Typescript player for HTML5

(This is about Unix typescript, not the more recent programming language called TypeScript)

I wrote this to make an in-browser demonstration of Primer Pooler. It uses code from DOStoy to display a typescript in an HTML5 canvas.

Advantages:

• The Javascript is entirely self-contained. It does not require any special setup on the server side and you don’t have to rely on a third-party server.
• Reduces data transfer without blurring the text (although HTML5 Canvas can be blurred under some circumstances)
• New text stays entirely within the canvas and is not added to the web page, thus avoiding bad interactions with screenreaders and accessibility CSS
• Canvas appears only on wide screens, won’t clutter mobile devices (I’m assuming the demonstration is non-essential)
• Animation does not start until clicked on (to avoid annoying anyone who’s not looking at it), and can be paused/resumed at any time by clicking again
• The typescript can be viewed in the Javascript source.

Disadvantages:

• No rewind control
• Won’t stop the screensaver
• Can’t copy/paste or change the font without looking at the source
• The terminal program must be simple: think line-mode interaction with some colours. Full-screen editors etc will not work properly (at least not without further work on the converter)
• No screen-reader accessibility. But as mentioned above I’m assuming the demonstration is entirely optional; people who don’t think visually shouldn’t need it (I know I don’t; I’m just doing this because apparently some sighted people want it).

Download: script2canvas.py (License: MIT)

=> script2canvas.py

Usage:

1. On a GNU/Linux terminal, do script -t log2 2>log1 and record as appropriate

2. Do python script2canvas.py >demo.js

3. Optionally edit the resulting demo.js file if you want to ‘airbrush’ your mistakes

4. In your HTML, put:

5. Test

Legal

All material © Silas S. Brown unless otherwise stated. Javascript is a trademark of Oracle Corporation in the US. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Unix is a trademark of The Open Group. Any other trademarks I mentioned without realising are trademarks of their respective holders.