# Clipboard Narrator
Turn any web page into an audiobook, works in the background on desktop!

# Comparison to Microsoft Edge tts
Edge TTS | Clipboard Narrator
|---|---|
no external application needed if you use Edge | download required
online (even for offline files opened in browser) | offline
many languages available | English only on Windows[^1]
delay each time you start or restart a voice | no delay on Windows[^2]
natural sounding voices | dependant on platform

Windows built-in narrator has a different use case but does use the system voices.

![clipboard-narrator](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/19632758/210650475-b0b2d8f7-2791-43cc-88cf-d7060cb74884.png)

This tool reads from your clipboard after copying text, with the ability to stop a voice by copying 1 word[^3]. This allows you to start and stop a voice without requiring window focus.

Inside the application press `h` to get a tts explanation. Copying the same text back to back does not work, press `r` for that. The `i` key can also be used for entering text. Background colour picker is the button on the top left corner.

***Bugs (mostly visual) are commented in [`main.gd`](main.gd#L20)***

# interrupt, queue, and manual modes
This application works differently based on which mode you are in (changed by pressing tab or shift-tab). Exception to this is that recent clipboards over 1 word long[^3] are saved in `1` to `0` number keys allowing you to interrupt current speech with past clipboards regardless of mode.

- **interrupt**

Will immediately interrupt current voice with `Ctrl-c`, and only reads off clipboard. Copying 1 word will stop the voice.

- **queue**

Will put all clipboards into a queue using `Ctrl-c`, only reads off clipboard but allows you to add non-sequential text to it. Copying 1 word will pause the voice.

- **manual**

Ignores clipboard, only reads from what you put in the text editor and then hit `speak`, `space` or `r`.

[^1]:No limit on other platforms, Microsoft has a restriction for loading voices in third party software https://github.com/godotengine/godot/issues/69788#issuecomment-1343912420
[^2]:Linux seems to be slower at loading system voices compared to Windows https://docs.godotengine.org/en/stable/tutorials/audio/text_to_speech.html#caveats-and-other-information
[^3]:1 word means a maximum of 1 space in the copied selection.