Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!bunker!wtm From: mattioli@took.dec.com (John R. Mattioli) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Can any screen readers support this concept? Message-ID: <15560@bunker.UUCP> Date: 9 Nov 90 05:57:12 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.UUCP Reply-To: mattioli@took.dec.com (John R. Mattioli) Distribution: misc Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Lines: 60 Approved: wtm@bunker.UUCP Fidonet: Blink Talk Conference 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 (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