BSLText SignWriting Software
Overview of Software Projects
Aims
Our aim is to develop a text editor for the Sutton SignWriting system for sign languages under a General Public Licence for open software. This editor will allow fast typing of signs, fingerspelling, numbers, Mundschrift and oral-language text, with the usual edit, search, replace and macro functions, and file storage of the users' work. Features such as glossing and dictionary storage are provided as an integral part of the user interface specification.
We are aiming to provide:
- keyboard layouts designed specifically to allow fast input by a touch typist (drag and drop editing will come later: this is not a primary aim at the moment);
- coordinate systems for drawing symbols for the various Sutton Symbol Sequences;
- an ASCII format for compact storage of SignWriting in ordinary text files;
- compatibility with other storage formats such as SWML and SWML-S;
- the SignWriting editor;
- spin-offs such as drawing packages, mail clients and so on incorporating Sutton SignWriting;
- if funding and expertise can be obtained, a full sign processor (meaning, the sign language equivalent of word processors such as found in OpenOffice).
Our Current Standing
Following the open source maxim of "release early, release often", we are releasing our first piece of software immediately. This is a demonstration of a proposed keying system (at the moment only for handshapes), including full positioning and orientation features, with body shifts, z-ordering and multiple syllables. For now, the language module provided is for American Sign Language only, but further language modules will be quickly produced after sufficient feedback has been received on the viability of the keying system.
What You Can Do
As a user of the Sutton SignWriting system, you can download the demonstration software and let us know what you think of:
- The way handshapes are typed at the keyboard: is it easy to understand, easy to learn and quick? Can you suggests improvements or a whole better way of doing it?
- The way handshapes look at the screen: are they excellent (probably not, just yet!), good enough, or do you not like them at all? Any suggestions for improvement?
- The range of handshapes on offer: do they cover all the handshapes required for typing Anerican Sign Language or do you need more to be added?
- If you use sign languages other than ASL, you might also consider producing a list of the handshapes used in your own language. This would enable us to release a language module for your language.
As a programmer, you can download the demonstration software and:
- Offer any suggestions you like on the design and code, including choice of language. Currently we are using Perl/Tk as a fast prototyping language but we are open to suggestions as to the best language for writing this type of software.
- Take part in development. Since the software is issued under the GPL license you may copy it to develop your own software under the same license, but we would like you to consider working with us to produce a unified piece of software if possible, so if you would like to participate, keep in touch and send us your code and design suggestions for incorporating into the project.
Downloading the Software
At the moment we have a Windows executable which can be run on Microsoft Windows systems or systems with Windows emulators. You can download and run this without needing to have Perl on your machine. This download includes the source code.
Download SWposter with Windows executable and source code (1Mb).
If you have Perl/Tk (or any Perl distribution at version 5.8 or later) installed on your machine you can just download the source and run it. This should theoretically work on Linux and MacOS but please let us know of any problems you have in getting it to work. This download is identical to the one above, but without the Windows executable.
Download SWposter source code only (42kb).
User Guide and Tutorial
These can be viewed online.