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WinBuilder - Accessibility


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#1 Zimmy

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 05:27 PM

Hello,
I am a visually impaired user of WinBuilder. In some ways the application is very accessible, but certain screens and functions are more difficult to access if you rely on screen reading software. A simple method for making the program more accessible would be to add a few keyboard shortcuts. I was wondering if this is something the author would consider for the next version. If so, I have some suggestions as to which functions would benefit from having shortcuts assigned to them.
1. The "Play" button obviously.
2. The button which activates the "Tools" screen.
3. The button which activates the screen to edit the currently selected script.
There are probably others, but I believe that these three would go a long way towards making WinBuilder a bit more accessible.
Thanks and regards.


#2 Brito

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 07:14 PM

Hi Zimmy,

 

I am happy to inform that the next version of Winbuilder is focused on supporting visually impaired computer administrators.

 

On the new version you can use normal keyboard commands to create boot disks.

 

The new winbuilder will be released tomorrow, you're welcome to use this topic to give us direct feedback on what you think that should be improved since we'll be here to apply the necessary changes.

 

On my computer I already have NVDA installed to test the results.



#3 Zimmy

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 07:34 PM

Hello Nuno,
Thanks, that is good to know. Personally, I am accustomed to using software much less accessible than WinBuilder, but of course more accessible is always preferable. Where is the usual download location for WinBuilder? I have never actually downloaded it by itself. I have always up to this point downloaded it as part of a project.


#4 Zimmy

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Posted 03 September 2013 - 08:14 PM

Ah, never mind. It seems that
http://winbuilder.net/
is the official homepage?


#5 Brito

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 08:25 AM

Yes, that is official homepage but first we will be releasing it here on the downloads portal at http://reboot.pro/files/

 

Don't worry, I will later post here the link for you to download.

 

Last night I was working on better accessibility options. For example, it should soon be possible to play sounds whenever a relevant log message occurs. This way you'll be able to hear that the build process is going without issues, whenever a error would come up then an error sound is played.

 

On top of this, the new winbuilder comes with a web interface. This means that you can use a normal web browser to control winbuilder and to change the settings since they are plain HTML documents intended to be handled from a browser.



#6 Zimmy

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 11:22 AM

Thanks again Nuno.  So is the new version backwards compatible with existing scripts and projects?


Edited by Zimmy, 04 September 2013 - 11:24 AM.


#7 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 12:06 PM

So is the new version backwards compatible with existing scripts and projects?

Here comes the tricky part, AFAIK. :ph34r:

Of course not. :(

 

The new version has been just released here, JFYI:

http://reboot.pro/to...849-winbuilder/

 

It is senselessly named the SAME as the "old" Winbuilder engine and sports a SINGLE project ALSO named EXACTLY as a previous project, to favour disambiguation.

 

The utter foolishness of this particular naming has been already discussed (vainly of course) here:

http://reboot.pro/to...lly-bob-thread/

 

I hope that it will anyway be an improvement in usability for all visually impaired Billy-Bob's :) and as well for all the other Billy-Bob's.

 

Mr. Ford has won his futile battle war, at last:

http://reboot.pro/to...-here/?p=109801

 

We (the people or citizens) cannot be happy with the results, but at least (hopefully) the war is over.

 

:cheers:

Wonko



#8 Zimmy

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 12:44 PM

Here comes the tricky part, AFAIK. :ph34r:

Of course not. :(

 

Hmm, that is disappointing. All the currently available WinBuilder projects which include support for the NVDA screen reader are obviously based on the previous version.
Also, I already have Java installed, but the version that does not include Java still prompts me to install it. Anyone who is visually impaired and is using the version which does include Java should be aware that you have to add the Java Access Bridge
http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/tech/index-jsp-136191.html
components for accessibility to work correctly.



#9 pscEx

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 12:48 PM

Also, I already have Java installed, but the version that does not include Java still prompts me to install it.

That seems to be a bug in the compile contents. I'll going to fix.

 

I'm working on a NVDA plugin for the Win7PE project.

Will be published soon.

 

Peter



#10 Zimmy

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 12:54 PM

I'm working on a NVDA plugin for the Win7PE project.

Will be published soon.

 

That is appreciated. Thanks.


#11 Brito

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 01:22 PM

Thanks again Nuno.  So is the new version backwards compatible with existing scripts and projects?

 

Not backward compatible. There is a big gap since the last release of winbuilder some years ago. It is possible to make the old scripts work, albeit the available effort for programming is very limited.
 

 

Also, I already have Java installed, but the version that does not include Java still prompts me to install it. Anyone who is visually impaired and is using the version which does include Java should be aware that you have to add the Java Access Bridge

 

Yes, this is a simple defect that should already be fixed on the next release as Peter mentions.



#12 pscEx

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 02:05 PM

Also, I already have Java installed, but the version that does not include Java still prompts me to install it.

The uploaded jc (Java Client) compilation was corrupted. I reuploaded. Now the file has a size of 7.5 megabyte compared with 600 kilobyte previously.

 

Peter



#13 Wonko the Sane

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 02:23 PM

There is a big gap since the last release of winbuilder some years ago.

Really, you should call that a "quantum leap" (it sounds better ;)).

 

:cheers:

Wonko



#14 Zimmy

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Posted 04 September 2013 - 02:31 PM

The uploaded jc (Java Client) compilation was corrupted. I reuploaded. Now the file has a size of 7.5 megabyte compared with 600 kilobyte previously.

 

Thanks.  Is there any documentation for the new version yet?





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