Posting your workbook on the Internet

There are two ways to make your exported files available on the Internet, so that others can access them or so you can play them on a handheld device without having to transfer them to the device (through iTunes or whatever). They are: (1) having a web site and (2) uploading your files to an ftp site and giving others links to access the files without having to create a web page. In either case, you you can post an exported workbook quite easily, because SentenceShaper writes all the html files for you. You just upload the exported folder and then link to ONE file in the folder.

See below for instructions about both methods.

If you have a web site...

Individuals, clinics, schools, or aphasia centers who have a website can post SentenceShaper workbooks on their site. We realize that this is a limited group...but our current approach is to try to make SentenceShaper speech files usable in as many ways as possible.

A Sample Internet playlist

This page shows what a SentenceShaper workbook is like when it is posted on a web page. Because there is so much variation across different platforms, the program exports workbooks so that you can play them in two different ways.

First method: launch the workbook playlist with one click

(The first method works well on newer Windows 7 computers...but for iPads, use Method #2)

Click here to play a sample workbook with a "playlist" file created by SentenceShaper. Choose "Open" if you are asked whether you want to open or save, and select Windows Media Player if you are offered a choice.

***YOU SHOULD NOW SEE A PICTURE OF PEOPLE WALKING ON A BEACH while the sound is playing, as in the screenshot here. If you don't see the picture, or if no sound plays, or if nothing at all happens, then use Method #2 below. (And if your sound player opens a whole new window, hit the back button to return to this page.)

Second method: View each page separately

Click here to open a list of pages in this sample workbook. They are html pages automatically created by SentenceShaper. Click on each page to see its picture and hear its sound file. Each page will have links to several different media (music) players, so just find one that works on your browser. By "work" we mean (1) plays sound and (2) shows a picture and/or caption.

The first time you open a workbook page, you may have a brief wait while the program downloads any plugins necessary to play the files...it will ask your permission. If the players don't appear, it may be waiting for you to approve by clicking on the top of the page to allow "ActiveX controls".

How to post a workbook on your website

1. In the Export Settings Screen, select the "Workbook Playlist for Internet" option. On that screen, type in the URL where you will be posting the workbook folder created by SentenceShaper.
2. Create some speech and export your workbook. It will show up in the ExportFolder, and the workbook folder name will end in "FOR INTERNET".
3. Now upload this exported workbook folder to your website, making sure that it goes into the folder you specified in the Export Settings Screen.
4. In the folder, there is a file named "LINK_TO_THIS_FILE.html". Make a link to this file from one of your web pages.

That's all you have to do. You do not need to make any links to the other files in the folder. SentenceShaper does that for you!

Note: Depending on how your website is set up, you might want to add a "return" link to "LINK_TO_THIS_FILE.html", so that people can return to the original page on your site without having to use the back button on their browser.

Important: If you are testing your web page locally, it will not play the SentenceShaper files unless you have actually uploaded the workbook folder to your website, and to the exact location that you specified in the Export Settings Panel.

So you may want to upload the folders first, but wait to publish your link(s) to them until you have tested them.

Making changes to SentenceShaper-created html files

If you are used to making web pages, you can edit the html pages created by the program in order to make them more attractive, or to remove unneeded options. Just do not change any of the actual links or file names.

Alternative to a website: Use an "ftp server" to put your files on the Internet

If you do not have a web page, you can still post your exported workbook files on the Internet without becoming a "webmaster"! There are many inexpensive ftp hosting sites that provide free storage and tools to upload the entire workbook folder to the site. Then you just give your friends a link to the "LINK_TO_THIS_PAGE.html" file that you have uploaded in the exported folder.

More details will be provide in this section soon, so please check back here if you are interested.

Another way to post your workbook to the Internet is to turn your exported mp3 files into a video, which you can then upload to Youtube or Facebook, etc. This is covered in a separate section.