---- Original Message ------
From: Jamal Mazrui <[log in to unmask]
Subject: Announcing WinBT 2.0 - a free, open source Windows 
braille translator
Date sent: Sun, 24 Jul 2011 20:46:53 -0400 (EDT)

Now available at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/wbtsetup.exe

WinBT 2.0 is an updated distribution of the NFBTrans braille 
translator
(BT), and the associated WinTrans graphical user interface (GUI).  
The
original programmers are no longer active in the project, and the
wintrans-bt.org web site is discontinued.  Maintenance of 
NFBTrans has
been led by Steve Jacobson as Vice President of the NFB in 
Computer
Science.  He recruited additional programmers, and improved the 
default
configuration settings of NFBTrans.

The original author of WinTrans chose not to reveal his or her 
identity,
using the name "Anonymous John" instead.  Since several years had 
elapsed
since then (2003), we tried to find the author in case he or she 
now
wished to be publicly acknowledged.  Ultimately, we found him via 
Tom
Dimeo, who had introduced WinTrans to the world in a podcast of 
the Main
Menu program by ACB Radio (an audio tutorial included in this
distribution).  The two of them communicated about this new 
effort, and
George McCoy has now authorized us to disclose that he is the one 
who
authored WinTrans.

Recent discussion about improving NFBTrans has occurred on the 
email list
called "ProgrammingBlind," to which one can subscribe through the 
web site
http://FreeLists.org

The NFBTrans code was ported and recompiled by Tyler Littlefield, 
using
Microsoft Visual C++ 2008, a free Express Edition of which is 
available at
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2008-edition
s/express

The new build resulted in a 32-bit rather than 16-bit executable, 
thus
allowing it to run under 64-bit Windows, which, unlike prior 
Windows
versions, does not run 16-bit programs.  The Visual Studio 
solution file,
NFBTrans.sln, contains compiler configuration information that 
allows a
developer to easily recompile the C code.  Anyone who finds ways 
of
improving the code,  configuration settings, or documentation is
encouraged to contribute such improvements back to the community.

The WinTrans source code, WinTrans.bas, was recompiled by Jamal 
Mazrui
using PowerBASIC 10.0, a commercial compiler available at
http://powerbasic.com

He also improved the WinTrans installer using Inno Setup 5, which 
is
freely available at
http://InnoSetup.org

The script file, wbtsetup.iss, gives InnoSetup instructions for 
building
the installer, wbtsetup.exe.  It creates a desktop shortcut for 
launching
the WinBT dialog, with an optional hotkey assignment, 
Alt+Control+B (for
braille translator).  The installer also creates a WinBT program 
group in
the Windows Start/Programs menu with options for launching the 
program,
reading the documentation, playing an audio tutorial, or 
uninstalling the
program.  By default, the documentation is opened at the end of 
the
installation process, and the audio tutorial may optionally be 
played then
as well.    The program may also be launched by entering "WinBT" 
in the
Windows Start/Run dialog (capitalization does not matter).

The original distribution files for NFBTrans and WinTrans, 
nfbtr774.zip
and winbt.zip (renamed from winbt.exe), are included in the WinBT 
program
directory.  Also included there is the first public release of 
the
WinTrans 1.0 source code in the PowerBASIC language, contained in
WinTrans.zip.  By default, the program directory is located at
C:\WinBT

The WinBT installer, wbtsetup.exe, may be downloaded at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/wbtsetup.exe

A zip archive containing the same files is available at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/wbtsetup.zip

This documentation is also available online at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/WinBT.htm

The updated distribution can give a new life to WinTrans and 
NFBTrans.The
installer makes the braille translator friendly to install, use, 
and
learn.The documentation gives developers information about 
recompiling the
source code, thus opening a possible path to improvements 
contributed by
the open source community.  he original WinTrans and NFBTrans 
archives are
also included, so that anyone can start from there instead if 
preferred.

WinBT 2.0 has resulted from constructive collaboration among 
various
parties for the common good of blind people.  Although 
imperfections
undoubtedly remain, there is clear progress that is worth 
sharing.  We
hope these contributions extend the value of NFBTrans and related
technologies to users of electronic braille!


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