14.0

Boosting Productivity with Custom Commands

In previous lessons, you learned various built-in voice commands to perform actions such as formatting text,

searching the Internet, creating a new e-mail, creating a new appointment… The higher editions of Dragon also

allow the creation of custom commands.

There are several types of custom commands; this workbook presents the “Auto-text” (“Text-and-Graphics”) type,

which allows you to define boilerplate for Dragon to paste wherever you utter the command. This boilerplate can

contain graphics, such as logos, scanned signatures, maps… Easy to create, these commands provide

considerable time savings and convenience. In editions above Premium, you can even include fields in them—a

quick way to create templates that can be both created AND navigated by voice.

Creating boilerplate commands

Step 1: Say add new command or choose Add New Auto-Text or Add New Command in the Tools menu.

Step 2: Think of a name for your command and enter it. This is the phrase you will say to cause the

command to execute. Choose it well! It should be easy to remember and easy to say, like Paste Signature

and Enter Home Directions.

 Choose a descriptive, meaningful name (as opposed to a name like “macro 3”.)

 Make it neither long nor short (between 2 and 5 words is usually best). Avoid single words, and phrases

you’re likely to dictate, such as your name.

 Use words that are easily pronounced and recognized. All words in the command name must be in the

Vocabulary. Don’t use symbols—for instance, use “number” instead of “#”, otherwise Dragon would

expect to hear “number sign” or “pound sign” when you say the command.

Step 3: In the Description field, enter information about your command. This is optional, but it helps remember

any important details about the command (its intent, when and where you might use it…).

The following step applies only to the higher editions of Dragon, and the MyCommands Editor as

opposed to the Add New Auto-Text window.

Step 4: Optionally, choose a group. In the Group field, you can highlight and overwrite the default.

Creating commands groups can later allow you to

locate and manage many commands quickly. Aim

to name your groups meaningfully: for instance,

the name of the application or task for which you

are creating the command(s).

Once a command Group is defined, you can add

more commands to that group (Dragon will now

include it in the “Group” drop-down list).

IMPORTANT: If desired, you can always assign the command to another group later.

Step 5: In the body field, enter what you want Dragon to paste when you say your command. (You may find it

helpful to enlarge or even maximize the window so that a larger field is visible.)