Programming by voice using the Eclipse editor
Over the past couple of years, Eclipse has been the programming tool of choice for the Java programmer. This is because it performs much better than other Java tools as its windows are drawn natively by whichever operating system it is running on. I use a commercial version of eclipse called IBM WebSphere Studio, but when I began to suffer with RSI, I started using emacs for my development because several voice tools already existed for emacs.
I have realised recently that Eclipse lends itself very well to voice programming. Unlike emacs, it uses standard Windows controls which support select-and-say. This makes editing in eclipse very easy. Also it has a great deal of functions to automatically produce code for the programmer. This cuts down on difficult syntax pronunciation.
The two best things which facilitate programming by voice in emacs from my perspective have been Cachepad and ELSE mode. Cachepad is a kind of multiple clipboard facility which works like a stack. As you dictate terms, you can add them to the top of the stack and then retrieve them later on. This is useful when trying to use terms like "_sumADDR" which you would not wish to spell more than once. ELSE mode is a tool which allows the dictation of programming constructs. For example, it is possible to say "if statement" and then navigate through the different parts of the if to add variables.
With my Eclipse tools I have attempted to provide the same functionality. I have written an Eclipse plug-in to provide Cachepad functionality and a Natlink macro which activates the built-in eclipse template system.
Click here for download and installation instructions
Comments
Posted By: Bob BootheMonday, August 1 2005, 04:10 pm
Ben,I have been trying to use your eclipse plug-in, but it does not recognize any of your commands.
My guess is that for some reason it is not associating your commands with eclipse.
How can I go about figuring out the problem?
I know all the sporting stuff works (Python and NatSpeak) because I use my own more primitive Eclipse macros with Vocala.
thanks,
Bob