Everything about unified interface

[Hynek Hanke]

On 2.7.2010 03:54, Michael Pozhidaev wrote:
> So, it seems to me we must explicitly determine what approach we choose
> to get unified standart. Both of them are required but used for
> different tasks.VoiceMan basically keeps the second one. As I figured
> out TTS API was designed mostly for first.
>    

Dear Michael,

you are correct that TTS API is designed as the low-level
interface, it's kind of raw an intentionally doesn't contain
any unnecessary additions (various defaults, emulation of
unsupported functionalities etc.). We decide to do so because
1) we need it anyway for lower levels 2) it is easier to agree
on so easier to begin with.

For communication with end application we however need
a higher level API, as you describe, which will allow to control
everything, if the application wants, but will also not require
the applications to care of many details, if it doesn't want.
It is also evident that it will need to provide some emulations
for at least some functionalities which are not provided by lower
level layers.

This higher level will be heavily based on TTS API (as there
is no reason to differ in many cases) but will specify defaults
and will also provide means of message synchronization
(priorities and such) from various clients as in SSIP.

This is why I say that the work towards a common DBUS
API has *partly* already been done.

Apart from that, the question whether to incorporate automatic
language recognition in the higher level interface, or the TTS API
itself, is very much to the point. I think it should definitely be optional,
as it may not be very accurate in many cases and should be
categorized as a NICE TO HAVE feature, as implementation may
be not so easy, but I think we should include it. We however need to
push for applications to send in text correctly marked with language
whenever possible. There are very very few cases where this is not
possible in principle.

Manual switching of languages is an obvious requirement and
already is a part of all these specifications I know of.

Best regards,
Hynek Hanke