I'm new here, and now think I posted the following request to the wrong forum. Hope it's Ok to repost it here. (Sorry):
Some years ago I wrote a program designed to make reading text files easier, and also more fun. It enables the user to read one line at a time or even one word at a time, with options to control the speed at which each word is displayed. You can also control the width of the display, and also skim the text based on a set of search words or phrases.
The most innovative feature is that second one, the word by word display, which would, I think, make it particularly useful for reading relatively short text messages on a device with a small screen. It takes some getting used to, but unless you're reading an academic or scientific paper that requires a lot of study, reading word by word is actually quite straightforward, and also fun. Working regularly with this feature can also help speed up your reading time, which is why I decided to rename it "Speed Reader" (formerly, "First Reader").
An especially useful feature is the skim feature, which makes it possible to go through a very long text, finding only passages that contain what most interests you, sort of like a dynamic index.
Problem is, it was written in a now obsolete language, Microsoft QuickBasic. The exe file, amazingly enough, actually still works on my Vista system, so anyone interested in checking it out can probably do so on their current PC (assuming they have a PC and not a Mac). But the source code is accessible only via QuickBasic, which is probably no longer compatible with Windows-based machines. (My copy of QB is on a 5 1/4 inch disc, so I can no longer easily access it.)
So. I have a couple questions: first, does this sound like something that would make a useful and marketable app for Android, iPhone, iPad, or any comparable device? In other words, would it be worth my while to take the trouble necessary to update it so it would run on current equipment, or is something similar already out there? or is it simply a lame idea with no real market potential?
Second, if it does sound like something worth pursuing, then I could use some advice on finding developers who might be interested in working with me on such a project. I could help with deciphering the QB source, but I'd need someone capable of translating that into currently applicable code. If anyone's curious, I'll be happy to send them the exe file, so they can try it out for themselves.
I hope I've posted this in the right place, if not I apologize. Thank you.
Some years ago I wrote a program designed to make reading text files easier, and also more fun. It enables the user to read one line at a time or even one word at a time, with options to control the speed at which each word is displayed. You can also control the width of the display, and also skim the text based on a set of search words or phrases.
The most innovative feature is that second one, the word by word display, which would, I think, make it particularly useful for reading relatively short text messages on a device with a small screen. It takes some getting used to, but unless you're reading an academic or scientific paper that requires a lot of study, reading word by word is actually quite straightforward, and also fun. Working regularly with this feature can also help speed up your reading time, which is why I decided to rename it "Speed Reader" (formerly, "First Reader").
An especially useful feature is the skim feature, which makes it possible to go through a very long text, finding only passages that contain what most interests you, sort of like a dynamic index.
Problem is, it was written in a now obsolete language, Microsoft QuickBasic. The exe file, amazingly enough, actually still works on my Vista system, so anyone interested in checking it out can probably do so on their current PC (assuming they have a PC and not a Mac). But the source code is accessible only via QuickBasic, which is probably no longer compatible with Windows-based machines. (My copy of QB is on a 5 1/4 inch disc, so I can no longer easily access it.)
So. I have a couple questions: first, does this sound like something that would make a useful and marketable app for Android, iPhone, iPad, or any comparable device? In other words, would it be worth my while to take the trouble necessary to update it so it would run on current equipment, or is something similar already out there? or is it simply a lame idea with no real market potential?
Second, if it does sound like something worth pursuing, then I could use some advice on finding developers who might be interested in working with me on such a project. I could help with deciphering the QB source, but I'd need someone capable of translating that into currently applicable code. If anyone's curious, I'll be happy to send them the exe file, so they can try it out for themselves.
I hope I've posted this in the right place, if not I apologize. Thank you.
