mattioli@took.dec.com (John R. Mattioli) (11/09/90)
Index Number: 11654
Hi people,
I recently got a copy of a Vocal-eyes demo and, while very happy
with it in general, I've come across a concept that I'm not sure
Vocal-eyes (or any other screen reader for that matter) can handle
well. If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it if you'd
let me know. Here's what the concept is.
DEC systems (editors, and such) have the concept of a "gold-key"
which, basically, modifies the action of the key pressed after it.
For example, if you press the "find" key, your editor will look for
the next occurance of a string. If you press gold-find your editor
will ask you what string to search for and then search for it.
There are many other examples of how the gold key can modify what a
key can do. Here are just a few of them:
page-up: go up one page (page-down goes down one page)
gold-page-up: go to top of file (gold-page-down goes to end of file)
r enters an "r" in your text
gold-r edit current ruler line
select (this key is actually the number eight on the numeric
keypad) Begins highlighting for other commands such as
delete or fill
gold-select fills the current paragraph.
This list could go on forever but my point is fairly simple. In
order to emulate a vtxxx terminal (vt100, vt200, vt300 series) with
any accuracy whatsoever you need this gold key concept.
Are there any screen readers that can cope with this? I know you
can associate a list of screen reader commands with one key on the
keyboard but can you associate a list of commands with more then
one key. For example, if a user hits gold-find the screen reader
should read line 25 of the screen where the words "forward_search:"
or "reverse_search:" will be. If the user just hits find, don't
read this line. Obviously, given the list of all gold key
sequences the solution to this problem is somewhat more complex
then spending a few minutes with a keyboard macro program.
If anyone knows how this can be done or if it can be done or what
screen readers support such a concept or if you've got any info
that may be helpful at all please contact me. My addresses are
below.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone may be able to provide.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Mattioli
Most improved skier (american blind skiers association 1989)
and humble to!
(DEC E-NET) TOOK::MATTIOLI
(UUCP) {decvax, ucbvax, allegra}!decwrl!TOOK.dec.com!MATTIOLI
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(US MAIL) John Mattioli
550 King St. LKG2-2/BB9
Littleton, Ma. 01460campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell) (11/14/90)
Index Number: 11657 Re: gold key. If a reader with macros had a user setable flag, the could the gold key set the flag and then a macro assigned to each key modified by the gold key have a macro associated with it that would test the flag? I think the VP screen reader had a couple of flags, but its if statements were hard to use, if there weren't bugs in them-- I played with them a little a couple of years ago but don't remember the results of my experiments except that I didn't continue them. JAWS 2 has macros; does it have flags? Gary Campbell
Glen.Nielson@f778.n115.z1.fidonet.org (Glen Nielson) (11/17/90)
Index Number: 11797
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
Hi John,
My VB Communications program does support the "Gold Key".
Unfortunately, the first release wasn't quite right, but those
problems have been fixed.
Glen
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!115!778!Glen.Nielson
Internet: Glen.Nielson@f778.n115.z1.fidonet.orgDonald.Breda@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Donald Breda) (11/21/90)
Index Number: 11935
[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]
to: campbell%hpdmd48@hplabs.HP.COM (Gary Campbell)
GC> Index Number: 11657
GC> Re: gold key.
GC> If a reader with macros had a user setable flag, the could the
GC> gold key set the flag and then a macro assigned to each key
GC> modified by the gold key have a macro associated with it that
GC> would test the flag? I think the VP screen reader had a couple
GC> of flags, but its if statements were hard to use, if there
GC> weren't bugs in them-- I played with them a little a couple of
GC> years ago but don't remember the results of my experiments
GC> except that I didn't continue them. JAWS 2 has macros; does it
GC> have flags?
GC> Gary Campbell
HI gary; Yes JAWS2 has a very nice macro editor that has 5 user flags that can
be set and tested and has 10 level deep nesting of macro's.
YOu can also test BIOS things such as the status of numlock and caps lock and
you can test for which cursor is turned on and more.
It is not has powerful as something like IBM screen reader, but it is quite
incrediable and well worth a look for what you want to do.
It has if then else, and all that good stuff with more improvements to come.
Hope this helps.
... Abled, Blinktalk and silver in boston
--
Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!101!460!Donald.Breda
Internet: Donald.Breda@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.orgmattioli@took.dec.com (John R. Mattioli) (11/29/90)
Index Number: 12020 In article <15843@bunker.UUCP>, Donald.Breda@f460.n101.z1.fidonet.org (Donald Breda) writes... >HI gary; Yes JAWS2 has a very nice macro editor that has 5 user flags that can >be set and tested and has 10 level deep nesting of macro's. > Hi Don, It sounds like Jaws just might be able to be made to understand the gold key then. It would take a huge "network" of macros to make it work, but maybe (just maybe) it could be done. Some applications (especially editors) use the gold key quite extensively (as in it modifies at least half the keys on the keyboard). It sounds like it could be done in macros but, all politics aside, "YUCK!" I wouldn't want to have to do it. So, all this talk about the gold key aside, how are people using talking computers as terminals to DEC computers? If somebody's doing it without a gold key I give them a lot of credit. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Mattioli Most improved skier (american blind skiers association 1989) and humble to! (DEC E-NET) TOOK::MATTIOLI (UUCP) {decvax, ucbvax, allegra}!decwrl!TOOK.dec.com!MATTIOLI (ARPA) MATTIOLI@TOOK.dec.com MATTIOLI%TOOK.dec.com@decwrl.dec.com (US MAIL) John Mattioli 550 King St. LKG2-2/BB9 Littleton, Ma. 01460