Default xml

default.xml

This information currently applies to: MTScripts 3.7.9.7

Initial notes

Default.xml's contents is copied into new xmls when they are created. It should never be opened unless one intends to modify the behavior of brand new xml files. That said, newly created xml files, as they use the same information found in default.xml, are still covered by this help file. this help file is actually intended to help people creating new xml files from the ground up and who are using MTScripts to know what they can do to configure their new xml file. so it's kind of an xml file developer's reference. it explains everything found in the fmt and what all of that stuff does. it tries to explain what stuff can and cannot be modified without breaking the functionality of what. If you pressed ctrl+f1 while in something other than default.xml and ended up with this page, it's because the path to the help page for that xml file was not modified and consequently it may mean that xml hasn't itself been modified enough to warrant a specific help file for it. Notice that when I reference keybindings way down at the end of this help file, or close to the end anyway, on keybindings that have punctuation keys like period, slash, comma, apostrophe involved in them etc, I pointed out the ASCII value of each punctuation key involved. this is because that's what the fmt does to reference the keys, and I did that so readers would be able to figure out which keybinding in the fmt it was exactly that I was talking about. I did point out also which keys actually need to be pressed to activate that keybinding in parentheses after the name the fmt references it by so that should be the best of both worlds hopefully.

What is default.xml?

Default.xml is a file that sits in the monkeyTerm directory (c:\program files\monkeyTerm). When a new xml file is created, either by going to file and clicking on new, by pressing ctrl+n, by clicking new session from the recent sessions list etc, the contents of default.xml is loaded. This means by editing default.xml I was able to make brand new xml files already have some customization when created. Default.xml that is installed by MTScripts has been configured to use the script file that installs with MTScripts. it also has a few extra features besides, including the action that allows MonkeyTerm to make JAWS or Window-Eyes read incoming text from the mud. In short, after installing MTScripts, not only do users get the specific support for muds like Alter Aeon and Miriani by using the xml files that are installed in the files directory under monkeyTerm, but they can make new xml files of their own that already talk, just hit ctrl+n and the whole process is already done.

All of that said, you may have pressed ctrl+f1 to get here, but you may not actually have been using default.xml when you did so. In fact it's likely you weren't. It's likely you created a new xml file and saved it somewhere and pressed ctrl+f1 and wound up with this page. Unless you or someone has made lots of changes to their new xml without remembering to change the link to go to a page that details the xml with it's many customizations, this page will probably still apply and be valid. Mathayas Alter Aeon for example has a different page, so the ctrl+f1 keybinding in that particular xml is modified to lead to that page instead of this one. Hopefully that made some sense.

how do I open this default.xml?

You don't, well, you can, but you're not expected to. When you open default.xml a counter goes off and changes the runcount from 0 to 1. This could cause new xml files that are created later to start out with a runcount of 1, which may cause problems. If default.xml must be opened, please change the value of the variable "default/runcounter" to 0 before saving and closing the xml. Default.xml is located in c:\program files\monkeyTerm\default.xml. To open it if that is necessary, open monkeyTerm and close the recent sessions list with alt+f4 if it appears. Press ctrl+o to get the open dialogue. Press shift+tab and use common browse techniques to browse to the path indicated previously for default.xml and press enter on the file. It will be opened and you're ready to go.

It's probably a great idea to read the information on the stuff available in default.xml so that if you create a new xml on your own at some point for a different mud that MTScripts doesn't have direct support for already you can make any adjustments to the xml you need to and know what you are doing.

What to do if I made a new xml with ctrl+n and wish to save it for a new mud I'm creating an xml for?

step 1: give the xml a session name, set the host name, and set the port

When creating the xml, you were probably prompted for a session name. You should name the session when that appears. If it didn't appear, or you didn't know what to do with it and just accepted it or closed it, you can bring it back up again by pressing f4. This same dialogue is what you need to use for setting the host name and port also. The first field you get after pressing f4 is the session name. It probably says "default". Delete that out and put what you want. If you are making an xml for Cyber Assault you could put "Cyber Assault". What ever you want. It is for user reference. The second field you have is te host name. It probably has an IP address typed in there like 66.100.167.156 which is the IP address for Alter Aeon. If the mud you are making this xml for isn't Alter Aeon, you should delete this out and type in the IP address or Host Name of the mud you want. Usually, you will have the host name like alterAeon.com or toastsoft.net that you can type in here. The last field is the port number. It will have 3010 written in there already. This is the port blind players use on Alter Aeon. You should change this port to be what you need on the mud you are trying to connect to. You can just press enter after you enter all of this information to accept and return back to the input window of MonkeyTerm.

save the file

Now that you've set the session info up, it will be time to save the xml file. To save it, press ctrl+s. A save as dialogue will appear to let you browse to where you want to save your file. I recommend "c:\program Files\monkeyTerm\files". note that even on 64bit systems this still applies. In the file name field type the name you want for your file. I typicall give my file the same name as the session name. Press save to save the file.

That's it, you're done saving the newly created file. After doing this, the file should appear in the recent sessions list that appears when you first open MonkeyTerm.

A quick tutorial on the available commands, actions, etc, in default.xml

Actions

default:

speech:

output

the output action is the action that fetches all text that is sent to the client from the mud and, depending on your settings, may or may not instruct your desired speech system to speak that text. Deleting this action will completely break speech support from the mud, although it will not affect speech that the client does from it's own code.

history buffer

The history buffer action fetches all text from the screen and stores it in an aray variable which can later be read from using the appropriate keystrokes. The history buffer is an off screen version of all of the text that appears on screen. It allows to read the screen without having to chase text around on screen with the screen reader's flat review mode, and it also allows SAPI5 users to be able to read text they missed a second time. Helpful information is shown on screen about the history buffer when it is turned on. to turn it on, press ctrl+shift+f2. This is a toggle so if it turns off, press it again, or if it turns on and you want it turned off, press it again, etc. Generally this is disabled by default because it can slow down the client.

Aliases

default

speedwalk

This alias allows you to speedwalk by typing in simple one line commands. You can type something like nwswwws and then press enter to go north, west, south, west, west, west, and south all at once. One could also type something like 2s4w1s6w15n1w1n1w1n2w1n45e2s, and it will go that direction the same number of times as the number in front of each letter. The speedwalk is disabled by default because it prevents people from typing in news, as it converts that to north, east, west, south. I could fix that easily, but the other issue is that it doesn't support sub cardinal directions northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest. It does support up and down. Just check the active checkbox to try it out. Maybe at some point I'll be able to improve this alias.

connection handling

connect

This is an alias that initiates a connection to the mud when invoked. Just type "scon" or "sconnect" into the edit field in Monkey term to connect.

disconnect

This is an alias that terminates a connection to the mud when invoked. Just type "sdcon" or "sdconnect" or "sdisconnect" into the edit field in Monkey Term to disconnect.

Autosay

launcher

This alias initiates the autosay alias. it is disabled at the moment do to some major problems with the main autosay alias itself. When this alias is enabled, type asay and a bunch of instructions will appear on screen explaining how to use autosay.

main

This alias is the main part of the autosay functionality. The launcher alias turns this on and this alias begins to interpret everything that is typed and prefix it with what ever the launcher instructs it to prefix. This alias is always disabled if autosay functionality is turned off. turning this alias on will prevent all commands from working properly. to try out autosay, please check the active checkbox for the launcher alias and then type asay into the edit field in monkey Term.

Events

default

sounds

There are a few sound events that play sounds for opening the xml file, saving it, initiating a connection, disconnecting, etc. All of the events under default/sounds can be deleted without breaking anything other than the functionality of sounds that alert to when an xml is being saved etc.

autosay

run

this event is the timer that allows one to paste in text for the autosay system to send with the desired prefix, and the text not be sent all at once but rather one line at a time with a pause between each send. To change the pause interval between each send, select this event and change the interval to some other value.

firstrun

This event runs every time the xml file is open. it does a lot of different things such as loading up the desired sound volume setting from a stored variable in the xml, adding one to the runcounter, opening free slots for looping sounds, etc. It is this event that shows the text like "this is run number 85" when the xml is first open, but it of course does a whole lot of other stuff as well. This event should not be deleted nor disabled, as some of the things it does are necessary for certain functionalities, such as sound playback, to work properly if at all.

hll timer

This event is used for the history buffer. Deleting this event will completely break the history buffer. The code involved with the history buffer is found in a bunch of different keybindings, this event, and the action default/speech/history buffer.

Keybindings

ctrl+[188] (ctrl+,)

Moves to and reads the previous line in the history buffer.

f3

Turns the volume up for the sounds, except for the free slots

f2

Turns the volume down for the sounds, except for the free slots

ctrl+f2

cycles between the three different speech choices "Jaws or Window-Eyes", "SAPI5", or "no speech". Just press repeatedly until you get the one you want.

ctrl+[191] (ctrl+/)

Moves to and reads the next line in the history buffer.

ctrl+[190] (ctrl+.)

Reads the current line of the history buffer

Escape

Haults any speech currently going on. Most useful for SAPI5, since screen readers you can just press ctrl.

ctrl+shift+f2

Toggles the default/speech/history buffer action between enabled and disabled. When disabled, text will not be captured to the history buffer, but all keybindings related to the history buffer will still function. It is possible to turn the history buffer on, mud for a while, then disable it and still read what was stored there when the history buffer was enabled.

ctrl+shift+[188] (ctrl+shift+,)

Move to and read the first line in the history buffer

ctrl+shift+[191] (ctrl+shift+/)

Moves to and reads the last line in the history buffer.

ctrl+shift+[190} (ctrl+shift+.)

Read the history buffer from current location to end, sort of like say all

ctrl+[222] (ctrl+')

Spell the current line in the history buffer

ctrl+f1

Opens this help file

ctrl+shift+f3

Toggles the default/number truncator substitutes. In short it turns the truncation of numbers like 332710 into 332k on and off.

ctrl+[189] (ctrl+-)

Switch to the previous adjustable control of SAPI voice.

ctrl+[187] (ctrl+=)

Switch to the next adjustable control of SAPI voice.

Shift+ctrl+[189] (shift+ctrl+-)

Decrease the value of the current control of SAPI voice.

shift+ctrl+[187] (shift+ctrl+=)

Increase the value of the current control of SAPI voice.

Substitutes

default

bell

plays a loud sound when the mud instructs the client to play the bell sound. This keybinding can be deleted and the client will revert to playing the default windows beep sound. I like the sound it plays though, until someone beeps me, cause it usually scares me out of my skin.

number truncator

Truncates numbers like 78888151012 into 78.8bil. It's turned off by default. It generally gets in the way when you're trying to figure out how much currency you need for something, so at least it's easy to turn on and off, ctrl+shift+f3.

Variables

sound volume

Stores how loud you want your sounds to play. This variable's value is saved and restored when the client is opened by the default/firstrun event. If this variable is missing, no error will be printed but the sound's volume will default to 0.5 when the xml is opened. Editing this variable rather than using f2 and f3 will not work to adjust the volume of the sounds for the xml while it is open as that is stored in a visual basic variable for faster access. If the xml is saved and closed and reopened after thee value of this variable is changed the sound will be at the volume indicated in the variable, somewhere between 0.0 and 1.0 are valid values, other values will just go as far as it can go in that direction and then call it quits. I recommend that this and all other default variables be ignored, since the client has code to handle them by itself and editing these variables in correctly can break things.

runcounter

Stores how many times the xml has been loaded. the default/firstrun event adds one to this variable and then saves the xml every time the xml is opened.

primary speech

Stores which speech system you want to use. If this variable gets deleted or it's value is edited incorrectly it will completely break the speech system.

summery:

Sound related stuff

To decrease the volume, press f2. To increase it, press f3. speech To cycle between the different speech options, press ctrl+f2 History buffer Press ctrl+shift+f2 to toggle the history buffer on and off. Press ctrl+shift+, to go to the first line in the history buffer. Press ctrl+shift+/ to go to the last line in the history buffer. Press ctrl+, to go to the previous line in the history buffer. Press ctrl+/ to go to the next line in the history buffer. Press ctrl+. to read the current line in the history buffer. Press ctrl+' to spell the current line in the history buffer. Number Truncator Press ctrl+shift+f3 to toggle the number truncator on and off.

Conclusions

This documentation is basically complete