API_USAGE.md

API Usage

This document explains how to use the Piper TTS API from other Visual Studio Code extensions.

Accessing the API

To use the Piper TTS API in your extension, you need to:

1. Add sethmiller.piper-tts as an extension dependency in your package.json:

"extensionDependencies": [
  "sethmiller.piper-tts"
]

2. Access the API in your extension's code:

import * as vscode from 'vscode';

// Type definition for the Piper TTS API
interface PiperTTSApi {
  readText(text: string): Promise<void>;
  stopPlayback(): void;
  selectVoice(): Promise<void>;
}

async function usePiperTTS() {
  // Get the Piper TTS extension
  const piperExtension = vscode.extensions.getExtension('sethmiller.piper-tts');
  
  if (!piperExtension) {
    vscode.window.showErrorMessage('Piper TTS extension is not installed');
    return;
  }
  
  // Activate the extension if it's not already activated
  if (!piperExtension.isActive) {
    await piperExtension.activate();
  }
  
  // Get the API from the extension
  const piperApi = piperExtension.exports as PiperTTSApi;
  
  // Now you can use the API
  try {
    await piperApi.readText('Hello, world!');
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error using Piper TTS:', error);
  }
}

API Methods

The Piper TTS API provides the following methods:

readText(text: string): Promise<void>

Reads the provided text aloud using the currently selected voice.

• text: The text to be read aloud
• Returns a Promise that resolves when the text has been fully read or rejects if an error occurs

stopPlayback(): void

Stops any currently playing text-to-speech.

selectVoice(): Promise<void>

Opens a quick pick menu for the user to select a voice for text-to-speech.

• Returns a Promise that resolves when the user has selected a voice or dismissed the menu