[duxuser] Re: dxb and brf
- From: "George Bell" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 18 Jun 2003 12:57:23 +0100
Hi Johan,
Editing a .brf file is at best risky. There are usually hard carriage
returns at the end of each line. You can usually change or remove a few
characters, but you will create potential problems if you add characters
which takes the line above that set for the whole document.
For example, if the document was set for 40 characters, and you added
text which increase the line to 46 characters, then you would likely
find that characters 41-46 would be printed on a new line. The line
count of that page would be increased by one, and you might then get an
additional page feed where you do not want one.
On the other hand, editing a .dxb file is less risky. If you add
characters which increase the line length, you will find the text word
wraps, and any increase in lines per page will be corrected
automatically.
However, I would suggest that as few changes as possible be made to the
.dxb file, since this would potentially put it out of step with the
original .dxp file. For that reason, I strongly advise that changes are
kept to those which cannot be corrected by any other means. I would
also be inclined to annotate the .dxp file to the effect that changes
have been made to the Duxbury braille file.
To put this a little better into context, perhaps I should explain for
everyone else's benefit that we are probably talking library books here,
where the braille file is being read by an experienced proof reader -
perhaps ideally using a braille display. In these circumstances, once
the braille file has been corrected and produced, it is highly unlikely
that you would need to use the print file at all.
On the other hand, if the original document is likely to be reprinted at
some time in the future, and will incorporate changes, then I would
strongly advocate making any corrections, as far as is humanly possible,
to the print file.
One final note of caution. If your braille document contains a Table of
Contents, be extra careful just in case any changes affect the page
numbering there.
All the best,
George.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Johan Roos [mailto:JohanRoos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: 17 June 2003 20:11
> To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> At an even lower level of abstraction, am I right, though,
> that fooling around with a brf is actually just a plain bad
> idea in principle? It seems to me that all lines are ended
> with hard returns and that if one adds to a line, the next
> one will simply get shorter and the whole document will be
> thrown out of its original format. What is the point of
> these files? Is it simply to communicate with embossers?
>
> And how, George, would the portable braille file differ from
> a brf? I think you explained it about 24 hours ago, but
> perhaps this time round the seeds will fall on more fertile
> soil. Mind you, it is more likely Duxbury Systems that will
> have to be convinced, but I am a willing reader.
>
> If I got any of this wrong, would someone please be good
> enough to straighten me out?
>
> Thanks Lloyd, for the explanation.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Lloyd G. Rasmussen" <lras@xxxxxxx>
> To: <duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 3:28 PM
> Subject: [duxuser] Re: dxb and brf
>
>
> .dxb is the binary version of the .bru "unformatted braille"
> file which Duxbury used to use. If the line length and page
> depth are never going to change, in this version of the
> document or in later revisions of the same document, then
> .brf might be OK as an exchange format.
>
> But if you want to explicitly tell future users and future
> software that you have just changed the running header from
> this to that, or that the following material is in computer
> braille and not just pre-formatted, or the following material
> is a footnote, you want to give your successors all of the
> codes and styles that came along with the document, so they
> have a better chance of producing good braille from it if
> their line length or page length need to be changed.
>
> And at a higher level of abstraction, if your .dxb file is
> formatted entirely using styles, people can make changes in
> the template that interprets those styles, and the document
> is even more future-proof.
>
> Some of these considerations also make back-translation to
> print more reasonable. When you have a .brf file, you have
> very little to go on in determining why things look the way they do.
>
> At 02:07 PM 6/17/03 +0200, you wrote:
> >Hi George
> >
> >OK. This makes a lot of sense. But when I try to apply the
> principle,
> >it occurs to me that perhaps I should have asked my question
> in a less
> >theoretical manner.
> >
> >If I proof-read hard copy Braille and I have the electronic copy
> >available as formatted Braille, I can correct errors. But I did not
> >compile the original formatted Braille file. My concern is
> that, once
> >the corrections have been made, whoever compiled the original should
> >still be able to
> print.
> >
> >The first question, I suppose, is whether I should have been
> given the
> >electronic copy as a brf. Once I have it as a brf, though,
> the second
> >question is whether, if I do edit the brf, I should save it in that
> >format, or whether the printers will have an easier time sorting out
> >whatever formatting changes may result from the editing if I give it
> >back to them as a dxb file.
> >
> >This all goes to the deployment of blind proof-readers. I
> know there
> >are other issues associated with permitting a proof-reader
> to make his
> >or her own corrections, so I don't want to debate those, but
> I thought
> >that perhaps, if I make a full and frank disclosure I would
> enable the
> >gurus to know what it is they are helping me with.
> >
> >Johan
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "George Bell" <info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >To: <duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 11:07 AM
> >Subject: [duxuser] Re: dxb and brf
> >
> >
> >Hi Johan,
> >
> >I think the simple answer is that if a file needs to be sent
> >"cross-platform", that is to say, used with a non-Duxbury
> application,
> >then you would save as a "Formatted Braille File". This
> would result
> >in a plain ascii file with very little by way of coding.
> >
> >On the other hand, if simply passing a file from one Duxbury user to
> >another, then you would use Duxbury Coded Braille.
> >
> >George.
> >
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Johan Roos [mailto:JohanRoos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> >> Sent: 16 June 2003 21:28
> >> To: duxuser@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>
> >> Hello all
> >>
> >> When would one save a file as a duxbury coded braille and as a
> >> formatted braille file? I am working on a formatted braille file
> >> which has been imported, but the question strikes me as
> interesting
> >> in general.
> >>
> >> Thanks much
> >>
> >> Johan
> >
> Braille is the solution to the digital divide.
> Lloyd Rasmussen, Senior Staff Engineer
> National Library Service f/t Blind and Physically Handicapped
> Library of Congress (202) 707-0535 <http://www.loc.gov/nls/>
> HOME: <http://lras.home.sprynet.com>
> The opinions expressed here are my own and do not necessarily
> represent those of NLS.
>
>
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