Make Python Talk: Build Apps with Voice Control and Speech Recognition

A project-based book that teaches beginning Python programmers how to build working, useful, and fun voice-controlled applications. This fun, hands-on book will take your basic Python skills to the next level as you build voice-controlled apps to use in your daily life. Starting with a Python refresher and an introduction to speech-recognition/text-to-speech functionalities, you'll soon ease into more advanced topics, like making your own modules and building working voice-controlled apps. Each chapter scaffolds multiple projects that allow you to see real results from your code at a manageable pace, while end-of-chapter exercises strengthen your understanding of new concepts. You'll design interactive games, like Connect Four and Tic-Tac-Toe, and create intelligent computer opponents that talk and take commands; you'll make a real-time language translator, and create voice-activated financial-market apps that track the stocks or cryptocurrencies you are interested in. Finally, you'll load all of these features into the ultimate virtual personal assistant - a conversational VPA that tells jokes, reads the news, and gives you hands-free control of your email, browser, music player, desktop files, and more. Along the way, you'll learn how to:● Build Python modules, implement animations, and integrate live data into an app● Use web-scraping skills for voice-controlling podcasts, videos, and web searches● Fine-tune the speech recognition to accept a variety of input● Associate regular tasks like opening files and accessing the web with speech commands● Integrate functionality from other programs into a single VPA with computational knowledge engines to answer almost any question Packed with cross-platform code examples to download, practice activities and exercises, and explainer images, you'll quickly become proficient in Python coding in general and speech recognition/text to speech in particular.

IntroductionPart I: Getting StartedChapter 1: Install Python via Anaconda and SpyderChapter 2: Python RefresherPart II: Learning to TalkChapter 3: Speech RecognitionChapter 4: Make Python TalkChapter 5: Speaking ApplicationsChapter 6: Web Scraping Podcasts, Radios, and VideosChapter 7: Building a Virtual Personal AssistantChapter 8: Know-it-all VPAPart III: Interactive GamesChapter 9: Graphics and Animation with the turtle ModuleChapter 10: Tic-Tac-ToeChapter 11: Connect FourChapter 12: guess-the-word GameChapter 13: Smart Games: Adding IntelligencePart IV: Going FurtherChapter 14: Financial ApplicationsChapter 15: Stock Market WatchChapter 16: Use Other Languages: TranslatorChapter 17: Ultimate VPAAppendix A: Useful Speech ModulesAppendix B: Answers to End of Chapter ExercisesIndex