# Dictating Julia code (for those who wish to avoid or control RSI)

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Created:** [August 26, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062 "2018-08-26T02:14:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PetrKryslUCSD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petrkryslucsd/32/215825_2.png) [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 2:14am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/1 "2018-08-26T02:14:56Z")

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A while back someone asked me about my approach to working with a code while avoiding typing and mousing by hand. I promised a video illustrating the basics. Since it may be of more general use, here it is: [Dropbox - File Deleted](https://www.dropbox.com/s/oh6neip26su0gn1/example_dictated_code.flv?dl=0)

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to find out how this is done. If all you need just a few hints: Nuance Dragon 15 Professional, infrared mouse for moving the cursor, and USB button for clicking. Plus a few specialized commands.

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**Author:** ![mohamed82008](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mohamed82008/32/18171_2.png) [@mohamed82008](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mohamed82008)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/2 "2018-08-26T02:36:19Z")

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That’s cool but looks kinda slow 😅

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**Author:** ![PetrKryslUCSD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petrkryslucsd/32/215825_2.png) [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/3 "2018-08-26T02:39:59Z")

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If you think about it in terms of dictating the code from a template, it sure is slower than typing. However developing the code from scratch includes a lot of thinking in between the typing. Plus: normally I use a lot of cut-and-paste (which was not part of the demonstration).

Dictating normal text actually is much much quicker.

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**Author:** ![Evizero](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/evizero/32/10118_2.png) [@Evizero](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Evizero)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:58am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/4 "2018-08-26T05:58:05Z")

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Thank you for sharing this. I never knew people programmed this way. I found the video quite captivating to watch.

Out of curiousity, how fast can you dicate your commands (and how many at a time)? Is the software making you wait untill your previous commands have been realized, or are you waiting by choice to see the effect?

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**Author:** ![PetrKryslUCSD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petrkryslucsd/32/215825_2.png) [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/5 "2018-08-26T15:51:23Z")

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There is a programmable pause that is required to aid in recognition. Usually around 0.2 seconds. I tend to wait a bit instead of dictating an uninterrupted stream because it is easier for correcting any errors that may occur.

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**Author:** ![Seif\_Shebl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Seif\_Shebl](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Seif_Shebl)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:34pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/6 "2018-08-26T16:34:55Z")

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These voice recognition software achieve much higher accuracy when dictating longer full sentences instead of short incomplete phrases/words, you’re right though that writing code is different, it requires more thinking.

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**Author:** ![PetrKryslUCSD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petrkryslucsd/32/215825_2.png) [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/7 "2018-08-26T16:39:10Z")

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I am a reasonably good typist. Typing the code took me about 2:30 minutes. The video fragment is 3:50 minutes long. So the dictation took about twice as long. (YMMV.) But for code development the timing is probably irrelevant. Most time will be spent cogitating rather than typing, I would guess.

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**Author:** ![PetrKryslUCSD](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/petrkryslucsd/32/215825_2.png) [@PetrKryslUCSD](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/PetrKryslUCSD)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/dictating-julia-code-for-those-who-wish-to-avoid-or-control-rsi/14062/8 "2019-09-17T16:11:20Z")

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Regrettably, the link to the video went dead as the video was deleted by mistake. Here is a brief alternate recording: [Dropbox - File Deleted](https://www.dropbox.com/s/twdpzjc44svhyw8/ScreenHunter%2006.mp4?dl=0)  
Apologies.