You re in Command

You're in Command

The other half of the speech-recognition equation is the ability to speak commands to your computer. This is eminently satisfying, because your computer has ruled your life for so long it's nice to finally get back in charge, even briefly. I find that voice commands work better than speech as a rule - probably because there are only so many set phrases you can speak, and the recognition technology only has to relate your speech to one of them, not the entire language.

Voice commands work with Windows functionality, so they work with all applications, whether they are Tablet PC enhanced or not. The commands available to you enable you to launch programs, select text, activate menus, and so on.

 Tip  For some rules about using voice recognition in public (whether you're barking orders or dictating content), see the sidebar earlier in this chapter called 'Voice recognition do's and don'ts.' Be clear, speak slowly, and don't annoy your neighbors.

 Warning!  Let's face it: It's especially dangerous speaking commands in crowded public spaces. For example, phrases such as 'Scratch that,' when uttered in a commanding voice, could be misconstrued and cause painful repercussions.

What you can say

Commands are specific phrases. In other words . . . you can't use other words. If the command to undo your last action is 'Undo that' you can't say 'Undo last' and expect anything to happen. When you speak a command, it is acted on in the currently active program.

Given this need for specific command phrases, it's helpful that Tablet PC provides you with a context-sensitive list of commands. Context-sensitive means that if you have Excel open, you may have one set of commands available, but if you are in Outlook, that same set may not be available to you because those commands aren't relevant to Outlook.

You access a list of these commands in the Input Panel when you have the Speech feature active and the Command feature turned on by choosing Speech ToolsðWhat Can I Say. The dialog box shown in Figure 6-8 appears. Any item in gray is unavailable for the open application. You can expand categories of commands by tapping the plus symbol next to them.

Figure 6-8: Anything grayed out in this dialog box is not relevant to the open application.

You can leave this dialog box open while working in an application so you have a handy reference available.

Making your first verbal command to Tablet PC

Now that you know what you can say, try commanding your Tablet PC to do something and see how this all works.

Some logical computing-type stuff you might want to do is open a program, play around in a document, and close the program. Of course, you can also undo changes, opt to save (or not to save) files you've been working with, and more. Follow these steps to make Tablet PC perform basic file-related tasks:

1. Open the Input Panel and choose ToolsðSpeech to turn the Speech feature on (if it isn't on already).

2. Tap the Command button.

3. Launch a program.

   For example, to launch WordPad, say Launch WordPad.

   WordPad opens with a blank document displayed.

4. If you like, you can type text using the Input Panel, even while you're using voice commands.

   For example, you could type I am going to speak to my computer now.

5. To delete written text, say Undo that.

   The text you just entered is deleted.

6. Type something else, if you like.

   For example, I typed Using commands is more fun than working.

7. To save the file, say Save.

   The Save dialog box appears.

8. To cancel saving the file, say Cancel.

   The dialog box closes.

9. To close the file, say Close.

   A dialog box appears, asking whether you want to save changes.

10. If you don't want to, just say No.

    If you want to save this masterpiece, say Yes.

11. Tap the Command button to turn the feature off.

Cool, huh? (Sorry, no warp drive is available yet, but just try not to feel like a starship captain. . . .)

 Tip  If you're in Windows Journal or another program where you can write with your pen directly in the application, use the Lasso tool to select words before performing actions such as Delete or Copy.

What you can do with voice commands

It may take getting used to: The commands available to you can vary slightly depending on the active application. I broke down Tables 6-1 through 6-10 by function. The tables offer a rundown of the types of commands you can use. Items in brackets <like this> are actual text or application names you should insert as applicable.

Table 6-1: Inserting Breaks

Command	What It Does
Force num <number>	Inserts number as numeral rather than as word
New line	Inserts soft line break
New paragraph	Inserts hard line break
Spell it	Inserts spoken letters rather than words

Table 6-2: Commanding the Input Panel

Command	What It Does
Close Input Panel	Closes Input Panel
Hide Text Preview Pane	Closes Text Preview pane
Open Input Panel	Maximizes minimized Input Panel
Send text	Sends handwritten entry to Text Preview pane
Send that	Sends text in Text Preview to document
Show Text Preview Pane	Displays Text Preview pane
What Can I Say	Opens What Can I Say command list box

Table 6-3: Starting Applications

Command	What It Does
Launch <application name>	Opens named application
Open <application name>	Opens named application
Start <application name>	Opens named application

Table 6-4: Switching and Selecting

Command	What It Does
Switch to <application name>	Makes named application Selection and Correction
Correct that	Displays correction menu for selected word
Delete <phrase>	Deletes spoken phrase
Delete <phrase> through <phrase>	Deletes text from one phrase you read through another
Scratch that	Deletes selected text
Select <phrase>	Selects spoken phrase
Select <phrase> through <phrase>	Selects text from one phrase you read through another
Select all	Selects all text and objects in document
Select paragraph	Selects paragraph within which cursor is resting
Select sentence	Selects sentence within which insertion point is resting
Select that	Selects word to the right of the insertion point
Select word	Selects word within which insertion point is resting
Unselect that	Unselects selected item

Table 6-5: Navigating

Command	What It Does
Go to beginning of line	Moves insertion point to beginning of line
Go to bottom	Moves insertion point to end of document
Go to end of line	Moves insertion point to end of line
Go to top	Moves insertion point to beginning of document
Insert after <phrase>	Moves insertion point after the word you specify
Insert before <phrase>	Moves insertion point before the word you specify

Table 6-6: Capitalizing and Lowercasing

Command	What It Does
All caps <phrase>	Capitalizes all letters in selected phrase (But remember: You have to select the text first!)
All caps that	Capitalizes all caps in selected text
Cap it <phrase>	Capitalizes selected spoken phrase
Cap that	Capitalizes word to immediate left or right of insertion point
Capitalize	Capitalizes word to immediate left or right of insertion point
No caps <phrase>	Uncapitalizes spoken phrase
No caps that	Uncapitalizes text to immediate left or `right of insertion point
Uncapitalize	Uncapitalizes word to immediate left or right of insertion point

Table 6-7: Editing

Command	What It Does
Copy that	Copies text to immediate left or right of insertion point
Cut that	Cuts text to the immediate right or left of insertion point
Paste that	Pastes copied text or object at insertion point location
Undo that	Undoes last action or insertion

Table 6-8: Simulating Keyboard Activities

Command	What It Does
Backspace	Moves insertion point back one space
Delete	Deletes one letter to the immediate left or right of insertion point
Enter	Inserts hard line break
Move down	Moves insertion point down to next line
Move left	Moves insertion point one space to left
Move right	Moves insertion point one space to right
Move up	Moves insertion point up one line
Next cell	Activates next cell to right
Next line	Inserts hard line break
Page down	Moves document down one half page
Page up	Moves document up one half page
Space	Inserts one space
Spacebar	Inserts one space
Tab	Inserts tab

Table 6-9: Controlling Speech

Command	What It Does
Dictation	Turns on Dictation
Microphone	Turns off voice command feature
Voice command	Turns on Command feature and turns off Dictation

Table 6-10: Using Menus and Buttons

Command	What It Does
Cancel	Cancels any action and closes open dialog box
Start menu	Opens Windows Start menu

 Warning!  Voice commands can be demanding; for example, the Start command requires that you use a full application name to work. 'Start Word' may do nothing, whereas 'Start Microsoft Word' will.