Save as DAISY XML - Microsoft

The "Save As DAISY XML - Microsoft" project area provides information and links to additional information and downloads for the free, open source Microsoft "Save As DAISY XML" Translator.

Microsoft "Save As DAISY XML" Translator add-in released May 7, 2008

The press release and related materials for the "Save As DAISY XML" Translator for Microsoft Office Word are available online.

The free add-in for the "Save As DAISY XML" Translator can be downloaded from the SourceForge Web site. This link will take you directly to the download for the add-in for the following versions of Microsoft Office Word: Word XP, 2003, and 2007. There is a single setup for these versions of Microsoft Office. The software will automatically detect the version of Microsoft Office Word used and install the appropriate add-in. If you experience problems with the download, there is also an optional link on the page called "this direct link". The Command Line "Save As DAISY XML" Translator can also be downloaded from SourceForge. A list of the features included in the "Save As DAISY XML" Translator 3.0 is also available.

The Microsoft press information package has also been produced as a DAISY 2.02 Digital Talking Book using the Microsoft "Save As DAISY XML" Translator add-in and the DAISY Pipeline and can be downloaded. To make the download as simple as possible, the DAISY DTB files have been zipped into a single file. You will need to download the zip file to an empty folder and then unzip the file before the DTB can be read. If you do not have a DAISY reading system (player), information and links are available in the DAISY Products and Services area, on the Playback Tools page.

Two support documents are also provided, the DAISY Translator Instruction Manual and the DAISY Trouble Shooting Guidelines. Prior to installation, read the Instruction Manual, in particular, "Prerequisites for Installing the Open XML to DAISY XML Translator". Note that these documents are .docx files. If you do not have the most recent version of Microsoft Office, .doc files for the Translator Instruction Manual and the Trouble Shooting Guidelines are also available for download.

Emphasizing the importance of these tools, Helen Brazier, a member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Libraries for the Blind Section said, "...things are beginning to change, and state-of-the-art technology like the 'Save As DAISY XML' add-in and the new DAISY Pipeline are making it easy and cost-effective for libraries to essentially level the information playing field for people with disabilities..."

This project is a collaborative standards-based development project between the DAISY Consortium, Microsoft Inc., and Sonata Software. "Save As DAISY XML" is an open source development which serves as a reference model for other publishing software and system developers. The add-in for Microsoft Office Word translates Open XML-based documents into DAISY XML, the world’s most widely used access technology for reading.

Additional Resources:

• FAQ gives answers to a few Frequently Asked Questions.
• Forum leads to the DAISY Forum for Microsoft "Save As DAISY XML" is for posting detailed questions and answers, and for links to press releases and other information.
• Microsoft Open XML Community is a centralized area for announcements and documentation from Microsoft.
• Finally, links to the Microsoft "Save As DAISY XML" Project Development Site on SourceForge and the Sample Content Submission Area are specifically for the open-source developer community