Command Files

With Vocola you create and organize voice commands by editing command files. You can access command files by voice using built-in commands; or see below to understand file organization and naming.

The recommended organization, supported by the built-in commands, is to have a command file for each application you use and another command file for "global" commands (which are active for all applications). Saying "Open Commands" opens the command file for the currently-active application, using your favorite editor (chosen during installation). Saying "Open Global Commands" opens the file of commands active for all applications.

Vocola detects changes to command files, so new or changed commands are activated immediately when you save a file. Vocola also keeps track of include dependencies, so changing a header file causes commands to be updated in command files which reference it.

Errors

If errors are found while loading command files, error messages are shown in Vocola's Log Window and no commands are loaded from the offending file. You can use the built-in "Show Error" command to see the Vocola source code for the first error in the most recently loaded file—it opens the file and navigates to the offending line and column.

Here's an example with errors: the file name folders.vch is misspelled as foders.vch:

$include foders.vch; Open File <folder> = {Ctrl+o} $1 {Enter};

The log window shows:

_global.vcl (51,10): Include file not found: 'foders.vch'
_global.vcl (54,11): Reference to undefined variable: <folder>
_global.vcl: No commands loaded.

The first line indicates that the include file foders.vch, referenced in the command file _global.vcl on line 51, column 10, was not found. The missing file causes the second error, the undefined variable <folder>. The third line reinforces that no commands were loaded from _global.vcl.

Saying "Show Error" at this point would open _global.vcl and navigate to the line and column for the first error.

File Organization and Naming

Vocola command files have the extension .vcl. Vocola header files have the extension .vch.

The Vocola command folder contains your command files. The default location, C:\Users\username\Documents\Vocola3\Commands, may be changed via the Options Panel.

Command files named with a leading underscore such as _global.vcl are global command files, and Vocola enables their commands for all applications. Saying "Open Global Commands" opens the file _global.vcl, and many users store all global commands in this file. Some users create other global command files to contain particular groups of commands; for example, a global command file for text editing could be called _editText.vcl.

All other command files are application-specific command files, and Vocola enables their commands for only a specific application. For example, commands in the file excel.vcl (case insensitive) are only enabled when excel.exe (Microsoft Excel) is the active application. Saying "Open Commands" while Excel is the active application opens this file. You can create additional command files for an application by adding an underscore and suffix to the file name; for example, an Excel command file containing formatting commands could be called excel_formatting.vcl.

Command files named with @ are machine-specific command files, and Vocola enables their commands for only a specific computer. For example, commands in the file [email protected] are only enabled on the computer named "venus" when excel.exe is the active application. Any command file may be made machine-specific by adding such an @ suffix.