













                           Automatic Screen Access Program

                                        (ASAP)


                                    for IBM   and

                                 compatible computers

                                      March 1992


                                Copyright   1991, 1992


                                      MicroTalk

                                   337 S. Peterson

                                 Louisville, KY 40206

                                Voice: (502) 897-2705

                                 Fax: (502) 895-3022

                                Modem: (502) 893-2269


                                 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


                                      Trademarks

          Accent is a trademark of Aicom Corporation.

          Audapter is a trademark of Personal Data Systems.

          ASAP and LiteTalk are trademarks of MicroTalk.

          Braille 'n Speak is a trademark of Blazie Engineering.

          BrailleMate is a trademark of TSI.

          DEC-TALK is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.

          DoubleTalk is a trademark of RC Systems, Inc.

          Echo is a trademark of Street Electronics Corporation.

          IBM is a registered  trademark of International Business Machines
          Corporation.

          LapTalk is a trademark of Computersmith Enterprises.

          MS-DOS is a registered trademark of MicroSoft Corporation.

          Sounding Board is a trademark of GW Micro.

          SynPhonix and Sonix are trademarks of Artic Technologies.

          VoTalker is a trademark of Votrax, Inc.

          Word  Perfect   is  a   registered  trademark  of   Word  Perfect
          Corporation.

                                       License

          MicroTalk agrees to grant  to you, upon receipt of  the completed
          registration form,  a license to  use the enclosed  software with
          the terms and restrictions set forth in this agreement.

          The enclosed  software and  its documentation are  copyrighted by
          MicroTalk.     The  software   is  protected   from  unauthorized
          duplication  by Federal law.  You  may not copy or reproduce this
          material  except  as  specifically  set  forth  in  this  license
          agreement.

          1.     You may  make copies  of this  software for  your  own use
          provided you reproduce all copyright notices.

          2.   You may not distribute  copies to others.  You may, however,
          transfer the original and all copies, along with this license, if

                                          ii

          you  provide MicroTalk  with  written notice  and the  transferee
          fills out a registration form and agrees to be bound by the terms
          set forth therein.

                                     LIMITATIONS

          This  software is sold as is.  MicroTalk assumes no liability for
          damages of any kind that may  arise from the use of this software
          and makes no claims about its fitness for any particular purpose.

          The exclusion  of implied  warranties is  not  permitted by  some
          states.  The above exclusion may not apply to you.  This warranty
          provides  you with  specific legal  rights.   There may  be other
          rights that you have which vary from state to state.







































                                         iii

                                  Table of Contents

          Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   1
               Registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   1
               The MicroTalk BBS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
               Disk Contents  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
               About This Manual  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
               System Requirements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4

          Installation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
               Synthesizer Support  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8

          Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
               General Operation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
               What is BIOS?  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   9

          Silencing the Speech  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
               Temporary Silence: SHIFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10
               Normal Silence: Control  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  11
               Permanent Silence: Alt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  12

          Refreshing Your View: Both Shift Keys . . . . . . . . . . . .  12

          Reviewing Text  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  13
               Line Review Commands: 7, 8, and 9  . . . . . . . . . . .  13
               Word Review Commands: 4, 5, and 6  . . . . . . . . . . .  13
               Character Review Commands: 1, 2, and 3 . . . . . . . . .  13

          The Numeric Movement Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
               Move to Top of Window: 0,5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
               Move to Bottom of Window: 0,2  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
               Move to Left Edge: 0,1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
               Move to Right Edge: 0,3  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
               Announce Entire Screen or Window: 0,0  . . . . . . . . .  15
               Announce from the Cursor Down: 0,. . . . . . . . . . . .  15
               Quick Read by Screens: 0, PGDN . . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
               Quick Read by Screens for WordPerfect: 0, Right Arrow  .  16
               Type Word at Reading Cursor: 0,8 . . . . . . . . . . . .  16
               Parking the Reading Cursor: 0,ENTER  . . . . . . . . . .  16
               One-Shot Control Panel Command: 0,[command]  . . . . . .  17

          The Repeat Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  17

          Other Audio Ques  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  18

          Special Action Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  18

          The Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  19
               Using the Control Panel: Control-Backslash . . . . . . .  19
               Changing Options in the Control Panel  . . . . . . . . .  19

          Navigation Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20

                                          iv

               Moving Directly to a Line: A-Y . . . . . . . . . . . . .  20
               Returning the Reading Cursor to the Real Cursor: Z . . .  21
               Moving to a Relative Line: Up Arrow and Down Arrow . . .  21
               Relative Line, Current Character: Alt-Arrows . . . . . .  21
               From the Cursor Right  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
               Word by Word: Ctrl-Arrows  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21
               Character by Character: Left Arrow and Right Arrow . . .  22
               The Rest of the Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22

          Altering Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22
               Attribute Monitor: Alt-A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  22
               Read By Screens: Alt-B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  23
               Set Page: Alt-Dash and Alt-Equals  . . . . . . . . . . .  24
               Color Announcement: Alt-C  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
               DOS Output Announcement: Alt-D . . . . . . . . . . . . .  25
               Extended ASCII Announcement: Alt-E . . . . . . . . . . .  25
               Find Attribute or Text: Alt-F  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  26
               Ring Bell at Column: Alt-G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  28
               Horizontal Cursor Position: Alt-H  . . . . . . . . . . .  28
               Indention Notification: Alt-I  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
               Jiffy Caps Identification: Alt-J . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
               Keystrokes Announced: Alt-K  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
               Keyboard Interception: Ctrl-I  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  29
               Label Keys: Alt-L  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  30
               Most Punctuation Notification: Alt-M . . . . . . . . . .  31
               Numbers: Alt-N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
               Noise with DOS Output: Alt-O . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
               Key Pad Ignore: Alt-P  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32
               Quiet: Alt-Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
               Quit: Ctrl-Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
               Auto Read: Alt-R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  33
               Snow Checking: Alt-S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  34
               Time: Alt-T  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
               User Defined Keys: Alt-U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  35
               Automated User Function: CTRL-6  . . . . . . . . . . . .  37
               Let User Defined Keys Pass Through: CTRL-Right Bracket .  37
               Viewing Method: Alt-V  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  37
               Announce Typing as Words: Alt-W  . . . . . . . . . . . .  38
               Extended Activity Checking: Alt-X  . . . . . . . . . . .  38
               Support Computers of Yesteryear: Alt-Y . . . . . . . . .  39
               Zap a Command: Alt-Z . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  39

          Miscellaneous Settings  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40
               Delimit Word: Ctrl-D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40
               Filter Quoting: Ctrl-F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  40
               Temporary Keyboard Silence: Ctrl-K . . . . . . . . . . .  41

          The Numeric Commands  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
               Setting Pitch, Volume, Speed, and Special Function . . .  41
               Special Function: 1 to 9 F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  41
               Pitch Adjustment: 1 to 9 P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42
               Speed Adjustment: 1 to 9 S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  42

                                          v

               Volume Adjustment: 1 to 9 V  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43

          Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  43
               Setting the Top Left of a Window: [window] T . . . . . .  43
               Defining the Bottom Right of a Window: [window] B  . . .  44
               Zooming in on a Window: [window] Z . . . . . . . . . . .  44
               Closing  a Window and Returning  to a Full Screen View:
                    0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  44
               Announcing a Window's Contents: [window] A . . . . . . .  45
               Memorize: [window] M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45
               Recall: [memory bank] R  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  45
               Using a Software Cursor: [window] U  . . . . . . . . . .  46
               Quiet Zone: [window] Q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  47

          Monitoring Screen Activity  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  48
               Monitor Character and Read Line: 1 to 9 L  . . . . . . .  48
               Monitoring Characters and Announcing Windows: 1 to 9 C .  49
               Monitoring Entire Windows: 1 to 9 W  . . . . . . . . . .  49
               Extended Monitoring: [window] E  . . . . . . . . . . . .  49
               Extra Action: [setting] x  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  49

          More about Set Files  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  52
               Switching from Color to Mono: Ctrl-T . . . . . . . . . .  53
               Setting Granularity: 1 to 9 G  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  53
               Dialing with a Modem: [com port] D . . . . . . . . . . .  54
               Redial Last Number: 9D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  54
               Printer Interception: [printer port] I . . . . . . . . .  54

          Saving Settings: CTRL-S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  55

          Starting ASAP with a Different Speed, Pitch, or Volume  . . .  57

          The Lexicon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  58

          Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  59

          The Brand Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  60

          APPENDIX A: SYNTHESIZER SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  61
               Using ASAP with DoubleTalk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  61
               Using ASAP with Accent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  61
               Using ASAP with Audapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  62
               Using ASAP with Braille 'n Speak . . . . . . . . . . . .  62
               Using ASAP with DEC-TALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
               Using ASAP with the Echo PC  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
               Using ASAP with Other Echo Synthesizers  . . . . . . . .  63
               Using ASAP with LiteTalk and LapTalk . . . . . . . . . .  64
               Using ASAP with PortTalk synthesizers  . . . . . . . . .  64
               Using ASAP with the Sounding Board . . . . . . . . . . .  64
               Using ASAP with SynPhonix and VoTalker . . . . . . . . .  64
               Using ASAP with Other Synthesizers . . . . . . . . . . .  65


                                          vi

                                     Introduction

          Automatic  Screen Access  Program (ASAP),  as its  name suggests,
          gives you speech  access to applications  programs automatically.
          While  there are  other  programs that  provide speech  access to
          applications software,  ASAP lets  the computer do  the work  for
          you. That means  you don't  have to be  a genius or  even a  very
          patient person to start using  thousands of programs with speech.
          Unlike  other  speech  access  software, ASAP  lets  you  use the
          computer like your sighted  peers; you just start the  program of
          interest  without having to configure your system for speech.  Of
          course, if you need to  further tailor an application's behavior,
          ASAP lets you do that, too.

          Once  you  start ASAP,  it  stays  in  the background  constantly
          watching  the screen  and notifying  you about  important changes
          that happen.   You don't have  to learn a bunch  of screen access
          commands; instead,  you use the application's  commands, and ASAP
          observes the program's  reactions to determine  what you want  to
          hear.   There are also additional keys you can use to go back and
          review the screen  for text that  you might  need to hear  again.
          These,  as you'll see shortly,  are accessed, for  the most part,
          with the numeric keypad.  In addition, ASAP has a "Control Panel"
          where you alter the way ASAP behaves.

          The  method you  use for  getting ASAP  started depends  on which
          synthesizer you have.  If you use the  DoubleTalk , you just type
          "asap"  and press  Enter.  If  you're using  another synthesizer,
          there's  some more information you need to provide along with the
          "asap" command.  That information is the key word that identifies
          your synthesizer and the port where your synthesizer is attached.
          You'll get exact specifications on those details shortly.   There
          is  also an installation program that copies the ASAP software to
          your  hard disk and builds  a custom command  for your particular
          setup.   In other words, you  tell install what  kind of hardware
          you have, and it  copies the relevant software and makes a simple
          command  you can  type to  start the  system for  your particular
          synthesizer.  You'll get details about install shortly.

          In addition to giving  the synthesizer's key word and  where it's
          connected, you  can give the asap  command additional information
          about how to  start.  That, too, is described  in complete detail
          later.   First,  though,  take the  time  to read  the  following
          important material.

                                     Registration

          Before you  get started,  please take  a minute  to fill  out the
          registration card and drop it into the mail.  It  is important to
          register so MicroTalk can keep you informed about future editions
          to this  and other software.   If you like, you  may simply print
          the information on  a separate sheet of  paper and return  it and

                                          1

          the  card.  The information  requested is your  name and address,
          your  phone number,  and  suggestions about  the  manual and  the
          software.   Feel free, in fact, to  contact MicroTalk at any time
          with your ideas, suggestions, and criticisms.

                                  The MicroTalk BBS

          MicroTalk  maintains an  electronic bulletin  board system  (BBS)
          that contains lots of ASAP related discussions, tips, and tricks.
          In addition, the BBS always contains the latest version of ASAP.

          MicroTalk BBS is available 24 hours per  day, 7 days a week.  The
          phone number is 502-893-2269.

          In  order to access the BBS, you need a modem, telecommunications
          software, and a program that extracts packed files.  If you don't
          have a program to extract files, you'll  find one on the BBS.  As
          a  registered ASAP user, you may download new versions of ASAP as
          often as you  like for up to one year after the date of purchase.
          After that, MicroTalk may charge a small fee for future upgrades.
          MicroTalk encourages you to take advantage of this liberal update
          policy; the program constantly improves.  

          The files you need to  get from the BBS are called  asap.zip (for
          the  program and  update information)  and asap-doc.zip  (for the
          latest version of the documentation).

                                    Disk Contents

          The following files are supplied on your ASAP master disk:

          Install.bat is a program that helps automate the  installation of
          ASAP.  Complete details about its use are described shortly.  You
          can also  get a summary of  its use by typing  "install" from the
          DOS command line.

          ASAP.COM       is the speech access software.  It is the  program
          you'll use to give your other applications speech capabilities.

          ASAP.SET contains your preferred settings.

          BRAND.COM      is  a program  that lets  you brand  your personal
                         serial number  into new versions of  ASAP that you
                         may  download from  the  MicroTalk BBS.   See  the
                         section of this manual  titled "The Brand Program"
                         for complete details on its purpose and usage.

          ASAP.LEX is a text file containing  ASAP's lexicon.  This file is
          used to add your personalized pronunciations  to words the speech
          might not say correctly.



                                          2

          Generic.tbl is a  table of synthesizer  codes provided for  those
          who use  synthesizers that ASAP doesn't internally support.  Read
          about  it  in the  "Using  Other  Synthesizers" section  of  this
          manual.

          ASAP.TXT       is  a normal  text file  containing the  manual to
                         ASAP.  Use an editor or word processing program to
                         read it.

          READ.ME        if  it is  on your  disk, contains  important last
                         minute  information that  didn't make it  into the
                         printed or recorded documentation.

                                  About This Manual

          ASAP's documentation comes  in three formats.  The printed manual
          provides  sighted   users  quick  access  to   the  features  and
          functions.   There is also a version  of the manual on  disk in a
          file named ASAP.TXT.   This is the absolute latest version of the
          manual  and should  be consulted  when you  get updates  to ASAP.
          Finally,  the manual  comes  in recorded  format.   The  tape  is
          recorded in the  Library of  Congress format, so  you'll have  to
          have a  machine capable of playing  4 tracks to use  it.  Contact
          your library about such a machine if you don't have one.

          This manual is  designed with several goals in mind.   First, it,
          combined with the power  and flexibility of ASAP, should  get you
          using the program in just a few minutes.  The  manual starts with
          the  basics and graduates to a reference section arranged to make
          learning the finer points simple.  The table of contents includes
          the actual command  keystrokes with, of  course, the page  number
          where  you get complete details on the particular function.  (Let
          the  table of contents serve as  a handy command summary and road
          map  pointing to a full  discussion of the subject.)Secondly, the
          manual  is  designed as  a tutor  and  reference.   The reference
          section  gives you  helpful tips  about the  use of  each feature
          discussed.   You  should give  the manual  a thorough  reading at
          least  once.   (You  wouldn't  want  to  miss  out  on  something
          important.)   After that, keep  the manual handy  for those times
          when you forget the  particulars of a seldom used  feature or you
          have  a new  situation at  hand.   It wouldn't  hurt to  read the
          manual again in a few months  once you've mastered the program to
          pick up on some of the finer  points that may have eluded you the
          first time around.

           While  the contents of this  manual was as  complete as possible
          when it was published, there may be information about the program
          that has changed recently enough that it could not be included in
          this  text.  This is especially true  in the case of the recorded
          documentation.   For such information,  see the file  on the disk
          called "read.me".   If there is a "read.me" file on your disk, it
          contains any information  that adds to the material provided here

                                          3

          or explains new features that have not yet been incorporated into
          the printed text.

          To see  the information in the  read.me file, log onto  the drive
          that contains this program.  (Usually, this will be drive A) with
          a command like the following:

          a:

          (Don't forget to  press Enter after  typing "A:".   When you  do,
          your prompt changes to the letter of the drive you typed.)

          Then, type the following command:

          type read.me

                                 System Requirements

          Automatic  Screen Access Program requires an IBM, IBM XT, IBM AT,
          IBM  Ps/1 or  IBM PS/2  or any  computer compatible  with one  of
          these.  You  need a version of PC-DOS or MS-DOS  of at least 3.1.
          ASAP is written in assembly language,  so its memory requirements
          are  minimal.    It   requires  less  than  40K  so   the  memory
          restrictions  are really more applicable to the programs you plan
          to use than that of ASAP.  Keep in mind that  the lexicon is part
          of ASAP, so  if you make a huge lexicon,  the memory requirements
          increase.  If you have version 5.0 of MS-DOS, you can easily load
          ASAP into  high memory by prefixing the  ASAP command with the LH
          command.  Check your DOS manual for complete details about the LH
          command.

                                     Installation

          ASAP is easy  to get installed.  There's a file  on the disk that
          came with your  package to make installation  painless and quick.
          Appropriately  enough,  it  is  called "install."    It  works by
          getting  the details from you about what kind of hardware (speech
          synthesizer and computer) you have and how you have that hardware
          connected to your computer.   It then takes this  information and
          makes a  new command  that  you can  type to  give  ASAP all  the
          information you  specified with the  install program.   That way,
          you only  have to provide that  information once.  From  then on,
          you  just  use the  command to  get the  speech started  with the
          details about your setup that you initially provided.

          The command install  makes for you  is called "s.bat".   It is  a
          simple batch file that you can start up by typing the letter "s."
          This new command performs  several functions including adding the
          asap directory to the  path, starting up any  additional software
          your synthesizer may need, and adding options to the asap command
          line  that identifies the synthesizer and port you specified when
          you installed it.  If you're not familiar with what  a batch file

                                          4

          is, consult  the manual  that  came with  your operating  system.
          Briefly, though, it is a file that contains a series of commands.
          You can  type the name  of the  batch file to  provide all  those
          commands instead of  typing all those  commands contained in  the
          batch file.

          The install program needs three details about your system to make
          an accurate installation.   It needs to know what  synthesizer to
          use, the port where  that synthesizer is connected, and  the kind
          of computer you have.   You tell install these details  by typing
          them  on the  line along  with the  install command  as described
          shortly.  Each detail  is separated from  the others on the  line
          with a space.

          Again,  the install program takes this information and builds you
          a  command called "s"  that you  use to  get your  speech started
          without having to manually do that every time you use it.

          In addition to  building the  proper command to  start ASAP  with
          your particular hardware, the install program creates a directory
          on your hard  disk for  ASAP related files,  copies the  programs
          from  the  distribution  disk   to  that  directory,  and  copies
          additional software  required by  some synthesizers to  make them
          talk.   Install is also useful  for updating an  older version of
          ASAP to the latest.

          You may, of course, add the "s" command to your autoexec.bat file
          so  the speech  is started  automatically when  you turn  on your
          computer, and  you'll probably want to  do this.  It  is a better
          idea, though,  to try it out first to make sure it works properly
          so your system won't hang in case you've got problems with cables
          or specified the wrong port or something equally as possible.  If
          you do  add S.BAT to your  AUTOEXEC.BAT, be sure to  use the CALL
          statment to execute S.BAT like this:

          CALL S.BAT

          That  way, control passes to  the next line  in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
          file  when  S.BAT  is  finished.    If  you  don't  use the  CALL
          statement, the lines in AUTOEXEC.BAT that  come after S.BAT never
          get used.

          Before you use the install program, take  a minute to insure your
          synthesizer is  connected properly and that  you've installed any
          device  drivers your synthesizer  may need.   The  Accent-PC, for
          example, needs a device driver.  Check the instructions that came
          with  your synthesizer  for exact  details about  installing such
          device drivers.

          Although  you  don't  have to  do  it  before  using the  install
          program,  you'll want  to review  the  specific sections  of this
          manual  that describe  particulars  about each  of the  different

                                          5

          synthesizers  ASAP supports  for  information  about  synthesizer
          settings,  notes, and  additional  information particular  to the
          synthesizer you use.

          To use the install program, follow these steps:

          Make the distribution disk  the current disk by typing  its drive
          letter followed by a colon (:) and pressing Enter like this:

          a:

          When you type the drive letter, the colon, and press Enter,  your
          prompt should change to the letter representing the drive.  If it
          didn't, or if you get a  message like "bad command or file name",
          try it again.

          Once you  log onto the  drive containing your  distribution disk,
          you  can get a summary of usage by  typing "install" on a line by
          itself.   When  you do,  the file  shows a screen  something like
          this:

          Usage: install [synthesizer] [port] [y or n]

          This line means that you should replace the [synthesizer] part of
          the  example with  an  actual synthesizer  name  or key  word  as
          displayed by  the install file.   You can get a  complete list of
          those key words by typing the "install" command  name.  Go ahead,
          give  it a try;  it simply  shows you how  to supply it  with the
          information it needs to make your installation correct and quick.

          The  list of  synthesizers you  see on  the install  screen looks
          something like the following.  (Note that it is important to type
          the  synthesizer  key word  correctly,  so  the  narrator of  the
          recorded version of this manual spells the words.)

          Accent (The family of Accent  synthesizers.) 
          Audapter (The Audapter  Speech System)
          DoubleTalk (the DoubleTalk  synthesizer)
          BNS (the Braille 'n Speak  in "speech box" mode)
          Dectalk (The DEC-TALK  synthesizer)
          Echo (The Echo  PC
          generic (for synthesizers not specifically mentioned here)
           LT (The LiteTalk  and LapTalk  synthesizers)
           SB (The Sounding Board  synthesizer)
          SynPhonix (the SynPhonix  synthesizer)
          Votalker (the VoTalker  synthesizer)

          Along with  the synthesizer  type, the  install program  needs to
          know how you  have the  synthesizer connected  to your  computer.
          Most  synthesizers connect either via one of the printer ports or
          one of the communications  ports.  The key words  for these ports


                                          6

          are also listed  on the install screen for  your reference.  They
          are the following:

          com1, com2, com3, com4, lpt1, lpt2, or lpt3.

          Note that some synthesizers  don't connect via one of  the ports.
          Specifically,  DoubleTalk,  SynPhonix, and  VoTalker  use another
          technique for communicating with your computer, so you don't need
          to give a port for these synthesizers.

          The final detail  the install  program needs to  know about  your
          system is  if your computer is one of the older kinds of machines
          like the XT or machines  even older than that.  If you have an XT
          or older, type a  "y" after the port  specification or the  place
          where a port specification would have gone if you're using one of
          the  synthesizers that don't use ports to communicate.  If you're
          using a newer  machine like the AT, type a  "n" instead.  Chances
          are you've  got a newer  machine.   If it turns  out that  you're
          wrong, no harm done, you can install again later.   If you're not
          sure what your machine is, try "n" first.

          A typical install command might look like the following:

          install doubletalk n

          That command  tells install  that you're  using a  DoubleTalk and
          that you have a newer machine.  (Remember, the DoubleTalk doesn't
          use a traditional port, so one isn't specified here.)

          Here is another example:

          install dectalk com1 n

          This example tells  install that you use a  DEC-TALK, you have it
          connected to com1, and that you have a newer machine.

          Remember, upon  completion of install, you'll have  a new command
          called "s" that you'll use to get speech started.  Again, you may
          wish  to add  the "s" command  to your  autoexec.bat file  so the
          speech  starts up  without  you having  to  type "s."    You may,
          however, wish to try the manual  method for a few days, there are
          some advantages to it, especially if others use your computer.

          If you look  at the S.BAT file, you'll see  a series of commands,
          each  on  a  separate  line,  that  get any  additional  software
          required by your particular synthesizer started, and you'll see a
          line  that begins with "asap" followed by  a series of options to
          tell  ASAP  which  synthesizer  you  have  and  which  port  that
          synthesizer uses.   You could  use the ASAP  command manually  to
          accomplish the same  thing, but it  is easier and quicker  to use
          the "S" command.   The examples in the following  paragraphs show
          what  options   are  required  for  each   synthesizer  just  for

                                          7

          informational purposes.  Again, if you use the install command to
          get  yourself setup, all  you have to  do is type "S"  to get the
          system started up for your setup.

                                 Synthesizer Support

          ASAP  was designed for and is very closely tied to the DoubleTalk
          synthesizer or  one of the  synthesizers based on  the DoubleTalk
          (like LiteTalk  or LapTalk).   MicroTalk realizes,  however, that
          you may already  own speech  synthesis hardware or  that you  may
          prefer  some other  speech system,  so ASAP provides  support for
          other synthesizers as well.  Unfortunately, not every synthesizer
          supports  all the features of  the DoubleTalk family.   There are
          also some synthesizers that perform other functions not supported
          by  the   DoubleTalk.     While  not  a   replacement  for   your
          synthesizer's  manual, "Appendix  A"  provides details  about how
          ASAP uses various  synthesizers.  Where a  synthesizer won't work
          with  a particular  function, the  fact is  noted in  the section
          devoted to that  synthesizer.  The  temporary silence feature  is
          particularly difficult to accomplish without specific support for
          it  in the  synthesis  hardware.   ASAP  makes every  attempt  to
          support this feature with  varying degrees of success  on various
          synthesizers.   Again, these facts are noted in the discussion of
          the specific synthesizer found in "Appendix A."

                                   Getting Started

          Naturally, you're anxious to get started with ASAP, so do it.  If
          you followed  the procedure in "Installation," you have a command
          called "s"  that is used  to start  speech.  Type  "s" and  press
          Enter.

          ASAP  announces your name or the program's serial number followed
          with the message, "ASAP Installed."

          After that, ASAP announces,  in a low pitched voice, the state of
          any modifier keys that are locked.  On AT machines, for instance,
          you'll hear, "Num  Locked" to  indicate that key's  light is  on.
          The different pitch lets  you know the words "Num  Locked" aren't
          really on the screen but are, instead, status information.

          You are now ready to take advantage of the power provided by ASAP
          in your applications.

                                  General Operation

          Once you  start ASAP,  you're ready  to  use other  applications.
          ASAP makes those  programs talk as if they were  written with the
          speech user in mind.  The text displayed on the  screen is spoken
          as it goes to the screen.



                                          8

          In  addition  to letting  you know  about  text displayed  on the
          screen, ASAP  also announces your keystrokes. When ASAP announces
          your keystrokes, you'll notice the  pitch of the pronunciation of
          a  letter is  raised if that  letter is  a capital  letter.  This
          pitch  elevation is also active while  editing on a character-by-
          character  basis  (when you  use the  arrow  or delete  keys). Of
          course, if you like you may modify this behavior so  the keys you
          type are spoken as words instead  of characters or not spoken  at
          all.  These are functions of the "Control Panel."

          The Control Panel is where you  control ASAP.  It lets you adjust
          the  speed, volume, and  pitch of your  synthesizer as well  as a
          variety of preference options related to how the program behaves.
          You also use the  Control Panel to review text  already displayed
          on the screen.

          While  the  Control  Panel  provides  complete  access  to  text,
          attributes, and format on the  screen, you'll usually review  the
          screen interactively with  the keys  on the numeric  keypad.   By
          using the numeric  keypad, you  avoid going into  a special  mode
          just to examine the screen.

          For the most part, that's all there  is to it.  ASAP is  designed
          to  automatically work with your applications, and it does.  From
          now  on, just  use the  applications without  concerns  about the
          speech environment.

          The remainder of the manual gives you options for customizing the
          speech  and its  behavior to  your tastes and  discusses handling
          special situations.

                                    What is BIOS?

          As you use ASAP, you'll want to become familiar with  some of the
          ways other  programs use  to put  characters on the  screen.   In
          general,  there are three methods for getting text on the screen.
          The first is  through graphics.   While not  strictly text,  some
          programs draw  text characters in  a graphics environment.   ASAP
          (or any other screen access package) can't work with this kind of
          program.  Another method for getting text to the screen is to use
          DOS  or the  BIOS  (Basic Input  Output  System) which  are  both
          available to  all  programs  running  on  the  PC  under  MS-DOS.
          Examples  of  such programs  can  be  seen with  all  of  the DOS
          commands and many utility programs.  ASAP announces the text that
          is routed through the BIOS, but it isn't necessary for a  program
          to use BIOS for ASAP to work.  In general, in fact, some programs
          work better when they don't use BIOS.

          The third  method  for putting  text  on the  screen is  for  the
          program to put  it directly  on the screen  itself without  going
          through  DOS or BIOS.   The advantage of  using this method rests
          mainly  on speed.  A  program with specific  requirements can put

                                          9

          the text  on  the screen  much  more quickly  than  can the  more
          generalized  DOS or  BIOS  routines.   Full-fledged  productivity
          applications usually put the  text directly on the screen.   Most
          word processors and editors,  for instance, use their  own screen
          updating routines because many of them re-write the entire screen
          with every key you type.   This process would prove far  too slow
          if the software depended on DOS or BIOS for this.

          ASAP works  just fine whichever method is used to get text on the
          screen,  but  the behavior  and  characteristics  of the  program
          differ  depending on  the method  a specific  program uses.   You
          will, in fact,  notice that when you start  an editor, ASAP won't
          read  you  the  entire  screen.     (This  would  quickly  become
          annoying.)  Instead, when  a program uses its own means to update
          the screen, ASAP  uses the cursor position and  screen attributes
          (differing colors) to decide  what parts of the screen  should be
          spoken.  Of  course, if you prefer, you can  control ASAP so that
          it does announce any differences on the screen without reguard to
          cursor position and screen attributes.  Again, that is a function
          of the Control Panel.

          When you  use an  application like a  telecommunications program,
          you'll want to configure that program to send its screen text out
          standard  channels if  possible.   That's because  you'll usually
          want to  hear all the text  that gets displayed on  the screen as
          its put there.   If  a telecommunications program  won't let  you
          configure to use BIOS for screen updating,  use ASAP's monitoring
          capabilities to let you know about all screen changes.   See more
          about monitoring in "Monitoring" later in this manual. 

                                 Silencing the Speech

          As great as it is to have automatic speech access to thousands of
          programs, its just  as important to have techniques for silencing
          the  speech.   ASAP  supports  three  different ways  to  silence
          speech.  The method you use depends on your needs at a particular
          time.  If, for example, there is a lot of DOS output in progress,
          you'll  most likely want to  completely turn off  the speech with
          the ALT key.  If you want to silence the speech and make it catch
          up with real time  operation, use the Control key.   Finally, and
          uniquely ASAP's, you may temporarily silence speech with  a press
          of  one of the Shift keys.  Read more about each of these methods
          in the following paragraphs.

                               Temporary Silence: SHIFT

          ASAP gives  you the unique ability to silence speech temporarily.
          Temporary  silence,   as  mentioned  earlier,  however,  is  very
          difficult  to  implement  without  cooperation  from  the  speech
          synthesizer.  Once other manufacturers realize the power  of this
          feature,  they'll surely  add that  capability to  their systems,
          too.    When they  do,  ASAP will  add  support for  it  for that

                                          10

          synthesizer.  In the meantime, this feature works flawlessly only
          with  DoubleTalk, LiteTalk, and LapTalk.  It also works well with
          Synphonix  and  Vo-Talker.   It  works  with varying  degrees  of
          success with other synthesizers, and MicroTalk will do everything
          in  its power to  work with  any manufacturer  that wants  to add
          these  capabilities.  Check  "Appendix A" for  more details about
          your  specific  synthesizer  and  its ability  to  use  Temporary
          Silence.

          The  temporary method  of  silencing  speech  is most  useful  in
          situations where  you're working  with familiar material  or text
          that  is repetitive in  nature.  The  DOS DIR command  provides a
          good example of such a time.

          Usually,  when  you  use the  DIR  command  from  DOS, your  main
          interest  is with the names of the  files on a disk or directory,
          not the extra information concerning the number of characters and
          date. Sighted computer users  can simply ignore the parts  of the
          display they  aren't interested in.   Now, you can, too.   As you
          hear the name of a  file, press the SHIFT key.   The remainder of
          the line is silenced and you immediately hear the next file name.

          In  addition to  silencing  the DOS  DIR  command, the  Temporary
          Silence command  is useful  for repetitive kinds  of information.
          Think  for  instance of  those bulletin  boards  you call  with a
          message  header at  the  beginning of  each  message or  of  that
          favorite  utility that shows  four or five lines  of the same old
          information everytime you  use it..   With the Temporary  Silence
          command,  you can  skip over  the repetitive material  unless you
          really want to hear it.

          One other  word about Temporary  Silence deserves  mention.   The
          command is  extremely useful after  using a Page Up  or Page Down
          command to skip  past lines of  little or no  interest.  You  may
          also use Temporary  Silence with the Auto  Read command discussed
          later in this manual.

          On some  synthesizers, the Temporary Silence command may act much
          like pressing  the Control key--that  is, it silences  the speech
          and immediately brings it back if there is more to speak.  It can
          be useful, even  in the worst cases, with the  Auto Read and Read
          by Screens commands  to make  the command continue  even after  a
          silence.  Those commands, as you'll see when you read about them,
          are terminated with any key.   The Shift is the exception to this
          rule.

                               Normal Silence: Control

          The  Control key silences  speech and lets  it come  back as more
          text  is  sent through  your computer's  BIOS.  This form  of the
          silence  command is useful when you hear a lot of information not
          of particular interest, and you want to skip it.

                                          11

          Keep in mind that speech tends to slow down the normal activities
          happening on the screen.  Use  the control key to stop the speech
          and  immediately pick back up with the current information on the
          screen.

                                Permanent Silence: Alt

          The  Alt key  silences speech  and keeps  it off until  you press
          another key.   This  form of  the silence  command is  useful for
          commands, especially those that come through standard output that
          you aren't  interested in.   Press the  alt key,  and the  speech
          stops.  Speech  returns with the press  of any other key.   It is
          useful  to use the Control  key to re-engage  speech, because the
          program  you're using  won't  take any  action  with a  key  like
          Control or Shift.

          Another notable feature about  silencing speech through BIOS with
          the Alt key deserves mention.   When you use Alt to  silence text
          routed  through your computer's BIOS,  ASAP makes a  beep on your
          computer's  speaker when the program is ready for more input from
          you.  One of the most  common places to use this feature is  in a
          program or command  that has a  lot of text,  but that you  don't
          particularly  want to  read.   Many  users find  that it  is even
          useful to get the directory listing, press the Alt key, then when
          the speaker beeps, they  use the numeric keypad keys to look back
          up at the last few lines of the directory.

          There is  another special  feature associated with  pressing Alt.
          In  addition to making a bonking sound when the computer is ready
          for more  input from you, you  can instruct ASAP to  read you the
          last non-blank line above  the cursor. To make ASAP  announce the
          last  non-blank  line above  the cursor,  press  Alt twice.   The
          second time you press Alt, you'll hear a clicking sound with each
          character that gets  sent to the screen, so  you'll know there is
          still something  going on.  Again, when all the characters get to
          the  screen and the computer is ready  for more input, ASAP bonks
          then reads you the last non-blank line above the cursor.   If you
          don't  want the clicking, simply press Alt yet another time; that
          shuts off the clicking.  Press it again to turn the clicking back
          on.

          If  you're using a program  that doesn't send  its output through
          the BIOS, pressing  Alt more than  once has  no effect, so  don't
          worry about doing it.

                        Refreshing Your View: Both Shift Keys

          ASAP provides you a way to repeat the relevant or emphasized text
          on the screen.  You  refresh your view of the material  displayed
          on the screen by  pressing both Shift keys simultaneously.   When
          you  do, you'll hear the text that is, in some way, distinguished
          from other text on the screen.

                                          12

          If  you have another program  that uses the  double Shift command
          for  its  own  purposes,   ASAP  passes  the  keys  on   to  that
          application,  so there is no conflict with the program running in
          the foreground.

                                    Reviewing Text

          While ASAP's operation is nearly always what you want by default,
          there are  times you want to repeat portions of the screen.  ASAP
          takes  advantage of the fact  that the new  enhanced keyboard has
          its own separate arrow keys, and lets you use  the numeric keypad
          to examine the screen at your leisure.  The following table shows
          the commands to use to review specific parts of the screen.

          The commands are arranged in a logical fashion to help you easily
          remember them.

                          Line Review Commands: 7, 8, and 9

          The top  row of keys on the numeric keypad,  the 7, 8, and 9, are
          line oriented  commands.   They read  the previous,  current, and
          next lines respectively.

                          Word Review Commands: 4, 5, and 6

          the next row, the 4, 5, and 6 are word oriented keys.   They read
          the  previous, current, and  next words on a  line.  In addition,
          pressing  5 twice  yields a spelling  of the  current word.   The
          previous and next word  commands also perform a special  function
          when pressed twice.   If you're already at the end  of a line and
          you press  the next  word key,  ASAP announces  "right" in  a low
          pitched voice.   But, if you press  the next word command  again,
          ASAP skips down to the  next word on the next line.   In fact, if
          the next line, and even the line after that is  blank, ASAP skips
          down to  the next word  on the screen,  no matter how  many lines
          down it  is.  You'll hear  a tone in your  computer's speaker for
          each line that ASAP skips to get to the next word.  This works in
          a  similar  fashion  for the  previous  word  command  except, of
          course, the movement is toward the top of the screen.

                        Character Review Commands: 1, 2, and 3

          The  third  row of  numbers,  the  1, 2,  and  3,  gives you  the
          previous,  current,  and  next   letters  on  the  current  line.
          Additionally, pressing  2 twice,  among other things,  makes ASAP
          give  you a  phonetic pronunciation  of the  character.   This is
          useful if  you can't distinguish two letters with similar sounds.
          The system ASAP  uses for phonetic pronunciation  is the military
          standard.  The other information announced when you press 2 twice
          is the attributes of the current character, the  cursor position,
          and the status of any of the locking keys. If your cursor were on
          line C (the third line on the screen) and the character under the

                                          13

          cursor  was the  letter "D",  ASAP might  say something  like the
          following:

          Delta, white on blue, c 1, num lock

          This tells you that the character under the cursor is  the letter
          "D", the character is  white on a blue background,  the cursor is
          on the  third line  in the  first column, and  that the  num lock
          light is on.  

          The numeric keypad method  of examining the screen for  text that
          is already displayed  is different from the  methods discussed in
          the "Control Panel" section of this manual in the following ways:

          First,  the position  established  for reading  with the  numeric
          keypad may  be independent  from the computer's  cursor position.
          This means you can park the keypad's reading position on  part of
          the screen  and  leave it  there while  performing other  editing
          functions.   See  "Parking  the  Reading  Cursor" later  in  this
          section for more information on this feature.

          A  second  difference between  using the  keypad and  the Control
          Panel for reviewing text is the fact that the keypad's ability to
          examine the  screen doesn't tie up the program you are using.  In
          other words, while the program is running, you may use the keypad
          to examine the screen without stopping what the program is doing.
          The Control Panel, on  the other hand, stops the  program running
          in the foreground  while you are  using the Control  Panel.   The
          Control Panel  function completely  takes over  the keyboard--any
          command you use is interpreted by  ASAP, and you must "exit"  the
          Control Panel to return  the keyboard to the application  in use.
          Contrast this with the use of the number pad: If you want to hear
          the current line, you just press "8".  To hear the previous line,
          you press  "7".   To  go back  and perform  any  function in  the
          application you're  using, you just  give the program  the normal
          command for that function.  To achieve the same actions using the
          Control Panel, you press Control-Backslash.  This means hold down
          the Control key.   Then,  with the Control  key still  depressed,
          press,  then  release the  Backslash  key.   Finally,  after  you
          release  the  Backslash,  release  the  Control  key.    Pressing
          Control-Backslash makes ASAP go into the Control Panel.  When you
          enter the Control  Panel, ASAP  announces the current  line.   To
          hear the previous  line, you press  Up Arrow.   To return to  the
          application, you  must press  Escape to  exit the  Control Panel.
          Then you can use the application's normal commands.  You can  get
          complete details  about using  the  Control Panel  later in  this
          manual.

          Note:  If you  use the  84-key keyboard  (with no  separate arrow
          keys),  you'll need to turn  on numlock before  using the numeric
          keypad to examine the screen.  You  may also use the shift key to
          access any  function associated  with a  key that would  normally

                                          14

          require  toggling the  num lock  key.   Pressing 8,  for example,
          makes  ASAP read the  current line  if num lock  is on.   You may
          press  shift-8 to use 8 as an up arrow key for the application in
          use.

                            The Numeric Movement Commands

          The 0 on  the numeric keypad performs  a special function.   When
          you press  it, ASAP waits for  another key to perform  one of the
          functions  discussed  in  this  section  of  the  manual.   These
          commands move the reading cursor to the extremes.

                              Move to Top of Window: 0,5

          Pressing 0 followed with 5 on the keypad moves the reading cursor
          to  the top line of the current window.  If no window is defined,
          the cursor moves  to the first line  on the screen.   The line is
          announced.

                            Move to Bottom of Window: 0,2

          Pressing 0 followed with 2 moves the reading cursor to the bottom
          of the current window and announces the text on that line.  If no
          window  is defined,  the cursor  moves to  the  last line  on the
          screen.

                                Move to Left Edge: 0,1

          Pressing 0 followed by 1 moves  the reading cursor as far left as
          it can go  in the current window.   If no window  is defined, the
          cursor moves to the left edge of the screen.  The character under
          the cursor is announced.

                               Move to Right Edge: 0,3

          Pressing 0 followed with  3 moves the reading cursor as far right
          as it can go in the current window.  If no window is defined, the
          cursor moves to  the right edge of the screen.   The character is
          then announced.

                        Announce Entire Screen or Window: 0,0

          Pressing  0 twice  reads the  entire screen  or  currently active
          window without moving the  reading cursor.  While ASAP  reads the
          text, you may use the temporary silence key (shift) to skip  past
          lines you don't want to hear.

                          Announce from the Cursor Down: 0,.

          Pressing 0  followed  with  "."  announces the  contents  of  the
          currently active window  from the reading cursor position  to the
          end of the window or screen.  If the entire screen is  the active

                                          15

          window, the entire screen from the cursor down is announced.  The
          reading cursor position is not affected by this command.

                            Quick Read by Screens: 0, PGDN

          As you'll see  in the "Read  by Screens" section of  this manual,
          ASAP  lets  you  read  large  amounts  of  text  without  further
          interaction from you.   While the Read by Screens command is more
          flexible  than  the  Quick  Read by  Screens  command,  the quick
          version is much handier to use.  The limitation is  that when you
          use  the quick version of the  command, your program must use the
          PGDN command to  move to the next  screen.  This is  true much of
          the  time, and  if it  is, there  is no  limitation to  the quick
          version.    If PGDN  does something  besides  moving to  the next
          screen in  your program, you'll  have to  use the normal  Read by
          Screens command.


                Quick Read by Screens for WordPerfect: 0, Right Arrow

          Most programs use the PGDN key to  move by screens.  WordPerfect,
          however, uses PGDN to move to the next printed page which usually
          isn't the  next screen.   To accommodate WordPerfect  users, ASAP
          uses  keypad  0  followed  with  the  right  arrow  key  to  make
          WordPerfect read by screens.

          Don't  forget that  you can  use the  read-ahead command  to read
          continuously,  but the advantage of  Read by Screens  is that you
          get a more natural  rendition of the text.   Get complete details
          about Read by Screens in that section of the manual.

                           Type Word at Reading Cursor: 0,8

          ASAP supports a most useful feature which is accessed with 0,8 on
          the keypad.   This command takes  the word at  the reading cursor
          and types it into whatever program in use.

          The type current word command can be used directly in DOS.  Get a
          directory of files on your screen with the dir or  dir/w command.
          Next, use the keypad to move your reading cursor to a file's name
          that you want to use.   Press 0,8 and ASAP types out  that file's
          name  for you.   All you have  to do  to start the  file is press
          Enter.

                         Parking the Reading Cursor: 0,ENTER

            Pressing "0"  on the  keypad followed  with  Enter toggles  the
          behavior  of the  reading  cursor.   Normally,  ASAP follows  the
          system cursor.  When you  use the current line command (8),  ASAP
          announces  the line on which the application's cursor rests.  You
          may, however, select to  park the reading cursor in  a particular
          spot  on the screen.   To do  so, move the  reading cursor to the

                                          16

          spot  of interest,  and issue  the  park command.   Use  the same
          command to unpark the reading cursor.

          Note:  The  application's cursor  is the  cursor position  of the
          program you are using.  The reading cursor is an imaginary cursor
          used to point at the text you want spoken.

          It  is sometimes  useful to  park the  reading cursor.   Think of
          those  times when you're interested  in a particular  part of the
          screen  and want  to keep  track of  that text.   By  parking the
          cursor on that section of the  screen, you can keep close tabs on
          it with the current character, word, and line commands.

                     One-Shot Control Panel Command: 0,[command]

          In addition  to the other review  type functions of the  0 key on
          the numeric keypad, 0 followed by any valid Control Panel command
          (on  the main part of  the keyboard) lets  you access the Control
          Panel  commands without  actually going  into the  Control Panel.
          This  is useful  if you  want to  adjust a  single option  in the
          Control  Panel.   The  time command  is an  example of  a command
          you'll enjoy frequent access to. To get the time announced, you'd
          press  0,Alt-T.    (Alt-T  is  the  Control  Panel   command  for
          announcing  the time.  See  more about Control  Panel commands in
          "Control Panel" later in this manual.

          Remember that all Control Panel commands are  valid when preceded
          with 0 on  the numeric keypad.   You can  take advantage of  this
          fact when you want to move  the reading cursor to a specific line
          on the screen.  The numeric keypad method of reviewing the screen
          provides  no means  of moving  the reading  cursor directly  to a
          specific  line  on the  screen, but  by using  0 followed  with a
          letter from A to Y,  you can achieve this function.   Again, read
          about  all the  commands available  in the  Control Panel  in the
          appropriate part of this manual.

                                  The Repeat Filter

          The  more you  use  your computer,  the  more you'll  notice  the
          tendency of programs to decorate the  screen with characters that
          look great, but  don't add much to the speech user's enjoyment of
          the program.   Often, a program  prints a line of  equal signs to
          separate  parts  of a  screen  display.   Fortunately,  ASAP gets
          around this annoyance with the repeat filter.

          The  repeat  filter lets  you  know  about repetitive  characters
          without forcing you to hear all of them.  It works like this:

          When  ASAP  sees  a series  of  duplicate  characters, it  always
          announces the first three.  If there are more than three, it only
          says the repeating character  twice, then it says the  word "rep"
          followed by the exact number of  duplicates.  (The word "rep"  is

                                          17

          just a shorthand way of informing you about the repetition.)  If,
          for  instance, there  were thirty-five  equal signs printed  on a
          line, ASAP says "equals equals rep 35".

          Note that  if you're not  using the  "Most Punctuation"  setting,
          ASAP won't  bother you with any of the equals signs.  Instead, it
          just skips  past the  material as  if  it weren't  there at  all.
          You'll  use  this  feature  when reading  text  to  skip  section
          separators and the like.

                                   Other Audio Ques

          ASAP gives you  the obvious  benefit of speech  with your  speech
          synthesizer.   It also uses  some other sounds  generated on your
          computer's speaker for a variety of purposes.

          When you  press a key  in the Control Panel  that is not  a valid
          command, ASAP makes a "bonk" sound to inform you that the command
          is not used.  Don't worry about this sound; it just lets you know
          that you didn't use a valid command.

          ASAP  makes a beep sound  when you have the  caps lock on and you
          type  a character with  the shift key  down.  This  sound doesn't
          mean anything is wrong, it just reminds you that caps lock is on.

          ASAP  makes a low-pitched buzz  when you're using  DOS output and
          you  press Alt to  silence the speech.   You don't  get the sound
          when you  press Alt--you already know when  you do that--instead,
          it  gives you the sound when the program is finished putting text
          on the screen and is ready to  accept another key from you.  This
          feature is useful when you examine a long directory listing.  You
          can type the  dir command then press Alt.   When the directory is
          on  the screen,  ASAP  buzzes to  let  you know  the computer  is
          finished displaying the directory list.

          There  are  two  other  sounds ASAP  makes  with  your computer's
          speaker.  They are the bell sound, designed to let  you know when
          you're typing at the end of  a line, and the clicking sound, used
          for  making a small  noise when text  goes through DOS.   You can
          read  more about these two sounds and  how to control them in the
          following paragraphs.

                                 Special Action Keys

          In addition to the explicit commands in the Control Panel, on the
          numeric  keypad, and its ability  to react to  a program's action
          from your command,, ASAP  acts on several keys in  the background
          without  you giving it a command.  ASAP announces your keystrokes
          for  instance.  Following  is a  list of  the other  actions ASAP
          takes with other keys.



                                          18

          Left and Right  Arrows announce the  character under the  cursor.
          If the  cursor moves more than  one position, the  word under the
          cursor is announced.

          Up  and Down Arrows  announce the contents of  the line where the
          cursor moves when  you press the  arrow.  If  the cursor  doesn't
          move when you press  the arrow key, ASAP looks  for color changes
          on the screen.   It then looks for the  color with the least  use
          and announces the text appearing in that color.  If this extended
          checking gets in your way, turn it off in the  Control Panel with
          alt-X.  

          The Page Up and Page Down keys perform a rather complex function-
          -when you press Page Up or  Page Down, ASAP waits for the program
          you are using to change  the screen to the next display,  then it
          reads the entire screen  to you.  This function  proves extremely
          useful for reading large amounts of text.
                                
                                  The Control Panel

          In addition to providing standard  speech access to many off-the-
          shelf  software packages, ASAP lets  you fine tune  the system to
          optimize  the speech  environment for  the particular  program in
          use.   Most  of the time,  ASAP will automatically  work with the
          application you use, but the options discussed in this section of
          the manual provide  the ability to alter the way  ASAP works.  In
          addition to altering the speech environment, you  can review text
          already displayed on  the screen with  the commands available  in
          the Control Panel.

          Once you  set up a program to  work a special way,  ASAP lets you
          preserve  those settings  so  that the  next  time you  use  that
          program,  you'll get your favorite environment setup and ready to
          go.  See "Saving Settings" later in this manual for details.

                      Using the Control Panel: Control-Backslash

                    Press  Control-Backslash to  enter  the Control  Panel.
          Once you press Control-Backslash,  ASAP announces the contents of
          the current line on the screen.  While you use the Control Panel,
          ASAP takes over all keys and uses them for its own purposes.  You
          can also use the keypad's "0" to tell ASAP you want to use only a
          single Control Panel command, so you don't need to formally enter
          and exit  the Control Panel  if you  just want  a single  Control
          Panel  command.   The  commands ASAP  uses  are discussed  in the
          following pages.

          When you finish with the Control  Panel, press Escape to exit and
          return your keyboard  to its  normal operation.   When you  press
          Escape, ASAP announces "Exit" to confirm your action.



                                          19

                        Changing Options in the Control Panel

          There  are  two basic  ways of  changing  options in  the Control
          Panel.  One of them uses the Alt key in  combination with another
          key.  This kind of control turns an option either on or off.  The
          second kind of Control  Panel command is used to  adjust settings
          that have several  possible settings.  These kinds of adjustments
          are made by using  one of the number keys  located at the top  of
          the main part of the keyboard and following that with a letter to
          indicate the desired option.  Setting the top edge of a window is
          an example of an option that  takes several settings.  To set the
          top edge of a window, you press the number of the window you want
          to set, then you press the "T" key to tell ASAP to set the top of
          the chosen window.

          The following paragraphs describe each of the functions available
          from the Control Panel.

                                 Navigation Commands

          Part  of the Control Panel's  purpose is to  position the reading
          cursor to an area of interest and announce the text  in that area
          of the  screen.   The ability  to examine text  on the  screen is
          often  called "review."  When  you first enter  the Control Panel
          with  Control-Backslash, ASAP  announces the  line on  the screen
          where  the  cursor  is located.    You  then  use the  navigation
          commands, discussed  below, to  maneuver the reading  position to
          any interesting part of the screen.

          In addition  to reviewing text  already displayed on  the screen,
          the Control Panel lets you change the operation of ASAP.  Most of
          the  commands that alter ASAP's operation, in fact, depend on you
          first  pointing to the area  of interest then  giving the program
          the  command  to alter  the  functionality.    The  window  setup
          commands, for  instance, expect that  you first move  the reading
          cursor  to the top  left edge of  the window before  you give the
          command  to define the top left edge  of that window.  (Read more
          about setting up  windows in  the "Set Windows"  section of  this
          manual.)

          The  Control Panel's commands are arranged  to make hand movement
          minimal.   Nearly every  function available in  the Control Panel
          can be accessed without  removing your fingers from the  home row
          of keys.

                            Moving Directly to a Line: A-Y

          Once in the Control Panel,  the letters A to Y move  you directly
          to  a specific line  on the  screen and  announce what's  on that
          line.   A moves to  the top line  of the screen,  B moves  to the
          second line, and so on.  Y,  of course, moves to the bottom line.
          The cursor's horizontal position isn't affected by this command.

                                          20

          See also "Moving to a Relative Line."

                  Returning the Reading Cursor to the Real Cursor: Z

          While it is never necessary  to return the reading cursor to  the
          real cursor's position,  it is sometimes desirable.   Recall from
          the previous  discussion that  the letters  A-Y move the  reading
          cursor to  the indicated  line.  The  letter Z takes  the reading
          cursor back  to the real  cursor and  announces that line.   Note
          that while  the letters A-Y don't effect  the horizontal position
          of the reading cursor, the Z  command does.  It moves the reading
          cursor  back  to   the  system's   cursor--both  vertically   and
          horizontally.

                  Moving to a Relative Line: Up Arrow and Down Arrow

          While it  is useful to  move directly to  a specific line  on the
          screen,  you'll usually want to  move either up  or down one line
          from the line you just read.  Use the semicolon (;) and slash (/)
          keys (or the Up Arrow and Down Arrow) for this purpose.

          Semicolon and Up Arrow both move your reading cursor  up one line
          and announce the contents of that line.  If you're already at the
          top  of the  screen, pressing  Semicolon or  Up Arrow  makes ASAP
          announce "top" then read the current line.

          Slash and  Down Arrow move down  one line and read  the new line.
          If you're already at the bottom of the screen, pressing  Slash or
          Down Arrow makes ASAP  say "bottom" before announcing the  line's
          contents.

          See also From the Cursor Right; The Rest of the Screen.

                     Relative Line, Current Character: Alt-Arrows

          If you want to hear  only the character at the reading  cursor as
          you  move up  and down the  screen, hold  down the  Alt key while
          pressing Up Arrow  or Down Arrow.  When you  use the Arrows along
          with the Alt key, the  Arrows act just like normal, moving  up or
          down one line on the screen, but instead of reading the new line,
          they announce  only the  letter at the  reading cursor.   This is
          useful for checking formatting.

                                From the Cursor Right

          While Semicolon and Slash read the previous and next lines of the
          screen,  you can  modify the  behavior of  these two  commands by
          using the shift key along with the Semicolon and Slash.  When you
          do, ASAP reads  only from  the reading cursor's  position to  the
          right.



                                          21

                              Word by Word: Ctrl-Arrows

          Use Ctrl-Left Arrow, and Ctrl-Right Arrow or Comma (,) and Period
          (.) to read word by word along a line on the screen.

          Comma or Ctrl-Left Arrow moves the reading cursor to the previous
          word and announces it.  If your reading cursor is  already at the
          left edge of  the screen,  ASAP says, "left"  then announces  the
          word of interest.

          Period or Ctrl-Right Arrow  moves the reading cursor to  the next
          word on  the line and announces the word.  If your reading cursor
          is already  at the right edge  of the screen,  ASAP says, "right"
          then announces the word.

                  Character by Character: Left Arrow and Right Arrow

          While comma and period move the reading cursor by words, shift of
          comma and period modify the lateral movement by restricting it to
          movement by  characters.  You may  also use Left Arrow  and Right
          Arrow to move character by character.

          Shift-comma (<) or  Left Arrow  moves the reading  cursor to  the
          previous character on the line and announces that character.  The
          character is  always  announced,  even if  it  is  a  punctuation
          character and you have most punctuation turned off.  In addition,
          moving  by characters makes  ASAP announce  color changes  on the
          line.   (You'll always get some response from moving character by
          character.)

          Shift-period  (>) or Right Arrow  moves to the  next character on
          the line and announces that character.

                                The Rest of the Screen

          TAB  reads  the  screen  from  the  line following  your  reading
          position.   This command is useful if  you need to read an entire
          screen.  Just  enter the Control Panel, press "A"  to move to the
          top line, then hit TAB to hear the remainder of the screen.

                                  Altering Settings

          While the commands in  the previous section discussed navigation,
          this  section describes  commands that  alter the  performance of
          ASAP.

                               Attribute Monitor: Alt-A

          Attributes are the characteristics  of a character or a  group of
          text that distinguishes the material from the text on the rest of
          the  screen.   (Highlighted  or colored  in  a specific  way  are
          considered   a   character's   attributes.)      Normally,   ASAP

                                          22

          automatically informs you about  changing attributes.     It does
          so with a unique  algorithm that tries to determine  what catches
          the sighted user's  eye on  the screen and  announces that  text.
          Sometimes, though, there  might be  more changing  on the  screen
          than you care  to know about.  Even though  ASAP only bothers you
          with the text  that is different  from the last time  it notified
          you, if your interest lies in a specific attribute, use attribute
          monitoring to follow the specific attribute of interest.

          To  use  attribute  monitoring,  enter the  Control  Panel  (with
          Control-Backslash) then  move the reading cursor  to the position
          or  attribute of interest.  Finally, press Alt-A.  ASAP announces
          the attribute of  the character  of interest and  offers you  the
          chance to confirm or cancel.

          If  you've  already  identified  an attribute  to  monitor,  ASAP
          announces "previous" along with the previously set attribute.  If
          the previous attribute (instead of  the attribute of the  current
          character) is the one of interest, press "P" to tell  ASAP to use
          that attribute instead of  the attribute of the character  at the
          reading cursor position.

          See also,  Granularity; Setting  Remote Attributes later  in this
          manual.

                                Read By Screens: Alt-B

          While reading  by lines is usually the  method you'll use to read
          through lots of text  that needs further editing or  text you are
          totally unfamiliar with, you'll  want to use read by  screens for
          more serious reading where large bodies of text are at stake.

          Reading  by screens  provides the  advantage  over the  auto read
          command  of  faster  operation,  thus, a  more  natural  sounding
          rendition of your text.  Each method has its place.

          Read  by Screens works by reading your screen, giving the program
          you're  using the key to  display the next  screen, and repeating
          the  process indefinitely.  Since not every program uses the same
          key  to advance to the  next screen, the  read by screens feature
          asks you to specify the key  used to tell the application  you're
          using what the next screen command is.  In most cases, the key is
          "page down," but ASAP lets you specify  any key for this purpose.
          (Word  Perfect, for example, uses the  plus (+) key on the keypad
          for  advancing to the  next screen of  text.)  If  your program's
          next screen  key is, indeed, PGDN, ASAP also provides a short cut
          command  that doesn't  require you  to notify  it about  the next
          screen key.  That command  is keypad 0 followed with PGDN.   ASAP
          also  provides  a WordPerfect  read  by screens  shortcut.   That
          command is keypad 0 followed with the Right Arrow key.



                                          23

          When you press Alt-B, ASAP says, "Press key to use as next screen
          key."  When you press the key your application uses for moving to
          the  next display  screen, ASAP  automatically exits  the Control
          Panel, reads the  current screen,  and tells  the program  you're
          using to move to the next  display. When the screen is read, ASAP
          repeats this process until you tell it to stop by pressing one of
          the alt or control keys.

          Note that while using the read  by screens feature, you may still
          use the shift keys to silence individual lines of the  text.  You
          may  also use  the page  up and  page down  keys to  move quickly
          through  sections of  text of  no interest  without stopping  the
          continuous operation.

          Read  by screens reads  the text to  you in one  of two different
          ways depending on how you  have the punctuation setting.  If  you
          are using most punctuation, ASAP makes a slight pause at  the end
          of each screen line.   If you aren't using  most punctuation, the
          reading  sounds more natural, because ASAP tries to pause only at
          the end of sentences.

          The read by screens command lets you adjust the amount of text to
          read on each screen in one of  two ways.  First, if you're  using
          the  full screen,  use  the  Page Top  Set  and Page  Bottom  Set
          commands to change the normal text that is read.  

          The second  way  to change  the amount  of text  considered as  a
          screen  page is to  set an active  window.  When you  use Read by
          Screens  with an active window,  only the text  in that window is
          spoken.

          See  also: Auto read; Set  Page; Windows; Quick  Read by Screens;
          Quick Read by Screens for WordPerfect.

                          Set Page: Alt-Dash and Alt-Equals

          Normally, when  you use the Page Up or Page Down keys or the Read
          by Screens command,  ASAP assumes  the window of  interest to  be
          either the active  window (if not  using the full screen)  or the
          entire  screen  except  for the  top  and  bottom  lines.   (Most
          programs  use  the  top  and  bottom  lines  to   display  status
          information  that  doesn't  drastically  change  from  screen  to
          screen.)  This means that when you use one of these commands, you
          hear the text from line 2  to line twenty-four in the full screen
          view.

          ASAP  lets you  change the  amount of  text it  considers  as the
          screen to  be spoken when in  full screen view.   The commands to
          use are Alt-Dash and Alt-Equals.

          To change  the page size,  move the reading  cursor to the  first
          line you want  announced and press Alt-Dash.  Next, if the bottom

                                          24

          also needs changing, move  the reading position to the  bottom of
          the section of text of interest and press Alt-Equals.

          When using  the Page Set commands,  ASAP reads from the  top line
          you specified to the bottom all the way from the left edge of the
          screen  to the right.   If there is text to  the left or right of
          the window of  interest, consider  setting a window  in which  to
          view the text.

          See also: Windows; Auto read

                              Color Announcement: Alt-C

          When you enable color  announcement, ASAP announces color changes
          dynamically.   In other words, if  a program shows you  a message
          with blue  letters, ASAP  says, "blue"  before reading the  text.
          Whenever the color changes, you are notified.

          The  color announcement  feature can help  in some  situations in
          programs that, for example,  display several items of information
          on a single line, and one of them is highlighted.  If there  were
          such a  screen, and it  had four items,  you can  distinguish the
          selected item quickly by noting the color change.

          Normally, you won't  want color announcement  on--it can prove  a
          bit  much in  programs that  change colors  frequently.   ASAP is
          usually smart enough to give  you the important information  when
          it is needed, but you have the option to hear color announcements
          if you wish.

                            DOS Output Announcement: Alt-D

          Normally, ASAP reads all  the text that is displayed  through the
          normal  DOS channels.    (This is  also  known as  BIOS  output.)
          Usually, you'll want to  hear all the text normally  displayed by
          DOS.    (Remember,  you  can temporarily  disable  DOS  output by
          pressing  the Alt key.)   There are times,  though, especially in
          programs that both use normal DOS output and put text directly on
          the screen, that  you'll want to  disable the DOS  output.   This
          situation occurs most frequently in some editors that display the
          text you  are editing  by putting it  directly on the  screen and
          route  the  status  line   information  through  the  DOS  output
          routines.   You'll  be able  to tell  if this  is happening  if a
          program continually  announces the  position of your  cursor with
          each key you type.  If  you observe that kind of behavior from  a
          program, disable ASAP's DOS  output announcement while using that
          program.






                                          25

                          Extended ASCII Announcement: Alt-E

          Extended ASCII is the  term used to describe the  characters that
          aren't part of the normal ASCII character set.  (The normal ASCII
          character  set   consists  of  all  the   letters,  numbers,  and
          punctuation marks  normally used.)  The  extended ASCII character
          set are those picture-like characters often used to draw boxes or
          lines on the screen.   Normally, you aren't interested  in these,
          but having them spoken can be useful in some situations.

          ASAP announces  characters in the extended ASCII character set by
          describing  the character.  If,  for example, the  character is a
          vertical line, ASAP says, "vertical line."   For those characters
          that are  ambiguous, ASAP simply announces  the character's ASCII
          code value.   (This announcement is given in  a lower-than-normal
          pitch.)  

                            Find Attribute or Text: Alt-F

          The  Find command performs two  functions.  First,  it moves your
          reading cursor  to either  text or  attributes that  you specify.
          The  Find command's  second  purpose is  to  announce text  of  a
          specific attribute.

          Once you get in the Control Panel or pressed the keypad 0 key (to
          initiate a one-shot Control Panel command), press Alt-F to access
          the Find command.

          ASAP says "Find"  and waits for you to tell it  what to find.  If
          you've  already used the Find command, ASAP also reminds you what
          you last looked for.  (You may easily re-use this information, or
          you can ask for new information.)

          There are two kinds  of information you can find--either  text or
          attributes.   You  tell the Find  command what to  find by either
          typing in the text or by using  the Alt key along with the  arrow
          keys to select the attribute of interest.

          If you want to look for a specific word or phrase on  the screen,
          type that text.  When you've typed the text to find, press either
          Enter or Down  Arrow.  Pressing Enter  makes the search  begin at
          the top  of the screen.   Specifying the find direction  with the
          Down  Arrow moves your reading  cursor to the  next occurrence of
          the specified text.

          To find  an attribute,  press  Alt-Left Arrow  then press  Alt-Up
          Arrow  or  Alt-Down  Arrow  to select  the  specific  attribute..
          Pressing Alt-Left Arrow tells  the Find command that you  want to
          select  attributes  instead of  text.   When  you  press Alt-Left
          Arrow, ASAP  says, "Foreground Selection," then  it announces the
          currently selected attribute characteristics.  A typical  example
          might say something like,  "foreground Selection, Bright white on

                                          26

          Red."   Next, use  Alt-Up Arrow or  Alt-Down Arrow to  change the
          bright white  part of  this characteristic to  another attribute.
          If,  for example,  you pressed  Alt-down Arrow,  ASAP would  say,
          "Black   on  Red."    To  adjust  the  background  part  of  this
          characteristic, press Alt-Right Arrow,  then use Alt-Up Arrow and
          Alt-Down Arrow to change  the characteristic.  If you  press Alt-
          Right  Arrow  with the  sequence  above,  ASAP says,  "Background
          Selection,  Black on Red."  Pressing Alt-Down Arrow at this point
          makes ASAP say, "Black on Magenta."

          The first sixteen selections of attribute characteristics are all
          colors.    Notice  that  there are  two  additional  selections--
          Anything  and Next Change.  You can use these two characteristics
          in  either  the  foreground  or  background  area.    Their  name
          indicates  the functions  associated with  these two  selections.
          The  Anything  selection  matches  anything.    The  Next  Change
          attribute matches the  first change in the  current attribute, no
          matter what it is.

          In  addition to using Alt-Up  Arrow and Alt-Down  Arrow to adjust
          the attribute,  you can use the keys Alt-A to Alt-R to adjust the
          setting.   Alt-A gives you  the first attribute,  and Alt-P gives
          you the  last one.   This method  of selecting  permits the  find
          command to be automated through the User Defined Function feature
          of ASAP.

          Here  is a list  of corresponding colors for  the Alt commands of
          the Find command.

          Alt-A     Black
          Alt-B     Blue
          Alt-C     Green
          Alt-D     Siam
          Alt-E     Red
          Alt-F     Magenta
          Alt-G     Brown
          Alt-H     White
          Alt-I     Dark Grey

          Alt-J     Light Blue
          Alt-K     Light Green
          Alt-L     Light Siam
          Alt-M     Light Red
          Alt-N     Light Magenta
          Alt-O     Yellow
          Alt-P     Bright White
          Alt-Q     Anything
          Alt-R     Next Change





                                          27

          If you have a monochrome display, there are a lot less variations
          for  the attribute.  In order to maintain some compatibility with
          the color selection,  the Alt  key in combination  with a  letter
          works by letting  several of  the Alt-letter  keys represent  the
          same attribute.

          Alt-A     White
          Alt-B     Underline
          Alt-C     Black
          Alt-I     Blinking
          Alt-K     Intense
          Alt-Q     Anything
          Alt-R     Next Change

          While  using the  Alt keys  in conjunction  with letters  to gain
          quick access to a specific  attribute and using the Alt with  the
          Arrow keys both  let you select from a menu  of colors, there are
          times  when you'll just want  to grab the  current color from the
          screen at the  reading cursor.   You can do  that with the  Alt-S
          command from within Find.

          Once  you've identified what to  find, you tell  the Find command
          how to  perform the find.   If you press Enter,  the Find command
          begins its search at  the top of  the screen.   If, on the  other
          hand, you press Down Arrow to initiate the find, the Find command
          begins the search at the point of the reading cursor.  This means
          that you'll probably initiate  a search with the Enter  key, then
          use the Down Arrow to find subsequent occurrences.

          Besides Enter and  Down Arrow to initiate  a search, you  can use
          Alt-Enter to  announce the  selected material without  moving the
          reading cursor.  This is useful for announcing text of a specific
          color or attribute.

          In summary,  the Find command is  accessed with Alt-F.   You then
          enter  either  text  or  use  the  Alt-Arrow keys  for  attribute
          selection.  If  selecting attributes, use  Alt-Left Arrow to  let
          the  Alt-Up  Arrow  and   Alt-Down  Arrows  give  you  foreground
          selections.  Use Alt-Right Arrow to let the Alt-Up Arrow and Alt-
          Down Arrow  select different  backgrounds.  Finally,  when you've
          specified the material to find, tell the Find command how to find
          it.  Tell it how to find it by pressing Enter to begin the search
          from  the top  of the  screen, or  use Down  Arrow to  continue a
          search from  the reading cursor.   You may also  use Alt-Enter to
          announce the selected attribute.

                              Ring Bell at Column: Alt-G

          Normally, ASAP makes a tone when your cursor reaches column 72 as
          you type.   You may find  this useful in some  editing situations
          especially when  using some telecommunications software.   If you
          don't want to hear the bell, use Alt-G to turn it off.

                                          28

          When  you  press Alt-G,  ASAP announces,  "72  is set,  enter new
          setting."  ASAP expects you to type a two digit number indicating
          the cursor position at which  you'd like to be notified.   If you
          prefer no  notification at  all, enter  00 as  the column.   This
          turns off the feature.

          Note that you'll find  this feature most useful when  using line-
          oriented editors.  Word  processing programs usually don't bother
          you with  worrying about where the  cursor is located.   The bell
          usually won't get in your way even  while using a word processing
          program,  because the  word processor  usually wraps  (moves) the
          cursor to a new line before it gets to column 72 anyway.

                          Horizontal Cursor Position: Alt-H

          The horizontal cursor  position command lets you move the reading
          cursor directly to any column on the screen.  When you press Alt-
          H, ASAP says, "Horizontal  Position" and waits for you  to type a
          two digit number.  The number you type, of course, is the desired
          position.   Once you type  the number, ASAP  moves the horizontal
          position of the reading cursor to that column.

                            Indention Notification: Alt-I

          Indention  notification refers to the act of informing you of the
          number of spaces that precede a  line of text.  If, for instance,
          you read  a line that said  "title" and it were  preceded with 35
          spaces, ASAP would  announce "35"  in a low  pitch before  saying
          "title."

                           Jiffy Caps Identification: Alt-J

          One of  disadvantage of using  speech synthesis is the  lack of a
          good way to proof  read.  Jiffy  Caps Identification goes a  long
          way  to remedy  this  drawback.   When  you  turn on  Jiffy  Caps
          Identification, ASAP announces all the words that contain capital
          letters in a higher than normal  pitch.  This elevated pitch lets
          you identify capitalized words while you read.

          Jiffy Caps Identification is  a global setting.  That  means that
          once you turn it on, it stays on until you turn it off.  That is,
          it is not saved with your set files.  This is the kind of setting
          you'll probably  use through  many different applications.   Many
          people prefer to leave Jiffy Caps Identification on all the time.
          You  can make ASAP start with Jiffy Caps Identification turned on
          by adding @JY to the end of the command line that runs ASAP.

                             Keystrokes Announced: Alt-K

          Usually, ASAP announces the keys you  type as they are typed.  If
          you are a fast  typist, ASAP silences any previous  keystrokes as


                                          29

          soon  as you type another key.   You may also completely turn off
          the announcement of keystrokes with Alt-K.

          When you  press Alt-K, ASAP  responds, "Keys  spoken = yes."   To
          turn  off the echoing of  your keystrokes with  speech, press "N"
          for "NO."

          Keystroke echoing is one of  those "global" commands that doesn't
          get saved or altered by other  programs that you might have saved
          settings from.  ASAP  considers that if you want  keystrokes off,
          you probably want to keep them off.

          See also: Announce Keystrokes as Words.

                            Keyboard Interception: Ctrl-I

          Under  normal  circumstances,  ASAP  works just  fine  with  your
          applications  software.   There  are,  however, some  ill-behaved
          programs that completely take over the keyboard and don't provide
          other programs  in the system the  opertunity to act on  the keys
          you  press.   Examples  of programs  that  exhibit this  behavior
          include Quick'N version  5.0, IBM's 3270  emulator, and the  Irma
          board software.

          When  you  get  a  program  that  seems  not  to  react  to  your
          keystrokes,  turn on  Keyboard  Interception before  you run  the
          program.    (Never turn  on  Keyboard  Interception after  you're
          already in the program--turn it on first from the DOS prompt or a
          bat file, then start the program that takes over the keyboard.)

          When you  turn on Keyboard Interception,  ASAP constantly watches
          the keyboard interrupt vector.  When a program takes that vector,
          ASAP takes  it right back.   When  ASAP takes  over the  keyboard
          interrupt vector, it examines the key you press.  If ASAP doesn't
          use the key, it passes it  right along to the application just as
          if nothing had happened.   If, however, the key you press  is one
          that ASAP  uses, it  acts on  it without  the other  program ever
          knowing about  it.   Again, Keyboard Interception  isn't normally
          needed  because  most  programs   behave  properly  and  pass  on
          keystrokes  through  the system.   This  command is  reserved for
          those difficult applications that don't conform to the rules.

          Keyboard Interception is a global setting.

                                  Label Keys: Alt-L

          ASAP lets  you assign a  label that gets  spoken to a  key.  This
          feature is  useful in programs  like WordPerfect to  announce the
          function of a key, especially one of the function keys..

          You can assign nearly  any key to a label  with these exceptions:
          CTRL,  Shift, Alt,  NumLock,  CapsLock,  PrintScreen, and  Scroll

                                          30

          Lock.  You may, however, assign combinations of the modifier keys
          with other keys.   You may, for example, set  Alt-F1 to say "Alt-
          F1."  In WordPerfect, on the other hand, you might want Alt-F1 to
          say,  "thesaurus"   because  that's   the  key  that   brings  up
          WordPerfect's  thesaurus function.    Note that  this label  (and
          others)  have already been set for WordPerfect.  Those key labels
          get  loaded up automatically when  you use WordPerfect.   New key
          labels  you create get saved  along with other  settings when you
          save your settings.   See more about saving key  labels and other
          preferences in "Saving Settings" later in this manual.

          To use  ASAP's key label command, press Alt-L.  When you do, ASAP
          says, "Press Key to Label" and waits for you to press the  key to
          which you wish to  assign a label.   When you type the key,  ASAP
          announces  any label  previously assigned  to  that key,  then it
          says, "Type What  You Want it  to Say" and  lets you type  a line
          that will  be spoken when  that key is  pressed.  Note  that each
          label may be up to 13 characters long and no longer.   If you try
          to make the  line longer than  that, ASAP beeps  to let you  know
          that you can't make the phrase any longer.  When you've typed the
          label, press Enter to make ASAP accept the new key label.  If you
          press the wrong key or decide you don't want to assign a label to
          the key you pressed, just press Escape instead of typing a  label
          for that key.  When  you press Escape, ASAP says,  "Canceled" and
          does not  assign any  label to the  key.  Of  course, if  the key
          already had a label, that label remains in tact.

          You may assign labels to up to 60 different keys in this way.  If
          you try  to add more  than 60 key  labels, ASAP says,  "Key Table
          Full" and  won't let you  add any  more labels.   You'll have  to
          remove  some of the previously assigned labels before you can add
          new ones.  You can delete labels from keys by following the above
          procedure up  to the point of  typing in the label  for that key.
          Instead  of  typing a  new  label,  press  Enter  without  typing
          anything;  that makes ASAP remove  that label from  the key label
          list, thus giving you one more entry to work with.

          Key  labels provide  an  excellent  means  of  giving  you  extra
          feedback, but don't get too carried away with them.  You can make
          your  programs talk  too  much.   Many  of the  function  keys in
          WordPerfect, for  example, already speak  appropriate information
          when  you  press the  key.   Notice that  when  you press  F10 in
          WordPerfect, ASAP says,  "Document to be Saved."  This particular
          key isn't  assigned to a  label, because WordPerfect  itself puts
          that information on the screen, and ASAP announces it.  Adding  a
          label to that key  would make it say  more than you want.   There
          are other  WordPerfect commands, though,  that simply bring  up a
          menu  with no  title.   By  assigning labels  to  those kinds  of
          function  keys,  you can  actually get  more feedback  about your
          WordPerfect commands than the sighted user gets.



                                          31

                         Most Punctuation Notification: Alt-M

          Normally, ASAP  doesn't announce punctuation characters.   If you
          are  a  programmer though,  you  might prefer  knowing  about all
          punctuation.   If  this  is  the case,  enable  Most  Punctuation
          notification with the Alt-M command.

          Note that  even if you  don't have most  punctuation notification
          enabled, you'll still be able to hear  the punctuation characters
          as you move with the left and right arrow keys or if you type one
          of the punctuation characters.  (You'll always want to know about
          the character under the cursor.)

          In  addition to punctuation  pronunciation, the  most punctuation
          command  effects the  pronunciation of  "ASCII Graphics".   ASCII
          graphics are characters  that form little pictures on the screen.
          There are  ASCII graphic  characters for  arrows, lines,  and box
          drawing tools.  They  are often used for decorative  purposes and
          to indicate selected items on a list.

          While  Most Punctuation  normally gives  you all  the punctuation
          characters, and Most Punctuation Off gives you none, you may tell
          ASAP  to make  exceptions to  these general  rules for  both Most
          Punctuation and Most Punctuation Off.  Instead of pressing "Y" or
          "N," select the exceptions  by pressing "E."  When you press "E,"
          ASAP says,  "Enter Exceptions" and  lets you type  any characters
          that  you want to  consider as exceptions  to which  ever mode of
          punctuation  currently in use.   In other words,  if you're using
          Most Punctuation,  and you  press "E,"  you  may enter  up to  20
          characters  that  won't  get   spoken  while  you're  using  Most
          Punctuation.  Likewise, if you're using Most Punctuation Off, and
          you press  "E," you may enter  up to 20 characters  that will get
          spoken even with Most Punctuation Off.

                                    Numbers: Alt-N

          ASAP  can announce  numbers in  one of  two different  ways.   By
          default, it  pronounces numbers as  individual digits.   With the
          Numbers  command,  though,  you  may instruct  ASAP  to  announce
          numbers as numbers.

          This feature  depends on  your synthesizer's ability  to announce
          numbers, permitting you  to take advantage of special features or
          characteristics your synthesizer may support.

          With numbers set to "no", ASAP says the number "123"  as "one two
          three."    If you  have numbers  set  to "yes,"  ASAP  says, "one
          hundred twenty-three."





                                          32

                             Noise with DOS Output: Alt-O

          Noise with  DOS output,  as funny  as the  name sounds, comes  in
          useful when using terminal communications software.   It works by
          making a click each time  a character is printed with normal  DOS
          output.    You can  use this  fact to  let  you monitor  a remote
          computer's activity.   As long as  clicking continues, characters
          are  coming in  through  the modem.    When the  clicking  stops,
          characters have stopped coming in through the modem.  Let this be
          your modem's activity lights.

                                Key Pad Ignore: Alt-P

          If you use  programs that  make heavy use  of the numeric  keypad
          normally  used by ASAP for reviewing the screen, you may instruct
          ASAP  to ignore the  use of the numeric  keypad for screen review
          purposes.  To  ignore ASAP's use of the keypad,  use Alt-P in the
          Control  Panel.  If  you use Alt-P  to ignore use  of the numeric
          keypad, ASAP takes no action on the keys you press on the numeric
          keypad and, instead, passes those keys on to the application that
          requires them.

                                     Quiet: Alt-Q

          The  quiet command  turns off ASAP.   It  is intended  for use by
          sighted peers who  might use your equipment.  When  you set Quiet
          to YEs, all reading stops except for the Control Panel functions.

          If  you occasionally use a system that other people use, consider
          starting ASAP with the @qy option.  This installs ASAP then makes
          it quiet.   When you need  speech on the  system, just enter  the
          Control Panel and turn Quiet off.

          Quiet is  one of  those commands that  don't get  saved when  you
          preserve ASAP's settings--if  you want your machine  to be quiet,
          you will get it quiet no matter what programs are used.  You may,
          however, turn  quiet mode  on and  off from  the command  line or
          directly from the Control Panel.

          See also: Setting Options from the Command Line; Quit.

                                     Quit: Ctrl-Q

          The  Quit command is used to remove ASAP  from memory.  This is a
          command  you'll  probably  never  use,  but  it is  provided  for
          convenience if you do need or want to remove ASAP from memory.

          When you press  Ctrl-Q, ASAP  checks some vital  system areas  to
          make sure unloading is safe.  If you've loaded other TSR programs
          after  ASAP, ASAP probably won't  let you unload  it from memory.
          You  can only unload  ASAP if it  senses the unloading  is a safe
          procedure.

                                          33

          If ASAP determines it  is safe to  unload itself from memory,  it
          says,  "Press Enter  to remove ASAP"  and waits for  you to press
          Enter.  If you decide you don't want to remove ASAP, press Escape
          to cancel the command.

                                   Auto Read: Alt-R

          Auto Read is a feature that lets you sit back and do some serious
          reading.   It works by  feeding your  editor down arrow  keys and
          then reading the  line the cursor  moves to just  as if you  were
          sitting  there pressing  down arrow,  listening to the  new line,
          then pressing  another down  arrow key.   This  process continues
          until you  press a  key.  The  key you  press to  stop auto  read
          depends on what you  want to do next.   Most of the time,  you'll
          want to  press one of  the control  keys.  That  stops auto  read
          immediately and leaves your cursor right where you last heard.

          All  keys you press  while using auto  read are passed  on to the
          program  you are using, so, unless you  intend to use up arrow to
          move back to the line you just heard or something else of similar
          value,  it is recommended that  you use a  non-destructive key to
          stop auto  read.  The Alt  or Control keys work  ideally for this
          purpose.  
          If you  press one of the  shift keys while using  auto read, ASAP
          makes  the speech stop immediately,  but instead of stopping auto
          read,  ASAP skips  right to  the next  line in  the file  you are
          reading.  Use this feature to skim through familiar material.

          You'll notice  that when you get  to the end of  a document, ASAP
          keeps sending the editor the  down arrow key, so it sounds  as if
          the last line continues on forever.  To stop this, just press the
          control or alt keys.

          Note that while  you issue the auto read  command from within the
          Control  Panel, the  auto  read feature  automatically exits  the
          Control  Panel  before  beginning  to feed  your  editor  or word
          processor down arrow keys.

          See also: Read by Screens.

                                 Snow Checking: Alt-S

          Snow  is a  term used  to describe  video interference  caused by
          accessing  the video  RAM  from a  program at  the same  time the
          computer is accessing the  screen area on CGA type  video boards.
          If you  use monochrome, EGA, VGA,  or if you aren't  aware of the
          problem, don't use the snow checking capabilities of ASAP--all it
          does  is slow down the  computer.  Even if  you use CGA and don't
          see  the screen  or don't  have sighted  peers looking  over your
          shoulder, you'll probably want to leave snow checking off.



                                          34

          When  snow checking is  enabled, ASAP waits  until it is  safe to
          read the screen before  attempting any screen reads.   Since ASAP
          does a lot of screen  reading (after all, it is a  screen reading
          program),  you'll want  to avoid  using snow  checking if  at all
          possible.   Again,  it  doesn't hurt  anything  not to  use  snow
          checking  even if you  use a CGA  monitor.  The  worst thing that
          happens is interference on the screen.  You may, in fact, want to
          leave snow  checking off  while using  the computer  by yourself,
          then if you have a friend or peer looking at your screen, turn on
          snow checking for that time.

          Snow  checking works  by waiting  until your  computer's hardware
          isn't  accessing the screen before  ASAP tries to  read text from
          the video area.   Naturally, this is slower than just reading the
          text at any time  as is usually on other  monitor configurations.
          This  interference is not  an ASAP  problem.   It results  from a
          faulty design  in the CGA board.   Many programs offer the choice
          of snow checking, and ASAP is one of them.

          Snow  checking is one of those "global" settings that doesn't get
          saved when you save  settings.  If you always want  snow checking
          turned on,  use the "@sy" option  from the command line.   If you
          installed the  ASAP system  as recommended in  the "Installation"
          section  of  this  manual, you  could  start  up  ASAP with  snow
          checking set to "yes" with the command "s @sy".

                                     Time: Alt-T

          There isn't much that  needs to be said about  time announcement.
          If your computer has a clock, Alt-T announces the current time in
          24 hour format.



                               User Defined Keys: Alt-U

          Sometimes, you'll  want to use  an ASAP  command often.   If that
          command  takes  more  than  one  keystroke,  you  might  consider
          defining a user function for that series of keys. A user function
          can  provide any function available  from ASAP all  with a single
          keystroke that you define.   Laptop users who use  computers that
          don't  have a  separate numeric  keypad  might find  this feature
          particularly useful  for defining the functions  available on the
          numeric keypad.   There is, in  fact, a set file  included on the
          disk called LAPTOP.SET that provides the functions of the numeric
          keypad  with alt  key combinations.   See  the  file on  the disk
          called LAPTOP.TXT for detailed information about this setup.

          To  setup a user defined function, press Alt-U.  (You'll probably
          want to  press keypad  0  first unless  you intend  to work  from
          within  the Control Panel.)  When you press the Alt-U, ASAP says,
          "Define What Key" and waits for you  to press a key.  The key you

                                          35

          press  is the key  that will trigger  the action you're  about to
          define.  While it is  possible to define keys like  plain letters
          and  numbers,  you'll almost  never want  to  do that.   Instead,
          you'll  want to  define keys  that the  program you'll  use these
          functions in doesn't use for its own purposes.

          For  the sake of discussion, say you  want to make Alt-1 read the
          contents of window 1.  You'd press Alt-1.  Once you press the key
          to define, ASAP says, "Type a  Delimiter" and again waits for you
          to type a key.  The key  ASAP is asking for with this question is
          a key that  signals the end of the definition,  so you'll want to
          press a key that isn't in the set of keys you're about to define.
          For the purposes of this example, press the Tab key.   (You won't
          be using the Tab key in this definition.)  When you press the Tab
          key, ASAP says, "Type keys to Define."

          Once you've told  ASAP the key  to define and the  delimiter key,
          type the keys you want to assign to the trigger key.  In the case
          of  this example, those keys  are keypad 0,  1, a.   That is, the
          keypad 0, the "1," and the letter "a."  While you're defining the
          keys  for this function, the program performs just as it normally
          does, so you can insure that what you're defining  is really what
          you want.   In this case, you'll hear  ASAP announce the contents
          of window 1 just as you told it to.

          When  you've  typed  all  the  keys  you  want  included  in  the
          definition,  press the delimiter  key again  to tell  ASAP you're
          through defining that  key.  When  you do, ASAP  says, "User  Key
          Defined," and attempts to  save the current settings so  your new
          key definition will be preserved.  If the set file can't be saved
          right away, ASAP will save it at the first safe opportunity.

          Once  you've defined Alt-1 to read  the contents of window 1, you
          may press Alt-1 to announce that window whenever you want.

          As with other ASAP settings, the user defined keys get saved with
          your  set  files, so  you can  make  different keys  do different
          things with each program  you use or even for  different sections
          of a single program.

          If you  try to  define a key  that's already defined,  ASAP says,
          "Already  defined, press  Escape  to cancel  or type  delimiter."
          This  message means that if  you accidentally pressed  a key that
          you  forgot  you  used,  you  can  press  Escape  to  cancel  the
          definition.  Otherwise, if you really do want to replace the  old
          definition,  press another  delimiter  key just  as you  normally
          would  and proceed with the definition.  In addition to canceling
          the  definition  or replacing  it, you  can  also remove  a key's
          assignment.   To remove  the definition for a  key, proceed as if
          you  were going to define it, except instead of adding keystrokes
          after  the delimiter, just press the delimiter a second time.  In
          other words, make a definition with nothing in it.  When you make

                                          36

          a  definition with  nothing to do,  ASAP removes  that definition
          from its internal  table and saves the set file  again just as if
          you had defined a function..

          ASAP has  room for about 250  keystrokes per set file.   When the
          internal table  is about to fill up  while you're defining a user
          function, ASAP  says, "User Definitions Full"  and terminates the
          current  definition.    When  tat  happens,  you  might  consider
          removing  some older definitions you may no longer use or combine
          the functions of several definitions.

          A user function can use another previously defined user function,
          but the  act of  calling upon  a second function  ends the  first
          function.   In other  words, if  you have  a function that  reads
          window 1 and you want to make a new  function that reads window 2
          then  window 1,  you can enter  the keys  to read  window 2 then,
          instead of entering the keys to  read window 1, enter the key you
          previously defined to read window 1.

                           Automated User Function: CTRL-6

          There's one user defined  key that ASAP takes special  action on.
          That key is CTRL-6.  If one of  your user defined functions  uses
          CTRL-6 as  its trigger  character, that function  gets used  when
          ever the program its  associated with gets loaded.   In addition,
          as with all set files, different parts of the program can have an
          automatic  user defined  function  that gets  used whenever  some
          special text appears on  the screen.  See "Extra  Action Windows"
          for complete  details about setting  up action windows  that load
          new set files when something appears on the screen.

                Let User Defined Keys Pass Through: CTRL-Right Bracket

          If  you define keys with  the User Defined  Function command that
          conflict  with  a command  in  an  application, press  CTRL-Right
          Bracket to let  user defined  function keys pass  through to  the
          application  as if they weren't  defined at all.   Similarly, you
          can press the Pass  Key command followed with another  CTRL-Right
          Bracket to pass  a CTRL-Right  Bracket on to  the application  in
          use.

                                Viewing Method: Alt-V

          Normally,  in an  effort to  provide as  much speech  feedback as
          possible,  ASAP  focuses  on  the  entire  screen.     There  are
          situations, though, when you'd prefer to restrict the view.  ASAP
          offers three  methods of viewing the  screen--by screen, columns,
          or windows.

          When you view by columns, ASAP automatically detects the presence
          of a  multi-column format on  the screen and  reads you only  the
          text in the  current column.  This method of viewing is extremely

                                          37

          handy  for editing a document  displayed in several  columns.  If
          you  were  viewing  by   screens  while  editing  a  multi-column
          document,  and you pressed Down Arrow, ASAP reads the entire line
          on  the screen.  But, if you  were viewing by columns, ASAP reads
          only the column in which the cursor is positioned.

          Note  that  View by  Columns  works both  interactively  with the
          application  and while you're using the Control Panel or the keys
          on the numeric keypad to review  the screen.  Take, for instance,
          the case of looking at information in  column format.  The output
          from  the DOS  DIR  command works  for  this example.   A  normal
          directory  listing contains  columns for  the file's  name, size,
          date  of  modification,  and the  time  when  the  file was  last
          modified.  If you were interested in only one of these columns of
          information, you  could  use View  by  Columns to  restrict  your
          reading  to just  the column the  reading cursor  is in.   If you
          wanted to hear only the size of each file, you'd move the reading
          cursor to the column containing the file sizes, then use the Next
          Line and Previous Line commands to view the sizes of  the next or
          previous files in the list respectively.   If you had set View by
          Columns, you'll hear  only the size of  each file instead of  the
          whole line.

          Viewing  by windows is similar to viewing by columns, except that
          instead of restricting  the view  to a column,  ASAP attempts  to
          restrict the view  to a window drawn on the  screen.  This should
          probably  be the default method of operation, except for the fact
          that some programs don't position the cursor inside the window of
          interest.    If  your  applications behave  properly,  you'll  be
          interested in using this method of viewing.

          An example of  viewing by  windows is  seen when  using the  List
          program  or the  WordPerfect  5.1 file  list menu.   If  you were
          viewing one of  these areas by screens, and  you pressed the Down
          Arrow, you'd hear more than  one file name.  Viewing  by windows,
          on the  other hand,  restricts the  view to  the contents of  the
          window in which the cursor rests.

          To change your viewing method, use Alt-V.  When you  press Alt-V,
          ASAP says, "View  by" and announces  the current viewing  method.
          To change the  viewing method, just press the first letter of the
          desired method--"S"  for screens,  "C" for columns,  and "W"  for
          windows.

                           Announce Typing as Words: Alt-W

          Normally, ASAP  announces the  characters you  type  as they  are
          typed.  You may alter this behavior in two ways.  By using Alt-W,
          you can make ASAP announce the characters as words.  When you do,
          you won't hear each individual character as it is typed; instead,
          you'll hear the  word you just typed  as soon as you  type a non-
          alphabetic character such as a space or return.

                                          38

          When  you turn  on  announcement by  words,  ASAP turns  off  the
          announcement of  each keystroke, but you may use Alt-K to turn on
          the announcement of each keystroke while still using announcement
          by words if you prefer.  

                          Extended Activity Checking: Alt-X

          Extended Activity  Checking refers  to the  process ASAP  uses to
          provide you extra information about what's on the screen when you
          use the arrow  keys.  It  works by  watching the cursor  activity
          when  a key  is  pressed.   If  no cursor  activity occurs,  ASAP
          examines the  screen and calculates  the attribute or  color that
          occurs with the least frequency and  announces the text appearing
          with that attribute.   This feature is normally enabled,  but you
          can turn it  off with Alt-X.  It is useful  to note that when you
          turn off extra activity checking, ASAP turns into a screen reader
          like the  others on the market--that is  you lose the benefits of
          automatic operation.  It  is also useful to note  that when using
          telecommunications  programs,  it may  sometimes be  necessary to
          turn off extra activity checking.  You can determine the need for
          turning  off  extra  activity  checking  in a  telecommunications
          program if you seem to be losing characters.

          In addition  to normal extended activity  checking, ASAP provides
          super  activity checking.   Super  activity checking  is  used in
          those   programs  that   are  extremely   hostile  to   a  speech
          environment.   The  most  common cause  of  such hostility  is  a
          program's  act of  taking  over the  keyboard.   When  a  program
          completely takes  over the keyboard, the screen reader never gets
          a chance to act on the keys or commands you enter.

          Super activity checking is  turned on by pressing the  letter "S"
          after you press  the Alt-X to select extended  activity checking.
          You  can turn  off super  activity checking  by pressing  "Y" for
          normal  extended activity  checking  (the normal  way you'll  use
          ASAP), or by choosing "N" for no kind of activity checking.

                        Support Computers of Yesteryear: Alt-Y

          ASAP takes advantage of  some of the advanced features  of the AT
          and PS/2 computers from IBM and  their compatibles.  If you  have
          an older  computer that  doesn't support some  of these  advanced
          functions, you can instruct  ASAP to emulate them with  the Alt-Y
          command.   Unfortunately, if your computer  doesn't support these
          features, you won't be able to get into the Control Panel to turn
          this emulation on.  Fortunately, you can specify this information
          when you  first start the program.   To do so,  use the following
          command to start the program.

          asap @yy



                                          39

          If  you used the INSTALL command as recommended, the command line
          option  was already  put into your  "S" command used  to get ASAP
          started.

          It is recommended that you try ASAP without the @yy option first.
          Then, if you find that you can't get into the Control Panel, just
          type  the  asap command  again, this  time  followed by  the @yy.
          (ASAP is smart  enough to realize it is already running and takes
          this as a command to change  parameters which is exactly what you
          want to  do.)  If it  turns out that your  computer requires this
          option, add it to your batch file that gets the program going.

          See also: Setting Options from the Command Line.

                                 Zap a Command: Alt-Z

          The zap command  is used to  send control codes directly  to your
          synthesizer.   It is intended for advanced users and is, in fact,
          a command you'll probably never need to use.

          When you press Alt-Z,  ASAP says, "Enter command and  press Alt-Z
          when through."   At that  point, you may type  any control string
          that directly  controls your synthesizer.   This  is designed  to
          take  advantage of special  modes your synthesizer  may have that
          ASAP doesn't  directly support.   Once  you've typed the  control
          string,  press  Alt-Z  to  actually  send  that  string  to  your
          synthesizer.   Again, this  command is not  for the  novice.  You
          should  possess detailed knowledge  of your synthesizer's control
          code system before using this command.

                                Miscellaneous Settings

                                 Delimit Word: Ctrl-D

          Normally,  when  you  use  ASAP's Next  Word  and  Previous  Word
          commands  to examine the screen, ASAP treats  the space as a word
          delimiter.   That is, ASAP moves  the reading cursor to  the next
          group of characters past a space or  a group of spaces.  By using
          ASAP's  Delimit Word  command,  you can  instruct  ASAP to  treat
          another character  as a word  delimiter.  This  is used in  cases
          where  you  have  a  long  string  of  characters separated  with
          something other than  a space.   There are  often instances,  for
          example, of a string of numbers all separated with commas instead
          of spaces.  ASAP's Delimit Word command lets you tell ASAP to use
          that comma as a word boundary.

          To  set the  character to  treat as  a word  delimiter,  move the
          reading cursor to that  character, then press Ctrl-D.   ASAP then
          asks  if it should  turn on the  Delimit Word  function with that
          character.



                                          40

                                Filter Quoting: Ctrl-F

          If  you are  into  telecommunications and  use  an off-line  mail
          reading program to  keep up with  echo mail such  as is found  on
          Fidonet,  you'll know  the  tendency of  users to  quote messages
          they're  replying to.   While  this quoting  is useful  to remind
          others what your message reguards, it is too often over used.  It
          isn't uncommon, for  instance, to find a message with 15 lines of
          quoted  material with  a single  line response  at the  end.   If
          you've  torn  your  hair  out  over  this  awful  habit,   you'll
          appreciate ASAP's Filter Quoting  feature.  When you turn  Filter
          Quoting  on, all those lines  of quoted material  are not spoken,
          and you  hear only  the response  (or the current  message).   Of
          course, if you're interested in hearing what the quoted lines are
          on  a particular  message, you  can still  use the  normal screen
          review commands to examine any  part of the message.  The  quotes
          are only filtered as the message is read to you the first time.

          Filter Quoting is a setting that  can be saved, so if you use  an
          off-line  mail  reading program,  you'll  probably  want to  make
          Filter Quoting one of the settings for that program.  See "Saving
          Settings" later in this manual for details on that.

                          Temporary Keyboard Silence: Ctrl-K

          Another telecommunications feature  you'll find useful is  ASAP's
          Temporary Keyboard Silence command.   Temporary Keyboard  Silence
          lets  you turn off the  announcing of keystrokes  until you press
          the next  Enter key.   This feature is  most useful when  logging
          onto a  system with  others in the  room and you  need to  type a
          private password.   Pressing keypad 0  followed with Ctrl-K  lets
          you temporarily turn off the speech while you type your password.
          When you press the Enter key, your speech comes back on.  You may
          find   it  useful   to  make   a  user   defined  key   for  your
          telecommunications  program  that  lets  you  use Ctrl-K  without
          hitting  keypad  0  first.   See  "User  Defined  Keys" for  more
          information on defining keys.

                                 The Numeric Commands

          ASAP,  in addition  to the  commands already  discussed, supports
          several commands  that use  numeric adjustments.   These are  all
          used by pressing  the number of interest  (from 1 to 9)  followed
          with a letter to indicate the adjustment desired.   (You must use
          the numbers  at the top of the keyboard, not those on the numeric
          keypad.)  The following paragraphs describe these commands.

                  Setting Pitch, Volume, Speed, and Special Function


          You  may adjust  several  of your  synthesizer's basic  operating
          characteristics by using  the number commands followed with a key

                                          41

          letter.   The key  letters are S  for Speed,  P for Pitch,  V for
          Volume, and F for  Special Function.  Pressing keypad  0 followed
          with 5s, for instance, sets your synthesizer's speed to 5.

          Keep  in  mind  that  all  the  synthesizer  commands are  global
          parameters.  That  means that they maintain their  values between
          applications.   This also means you don't save them with your set
          files.    To start  up your  synthesizer  with a  specific speed,
          volume,  pitch, or special function, add the number and letter to
          the end of the command line.  The following line  shows a typical
          setup for the Accent synthesizer:

          asap accent lpt3 6s4v

          The above  line tells ASAP to  use an Accent synthesizer  in LPT3
          with speed 6 and volume 4.

                              Special Function: 1 to 9 F

          Many  synthesizers  offer  features  that  aren't  found  on  all
          synthesizers.   The  Special  Function setting  lets you  control
          these  special  functions.   As  the  program  is supplied,  ASAP
          supports special  functions for the DoubleTalk  and LiteTalk, the
          Dectalk, and the Artic and  VoTalker.  Check the section  of this
          manual  discussing  your synthesizer  for  information about  the
          Special Function with respect to your system.

          The  DoubleTalk and  LiteTalk's user  function effects  a feature
          called  the "filter" value.   The filter value  adjusts the voice
          quality.   One of the settings, number 9, raises the filter to an
          extremely  high  value that,  when combined  with speed  level 9,
          provides  extremely fast speech with a  sacrifice in the normally
          high quality of this speech.

          The DEC-TALK's user function command  changes the voices.  Recall
          from your  DEC-TALK  manual that  the  synthesizer comes  with  9
          different  voices.   The  user function  can  be used  to  switch
          between these  voices.  One note  of interest is that  one of the
          parameters  used to make these special voices is the pitch value,
          so you may also have to adjust the pitch to maintain the voice of
          interest.

          The  Artic  and  VoTalker's   user  function  command  effects  a
          parameter known as the filter, much like the filter available for
          DoubleTalk and LiteTalk.

                              Pitch Adjustment: 1 to 9 P

          Many synthesizers support the ability to adjust the average pitch
          of the speech.   ASAP lets you adjust your  synthesizer's average
          pitch by pressing a number  from 1 to 9 followed with  the letter
          "P."

                                          42

          ASAP confirms your new pitch setting by saying, in the new pitch,
          "Pitch Set."

          Recall that when  ASAP notifies  you about a  capital letter,  it
          raises the  pitch by 5  notches.  That  means that if  your pitch
          level  is set  to a number  above 5,  the pitch  actually "rolls"
          around  past  the  highest level  and  gives  you  a lower  pitch
          notification.

                              Speed Adjustment: 1 to 9 S

          ASAP lets  you set one of  9 different speeds to  conform to your
          listening  abilities.   As  you become  more experienced,  you'll
          probably use  faster speeds.   At first, though,  you'll probably
          want to use the lower settings.

          When ASAP starts, it uses speed 5.  You may change it by pressing
          a  number from 1 to 9 followed by  the letter "S."  ASAP confirms
          your adjustment by saying "Speed Set" at the new speed.

          Don't  forget that  once  you're a  little  more accustomed  with
          speech synthesis, you'll want to take advantage of ASAP's ability
          to make the speech start at any speed, volume, or pitch you wish.
          If you  want to start ASAP with speed 8, for example, just change
          the  command  that starts  ASAP from  "asap"  to "asap  8s".   Of
          course,  you'll probably  want to  do this  in your  autoexec.bat
          file.   Get complete details about this capability in the section
          called "Setting Options from the Command Line."

                             Volume Adjustment: 1 to 9 V

          ASAP supports 9 volume  levels.  The program starts out  with the
          volume set at  level 5,  but you  may change  it at  any time  or
          instruct  the program  to start  with a  different  volume level.
          Just press a number from 1 to 9 followed by the letter "V."  ASAP
          responds with a  message saying  "Volume Set" at  the new  volume
          level.

                                       Windows

          ASAP supports the use of windows to help monitor screen activity.
          Windows let you restrict the amount of information on complicated
          screens so you focus on the areas you are interested in.

          Window commands are  preceded with  the window number.   To  work
          with window 1,  for instance, press  1.  At  that point, you  can
          either set that as  the primary window, announce the  contents of
          the  window without  changing  the current  setting,  or set  new
          definitions for the window.   Before you can announce or zoom  in
          on  a window,  though, you  need to  define it.   See  more about
          window  definitions in  "Setting the  Top Left  of a  Window" and
          "Setting the Bottom Right of a Window" later in this section.

                                          43

          When you define windows, it doesn't matter what order you use  to
          set the top left edge or the bottom right  edge.  It doesn't even
          matter  if you follow one definition with  the other.  Before you
          can properly  use the window, though,  you must have set  the top
          left and bottom right edges of the window.

                     Setting the Top Left of a Window: [window] T

          You use the Set Top  Left and Set Bottom Right commands to set up
          the edges of a window.  

          Since windows must be defined before use, you'll want to use  the
          commands to  tell ASAP what part of the screen it should consider
          as a window.

          To define a window, move your reading position to the top left of
          the prospective window.   You don't necessarily need to  know the
          exact  position of  the top  left by its  row and  column number,
          you'll often  use the reading cursor  to move to the  top left of
          the prospective window by  the text without even knowing  exactly
          what row and column you're on.

          After you get the reading cursor to the top left  edge of the new
          window, decide  which window  number to  use.  You  may choose  a
          number between 1 and 9.  When you decide, press that number, then
          press the letter "T".   Pressing the window number  followed with
          "T," tells ASAP to use  the reading cursor's position as the  top
          left edge of that window.  ASAP responds with  "top left was A 1,
          Set to C  5?"  This example assumes you  moved the reading cursor
          up to  row 3 (the  "C"), column 5.)   Notice that ASAP  tells you
          what the  top left was previously  set to, so you  can cancel the
          setting if the old setting is something you want to keep.  If the
          new setting  is agreeable, press  "Y" or Enter to  accept the new
          setting.  Otherwise, press Escape to cancel the action.

                  Defining the Bottom Right of a Window: [window] B

          Having already defined the top left corner of the window, move to
          the place  you want to define  as the bottom right  corner of the
          window,  press  the  window  number  again,  and  press  "B"  for
          "bottom."  Again, ASAP confirms your action by announcing "Bottom
          right Was Y 80,  Set to X 50?"  Again, you can press "Y" or Enter
          to accept the new  setting, or press Escape to cancel  the action
          and maintain the previous value.

          Note that you don't necessarily have to define the top and bottom
          of the window in that order.  






                                          44

                          Zooming in on a Window: [window] Z

          Once you've defined windows for a particular application, use the
          "Z" key to zoom in on and make the window active.  You zoom in on
          a window by  pressing the  window number followed  by the  letter
          "z".   To make the window named 1 active, you'd enter the Control
          Panel (or use 0 on  the keypad), press "1" then press  "z".  ASAP
          responds by announcing  the text on the line you  were last on in
          that  window.   If  this  is  the first  time  you zoom  in  on a
          particular  window,  the top  line  of that  window  is announced
          instead.  

          When  you zoom in on a window,  your attention is focused on that
          section of  the screen.  You  may still use the  Control Panel to
          see any other part of the screen, but all monitoring and activity
          checking is confined to the active window.

          When you zoom back in on a previously used window, ASAP puts your
          reading position in  the exact spot in  that window where  it was
          when you first left the window.   In other words, if your reading
          position were at line 5, column 3 in window 1, and you zoomed  in
          on window 2, then returned to window 1, your  reading position is
          returned to row 5, column 3.

               Closing a Window and Returning to a Full Screen View: 0

          While the numbers 1 through  9 prepare you to work with  a window
          with the  number you type, the number  0 closes any active window
          and  returns you to a  full screen view.  When  you press 0, ASAP
          says,  "Full  Screen" and  makes  the  entire screen  the  active
          window.  Note that even though you close a window,  you may still
          zoom in on  it later,  announce the  contents of  the window,  or
          perform  any of  the other  window-related  commands.   Closing a
          window  doesn't effect  its  definition, it  merely changes  your
          focus to the full screen.

          Don't confuse  the 0  used for  resetting your  view to  the full
          screen with the 0 (on  the numeric keypad) used for the  one-shot
          Control Panel commands.  Remember, the numbers at the top of your
          keyboard are used  for window-related  activities, and  resetting
          your view to the full screen is a window-related action.

                      Announcing a Window's Contents: [window] A

          It is possible to announce a window's  contents without selecting
          the window.  To do so, press the window number  of interest, then
          press "A"  for "announce".   The  announce has  no effect on  the
          currently active window nor does  it effect the reading position.
          It simply announces the contents of one of the other windows.




                                          45

                                 Memorize: [window] M

          There  are a lot of  times when you'll see a  phone number on the
          screen that you'd like to jot down.  ASAP lets  you memorize nine
          different little  pieces of information  for recall later.   ASAP
          stores the  information  in  "Memory  Banks."    There  are  nine
          different  memory banks you may use to store bits of information,
          and each memory bank holds 16 characters of text.

          To memorize  information, set a window corresponding  to the text
          to memorize.   Use the window number of the  memory bank you want
          to store the information in.

          Once  you set the window  for the information  to memorize, press
          the  memory bank number that  corresponds to the  window and then
          press "M".  ASAP responds  by announcing the text in that  window
          as it memorizes it.

          See also, Set Top Left; Set Bottom Right; Recall

                               Recall: [memory bank] R

          Once  you've memorized a little jot  of information, ASAP remains
          ready to  recall the information when  you ask for it.   It types
          out the  information just  as  if you  had typed  it  out on  the
          keyboard.   You won't want  to use  the recall command,  in fact,
          unless  the  application  you're  using  is  ready to  take  such
          information.  You wouldn't  want, for example, to use  the recall
          command while in the  help screen of some program.   Instead, use
          it either in  an editor when you're ready for that specific piece
          of information or when some program asks for the information.

          To recall the information, follow these easy steps:

          1.   Press "0"  on the  keypad.   Remember, this  lets you use  a
          Control  Panel command  without actually  going into  the Control
          Panel.  the  recall command, in fact, cannot be  used from within
          the Control  Panel.  If  you were in  the Control Panel  when you
          issued the recall command, the  Control Panel would interpret all
          the characters from the memory bank as if they were Control Panel
          commands, and this is not what you want.

          2.   Press  the number of  the memory  bank where  you stored the
          information.

          3.  Press the letter "R".

          See also Memorize.





                                          46

                         Using a Software Cursor: [window] U

          Sometimes, an application uses  two cursors.  One of them to edit
          and  the  other  to  provide  additional  information  about  the
          material to  edit.  Often, the  second cursor is not  a cursor in
          the real  sense of the word, but  instead, the position is marked
          by displaying some special  attribute on the text of  interest or
          by displaying some special character that marks the pseudo cursor
          position.   WordPerfect is an example of an application that uses
          this technique in  the "reveal codes"  mode.   In this mode,  the
          screen is split into two sections.   The upper part of the screen
          appears normally and uses  the real cursor.  The  bottom section,
          however, shows the text  with the hidden formatting codes.   Word
          Perfect  uses a software cursor to  indicate the editing position
          in  this window.   If  you have  a color  monitor, the  cursor is
          shown, for example, as a character with a red background.

          Note: if an application  uses only a software cursor  and not the
          real  cursor,  ASAP   is  smart  enough   to  realize  this   and
          automatically  switches to  software  cursor  tracking  for  that
          application.  The only time you need  to manually specify the use
          of software cursor  tracking is  when the  application uses  both
          cursor techniques and you prefer focusing on the software cursor.

          ASAP lets you use the software cursor as your editing cursor.  To
          use a software cursor, you must follow these steps.

           1.  Define a window  to use as  the section of  the screen  that
               contains the  software cursor.   If the software  cursor can
               appear anywhere on the screen, define a window as the entire
               screen.   (Restricting software cursor tracking  to a window
               is necessary in case the application uses the same attribute
               to  display other kinds  of information other  places on the
               screen.)  

           2.  Move to the character that  represents the attribute of  the
               software  cursor.  In other words, if the software cursor is
               represented  by  a  letter displayed  in  red  with  a white
               background,  move  to that  character.    Similarly, if  the
               software cursor is represented by a specific character, move
               to that character with the reading cursor.

           3.  Press the window number you set up in step 1 followed by the
               letter "U."

          When  you complete step 3,  ASAP announces the  attributes of the
          cursor you've selected  and offers to turn it on.   It might say,
          "white  on red.  Use  cursor color = no."   If the information is
          correct, press  "Y" for "Yes."   If, on the other  hand, you want
          ASAP to consider an ASCII character as the cursor, press  "A" for
          "ASCII."


                                          47

          In addition to turning the cursor color on, ASAP lets you turn it
          off and  to use a  previously set  color.   If you come  up on  a
          situation  where the cursor can  be one of  two different colors,
          use a  second window with the  same boundaries as the  first, and
          identify  the secondary color in  the second window.   ASAP looks
          for software cursors in  all the windows you've specified  in the
          order from lowest to highest.

          If you've  already set up  a cursor  color for a  section of  the
          screen  and later  turned  it off,  use  the "P"  (for  previous)
          command to use the previously selected colors.  This prevents you
          from actually moving your reading cursor to the color of interest
          before turning on the software  cursor again.  If using  an ASCII
          cursor, you must move  the reading cursor back to  that character
          to turn it back on after turning it off.

                                Quiet Zone: [window] Q

          Sometimes,  an  application's screen  displays  material  that is
          annoying or  that you just  don't want to  hear.  There  are also
          times, when reading some  kinds of lists, for instance,  when you
          don't want to hear the  material in the middle of the line.  ASAP
          lets you  define  a Quiet  Zone  to mask  out  any material  that
          appears in that zone.

          To set a Quiet Zone, first define a window to bound the potential
          zone.   If, for  example, there were  a clock at  the upper right
          corner of the screen, you might set the top left edge of window 8
          for A 50 and the bottom right edge of window 8 for A 80.   Window
          8 was  used in this example,  but you can use  any window number.
          You'll use whatever window  number you choose when it  comes time
          to turn on the quiet zone.

          Once  you define  a window  to use  as a  Quiet Zone,  press that
          window number followed by the letter "Q."  When you do, ASAP says
          something like the following:

          Quiet Zone was A 1, A 1.

          Set to A 50, A 80?

          Quiet Zone = No

          This message shows you what the Quiet Zone was  previously set to
          and what you are  about to change it to.  If you agree to set the
          Quiet Zone to A 50, A 80, press the letter "Y" for "Yes."  If you
          see that this isn't really what  you want to do, press Escape; no
          action is taken.   You may also  turn off a  Quiet Zone that  was
          previously on by pressing "N" for "No."

          Quiet Zones get  saved with your set  files, so you can  set up a
          program once and forget about it.

                                          48

                              Monitoring Screen Activity

          While ASAP  performs admirably at  anticipating what you  want to
          hear  with  screen  activity,   it  can't  cover  every  possible
          situation.  For those rare  exceptions, there is a wide range  of
          powerful  tools to help customize the information you get from an
          application.   Probably  the most  useful of  these tools  is the
          Window Monitor; often it makes a  program talk more than it  does
          naturally  by  laxining  ASAP's  descrimination  about  what gets
          spoken. The  following paragraphs describe some  of ASAP's screen
          monitoring functions.  

                      Monitor Character and Read Line: 1 to 9 L

          ASAP lets you monitor up to 9 different characters on the screen.
          When the character  at the monitored position changes, ASAP reads
          the  entire line  where  that character  is  located.   (See  the
          following sections for other types of monitoring functions.)

          To set  up a  monitor for  line reading, get  your cursor  to the
          position on the screen  to monitor and press the number  you wish
          to assign to the monitored character.  Numbers, again, range from
          1 to 9.   Next, press "L" for "line."  ASAP lets you confirm your
          selection  or  cancel the  command  if  you  pressed the  command
          sequence  by mistake.    You may  also  turn off  previously  set
          monitored  positions  by  pressing  the number  assigned  to  the
          monitor, pressing "L", and then telling the program "no".

                Monitoring Characters and Announcing Windows: 1 to 9 C

          In  addition to monitoring characters  to hear the  line that the
          character  appears  on, you  can have  ASAP  announce one  of the
          windows when the monitored character changes.

          To turn on monitoring with windows announced, move your cursor to
          the  position on the screen  where you are  interested, then type
          the  number  of  the  window  to   read.    Next,  type  "C"  for
          "character."  Again, you may,  at this point, either turn on  the
          monitoring,  cancel the  action,  or turn  off  a previously  set
          monitor.

                         Monitoring Entire Windows: 1 to 9 W

          In addition to  monitoring characters to hear  lines and windows,
          ASAP lets  you monitor an entire window.  When a character in the
          window  changes, ASAP announces the line within the window of the
          character that changed.

          To turn on monitoring of windows, press the  number of the window
          to monitor followed with the letter "W" for "window."   As usual,
          ASAP  announces the  current status  of that  window's monitoring


                                          49

          (either "yes" or "no") and lets you change the status by  turning
          it on with the "Y" key or turning it off with the "N" key.

                           Extended Monitoring: [window] E

          Sometimes, you want to watch a section of the screen yet announce
          another  part  of the  screen  when  the  section  being  watched
          changes.  You can do that  with extended monitoring.  Here's  how
          it works:

          First, set  up the window to  monitor in the usual  way.  Second,
          define a second  window that will be the  window to announce when
          the first window changes.  Finally, press the number of the first
          window (the one  to watch)  followed with the  letter "E."   ASAP
          tells you  what is  the current  extended window  (the one  to be
          announced when the first  window changes) and tells you  to press
          another  number  to indicate  the window  to  announce.   If, for
          example, you chose  to monitor  window 1 and  announce window  2,
          you'd  press 1e.  ASAP  announces, "Nothing is  announced.  Enter
          the window to  announce or  0 to turn  it off."   You would  then
          press "2" to  announce the  contents of  window 2  when window  1
          changes.

                              Extra Action: [setting] x

          ASAP lets  you watch  a part  of the screen  for an  exact match.
          When the match comes  up on the screen, ASAP  automatically loads
          up a whole  new batch of  settings. Anything you  can set in  the
          Control Panel  is fair  game for  this  feature.   Here's how  it
          works:

          Get the text  you're interested in up on the  screen.  Next, move
          the  reading cursor to that text.   Pick a number from  1 to 9 to
          use as  the set file that  gets loaded when the  text is matched,
          then  press the number you  picked followed with  the letter "X."
          It  doesn't matter, incidentally, that  you don't yet  have a set
          file for  the number you  chose--in fact,  most of the  time, you
          won't have the  set file  when you define  what triggers  loading
          that  set file.  You'll  make the necessary  adjustments once the
          set file tries to load.

          When  you press the number  followed with "X,"  ASAP says, "Extra
          Action" and the current  setting--either "color," "set," or "no."
          To trigger the loading of a new set file with a match of just the
          text,  press "S."   You can also  further restrict the  action by
          specifying  that you  require a match  of both the  color and the
          text by using  "C."  Use "N" to turn off  a previously set action
          window.

          When you press either "S" or  "C," ASAP records the text (and the
          attributes  if "C"  is  used).   When  that text  appears  on the
          screen, ASAP loads up a new set file.  The file that  gets loaded

                                          50

          corresponds to the number you used to identify the action window.
          Since that text already appears  on the screen, the new  set file
          gets loaded  up immediately--but  not before  ASAP saves  off the
          previously  used  settings file.   Take  a  look at  the supplied
          WordPerfect settings files for an example of how this works.  The
          documentation to these  settings is contained in the  file called
          WP.TXT  in your ASAP directory.  While those settings are already
          created,  you might want to follow the discussion below for hints
          and tips for creating set files for other applications.

          When you first start  WordPerfect, ASAP automatically loads up  a
          settings  file  called WP.SET  from  the  ASAP directory.    This
          particular settings file  doesn't do  much except  for watch  for
          certain key words that identify WordPerfect screens or modes that
          don't  normally work particularly well with speech.  One of these
          key words  is "Reveal" which appears  at position Y 7.   When you
          press Alt-F3  to bring  up the  Reveal Codes  screen, WordPerfect
          splits  the screen into  two parts.   The top half  of the screen
          contains normal text and a normal cursor.  The bottom part of the
          screen,  on the  other  hand, contains  text  with codes  in  it.
          What's more, the cursor used to mark  the place you're editing in
          the bottom part of the screen is identified by  a color different
          from the  rest of that  part of the  screen.  Normally,  ASAP can
          handle the use of this kind of cursor (called a software cursor).
          Unfortunately, when  there  are  both types  of  cursors  on  the
          screen, ASAP  wants to use  the more traditional,  system cursor.
          It is in cases like this that ASAP's  software cursor facility is
          used.  Follow these steps to setup ASAP to handle this situation.

          First, press Alt-F3  to bring up the Reveal Codes screen.  Notice
          that the word "Reveal" appears at line Y column 7.

          Use the reading  cursor movement commands (on the  numeric keypad
          to move your reading cursor to that position.

          Next, decide on which set  file to use when this word  appears on
          the screen as it is now.  For the  sake of this example, use 1 as
          the set file to load.

          Having selected 1 as the desired set file to load, press keypad 0
          followed with 1 (at the top  of the keyboard).  As with  the rest
          of the numeric  functions, ASAP responds, "Option" and  waits for
          you to tell it what to do next.

          Press "X"  to tell ASAP to  use the Extra Action  function.  When
          you press the "X," ASAP  says, "Extra Action=No."  It  says, "No"
          because there's no extra  action currently defined.  That's  what
          you're about to do now.

          To set the  extra action window, press "S" (for  "Set."  When you
          press  "S," ASAP records the cursor position and the text then it
          saves  the set  file currently in  use.   This is  WP.SET in this

                                          51

          case.  You'll hear ASAP announce its actions as they occur.  ASAP
          says, "Set Reveal at Y 7" while it records, then it says, "Saving
          WP.SET"  as it saves the current settings.   Next, since the text
          appears  on the  screen now, ASAP  loads up  a new  set file that
          corresponds to  the number you  indicated with the  action window
          number.
            In other words, if you used 1 X to identify  the action window,
          ASAP  loads the  file WP.001  into its  settings.  Of  course, if
          WP.001 doesn't yet exist,  it inherits the settings passed  to it
          from the settings in  use when the trigger happens.   You'll hear
          ASAP say, "Loading WP.001" as it loads up the new settings.

          Now that  WP.001 is in use, it is time  to define the window that
          contains the software cursor.  Notice that the window goes from N
          1 to X 80.  Use the Set Top Left and Set Bottom Right commands to
          set up this area of the screen.  In the set files supplied on the
          disk, window 1 was used, but you can select any window.

          After setting the window, move the reading cursor to the software
          cursor.    If you're  at the  top of  the file,  this will  be at
          position N  1.  When you  get the reading cursor  to the software
          cursor,  press 1  U to tell  ASAP to  use the  software cursor in
          window  1 at the reading cursor.   When you press  1 U, ASAP says
          the color of the character  at the reading cursor and  adds, "Use
          Software  Cursor=No."  Press "Y" to tell  ASAP to use that as the
          software cursor.   If you like, press Ctrl-S to  save the current
          settings now.    If you're  using  a monochrome  screen,  though,
          you've got another step to perform.  The reason you  have another
          step to  perform is that in monochrome mode, WordPerfect displays
          the codes that the cursor  rests on with yet another color.   The
          solution here is to set up a second window with  exactly the same
          boundaries as the first,  move the cursor and the  reading cursor
          to a code, then tell  ASAP to use that color as  another software
          cursor if the first  one wasn't found.   This happens because  if
          ASAP  doesn't find  the specified  software cursor  in the  first
          window, it looks  through any  other windows you've  set up  with
          software cursors  until it finds  one.   If it finds  no software
          cursors at all, it uses the system cursor.

          Once you've set  up window 2  and told ASAP  to use the  software
          cursor  that corresponds  to the  attribute WordPerfect  uses for
          displaying codes with the cursor on them, press another Ctrl-S to
          save this set file again.

          Finally,  you're ready to tell  ASAP how to  recover the original
          settings.  This happens  when you press another Alt-F3  to return
          to the normal editing screen.   Go ahead and press Alt-F3 now and
          get the regular editing screen back.

          Notice that the  word "Pos" appears at position y  70.  Move your
          reading cursor  to that position  and press  9 X S.   The  action
          window 9 is used for a special purpose.  It tells ASAP  to reload

                                          52

          the original set file when a match happens on that action window.
          When you press 9 X S, ASAP  announces "Pos Set at Y 70" while  it
          records the information.  Next,  ASAP says, "Saving WP.001" while
          it saves  the old settings file  that was just in  use.  Finally,
          since the action text appears in the action window, ASAP loads up
          the new set  file again.   It announces, "Loading  WP.SET" as  it
          does.

          Notice that ASAP announces the fact that it is saving and loading
          set files while  you're defining  them.  You'll  usually want  to
          know  this  while  you're creating  new  settings.    When you've
          perfected  your  work,  though,  you'll want  to  shut  off  this
          announcement.    Actually,  the next  time  you  run ASAP,  those
          announcements  won't happen unless you  want them.   But, you can
          turn them  off, too, if you like.  To turn off the announcements,
          press  1  X Q  (for  Quiet.)   Note  that you  can  also turn  on
          monitoring saving and loading by pressing 1 X M (for Monitor.)

          Hint: when you first create a  set of files like those  described
          here, it is  a good  idea to  go ahead  and set  up trigger  text
          number 9 right off.  That way, when the new setting files inherit
          the characteristics of the original, they'll  already be setup to
          recover  the original  settings.   If  you  do this,  though,  be
          careful to save  your new  creations before switching  back to  a
          screen that contains the action text.

          This all sounds rather complicated, and it is.  Fortunately, ASAP
          works fine for many  programs without any settings files  at all.
          Take rest in the fact that you can use these techniques to set up
          an environment to your exact taste, save it once, and use it from
          now on.

                                 More about Set Files

          Once  you've  created  a  masterpiece  set  file,  you  might  be
          interested  in sharing  it with  other ASAP  users.   They'd sure
          appreciate it, and you'd probably love to get some creations from
          other ASAP users.

          When you create a group of set files for an application, take the
          time to document your work.   A good way to do this is to include
          a text file explaining how the  set files work, what program they
          work with, and what  versions of the program they've  been tested
          with.   By convention, you should  give this a name that includes
          the set file's name with an extension of ".TXT".

          Take a look  at the file called WP.TXT for an  example of how you
          might document your work.

          Also please take  the time to  configure your set  files to  work
          with  both monochrome and color  displays if necessary.   Look at
          the next section for details on this procedure.

                                          53

                         Switching from Color to Mono: Ctrl-T

          ASAP's set  files work with  both monochrome and  color displays.
          It takes some effort on your part, though, to insure this.

          The Ctrl-T command is used to toggle what ASAP considers  as your
          screen display for the purpose of setting up a monochrome setting
          if you have a color display or setting up a color setting if  you
          have a monochrome display.

          In addition to switching  ASAP's identity, you have to  tell your
          applications  program  to switch  to  another  mode, too.    Most
          applications provide this capability,  but you'll have to consult
          that  program's   documentation  for  specifics  on   how  it  is
          accomplished.  In WordPerfect, for instance, you can start up the
          application  in monochrome mode by  adding "/mono" to the command
          line along with the "WP".

          Please indicate  if you weren't able to  create the configuration
          that you don't have when documenting your set files.

          If  you'd like to share your set  files, feel free to upload them
          to the MicroTalk BBS.  Use an archiving program like PKZIP.EXE to
          pack all the files into one file for downloading.

          If  you don't  have  a  modem  or  you're  just  unfamiliar  with
          telecommunications,  mail them to  MicroTalk.  The  staff will be
          glad to place them on the board for you.

                            Setting Granularity: 1 to 9 G

          You'll notice that some programs, especially those with extremely
          complex  screen displays,  seem like  they give  more information
          than  is necessary.  You  can restrict the  amount of information
          provided by adjusting the granularity.

          Granularity  refers to  the amount of  activity ASAP  informs you
          about.   Normally,  ASAP lets  you know  about every  change that
          occurs on the screen.  This can result in problems, for instance,
          with  a program that announces both the  item you move to and the
          item you leave when using the arrow keys to select a menu option.
          This happens because ASAP  informs you about what changes  on the
          screen.  Sometimes,  that change is merely  the change as a  menu
          selection goes  back to its  normal state.  If  this happens, try
          increasing the granularity  by 1  at a time  until the  duplicate
          announcements cease.

          When ASAP  starts, the granularity level is set to 1.  The higher
          you make the number, the less speech you'll hear.

          Note: there are some programs that use DOS output to print menus.
          Changing  the granularity may not affect such programs.  You can,

                                          54

          however, turn off ASAP's DOS output (with Alt-D) and improve this
          situation.  

                          Dialing with a Modem: [com port] D

          ASAP  supports the use  of a modem  to dial phone  numbers on the
          screen.  To dial a number, move your cursor to the first digit of
          the  number, then  press the  number of  the com port  where your
          modem is connected followed by the letter "D" (for "dial.")

          When you  use the dial  command, ASAP dials the  number and tells
          you to  press the space bar  to release the line  from the modem.
          You should  pick up the phone's handset, then press the space bar
          to make the modem hang up.

                                Redial Last Number: 9D

          Since  there is  no com port  9, ASAP  uses the command  9d for a
          special purpose--it  redials the last number you  dialed with the
          [com port]  D command.   Once  the number  is dialed,  the redial
          command behaves exactly like the  dial command--that is, it tells
          you to pick up the phone and press space to release the line from
          the modem.

          You'll  find the  Redial command  useful when  you dial  a number
          that's busy.   With the Redial command, you can  remove the phone
          number  from the screen  and get back to  work on something else.
          When you get ready to redial the number, just press  9d from that
          application.   (You don't have  to have the  phone number on  the
          screen to redial it.)

                        Printer Interception: [printer port] I

          ASAP lets you intercept the text that normally goes to a parallel
          printer port.  This is  often useful for programs that  insist on
          being  difficult about  getting  speech access  in an  acceptable
          manner.  If the  program you are  trying to use  offers a way  to
          print  the progress  of  the program,  you  can turn  on  printer
          interception,  and   tell  the  program   to  print.     If  your
          telecommunications software doesn't offer a way  to send its text
          through BIOS,  you'll want to  use printer interception  and then
          instruct the software to  print what is received over  the modem.
          The printer interception  feature respects the state of noisy DOS
          output,  so, even though the text isn't really going through DOS,
          you  can still benefit from the clicking with each character that
          goes to  the printer (or the  speech in this case).   Recall that
          noisy DOS  output provides a convenient means of monitoring modem
          activity.

          Turn  on printer interception from the  Control Panel by pressing
          the  number of  the printer  port followed  with the  letter "I".
          ASAP shows  you the  current status  of printer interception  for

                                          55

          that port and allows  you to alter it.   As with all such  status
          messages,   ASAP  shows   you  the   current  state   of  printer
          interception for that port  and lets you change  it with "y"  for
          "yes"  or "n"  for "no."   Any  other key  cancels the  operation
          without effecting the status indicated.

                               Saving Settings: CTRL-S

          While  extensive  changes  to  ASAP's  operating  environment are
          rarely necessary, they are possible.  More often, though,  you'll
          make very minor changes to a program's operating characteristics.
          The Telix telecommunications program,  for instance, is used with
          DOS  output  set  to  noisy.   This  gives  a  clicking sound  as
          characters  come in.    Another example  is  when using  the  DOS
          command line.  Most users prefer  to leave the punctuation set to
          "off."  There may be an editor, though, that you  always use with
          punctuation set to "on."

          Once you've set up the way ASAP operates with a specific program,
          use CTRL-S to save those settings.   (Don't forget to precede the
          Ctrl-S with keypad 0 if you're not already in the Control Panel.)
          The next time you  use that program, ASAP automatically  uses the
          settings you  just saved.   You can  also save  the settings  you
          prefer  for general  use from  the DOS  command  line or  a shell
          program to make ASAP  revert back to those settings  whenever you
          return to the command line or to the shell program.

          When you use a program that you haven't saved settings  for, ASAP
          maintains the settings in effect when you start that program.

          ASAP  saves  its settings  in the  directory where  ASAP resides.
          Usually,  this is  C:\ASAP, but  it doesn't  really matter.   The
          settings are  saved in a file whose name is derived from the name
          of  the program  in use  when you  save the  settings.   The name
          consists  of the  program's name  followed with  an extension  of
          "SET".  If, for example, you saved the settings while you were in
          a program  called TESTER, the settings  would be saved in  a file
          called TESTER.SET in the ASAP directory.  ASAP  lets you know the
          name  of the  settings file,  because when  you press  CTRL-S, it
          says, "Saving TESTER.SET."   Once  the file is  safely placed  on
          disk, ASAP says, "Done."   If something happens where  ASAP can't
          save the settings,  it lets  you know with  the message,  "Error"
          instead of "Done."

          When you start up  the TESTER program, ASAP grabs  those settings
          from TESTER.SET and leaves your operating environment just as you
          prefer it.  If you save the settings from the primary shell, ASAP
          puts your preferences  in a file called ASAP.SET.   (The shell is
          what's responsible  for  launching your  other programs--this  is
          usually COMMAND.COM, but there are alternatives.)  Each  time you
          return to the shell, those settings are  used.  It is a good idea
          to keep  the ASAP.SET  file--this gives you  "standard" operating

                                          56

          settings that  will probably  work with most  other applications.
          If you do need to make adjustments to an application, the primary
          settings are revived  when you  return to the  shell.  You  might
          also want to copy ASAP.SET to COMMAND.SET.  That way,  if you use
          a  program's "shell"  command  to get  into the  DOS environment,
          you'll get the settings you prefer for DOS automatically.

          There  are times you'll want to save settings from an application
          even when  you  don't really  need  to in  normal  circumstances.
          Think, for example, of  using the "Edit" command from TELIX.   As
          you'll recall from the TELIX documentation, pressing Alt-A starts
          up your  editor.  If you  saved settings for TELIX  and you don't
          have settings saved for  your editor program, the  TELIX settings
          get passed onto the  editor.  This isn't  necessarily bad, it  is
          just that you can have the settings exactly like you like them no
          matter how the application was started, and there's no reason not
          to do so.

          You  may wish to save settings for  little things.  If you prefer
          to use the  DOSSHELL or the command line with  no punctuation and
          you like your favorite  editor to be used with  most punctuation,
          go ahead and save those settings--it's quick and easy.

          Be  aware that ASAP  sometimes waits before  saving your settings
          until  DOS tells ASAP that it is safe  to do so.  If ASAP doesn't
          say, "Saving," when you press  CTRL-S, don't worry, your settings
          will get saved at the first safe opportunity.

          There  are some programs that  start and end  so quickly that you
          might  not have  the chance  to save  settings.   The PKUNZIP.EXE
          program, for instance, usually won't wait  around for a keystroke
          from you to save the settings.  You can make adjustments like you
          want for  PKUNZIP.EXE  from the  DOS  command prompt,  and  those
          settings are inherited  when you start PKUNZIP, but unless you're
          fast on  the keyboard,  it is  tough to get  them saved  for that
          program and others like it  that don't wait for user input.   One
          way to save settings for such programs is to make the adjustments
          from  the DOS command  line, then  save the  settings there.   As
          usual,  you'll hear ASAP say,  "Saving ASAP Settings."   Once the
          settings are  saved, use the  DOS copy command  to copy the  file
          ASAP.SET to PKUNZIP.SET.  That way, when you start PKUNZIP, those
          settings will get used.   If you do that, don't forget  to return
          your ASAP settings back to the way you normally want them to be.

          There  are some  settings that  ASAP doesn't  save.   In general,
          these  are  settings  that  are usually  associated  with  global
          operations.   In other words, they are  the kind of settings that
          you like no matter what program  you're using.  The settings ASAP
          does not save are as follows:

          Pitch,  Speed,  User  Function,  Volume,  Keystroke  echoing, and
          memories.  ASAP does not save the setting that defines a computer

                                          57

          of yesteryear (Alt-Y) nor  does it save the quite  mode (Alt-Q)..
          By  taking  this  approach, ASAP  lets  you  share  your favorite
          settings  with other  ASAP  users without  effecting that  user's
          global preferences.  Likewise, you can enjoy the benefit of other
          people's  settings  without  having  to  fool  around  with  your
          globally preferred settings.

          To start ASAP with your preferred speech settings or other global
          settings, specify the options on the command line as discussed in
          the next section.

          The  MicroTalk  BBS  offers  settings  that  various  users  have
          designed for several  applications.   You may  download these  by
          contacting the MicroTalk BBS.

                Starting ASAP with a Different Speed, Pitch, or Volume

          While  you can't save settings like pitch, speed, and volume with
          the save settings  command, you  can still start  ASAP with  your
          favorite  speech settings.   This  is accomplished  by specifying
          those settings right on the command line.

          The  options you  type on  the  command line  are the  exact same
          commands you use  from the  Control Panel.   You don't,  however,
          have to precede commands with the one-shot Control Panel command.
          ASAP assumes that if you're adding options from the command line,
          they'll be accepted as is.

          Notice  that you  can't  put an  Alt  on the  command  line.   To
          represent  Alt on  the command  line, use  the at  sign (@).   To
          represent Alt-K, use "@K".  Don't forget the "Y" or "N" after the
          @K option.  You'll want to use some of these command line options
          to specify global settings  that don't get saved with  the normal
          settings that vary from application to application.

          If you used the install program (as recommended), there's a small
          batch program on your hard disk called S.BAT.  You  start up ASAP
          by typing "S" at the DOS command  prompt.  You can edit the S.BAT
          file to  add settings that take effect when you start ASAP or you
          can add them when you type the "S" command.  If you want the same
          settings all the time, it is best to edit  the S.BAT file, but if
          you just  want to change a setting once in a while, you're better
          off adding the commands to the "S" command when you type it.  You
          can start up with speed 9, for instance, with the command "s 9s".

          In addition  to editing the batch  file or adding  the options to
          the command line, you may use  the INSTALL program to do this for
          you.   If, however, you've already installed ASAP, you'll have to
          delete it from  the hard  disk before using  the INSTALL  program
          again.   If you  don't, INSTALL  thinks you want  to update  to a
          newer version instead of doing a new install.


                                          58

          Here's  how  to use  the INSTALL  program  to add  special speech
          settings  to ASAP  so it uses  those settings every  time you use
          your computer.  Even  if you specify global speech  settings with
          the install command,  you can still  override them by  specifying
          them  on the  command line.   You  can also,  of course,  use the
          Control Panel to change settings at any time.

          1.  Delete  ASAP from your hard disk.  You  can do this by typing
          del c:\asap\*.*.  When you  do that, DOS asks if you're  sure you
          want to delete all the files in the ASAP directory.  Tell DOS yes
          by typing "Y" and pressing the Enter key.

          2.   Use the  INSTALL  command just  as you  did  when you  first
          installed ASAP  except that instead  of pressing Enter  after the
          "Y" or "N" for computers  of the XT class  or older, add a  space
          and  the commands  you  want to  use  for your  speech  settings.
          Remember,  those  commands are  the same  keys  you'd use  in the
          Control  Panel to adjust the  speech.  Look,  for example, at the
          command below for  an example of installing  ASAP for use  with a
          LiteTalk synthesizer in  com1 on  a newer computer  with a  speed
          selection of 7 and a volume setting of 4.

          ASAP LT COM1 N 7S4V

          If you don't want  to go through the installation  process again,
          it is  a simple matter to edit the S.BAT  file to add your speech
          preferences to the end of the line that gets ASAP started.

                                     The Lexicon

          ASAP supports the use of a lexicon to correct pronunciations that
          your synthesizer fouls  up.  The  lexicon is  a plain ASCII  text
          file  called asap.lex that gets loaded when you first start ASAP.
          The  lexicon  file gets  loaded  from the  current  directory, so
          you'll want  to either keep it  in the root directory  or set the
          current  directory to the  directory that contains  ASAP when you
          first start  it.  The lexicon contains a list of words, each on a
          separate line, that are  considered exceptions.  Anytime ASAP  is
          about to say a word, it first checks its lexicon to see if you've
          made an exception for that word.

          As mentioned,  the lexicon is a plain ASCII text file with a word
          entry on each  line.  The  words must  be in alphabetical  order.
          This keeps the time for ASAP to find a word to a bare minimum.

          You  modify the  lexicon  by using  an  editing program  to  add,
          modify, or delete words from the list.

          Each  entry in the  lexicon contains the  word to  find (in lower
          case  letters,)   an  optional  root  word   indicator  (the  "*"
          character,)  a  space  to  separate  the  word  from  its  proper


                                          59

          pronunciation, and a  phonetic spelling  of the word  to make  it
          sound like you want.

          A typical entry in the lexicon looks like this:

          irs i r s

          Note that  without this  entry in  the lexicon,  your synthesizer
          would pronounce these three important letters together as if they
          were a word.  The lexicon entry tells ASAP to send the letters i,
          r, and s all separated with a space.

          The  root word  indicator lets you  inform ASAP that  the word in
          question should be considered  a root word and to accept any word
          that matches the part up to the "*" indicator.  This is useful to
          cover a whole family of words with a single lexicon entry.

          The  entry that follows tells  ASAP to look  for words that start
          with "psych" and change  any word that begins with  those letters
          to sound like "sike."

          psych* sike

          Many synthesizers have trouble  with the letter "A."   They don't
          seem to  want to pronounce  a long a sound.   You can  force your
          synthesizer to  say a long a  when one is required  by spelling a
          word that sounds like the  long a sound.  Consider the  following
          example:

          vga v g aye

          Your lexicon can be of any  size up to the maximum amount of  RAM
          in your computer.  Of course, you'd never want to create one that
          big, but you  do have room  for lots of  entries.  Remember  that
          when you modify the lexicon, you'll have to reboot your system to
          make those changes take effect.

                                  Technical Support

          In addition to  its support  during normal  business hours  (from
          8:00  to 5:00  EST, ASAP  help, information,  and updates  can be
          accessed via modem 24 hours per day seven days a week.  The phone
          number is (502) 893-2269.  Call the system at any  baud rate from
          300 to 9600. 

                                  The Brand Program

          BRAND.COM  is a program that  contains your serial  number.  When
          you  download an update  from the MicroTalk BBS  or get an update
          disk in the  mail, you'll use  the brand program  to insert  your
          serial number into the new  version of ASAP.  If you  don't, ASAP
          will keep reminding you to do so.

                                          60

          If you get an update, there will be a program called Install that
          will  take care  of  all updating  necessary  and inserting  your
          serial number,  but if you're the type that likes to do things by
          hand, here's what to do.

          Make ASAP the current directory and type Brand, then press Enter.

          The  brand program  explains  its purpose,  then  it places  your
          serial number  into the ASAP  program.   When it is  finished, it
          will announce, "Your ASAP was successfully branded."











































                                          61


                           APPENDIX A: SYNTHESIZER SUPPORT

          This  appendix discusses  specifics  about  various  synthesizers
          supported  by ASAP.    Note that  while  the discussion  of  each
          synthesizer shows an example of how to use the asap  command with
          parameters for that synthesizer, if you used the install command,
          you won't need  to type the command  listed in the  discussion of
          your synthesizer.  Recall  that install makes a new  command that
          contains the specific commands  for the synthesizer you selected.
          All you have to do is type the letter "s."

                              Using ASAP with DoubleTalk

          To install the synthesizer, follow these steps:

          Make sure your computer's power is  off.  Plugging a board into a
          machine  that is  not  turned  off  can  damage  the  board,  the
          computer, or both.

          remove  your computer's cover.   Check the manual  that came with
          your computer for exact instructions on this procedure.

          Next,  select an  empty slot in  which to install  the device and
          remove the cover plate  associated with that slot.  Put the cover
          in a safe  place in case you ever  want to cover the  hole again,
          but keep the screw that  holds the cover plate in place.   You'll
          use it to secure the synthesizer board.

          Gently insert the  board into the slot making sure it fits firmly
          in the slot and use the screw from the cover plate  to secure the
          board.

          Plug  the  supplied speaker  into the  jack  on the  board's rear
          panel.

          Locate  the plastic volume control knob on the board's rear panel
          and adjust it to about the mid point of its movement.  Later, you
          may want to further fine  tune the volume, but setting it  at the
          midpoint now insures you don't accidentally try the unit with the
          volume all the way down.

            You are ready to  replace the cover and give ASAP  a try.  Skip
          to the "Getting Started" section for instructions on starting the
          program.

                                Using ASAP with Accent

          If  you  use Accent-PC,  make  sure you've  installed  the device
          driver as described in the Accent documentation.  After that, you
          can  get  ASAP started  with  the  Accent-PC  with the  following
          command:

                                          62

          asap accent lpt3

          If you're  using the AccentSA,  make sure your  synthesizer's DIP
          switch  settings are  as they  come from  the factory.   This  is
          important.   ASAP will  appear to work  with the  AccentSA if the
          switches aren't  exactly  right, but  you'll  loose data.    Just
          insure  those DIP switches are  set as the  manual for the Accent
          recommends, and all will go well.

          The command to start ASAP with the AccentSA is much like that for
          the Accent-PC,  except that instead  of lpt3, you use  one of the
          com ports.  The following command is typical:

          asap accent com1

                               Using ASAP with Audapter

          To  begin using ASAP with  the Audapter synthesizer,  turn on the
          synthesizer and hold the rocker switch down to do a factory reset
          as the manual recommends.  (You do a factory reset by holding the
          rocker switch  down all the way  to the left for  10 seconds when
          you turn on  the synthesizer.)   After you've  reset the  factory
          settings once, you shouldn't need to that again.

          Following is a sample command line for use with the Audapter:

          asap audapter com1

                           Using ASAP with Braille 'n Speak

          ASAP supports the new commands available to Braille 'n Speak.  In
          fact, you must  have a Braille 'n Speak with a ROM revision of at
          least June  1991 to use  ASAP with the Braille  'n Speak support.
          This doesn't mean you can't use older Braille 'n Speaks, it  just
          means  that  you'll have  to use  the  "Echo" synthesizer  or the
          "Generic" synthesizer setups for older Braille 'n Speak machines.

          Before you  can  use ASAP  with Braille  'n Speak,  you must  set
          Braille 'n Speak  to 9600 baud, 8 data  bits, 1 stop bit,  and no
          parity.   In addition, you need to set handshaking to "software."
          Finally, you need to turn on "speech box mode."  If you've got an
          older Braille 'n Speak,  you'll also need to set  the punctuation
          to "none."   This is done  for you  automatically with the  newer
          Braille 'n Speaks.  If you still hear punctuation characters when
          you've turned them off  with ASAP, you'll  know that you need  to
          turn them off from the Braille 'n Speak.

          To  use ASAP  with  Braille  'n Speak,  use  a  command like  the
          following:

          asap bns com1


                                          63

                               Using ASAP with DEC-TALK

          To use ASAP with  DEC-TALK, make sure the settings are 9600 baud,
          8  data bits,  no  parity, and  software (Xon-Xoff)  handshaking.
          This is how the synthesizer is shipped, so if you haven't changed
          anything, you should be in good shape.

          Start ASAP with the command:

          asap dectalk com1

          You  may, of course, substitute another port for the "com1" shown
          in this example.

          DEC-TALK is very slow to react to commands to silence it and even
          slower  to resume speech after  silencing.  The temporary silence
          command,  therefore,  is rather  unresponsive,  but  it is  still
          useful when  using  the auto-read  or  read by  screens  features
          described later in the manual.

                             Using ASAP with the Echo PC

          When using ASAP with  the Echo PC,  make sure the synthesizer  is
          set to 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity.  

          Use the following command to get ASAP going with the Echo:

          asap echo com1

          (You may substitute another com port for "com1" in this example.)

          The  temporary   silence  command  is  not   available  for  this
          synthesizer.

          The auto-read and  read by screens commands  aren't available for
          this  synthesizer.  These commands  do work, but  the actual text
          gets way ahead of what you're hearing on the synthesizer.

                       Using ASAP with Other Echo Synthesizers

          Street Electronics  Corporation makes  a number of  internal Echo
          synthesizers.   ASAP  supports  these.    To  use  one  of  these
          synthesizers, you must  first run the Textalker program that came
          with your synthesizer.   The Textalker program is contained  in a
          file called TALK.EXE.  The TALK.EXE program  takes two parameters
          for  its information.  Those  parameters are the  port to emulate
          and the keys to use to stop the speech.  Following is an  example
          batch  file to  use for  starting up  the synthesizer  with ASAP.
          Note  that this is what will  be created in S.BAT  if you use the
          Install command as described earlier in this manual.

          echo off

                                          64

          talk lpt3 all
          asap talk lpt3


                         Using ASAP with LiteTalk and LapTalk

          To use  ASAP with LiteTalk  or LapTalk connected  to one of  your
          serial ports, use the following command:

          asap lt com1

          If  you've connected  the  synthesizer to  one  of your  parallel
          ports, use this command:

          asap lt lpt1

          Note that if you  use LiteTalk and you have to  turn off power to
          the synthesizer, you can re-initialize  the baud rate by  turning
          on the synthesizer  then pressing one of  the shift keys  on your
          computer.   See  more  about  baud  rate  initialization  in  the
          LiteTalk manual.

                        Using ASAP with PortTalk synthesizers

          ASAP  supports the PortTalk command  set.  PortTalk  is a program
          originally  written  by Artic  Technologies  to  make interfacing
          their synthesizers  easier for other screen access manufacturers.
          While  ASAP  supports  Artic  synthesizers  without  the  use  of
          PortTalk,  ASAP does  provide PortTalk  support for  other speech
          synthesizers   that  use   the  PortTalk   command  set.     Such
          synthesizers include TSI's BrailleMate and several others.

                          Using ASAP with the Sounding Board

          To  use ASAP with the Sounding Board, install the speech software
          for the synthesizer as described in the  Sounding Board's manual.
          It is recommended  that you use the options to  turn off Sounding
          Board's use of the function keys and to make the speech buffer as
          small as  possible.  A value of about 80 characters seems to work
          best.

          After the speech software is installed, use the following command
          to get ASAP going with the Sounding Board:

          asap sb lpt3

                        Using ASAP with SynPhonix and VoTalker

          ASAP  directly supports the  SynPhonix and VoTalker synthesizers.
          Each of  these synthesizers, however, requires  the software that
          came  supplied with the synthesizer  to make it  talk.  Once that
          software is  started, ASAP automatically detects  the presence of

                                          65

          that software and adds the screen access features for which it is
          famous.  The software  that came with your synthesizer  is called
          sonixtts.com (for the SynPhonix) or, in the case of the VoTalker,
          sonix.com and tts.com.

          To  get  the  system going  with  the  Votalker,  you need  three
          commands: sonix, tts, and asap.  To get the system going with the
          SynPhonix, you need two commands: sonixtts and asap.

                          Using ASAP with Other Synthesizers

          While  not specifically  mentioned,  ASAP supports  a variety  of
          other synthesizers.   You can modify the file on your disk called
          generic.tbl  to  plug  in  the  specific  codes  to  adjust  your
          synthesizer,  or you  can even  use the  table as  it comes  from
          MicroTalk with no specific codes.

          To add codes for your synthesizer, you'll need a text editor that
          supports  plain ASCII files.  Load the generic.tbl file into your
          editor and  fill in the  areas between  the slashes on  each line
          with the specific codes to perform the  function shown at the end
          of each line.































                                          66
