What is new in Duxbury DBT
DBT 12.6 SR1
2022-12-8 (2023-1-12)
Duxbury Systems continually revises DBT to add new features, support new and updated embossers, and fix problems, as well as to respond to the latest revisions in braille rules, operating system updates, and third party changes.
Below you will find our advances and improvements since the prior release.
For more sources of information, please take advantage of "Check for Updates" from your DBT Help menu. Or, visit the Duxbury Website for both new information and historical information about DBT features and updates.
DBT 12.6 SR1 provides the following important improvements and fixes and more.
Reference Page Numbering
Reference Page Numbering, also known as Print Page Numbering, is an important formatting feature of textbooks and other documents where collaboration with inkprint readers is important. DBT 12.6 SR1 has made several important improvements to the handling of Reference Page Numbering:
- DBT's formatter can automatically increment reference page numbers in both print and braille documents.
- The code used to trigger automatic incrementing can be assigned to the keyboard shortcut used for introducing new Reference Page Numbers, by using the Shortcut Preferences Dialog in the Global menu.
- Importing page break locations from Word (.docx) files now works with modern desktop versions of Word and on Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- For users of Duxbury's BANA Template for Microsoft Word, we've made one other improvement. Where a RefPageNumber paragraph style is used in the middle of a list, DBT will automatically convert this to a RefPageNumberEmbed style to avoid erroneous skipped lines in the list.
Accessibility
- With the current JAWS script files, JAWS 2022 is no longer having problems with using the appropriate grade of braille on refreshable braille devices.
- JAWS no longer chatters when the user translates to braille or toggles between Formatted and Coded view in a braille document
- We have restored the JAWS ability to properly handle highlighting with Control+H in DBT 12.4 or below. [We should probably omit this item.]
- We have fixed a problem that caused JAWS to speak character entry as braille characters when using Find or Replace in print documents.
- JAWS now does more appropriate voicing for navigating through tables and matrices in DBT, including two-page tables. For appropriate voicing in two-page tables, make sure the table starts on an even numbered page (a lefthand page in interpoint braille).
- Previously JAWS cursor tracking could have problems in Coded View unless you intervened in the DBT shortcut properties under Compatibility ‑> High DPI settings. That is no longer needed, as the desired solution is now built into DBT.
- The Canute Braille E-Reader is now supported by DBT.
Document Importing
- We corrected imports of files tagged for spelling/grammar when Word uses the bidi attribute instead of the val attribute to mark the language. This affects, in particular, .docx files containing blends of English and Hindi.
- There are several fixes for importing Word documents with MathType expressions. These changes fix problems with use of the prime symbol and accidental use of a forced hyphen. Importation of function names followed by a Greek letter is also fixed.
- Custom importers (command lines specified in dbt.uit) are no longer restricted to eight-bit command lines, and the command lines are essentially unlimited in length. This makes is more generally possible to use a custom importer on any given document file, regardless of the name and location of the file.
- Custom importers may produce UTF-8 output, provided that a Byte Order Mark is placed at the start of the file. The Byte Order Mark is three bytes: 0xEF, 0xBB, 0xBF. DBT will not compress spaces for UTF-8 custom importer output files, as it does for customer importer output files encoded as DUSCI.
- DBT can properly import indexed roots ([ixtrs]...[ixrte]) from OpenXML (.docx) mathematics markup.
- Importing .docx files containing numerous footnotes and/or endnotes is now more stable, uses less memory, and is faster.
Document Exporting
- Korean text is exported properly to .prf files (but only when UTF-8 encoding is selected)
Math
- We have changed the math style in the templates English (BANA Pre-UEB Textbook DE) - BANA Textbook Fmt and English (BANA Pre-UEB Textbook DE) - BANA Nemeth. Instead of using the codes [ts] and [te] to switch into and out of technical notation, the math style now switches into and out of the Nemeth translation table. This change makes the translated line meaningful for Nemeth technical notation in these pre-UEB templates.
- See other math changes in the language improvements.
Embosser Support
- DBT now supports Z-fold format on Index FanFold embossers
- QuickTac and similar (.sig format) graphics may be produced on ViewPlus embossers, when embedded in a DBT document.
- A problem that caused DBT to improperly scale TactileView images on ViewPlus embossers has been fixed.
- We have fixed a DBT bug that caused excessive popup errors when embossing to Nippon Telesoft Super Gemini embossers with interline print.
DBT Operations / General
- The G1Passage style has been added to all UEB templates. This should be used for spelling lists and similar items as directed by the UEB rule books.
- We have corrected the processing of modified End Codes in Custom formatted tables of contents.
- We have corrected two issues with Replace All in the Editor. The first problem is that the Replace All logic will miss a code (or, presumably, text) that is to be replaced the second (and fourth, etc.) time where it appears immediately after itself. The second problem is a popup message that reports DBT is unable to locate a cursor when Replace All is complete.
- DBT better supports two-page tables. These are tables whose rows spread between two braille pages.
- A potential for DBT to lock up during translation has been resolved.
- Minor updates have been made in the UKAAF template to improve formatting, including of poems.
Language Updates
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
|
All Languages of India: fix apostrophe |
|
|
Assamese: Repair some letter combinations |
|
Hindi: handle English in braille to print. |
|
Khakas: (adding a new language); This is a minority language spoken in Russia |
|
Lithuanian: Respecting emphasis in braille to print. |
|
Nemeth Code: fix spacing issues near boldface and a few other things. |
We have made several "internal" improvements, with potential impact on other languages, including Cherokee, Canadian Aboriginal languages, Japanese, and several West African languages, though these improvements are not fully exposed in the update. If you are interested in this work, or any other language improvements, please write to us at languages@duxsys.com.
DBT 12.6
2022-4-15 (2022-4-25)
DBT 12.6 provides the following important improvements and fixes and more.
User Interface/ Commands / Accessibility
- DBT Editor, Coded View: improved display of non-breaking spaces, non-breaking hyphens, and assisted hyphens.
- Cut and Paste in the SEARCH and REPLACE Dialog: When working on a braille document, the DBT editor now allows cutting and pasting codes containing the tilde (~) and other non-braille characters.
- Replace All: This editing function has been revised for stability and should always produce the expected result.
- JAWS: The JAWS scripts are updated for those using JAWS 2022 with DBT and a braille display, which eliminates problems that caused JAWS to use the wrong grade of braille on the braille display. Additional improvements to the JAWS scripts include improved eBrailler Cosmo support.
- For the Mac platform, greatly improved cursor routing support with refreshable braille displays.
Embosser Support
- Super Gemini Embosser: Duxbury added support in DBT (Win) for variations in the font used for interline print.
- Index Embossers and Humanware (Enabling) Embossers: NEW! Selecting DP6 (double-sided landscape z-fold embossing) versus DP7 (single-sided landscape z-fold embossing).
- Braillo 300, 300 S2, 450 S2, 600, 600 S2: The page length specifications for A4 paper on all these models has been updated (to 83 x 117).
- Enabling Embossers (the classic models that support graphics): Both center and right alignment of tactile graphics output as specified.
DBT Operations / General
- Command line processing: has implemented the command line switch /RemovePrinterInfo, used when saving custom DBT templates.
- The command line now handles wide Unicode characters for file names that can appear in world alphabets.
- Editing: Duxbury fixed a number of customer issues including a reported crash under certain circumstances of saving a file, and a problem inserting a Word document into an open DBT editing session when using Coded View with JAWS and UI Automation.
- Templates: Updated the "English (UEB) - UK formatting (UKAAF)" template to cure problems in SWIFT.
- Activation: Minor improvements to the activation wizard.
- DBT Installer: A bug that could install the support file "en/actwiz.mo" multiple times has been fixed.
Document Importing
- Math Type imports: We resolved a problem in trigonometric functions such as sin, cos, tan, etc., when followed by a Greek letter; the needed space after the function name is now present.
- Orbit Reader imports / BRL Files: the Orbit Reader import filter has a change to ensure that the braille dot patterns dot 4, dots 45, 1256, 246, 12456, and 456 are mapped to the preferred ASCII character to allow recognition by the braille-to-print translators. This makes the Orbit Reader Import filter a good choice when importing .brl files from any refreshable braille device.
-
LaTeX: improvements cover additional cases of emphasis/typeform indicators in the markup.
Language Updates
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
|
Languages of India: Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, Panjabi, Sinhala, Telugu. The accuracy of the braille-to-print translations for these Indian languages has been improved. |
|
All eleven official languages ofSouth Africa: have fully functional braille-to-print translators suitable for demanding applications (Afrikaans, English, and the nine indigenous languages: Ndebele, Nguni, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu). |
|
Mathematics Braille: There is a correction for the "identical to" symbol (dots 456 123456) in the English (UEB) braille-to-print table and in 11 non-English braille-to-print tables: including Afrikaans, Welsh, Irish, Biblical Original Languages, Esperanto, and several of the indigenous South African languages. |
|
Amharic: The print-to-braille translation table, and braille-to-print table, are updated to correct the representation of the Amharic syllable "do", and to extend support for the "simplified mode." |
|
Biblical Original Languages tables improved. |
|
Danish, Greenlandic: The translation tables in both directions, print-to-braille and braille-to-print, have been updated to correct handling of certain indicators, including emphasis and termination of capitals, and to remove pre-UEB American-style English braille as a secondary language. The associated Danish (and Greenlandic) uncontracted tables were likewise updated. |
|
|
English / UEB: The English/Unified Braille translation tables, both print-to-braille and braille-to-print, have been updated to disallow interior type form changes within words standing alone, which affects short-form usage in rare cases. They also correct the contraction usage of several unusual words, and include the recent decisions of the UEB Code Maintenance Committee. The "learning series" (partial contraction) tables for BANA: TSBVI Clusters, Mangold Method, and NLS I.M.B.T.; those for UKAAF/BAUK: Braille in Easy Steps, Fingerprint (UEB), and Take off Series; and OTHERS: RNZFB STAR and S.A. Syllabus Level are included in these updates. If you wish us to include your language's curricula for learning tables, please contact us at: languages@duxsys.com. |
|
Finnish: The braille translation tables in both directions, print-to-braille and braille-to-print, have been updated to correct emphasis indicators and a punctuation mark. |
|
Quebec French, Pre-Unified: The print-to-braille table corrects the encoding for a square shape input character. |
|
Greek: The print-to-braille table is updated to correct the encoding of dasia in the entry for alpha upsilon with varia and dasia. |
|
Igbo: NEW! This language now has a braille-to-print (reverse) translation table. Also, the print-to-braille translation table is updated to correct the representation of several characters. |
|
Latvian: The braille translation tables in both directions, print-to-braille and braille-to-print, have been updated to conform to newer standards for certain indicators and punctuation marks. |
|
|
Mathematics – Nemeth Code: The Nemeth translator already adds spaces around many signs of comparison including all of the common ones. This handling has just been added for double length arrows. Also, when a comparison sign is at the end of a math style, the translator now correctly adds a space before the sign but not after it. In addition, we fixed a problem that could cause the omission of a baseline indicator needed after a term with subscripts and/or superscripts when followed by a trigonometric function. |
|
Romanian: The print-to-braille translation table has been updated to provide support for Cyrillic characters, still sometimes found in Romanian and Moldovan text. |
|
Serbian: Improved braille-to-print translation including the correction of two non-alphabetic symbols in Cyrillic text. |
|
Slovak: Updated print-to-braille & braille-to-print tables for a number of symbols specified by the Slovak braille authority. Also, fixed the local encoding to enable correct Slovak braille display. |
|
Slovenian: Because of recent contact with Slovenian braille experts, we have reworked the Slovenian print-to-braille table. The changes include the typeform indicators (bold, italic, etc.), and the decimal comma. A corresponding braille-to-print table has been developed, and a new template added for grade 1 (uncontracted) Slovenian braille. |
|
Swedish: has improved translation tables in both directions, print-to-braille and braille-to-print, respecting certain punctuation signs and emphasis indicators. |
|
Urdu: The print-to-braille translation table has been updated to correct the representation of the Arabic letter "heh goal" (Unicode: U+06C1). |
Notice: Microsoft Windows 7
You may still find occasional references to the Windows 7 operating system in these Help pages, but be warned that Microsoft has ended support of Windows 7, and security updates ceased as of January 2020. For this reason, Duxbury cannot recommend using DBT on Windows 7 computers or on any earlier Microsoft operating system.
Duxbury DBT Win Complete Release History
Download DBT DBT Win 12.6 SR2
Purchasing Duxbury DBT: New Licenses or Updates
Copyright Duxbury Systems, Inc. Tuesday, April 26, 2022
