Design suggestion: The server just for synthesis

[Michael Pozhidaev]

Hello, Hynek!

> In principle yes, but I would still like to clear up some details. Is your
> proposal different (in technical aspects of course) from the work that
> was already done on TTS API/TTS API Provider and why? Do you plan
> to work on this API or to create a different API?

Yes, I am going to work on this API but with modifications required
for client/server architecture. As first step it is good idea to read it
again and write comments what is an appropriate things and what can cause
problems. This API must be considered as protocol base. 
Probably TTS API in its current form can be completely implemented at the client
side. 

> Do you propose to have a Speech Dispatcher have plugins for both
> the existing modules and the TTS server you propose? 

I suppose it is highly dependent on new TTS server success. In a perfect
way all modules for TTS tasks must be moved from Speech Dispatcher into
new server. Some time ago I thought about using new server with VoiceMan
and have decided VoiceMan will have features to call TTS with new server
or just by command line without any dynamic linked libraries. It seems
to me this is the really clear and universal approach. Everything
impossible by command line call must be processed in separated server.

>As a temporary
> measure, that might make sense, but long-term, if there is any service
> that takes care just of low-level TTS management and not audio output
> and not message dispatching, the existing modules should be moved
> from Speech Dispatcher to that server and the complexity of handling
> this task in Speech Dispatcher itself should be removed from it.

Hynek, I am not sure I understood your question completely right. Yes,
removing TTS modules from Speech Dispatcher can significantly reduce
current complexity. Having TTS modules both in Speech Dispatcher and in
new server we are discussing is something strange. I don't know tasks
which can require it.

-- 
Michael Pozhidaev. Tomsk, Russia. E-mail: msp at altlinux.ru
Russian info page: http://www.marigostra.ru/