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From: Al.Hoffman@p0.f143.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Al Hoffman)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: pal
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Date: 19 Nov 90 22:00:04 GMT
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Index Number: 11877

[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Bill:

     Screen Reader comes made with a lot of pre-written Pal(s).  You 
can, for example--set up monitor windows, assign window numbers, set 
action-bar monitoring, look for boxes, etc.  Basically the time to 
write special new Pal(s) is when you need a combination of several 
functions, or something very complex such as watching for a certain 
word and then reading another screen window, or maybe something like 
every other time you see a certain phrase oor set of things then read 
several different dynamically changing areas of the screen.
     Such as:

     If the right corner of the top line of the screen is blue-blinking, 
and the left corner of the bottom line of the screen is red blinking, 
then if the third line has the word "quit," or "escape," then read 
the window for box #3.  Where box three is a defined box that changes 
depending upon the programs other modules.

     Sure, thats pretty far out, but you can get great results with 
stuff like that--but you can live without it with the basic Screen 
REader package.  Personally I feel that Screen Reader probablly isn't 
the thing for all minds, if you know you definitely won't try learning 
a Pal language then maybe some other program is best for you.  Its 
simply a matter of power verses simplicity.  Neither is best in all 
situations, but in the end if you have a troublesome program to use 
Screen Reader will let you have more ways at cracking the barrier 
than anything else I have played with.  Its more of a working platform 
from which you can get hold of your computing environment rather than 
a tool you use to inquire into your environment.

     Its good to see questions about this topic because I think a 
melding of the two worlds of the complex and simple will end up with 
a great system.  For example Screen REader like programs will one 
day probablly have a fourth generation language to drive the Pal type 
production.  You will "tell," your system what you want and it will 
create the technical stuff for you.

--
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