[nfbcs] NFBTRANS

Wed May 11 18:23:27 UTC 2016

Greg,

To some degree, that's what FILE2BRL already does on platforms other than
Windows.  A lot of the logic of NFBTRANS is logic to process its own tables.
The process of removing that logic and replacing it with LIBLOUIS and
figuring out to what degree NFBTRANS formatting commands should be retained
would unfortunately not be trivial at all.  However, the source code is
available in the .ZIP files on NFB.ORG and NFBNET.ORG so anyone who would
like to look at it could do so.

Best regards,

Steve Jacobson

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Greg Kearney via
nfbcs
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 11:45 AM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Greg Kearney <gkearney at gmail.com>; Steve Jacobson
<steve.jacobson at visi.com>
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] NFBTRANS

It would be interesting to rewrite NFBTRANS to use the Liblouis tables, that
would mean that it would become much easier to keep NFBTRANS up to date.

Greg
> On May 11, 2016, at 9:01 AM, Steve Jacobson via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
> 
> Gregg,
> 
> I know of no UEB tables for NFBTRANS.  I have not pushed to do anything
> because I thought as long as two years ago that there would be a LIBLOUIS
> solution for Windows, but I know of nothing that runs under Windows that
> provides the same functionality of NFBTRANS.  For those unfamiliar with
the
> LIBLOUIS project, it is a library of routines that a program can call to
do
> braille translation, and it supports many languages.  Generally, it does
not
> do formatting, though.  There is a second library called LIBLOUISUDTL
which
> includes formatting as well.  It has a program that uses the library
called
> FILE2BRL that works differently than NFBTRANS but could allow someone to
> create translated and formatted braille.  Unfortunately, there seems to be
> some big challenges in getting FILE2BRL to compile under windows due to
some
> library issues.  Braille Blaster is far more advanced than NFBTRANS, being
> closer to Duxbury in functionality, but there are still some rough edges.
> However, it might do the trick for some people.  
> 
> I think John Boyer is on this list and I am counting on him correcting me
if
> I am wrong.  I do not mean the above to sound negative regarding LIBLOUIS,
> but it appears to me that LIBLOUIS is more complicated to get the same
> functionality out of it under Windows in terms of a stand-alone
translator.
> NVDA and possibly some other programs do use it successfully, though, but
> they are accessing various routines from within their code.  
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Steve Jacobson
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Greg Kearney
via
> nfbcs
> Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 9:58 AM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Greg Kearney <gkearney at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [nfbcs] NFBTRANS
> 
> Just for completeness I would mention that I have NFBtrans compiled and
> running on a Macintosh computer as well. The big issue with it that I see
is
> that there seems to be no UEB tables for it. It there is I would like to
> know how to get them.
> 
> There is also the liblouis system but I don't know much about getting that
> to run under Windows. Works fine under MacOS X and is the foundation of my
> Louis braille translator program for that platform.
> 
> https://www.cbtbc.org/braille/louis/
> https://www.cbtbc.org/tools/embosser/
> 
> Commonwealth Braille & Talking Book Cooperative
> Greg Kearney, General Manager
> #320, 185-911 Yates Street
> Victoria, BC V8V 4Y9
> CANADA
> Email: info at cbtbc.org
> Web: www.cbtbc.org
> 
> U.S. Address
> 21908 Almaden Av.
> Cupertino, CA 95014
> UNITED STATES
> Email: gkearney at gmail.com
> Phone: +1 408-780-6535
> 
>> On May 11, 2016, at 7:44 AM, Steve Jacobson via nfbcs <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> wrote:
>> 
>> Kathy,
>> 
>> I did manage to get NFBTRANS recompiled so that it will work on a 64-bit
>> system.  We also were able to get the WINTRANS part updated as well to
run
>> it from inside Windows without agoing to the command prompt.  However,
> there
>> are no plans to get NFBTRANS to fully support UEB.  Some changes to
tables
>> would get us part way there, but there are passage indicators that cannot
>> work right without program changes.
>> 
>> I don't know if the newest version is on NFBNET or not, but I could send
> it
>> to you if you want.  If it would be helpful, I can just send you the
>> executable that has been recompiled or the whole thing.  Let me know.
>> 
>> Best regards,
>> 
>> Stev Jacobsone
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cathy
Schroeder
>> via nfbcs
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 9:02 AM
>> To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Cathy Schroeder <cathy at sks.com>
>> Subject: [nfbcs] NFBTRANS
>> 
>> I know I am dating myself but here goes.
>> 
>> Many of you will remember back to the production of NFBTRANS, a free
> Braille
>> Translator that the NFB produced. I am trying to use it and am finding
> that
>> I cannot run it on Windows 764. Does anyone know of an easy solution to
>> this? Do we have a version that will run on this platform?
>> 
>> For as little Braille printing as I do, I can't see paying for Duxbury.
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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