UWP Development, .NET Integration - String Voice Conversion

One of the important features in UWP (Universal Windows Platform) development is to enhance the user’s experience. In addition to creating a user interface (UI) that provides various functionalities, it is also possible to integrate advanced features like speech recognition and speech synthesis. This addresses accessibility issues and makes interactions with users smoother. In this article, we will discuss how to convert text to speech in UWP applications.

1. Basics of UWP Development

UWP is Microsoft’s app platform that enables the development of applications running on Windows 10 devices. One of the biggest advantages of UWP is that applications can run on various devices using the same code. Additionally, it is integrated with .NET, allowing developers to code efficiently.

2. What is Speech Synthesis?

Speech synthesis is the process of converting text into spoken words. It can be utilized in various fields, particularly to enhance accessibility and improve user interfaces. For example, it is used in voice guidance systems for visually impaired individuals and in multilingual support applications that cater to various languages.

3. UWP Speech Synthesis API

UWP provides the SpeechSynthesizer class for speech synthesis. This allows you to convert text into speech and adjust parameters such as language, voice gender, and speed. The speech synthesis API in UWP is based on the robust speech recognition technology offered by Microsoft Cognitive Services.

3.1. SpeechSynthesizer Class

The SpeechSynthesizer class is the main class that handles speech synthesis. Here are the key methods related to using this class:

SynthesizeTextAsync: An asynchronous method that converts the given text into speech.
GetVoicesAsync: A method that retrieves a list of available voices.
SetOutputToDefaultAudioDevice: A method that sets the speech output to the default audio device.

4. Implementing Speech Synthesis in a UWP Application

Now let’s look at an example of implementing text-to-speech conversion in a UWP application. We will use XAML and C# code for this.

4.1. XAML UI Setup

First, we will set up a simple UI using XAML. It will include an input field, a button, and a text area to display the result.

<Page
        x:Class="TextToSpeechApp.MainPage"
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:local="using:TextToSpeechApp"
        xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
        xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
        mc:Ignorable="d"
        >
        <Grid>
            <TextBox x:Name="InputTextBox" Width="300" Height="50" Margin="10"/>
            <Button Content="Convert" Width="100" Height="50" Margin="10" Click="OnConvertButtonClick"/>
            <TextBlock x:Name="ResultTextBlock" Margin="10" FontSize="20"/>
        </Grid>
    </Page>

4.2. Writing the C# Code

Now, we will write C# code to perform speech synthesis when the button is clicked.

using Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls;
    using Windows.UI.Xaml;
    using Windows.Media.SpeechSynthesis;
    using System.Threading.Tasks;

    namespace TextToSpeechApp
    {
        public sealed partial class MainPage : Page
        {
            private SpeechSynthesizer synthesizer;

            public MainPage()
            {
                this.InitializeComponent();
                synthesizer = new SpeechSynthesizer();
            }

            private async void OnConvertButtonClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
            {
                string textToSpeak = InputTextBox.Text;
                if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(textToSpeak))
                {
                    await SpeakTextAsync(textToSpeak);
                }
            }

            private async Task SpeakTextAsync(string text)
            {
                synthesizer.SetOutputToDefaultAudioDevice();
                await synthesizer.SynthesizeTextAsync(text);
                ResultTextBlock.Text = "The voice is playing.";
            }
        }
    }

5. Exception Handling and Feature Enhancements

The code above implements basic speech synthesis, but there are various ways to improve exception handling and user experience. For example, the following points could be considered:

Validation of the text input by the user
Adding features for changing voice speed and voice type
Displaying a loading indicator while the voice is being synthesized

5.1. Adding Error Handling Code

private async Task SpeakTextAsync(string text)
    {
        try
        {
            synthesizer.SetOutputToDefaultAudioDevice();
            await synthesizer.SynthesizeTextAsync(text);
            ResultTextBlock.Text = "The voice is playing.";
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            ResultTextBlock.Text = $"Error occurred: {ex.Message}";
        }
    }

6. Optimization and Deployment

Optimizing the speech synthesis feature can further enhance the application’s performance. For instance, measures can be taken to prevent the speech from being synthesized multiple times if the user clicks the button several times, or increase stability through proper exception handling.

6.1. App Deployment

Finally, after testing the app, it can be deployed to the Windows Store or other platforms. The deployment process should include providing an app description, screenshots, and user instructions to ensure users understand and can use the app.

7. Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned how to convert text to speech in UWP applications. We were able to easily implement speech synthesis using the SpeechSynthesizer class. Such features can significantly enhance the user experience and will be useful in future development as well.

Try practicing the code and adding various features for your personal projects. The combination of UWP and .NET is a powerful tool, enabling the development of more accessible applications.

References:

UWP Development, .NET Integration – String Voice Conversion