauseSynthesizer(): Pauses the synthesizer.

• resumeSynthesizer(): Resumes the paused synthesizer.

• waitEngineState(): Waits for the welcome message to complete.