Delphi and Microsoft Agent

In the previous section we used the Speak() procedure to make Merlin read the text in the memo. We can use that method to modify speech by using tags. These  tags can be used to change the output expression of the character. Speech tags follow a very specific format:

1. All tags begin and end with a backslash character ().
2. Tags are white space dependent i.e Merlin is not the same as Merlin .
3. The single backslash character is not enabled within a tag. To include a backslash character in a text parameter of a tag, use a double backslash.
4. Tags are case insensitive, i.e Merlin is the same as MERLIN.

From the Microsoft documentation there are eleven main tags that can be used to alter speech output. Below are some of them as laid out in the Microsoft Documentation:

Chr

Description: Sets the character of the voice.

Syntax: Chr=string

String: A string specifying the character of the voice.

Ctx Tag

Description: Sets the context of the output text.

Syntax: Ctx=string

String: A string specifying the context of the text that follows, which determines how symbols or abbreviations are spoken.

Lst Tag

Description: Repeats last spoken statement for the character.

Syntax: Lst

Remarks: This tag enables a character to repeat its last spoken statement. This tag must appear by itself in the Speak method; no other text or parameters can be included. When the spoken text is repeated, any other tags included in the original text are repeated, except for bookmarks. Any .WAV and .LWV files included in the text are also repeated.

Map Tag

Description: Maps spoken text to text displayed in the word balloon.

Syntax: Map="spokentext"="balloontext"

Remarks: This tag enables you to use different spoken text than that displayed in the word balloon.

Mrk Tag

Description: Defines a bookmark in the spoken text.

Syntax: Mrk=number

Remarks: When the server processes a bookmark, it generates a bookmark event. You must specify a number greater than zero (0) and not equal to 2147483647 or 2147483646.

Pau Tag

Description: Pauses speech for the specified number of milliseconds.

Syntax: Pau=number

Pit Tag

Description: Sets the baseline pitch of the output to the specified value in hertz.

Syntax: Pit=number

Remarks: This tag is supported only for TTS-generated output. The range of values for the parameter may vary depending on the installed TTS engine.

There are a couple more that you can use to make your agent speak in a way that you like. To make Merlin whisper the text that he reads off the memo, change the code in the button1 procedure from this:

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
Merlin.show(false);
Merlin.speak(memo1.text, '');
end;

To this:

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
begin
Merlin.show(false);
Merlin.speak(Chr="Whisper"memo1.text, '');
end;