Presentation: Using Python to Code by Voice

Sunday 1:50 p.m.–2:20 p.m.

Using Python to Code by Voice

Tavis Rudd

Audience level:: Intermediate
Category:: Other

Description

I dictate my code using a voice recognition system with Python embedded in it. In a fast paced live demo, I will code a small system and deploy it without touching the keyboard. I hope to convince you that voice recognition is no longer a crutch for the disabled or limited to plain prose.

Abstract

Two years ago I developed a case of Emacs Pinkie (RSI) so severe my hands went numb and I could no longer type or work. Desperate, I tried voice recognition. At first programming with it was painfully slow but, as I couldn’t type, I persevered. After several months of vocab tweaking and duct-tape coding in Python and Emacs Lisp, I had a system that enabled me to code faster and more efficiently by voice than I ever had by hand.

In a fast-paced live demo, I will create a small system using Python, plus a few other languages for good measure, and deploy it without touching the keyboard. The demo gods will make a scheduled appearance. I hope to convince you that voice recognition is no longer a crutch for the disabled or limited to plain prose. It’s now a highly effective tool that could benefit all programmers.