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GW Micro - Window-Eyes - Features Window-Eyes: Performance, Reliability, and Stability "Unleashing
the power of your mind's eye." ©1995-2008
GW Micro, Inc. All Rights Reserved E-Mail: support@gwmicro.com Phone: 260-489-3671 Released:
10/23/2008 [Please note: The following
information can also be found in the Window-Eyes Readme option, under the Help
menu in the Window-Eyes Control Panel.] Welcome to Window-Eyes 7.01
Congratulations!
GW Micro is proud to offer
Window-Eyes 7.01, potentially the most anticipated release in the history of
Window-Eyes. In addition to new powerful features like Placemarkers, enhanced
control search features, inclusion of a new synthesizer, and so much more,
Window-Eyes 7.01 is the first version of Window-Eyes to provide scripting
capabilities. Whether you're new to scripting, or if you're a seasoned
programmer, you will be able to take advantage of all the scripting
possibilities Window-Eyes has to offer. In the past, GW Micro has stated that
Window-Eyes did not include a complex, proprietary scripting language, and with
this release we continue to stand by that claim. Window-Eyes 7.01 scripting
uses industry standard practices to provide a scripting interface that is
common and consistent, using tools that already exist in the Windows operating
system. Window-Eyes scripting gives you the power to interact, not only with
Window-Eyes features and options, but with other applications, with operating
system features, with windows, dialogs, controls and so much more. Keep reading
to learn more about all of the new features in Window-Eyes. Keeping In Touch
Now that
you have the power of Window-Eyes at your fingertips, why not join up with
other Window-Eyes users on the GW-Info e-mail list? To subscribe, visit http://www.gwmicro.com/support/email_lists/,
enter your email address in the email edit box, and select the Subscribe
GW-Info button. Alternatively, you can send an e-mail message to listserv@gwmicro.com. Leave the subject
blank, and type "join gw-info, your email address" in the body
(without the quotes, but note that the comma is required). For example,
"join gw-info, myemail@abc.com" Regardless
of the method you choose, you will receive a confirmation. Reply to that
confirmation (with no modification) and you will become a member of the largest
public network of Window-Eyes users, always eager and willing to answer any
questions you may have. Although we encourage all users to help each other with
questions and problems, you can take comfort in knowing that the GW-Info list is
constantly monitored by GW Micro employees. You may
also contact us directly by using the contact information listed above. Thank You!
Window-Eyes
is developed with you in mind. Please feel free to contact us regarding any
questions, comments, or suggestions that you may have; we are anxious to hear
from you. Now read on to learn more about your latest investment, and thank you
for choosing Window-Eyes! IMPORTANT INFORMATION
The
following documentation consists of important information that you need to know
before using this version of Window-Eyes.
This
readme is divided up into various sections. The start of each major section will
begin with two plus signs and the start of each minor section will begin with
two minus signs. This means that you can search for ++ to move to the start of
a major section, and -- to move to the start of a minor section. If you are
reading the manual on a Windows PC using Notepad, we recommend maximizing the
Notepad window with ALT-SPACE, then X. It is also a good idea to make sure that
"word wrap" is enabled. This is usually found under the format menu
of Notepad. ++Enhancements between Window-Eyes 7.01
and Window-Eyes 7.0
We have resolved several memory leaks, and fixed several
stability issues thanks to the Window-Eyes error reporting feature. Window-Eyes
7.01 is a significant improvement over Window-Eyes 7.0 in terms of stability
and responsiveness. We fixed a problem where Window-Eyes could hang while
leaving and entering Browse mode quickly. We fixed a problem where list boxes were not reading
correctly in Visual Studio 2005/2008. We fixed a a problem where Browse Mode would not refresh
when a link was activated in Firefox 3. Many upper Unicode characters (most above 7fh) were not
getting translated correctly in English grade 2 braille. This problem has been
resolved. If the user profile path contained Unicode characters that
didn't map into ANSI, you were not able to install script package files. This
problem has been resolved. Window-Eyes would only read part of words with upper
Unicode characters in PowerPoint 2003.
This problem has been resolved. Added the WEUpdate script to the factory default
scripts. This script will automatically
check for Window-Eyes updates and let you know if there is an update available. --iTunes
We resolved several issues relating to iTunes, including
support for using the Window-Eyes Find command while in the iTunes store,
resolving the issue of not being able to activate links using the Insert-Tab
dialog, resolving the double reading in listviews and treeviews, speaking
expanded and collapsed when you open and close tree view nodes, speaking the
pull down menus correctly under Windows Vista, and resolving a problem where
set files could not be associated to the iTunes window (or any window whose
title was null). In addition, Window-Eyes does not automatically enable Browse
Mode when the iTunes Store option is selected, meaning you can successfully
arrow through all of the main items without suddenly getting tossed into Browse
Mode. --Scripting
If Window-Eyes is localized in a language that a script was
not localized in, the hotkeys won't work because they're not localized to the
Window-Eyes language. To resolve this issue, we have added a new property to
the Key object called UntranslatedName. From now on, our policy is to hard code
default hotkey names in your script, always in English, even if you are writing
the script in another language, because Window-Eyes will always be able to interpret
English hotkey names. They can still be displayed to the user in the script
language, but they should be stored in INI files, and in scripts as English.
This way no matter what language Window-Eyes is localized in, or what languages
the script you are trying to use is localized in, the hotkeys will always work.
Once again, default hotkey names should not exist in the XML resource, because
they should never be localized. Keyboard.Key will accept both Key.Name and
Key.Unstranslated name. Refer to the documentation for more information. Added Mouse.ButtonDownEx and Mouse.ClickEx methods. Both
methods provide the ability to enhance their respective functions with key
modifiers. In addition, ClickEx fixes a problem of interrupting speech after
performing the mouse click. If a null string was returned through various Speech event
handlers, speech would get disabled. This was mainly a problem with Visual Basic
which would return null for speech events that weren’t specifically
hooked. This problem has been resolved. The scripting error dialog would sometimes pass a blank
string for the error description. Now, if Window-Eyes cannot retrieve the error
description, a default message will be used rather than displaying a blank
string. You can now use language id strings in the XML resource,
such as "en" or "en-us" instead of having to use a
hexadecimal number. It was possible for a script to not successfully restart,
but you would still hear the restart message. This problem has been resolved. We fixed a problem where scripts could error when invoking
Keyboard.Registerhotkey on launch. We fixed a problem where you couldn't Control or
Shift-Click using the keyboard (meaning you couldn't tap the Control key and
then press the Left Mouse button hotkey to perform a left click). We fixed a version comparison problem when installing
script package files. Window-Eyes now ensures that any read only attributes on script
files being installing, uninstall, or used when created packages are cleared.
This resolved a problem of script files not getting installed, or removed
correctly. The Window-Eyes Scripting Manual has been updated. ++New Features in Window-Eyes 7.0
--Scripting
Window-Eyes
7.0 is proud to offer what may be the most anticipated feature in Window-Eyes
history: full scripting functionality. Using industry standard methods scripts
give you the tools to make Window-Eyes do almost anything you can think of
related to working with applications and the operating system itself. --What is Scripting?
Scripts,
in their most basic form, are simple text files containing instructions for
Window-Eyes to follow. Scripts can also be external programs that talk to Window-Eyes
using a special (although industry standard) communication method. Much like
set files, scripts can be used to modify settings in Window-Eyes, monitor
portions of the screen for specific kinds of activity, define hotkeys, and so
on. In fact, anything a set file can do, a script can do. Instead of replacing
set file functionality, scripting extends the features that set files offer,
and provides even more access to the inner workings of Window-Eyes. Window-Eyes
scripting also provides the unprecedented ability to create custom dialogs
using XML. In other words, visually impaired users have the power to create
simple to advanced user interfaces using a text file format -- visual drawing
tools need not apply. --How it Works
The
Window-Eyes scripting engine is a COM Automation server. COM Automation,
according to Microsoft, is "a technology that allows software packages to
expose their unique features to scripting tools and other applications."
That means all the guts of Window-Eyes are accessible through various objects,
properties, methods, and events (these items make up the Window-Eyes Object
Model). In addition, Window-Eyes embeds ActiveScript engines (including
VBScript and JScript). This means that you can create scripts in VBScript,
JScript (which is Microsoft's proprietary version of JavaScript), or any
language that supports COM automation. Another
advantage to the Window-Eyes scripting model is support for future languages.
If a language is released in the future that supports COM automation, it can be
used to power Window-Eyes. --Getting Started
The
Window-Eyes File menu contains a new pull down to help manage both scripts and
set files. It is aptly named Manage Sets and Scripts (with a shortcut of M).
The Manage Sets and Scripts menu contains several options, including: U =
Scripting Status - Controls whether the Window-Eyes scripting engine is On,
Off, or set to Manual. When set to On, scripting is available. When set to Off,
scripting is not available. When set to Manual, scripting is available, but
scripts will not run automatically, but only when started manually. A = Add or
Remove Scripts and Sets - Displays a dialog used for Adding or Removing
Window-Eyes Packages. Window-Eyes packages are created by the Package Manager
discussed below. The Sets/Scripts Add Remove dialog is similar to the Windows
Add Remove control panel in that you can manage the installation of scripts in
one central location. M = Script
Manager - This dialog provides you with information about running scripts. It
also lets you stop running scripts, control script security, manage advanced
options, and access a script's help and options. P =
Package Manager - The package manager lets you package together multiple files,
such as scripts, or sets, or scripts and sets, into a single package file that
can be used with the Add or Remove Scripts and Sets feature discussed
previously. C = Encrypt
Scripts - If you need to protect your scripts from prying eyes, you can use the
Encrypt Script option to encrypt your script files using a custom Window-Eyes
cipher scheme. The rest
of the items in this pull down menu deal with set files, and are the same tools
that existed in the File menu in previous versions of Window-Eyes. Note that
the Window-Eyes Menu Level option under the Global menu will affect the
availability of items in the Manage Sets and Scripts menu. When the menu level
is set to beginner or intermediate, only Scripting Status, Add or Remove
Scripts and Sets, Script Manager, and Set File Manager will be available. All
menu options become available when the menu level is set to advanced. --New Dialogs
Let's examine
each of the new dialogs that Window-Eyes scripting support provides for
managing scripts. Add or
Remove Sets and Scripts As
mentioned previously, this dialog lets you control the installation of script
packages that were created using the Window-Eyes Package Manager. Many script
packages can be obtained from GW Micro's Script Central website (www.gwmicro.com/sc) -- more on that later.
The Add/Remove dialog contains the following controls: Installed
Scripts - List box - Displays all installed scripts, along with their version
numbers (if supplied) and installation date. Add -
Button - Prompts for the name of a Window-Eyes package file. Package files use the
.wepm extension, which stands for Window-Eyes Package Management. Select a
package name, and press enter to begin the package installation. Remove -
Button - Removes the selected package and all associated files. Close -
Button - Closes the dialog. Window-Eyes
packages file types are registered with the operating system as belonging to
the Add or Remove Sets and Scripts dialog. This means that you can select a
package file in, say, Windows Explorer, press Enter on it, and the Add or
Remove Sets and Scripts dialog will open, ready to install the selected
package. This also means you can launch packages directly from web pages by
selecting the Run option in your browser's download dialog instead of saving
the file first (although that option still exists -- the choice really is up to
you). In addition, if Window-Eyes is not running when a package is activated,
Window-Eyes will start up, and launch the Add or Remove Scripts and Sets dialog
ready to install the selected package. Once the installation is complete,
Window-Eyes will remain running. Script
Manager If you are
a script user, you may find yourself in the Script Manager dialog to view
running scripts, and to retrieve a script's help and options. If you are a
script developer, you will often find yourself in the Script Manager, using the
start and stop options to restart your scripts during development, loading and
unloading scripts for testing, setting up your default script editor for quick
editing access, and more. The Script Manager dialog contains the following
controls: Scripts -
List View - The scripts list view contains a list of all running scripts, based
on the Display Scripts radio button selection, discussed next. Display
Scripts All (by
Name) - Radio button - When this radio button is selected, all running scripts
will be displayed sorted by filename. In addition to the filename, the Scripts
list view also contains whether the script is designed to run globally or for
an application (either "Global" or the associated application's name
will be listed), the window title (if a script is associated to an application
-- global scripts will leave this entry blank), the scripts status (i.e.
running, stopped, etc.), and description (this is the description that the
script itself provides using the ScriptDescription property of the
ClientInformation object -- refer to the Window-Eyes Scripting Manual for more
information on the ClientInformation object). All (by
Application) - Radio button - When this radio button is selected, all running
scripts will be displayed sorted by the names of the applications the scripts
are associated with, or global if they are not associated with a specific
application. The Scripts list view contains the script's filename, whether the
script is designed to run globally or for an application (either
"Global" or the associated application's name will be listed), the
window title (if a script is associated to an application -- global scripts
will leave this entry blank), the scripts status (i.e. running, stopped, etc.),
and description (this is the description that the script itself provides using
the ScriptDescription property of the ClientInformation object -- refer to the
Window-Eyes Scripting Manual for more information on the ClientInformation
object). Global -
Radio button - When this radio button is selected, only those scripts that have
been designated to run globally (i.e. running always, regardless of what
application is active) will be listed. The list Scripts list view contains the
script's filename, the scripts status (i.e. running, stopped, etc.), and
description (this is the description that the script itself provides using the
ScriptDescription property of the ClientInformation object -- refer to the
Window-Eyes Scripting Manual for more information on the ClientInformation
object). Application
- Radio button - This radio button will contain the name of the application
that was active when the script manager was displayed. When this radio button
is selected, only those scripts that have been designated to run when a
specific application runs will be listed. The list Scripts list view contains
the script's filename, the scripts status (i.e. running, stopped, etc.), and
description (this is the description that the script itself provides using the
ScriptDescription property of the ClientInformation object -- refer to the
Window-Eyes Scripting Manual for more information on the ClientInformation
object). Show More
Options - Check box - By default, the Script Manager dialog only displays the
Scripts list view, the Display Scripts radio button group, the Stop button, the
Help and Options button, the Close button, and this check box (which also
defaults to unchecked). If this check box is checked, several more buttons will
be displayed, offering advanced options for loading/unloading,
enabling/disabling, and starting/stopping scripts, along with Security options
for defining what scripts should be trusted, and some other miscellaneous
advanced options. The state of this check box is remembered after the dialog
closes. Load -
Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - Selecting this
button prompts for the filename of a script to load. If the Application radio
button was selected prior to activating the Load button, the selected script
will be associated with that application (in other words, it will only run when
that application runs). If the Global radio button was selected prior to
activating the Load button, the selected script will be associated globally (in
other words, it will run always, regardless of what applications run). If
either the All (by Name) or All (by Application) radio button is selected, the
Load button will be disabled. You must choose whether to have the script you
want to load run globally or for a specific application by selecting the
appropriate radio button before loading the script. Unload -
Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - Unloads the
selected script in the Script list view. Once a script has been unloaded, it
will be removed from the Scripts list, and will no longer run automatically.
This script is not, however, removed from the hard drive. It is instead simply
ignored. The Add or Remove Sets and Scripts dialog should be used to uninstall
and remove scripts from the hard drive. Start/Stop
- Button - If the selected script in the Scripts list view has a status of
something other than running, this button will have the label Start, and when
activated will cause the selected script to run, and the status of the script
will switch to running (assuming there are no errors). If the selected script
has a status of something other than stopped, this button will have the label
Stop, and when activated will cause the selected script to stop running. After
a script is stopped, it will remain in the list of scripts with a status of
stopped. If the script is global, and scripting is restarted, the stopped
script will attempt to run again. If the script is application specific, and
the application is closed and re-opened, the stopped script will attempt to run
again. If the Window-Eyes scripting status is set to manual, stopped scripts
will only run if they are started manually using this button. If the
Window-Eyes scripting status is set to off, this button will be disabled. Help and
Options - Button - If a script has provided help information through the
ScriptHelp property of the ClientInformation object, this button will be
enabled, and when activated will display information the script author
provided. If this button is disabled, then the selected script did not provide
any help information through the ScriptHelp property of the ClientInformation
object -- refer to the Window-Eyes Scripting Manual for more information on the
ClientInformation object. If the Window-Eyes scripting status is set to off,
this button will be disabled. Close -
Button - Activating this button closes the Script Manager dialog. Enable/Disable
- Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - If the selected script
in the Scripts list view has a status of disabled, this button will have the
label Enabled. If the Window-Eyes scripting status is set to on, and a disabled
script is enabled, the script will run automatically. If the Window-Eyes
Scripting Status is set to Manual, and a disabled script is enabled, it will
not run automatically. If the selected script in the Scripts list view has a
status of anything other than disabled, this button will have the label
Disable, and when activated will disable the selected script from running until
it has been enabled. If the Window-Eyes scripting status is set to off, this
button will be disabled. Reload -
Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - When this button is
activated, the selected script in the Scripts list view will be recycled. In
other words, if the selected script is running, and this button is activated,
the selected script will be stopped and then started again. If the script is
already stopped, and this button is activated, the selected script will be
started. If the Window-Eyes scripting status is set to off, this button will be
disabled. Edit -
Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - When this button is
activated, the selected script in the Scripts list view will be opened in the
editor specified in the Advanced options dialog (discussed below). If no
default editor is specified, the script will open in Notepad. Security -
Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - When this button is
activated, the Script Security dialog (discussed below) will be displayed. Advanced -
Button - Only available when Show More Options is checked - When this button is
activated, the Advanced Script Settings dialog (discussed below) will be
displayed. Script
Security Window-Eyes
Scripting takes security very seriously, and implements several security
features that will provide the most novice user to the most advanced corporate
system administrator the with the tools to ensure a safe computing environment. The Script
Security dialog allows you to define how Window-Eyes should trust scripts, and
if it should trust scripts, what kinds of scripts should be trusted. The Script
Security dialog contains the following controls: Security
Level Allow All
Scripts - Radio button - When this radio button is selected (and it is by
default) all scripts will be trusted. Allow Only
Trusted Scripts - Radio button - When this radio button is selected,
Window-Eyes will only allow trusted scripts to run. Trust level is based on the
check boxes discussed below. Script
Status - List view - This list view contains a list of all installed scripts,
their publisher (if they've been digitally signed), and their trusted status.
The Script Status list view, as well as the other controls in this dialog aside
from the initial radio buttons, will only be enabled if the Allow Only Trusted
Scripts radio button is selected. Publisher
Trusted - Check box - If the selected script in the Script Status list view has
been digitally signed, this check box will be enabled. If this check box is
checked, Window-Eyes will trust all scripts containing the same digital
signature. The trusted status in the Script Status list view will update to
reflect the trusted status for all scripts containing the trusted digital
signature (by changing the status to Publisher Trusted). If this check box is
unchecked, the selected script's trust level will not be based on the script's
digital signature. Script
Trusted - Check box - If this check box is checked, Window-Eyes will trust the
script itself, and the trusted status in the Script Status list view will
update to Script Trusted. If this check box is not checked, the selected
script's trust level will not be based on the script itself. Note that if
both the Publish Trusted and Script Trusted check boxes are checked, the Script
Status list view will show Both Trusted as the script's status, meaning that
the script itself has been trusted, as has the publisher who signed the script
with a digital signature. View
Certificate - Button - If a selected script has been digitally signed, this
button will be enabled, and when activated will display the script's digital
signature certificate. Ok -
Button - Closes the Script Security dialog, saving any changes. Cancel -
Button - Closes the Script Security dialog, canceling any changes. If
Window-Eyes is set to run only trusted scripts, and a trusted script is
modified (either by the digital signature changing, or if there is no digital
signature, by the script itself changing), Window-Eyes will no longer trust the
script, and the script will no longer run. The script would need to be trusted
again in its new form in order for Window-Eyes to run it successfully. In
addition to script security, Window-Eyes Scripting also honors any operating
system software restriction policies enabled by system administrators. Advanced
Script Settings The
Advanced Script Settings dialog provides you with some miscellaneous utilities
that make advanced scripting a bit easier. The dialog contains the following
controls: Script
Editor - Read only edit box - This edit box displays the full path to the
selected script editor. Specify
Editor - Button - When activated this button prompts for the full path to the
application to be designated as the default script editor. The default script
editor is Notepad. Fast
Reload Script - Read only edit box - This edit box displays the name and path
of the script that will be reloaded automatically when the Reload Script hotkey
(undefined, by default) is pressed. This provides a quick way to reload a
script without going into the Script Manager. It is ideal for working in
applications where reloading is necessary to test new script features during
script development. Assign
Script - Button - When activated assigns the selected script in the Script
Manager dialog to be the fast reload script. Remove
Script - Button - When activated removes the current fast reload script. Close -
Button - Closes the Advanced Script Settings dialog. Package
Manager The
Package Manager provides an easy way for script developers to package all of
their files together in a single file archive for easy distribution. Unlike
other utilities that provide multiple file compression (ZIP, for example), Window-Eyes
packages are designed for use with the Window-Eyes Add or Remove Scripts and
Sets dialog, which helps users manage the scripts they have installed.
Selecting the Package Manager option from the Manage Sets and Scripts menu will
result in a dialog with three buttons: Create New Package, Modify Existing
Package, and Cancel. Create New Package will start the package creation from
scratch. Modify Existing Package let's you select an existing package to
modify. Cancel simply closes the dialog. Regardless of whether you choose to
create a new package, or modify an existing package, the Package Manager dialog
includes the following controls: Files to
Package - List box - This list contains all of the files that have been added
for packaging. Associate
Globally - Button - When activated this button designates the selected script
or scripts in the Files to Package list box to run as global scripts. Associate
with Application - Button - When activated this button designates the selected
script or scripts in the Files to Package list box to run with a specific
application. When this button is activated, you will be prompted to select a
.WE file to associate the scripts to. .WE files are also used to associate set
files to an application. You can select an existing .WE file, or type in the
name of a .WE file. The .WE file does not have to exist when creating the
package. During installation of the package, if the .WE file does not exist on
the end user's machine, it will be created automatically; otherwise it will be
appended to. This method allows you to provide scripts for an application that
may already have set files associated to it. Alternatively, you could choose to
include set files with your script files in the package so that everything is
available in one place. Remove
Association - Button - When activated this button removes any association for
the selected script or scripts in the Files to Package list box. Associate
With - List box - This list contains all of the associations for the selected script
or scripts in the Files to Package list box. If a script has a global
association, the word Global will be present. Otherwise, the name of the
associated .WE file (or files) will be listed. Version -
Edit box - This edit box allows the script developer to provide a version
number for the script package. This version number will be displayed in the Add
or Remove Scripts and Sets dialog after a package has been installed. Require
shutdown of all scripts before installation - Check box - If this check box is
checked, the user will be prompted that all scripts need to be shut down before
installation of the package can continue. This is useful when installing
scripts that contain shared information other scripts may rely on. Package
Details - Edit box - This edit box allows the script developer to provide
important installation details or other notes that need to be displayed before
a script package is installed. License
Information - Edit box - This edit box allows the script developer to provide a
license that must be confirmed by the user before the script installation will
take place. If this edit box is left empty, the end user will not be prompted
to confirm a license agreement before installation. Add Files
- Button - When activated prompts for the file or files to be added to the
final package. Remove
Files - Button - When activated removes the selected file or files from the
Files to Package list box. Create
Package - Button - When activated prompts for a filename to call the final
package. The default extension is .wepm. After entering a filename, and
pressing Enter (or selecting the Save button), the package will be created. Close -
Button - When activated closes the Package Manager dialog. Encrypt
Scripts Although GW
Micro uses and supports the open source script model, there may be times when a
script author needs to protect source code. Window-Eyes Scripting offers that
ability using the Encrypt Scripts feature. When this option is selected from
the Window-Eyes Manage Sets and Scripts menu item, an open dialog will appear
prompting for the name of the script or scripts to be encrypted. Upon
confirming the dialog, and the encryption confirmation message, the encrypted
versions of the scripts will reside in the same directory as the unencrypted
versions, and will contain the extension .wecrypt. For example, encrypting a
script called myscript.vbs would result in an encrypted version called
myscript.vbs.wecrypt. --Your First Script
To begin
creating scripts, you will need knowledge of the language you're writing your
scripts in, as well as information about the Window-Eyes scripting interface
(also known as the Window-Eyes object model). GW Micro scripts have been
standardized in VBScript, as it is the easiest scripting language syntax to
understand for both new and advanced users. The language you choose, however,
is ultimately up to you. As mentioned previously, any language that supports
COM automation, and all ActiveScript languages are supported. The
documentation for the Window-Eyes object model can be found in the Window-Eyes
Help menu. The Window-Eyes object model documentation exists in HTML Help
format, and can be navigated just like the Window-Eyes manual (i.e. navigating
to the section in the table of contents you want to read, pressing Enter to
open the section, pressing F6 to load the section into the Browse Mode buffer,
and, when done reading, pressing F6 again to navigate back to the table of
contents). In
addition to documentation and language knowledge, you'll also want to pick an
editor for writing scripts. Because Window-Eyes hosted scripts are nothing more
than text files, you can choose whichever text editor you're most comfortable
with. Even something as simple as Notepad will be sufficient for creating
scripts. After
reviewing the Window-Eyes Scripting Manual for syntax information, and object
details, you find that Window-Eyes contains an Application object with a
property called SerialNumber, which returns a string containing the serial
number associated with a running copy of Window-Eyes. You also find that the
Speech object contains a method called Speak, which takes a string as a
parameter. Using that knowledge, you create a single line text file called
speakserial.vbs, which contains: Speak
"My serial number is " & SerialNumber Now that
you have a sample script, you must decide how Window-Eyes should run the
script. Should it run every time Window-Eyes loads, or should it run only when
an application loads? To associate your script globally (so that it will run
every time Window-Eyes launches), open the Script Manager dialog, select the
Global radio button, then select the Load button. Provide the path and name of
your script, and press enter. Your script will run immediately (because it's
global, and Window-Eyes is running), and your serial number will be spoken. To
associate your script to an application (Notepad, for example), so that it will
run every time that application runs, open the Script Manager dialog, select
the application radio button, then select the Load button. Provide the path and
name of your script, and press enter. Your script will run immediately, because
the application you associated it with is already running. If you close the
application, and then open it again, your script will also run again. From this
point on, what you decide to do with scripting is up to you. The possibilities
are endless. Whether you plan on creating scripts yourself, or whether you only
plan on using the scripts others create, we encourage you to join our latest
email list: GW-Scripting. GW-Scripting is a discussion list designed to promote
ideas and conversation about Window-Eyes scripting. The list can be used as a
place to ask questions about scripts, to announce the availability of new scripts,
or to request scripts. Although the GW-Info list still applies to all GW Micro
related products and services, scripting related inquiries should be directed
to the GW-Scripting list for more accurate responses, and to keep GW-Info
related traffic to a reasonable amount. In
addition to the GW-Scripting email list, GW Micro is proud to offer Script
Central (www.gwmicro.com/sc), a primary repository for Window-Eyes scripts.
Script Central is free for everyone. Once you have registered with Script Central,
you can log in to upload and manage your own scripts for public distribution,
rate existing scripts for their usefulness, provide comments for script
developers and users, keep track of your favorite scripts, receive
notifications when scripts are updated, and much more. Script
Central also ties into the GW Micro Forum area, which in addition to hosting
individual script discussion areas for every script posted to Script Central,
also includes general script discussion forums where you can post topics regarding
general scripting, script requests, script announcements, the Window-Eyes
object model, VBScript, or another popular scripting language, JScript. If your
favorite scripting language doesn't have a discussion forum, and you feel
others could benefit from a language specific script discussion area, please
let us know. Window-Eyes
continues to pride itself in the areas of stability, performance, and
reliability. Now that scripting is available, however, it is possible to get
your machine into a less than optimal state (think infinite loops and such).
Window-Eyes provides several command line options that can be used in a pinch
to get Window-Eyes unloaded and reloaded. They are as follows: Wineyes.exe
/k - Removes Window-Eyes from memory. It is important to note that Window-Eyes
can only shut itself down successfully if it is running successfully. It is
possible that performing a /k at the command line will not execute if
Window-Eyes is running in an unreliable state. In that case, you may want to use
third party utilities like pskill to stop the Window-Eyes processes. Wineyes.exe
/scripts:off - Runs Window-Eyes with scripting disabled. This is the same as
going into the Scripting Status dialog, and setting the scripting option to
Off. Wineyes.exe
/scripts:manual - Runs Window-Eyes with scripting set to manual. This is the
same as going into the Scripting Status dialog, and setting the scripting
option to Manual. There is
no scripts:on option, as just running Window-Eyes normally will default to scripting
being enabled (assuming it was not already set to Off or Manual through the
Scripting Status dialog). --Scripting Errors
As you
develop scripts, you'll count on reliable error reporting to tell you what's
working and what isn't in your scripts. Window-Eyes displays script errors in a
custom script error dialog which contains the line and column number
corresponding to the error, a short description of the error, and four buttons:
Ignore Error (which attempts to continue running the script, despite the
error), Stop Script (which stops the script from running), Edit Script (which
opens the script in the default editor), and View Help (which, if enabled, will
open the Window-Eyes scripting documentation to the section dealing with the
object that the error occurred in). You can also press Control-C while the
error dialog is being displayed to copy the contents of the error to the
clipboard. Happy
scripting! ++Placemarkers
Window-Eyes
now offers the ability to set placemarkers on web pages. Window-Eyes
Placemarkers easily outperform placemarker features found in other screen
readers by offering the ability to search for specific text rather than just
hard coding a placemarker to a line number. In today's dynamic web environment,
Window-Eyes Placemarkers give you quick and easy access to common web page
areas. To set a
place marker, navigate to the line in the Browse Mode buffer that you want to
add the placemarker to and press the Place Marker Dialog hotkey
(Control-Shift-K by default). The placemarker dialog allows you to set a new
placemarker, edit existing placemarkers, or even jump to an existing
placemarker. The description of the dialog is as follows:
Auto Read
Lines - Edit box - The Auto Read Lines edit box allows you to specify how many
lines of text will be automatically read when you navigate to a placemarker.
Each placemarker may have a different number of lines associated with it. The
default number of lines is 5. Webpage -
Radio button - If the apply to webpage radio button is selected, the placemarker
you're adding will only work on the current web page. For example, a
placemarker saved for the web page www.gwmicro.com/support
will only work on that web page. Domain -
Radio button - If the apply to domain radio button is selected, the placemarker
you're adding will work on any web page containing the same domain name. For
example, a placemarker saved for the domain gwmicro.com will work on any page
on the gwmicro.com website.
++Enhanced Control
Search
Window-Eyes
now offers Browse Mode Enhanced Control Search capabilities. When pressing
either the Specified Control Next (N by default) and Specified Control Prior
(Shift-N by default) key in Browse Mode, Window-Eyes announces, "In
control search mode," and will wait for the next key press, and act on it
accordingly. The subsequent key press after pressing the Next/Prior Control key
acts as a modifier, adding additional information to the final command. ·
C
– modifier indicating checked version of the actual control to be specified
with the next key press (relevant for checkboxes and radio buttons only) ·
U
– modifier indicating unchecked version of the actual control to be specified
with the next key press (relevant for checkboxes and radio buttons only) ·
D
– modifier indicating disabled version of the actual control to be specified
with the next key press ·
ENTER
– if a previous version of the next/prior control hotkey was given since the
launch of Window-Eyes this will repeat the exact same command. If there was no
previous command given since the launch of WE then this will simply navigate to
the next/prior control as the hotkey originally functioned. After
pressing the Next/Prior Control hotkey, and an optional modifier, the following
keys represent the kind of control to navigate to:
The Page
Navigation dialog (Insert-Tab by default) now includes a "Controls"
radio button. When you select this radio button, all of the controls on the
page will be displayed. You type the first letter of a control to move between
the control names, or type out the name to select a single control. Once you
have selected a control, you can choose to either activate the control or focus
it. ++Additional Features
Window-Eyes
is now fully Unicode compliant, and offers more localization capabilities for
many other languages. While this change is largely internal, there are some UI
options affected:
Window-Eyes
now supports Firefox 3. There are a few outstanding issues that require work on
Mozilla's part. These are slated for the next major public update to Firefox 3. iTunes 8
is now supported. GW Micro has worked
with Apple to be the first screen reader to support iTunes. Browse
Mode provides two new hotkeys: Next/Prior Graphic. When these keys are pressed,
the Browse Mode cursor will be moved to either the next or prior graphic in the
Browse Mode buffer, based on the "Include Graphics with no description"
verbosity option. The Voice
Rotor Parameter hotkeys now speak indexes. If all three voices are set the
same, the announcement will say, "All voices rate XYZ." If the voices
are not set the same, the announcement will say, "Screen rate XYZ, Keyboard
rate XYZ, Mouse rate XYZ." The same goes for pitch, tone, and volume. You can
now press any key to stop a Read to End, not just the Escape key. Along with
Left and Right arrow to rewind and fast forward through text, you can now press
U and D to increase and decrease the synthesizer speech rate on the fly. The
Window-Eyes Error Reporting feature has been enhanced. The Error Report dialog
has been changed to include Send Now, Send Later, and Delete Error buttons
instead of OK and Cancel. Send Now means send the error report immediately.
Send Later means that the error will not be sent when the dialog closes, and
will also not be deleted so that it can be sent at a later time. Delete Error
simply removes the error report file, and does not send anything. If you press
escape to close the error report dialog, the report will not be deleted, much
like if you had selected the Send Later button. If you try to send an error
report without including any comments, a message box will display, asking you
to confirm that you want to send the error without adding any additional
information regarding your error. In addition to the dialog changes, submitting
error reports should happen significantly faster. The
Window-Eyes Help, About dialog has been updated to sport a new Window-Eyes
logo, as well as two new buttons: Find a Dealer (which launches the default
browser to www.gwmicro.com/dealers),
and Visit Website (which launches the default browser to www.gwmicro.com). We have
sped up the navigation of list views. The
Window-Eyes UI now uses true track bar controls for items like Screen,
Keyboard, and Mouse rate, pitch, tone, and volume options. In addition, values
now increase when you press the Up Arrow, and decrease when you press the Down
Arrow. Finally, instead of using Min and Window-Eyes
now supports reversed track bars, so that instead of values like 0 of 500 being
the loudest in the volume control, 500 of 500 now indicates the maximum volume. Window-Eyes
now indicates when the keyboard language has changed by speaking the name of
the input language. Mouse
Up/Down Speak now has two additional options: beginning of line to pointer, and
pointer to end of line. System
tray access has been sped up exponentially. Now, instead of accessing the icons
on the screen, Window-Eyes uses MSAA to retrieve system tray information, and
does so almost instantaneously. Window-Eyes
now takes local user regional settings into account when using the Time/Date
hotkey. The
progress bar hotkey now supports marquee progress bars. Marquee progress bars
bounce back and forth rather then increase or decrease in value. The
Keyboard Voice option now includes two new parameters: On with Words
(Interrupt) and On with Words and Numbers (Interrupt). Both of these options
function just like the existing Words and Words and Numbers options, except key
presses will interrupt speech instead of queuing until space bar is pressed. The Set
Active Profile dialog (accessed with the Set Active Profile menu option in the
File menu of Window-Eyes) now offers an Open Profile Path button, which will
open Windows Explorer in the current user profile directory. This is an easy
way to access sets and scripts without having to remember to type %appdata%\GW
Micro\Window-Eyes\Users\Default in the Run dialog. The
Window-Eyes Outlook Calendar dialog now pays attention to the Outlook first day
of the week setting. In other words, if the first day of the week is set to
Monday, the Window-Eyes Outlook Calendar dialog will respect that, and start
both the work week and normal week on Monday. The
Focused verbosity options Window Type and Window Type First have been changed
from two check boxes to three radio buttons: Don't Include Window Type, Include
Window Type Before Window Data, and Include Window Type After Window Data. Window-Eyes
is now much more accurate when retrieving window names. This means set file
associations will be much more reliable from now on. Existing set files may
need to be updated to support this new change. Window-Eyes now includes
ECI Eloquence 6.1 (this is the dedicated version, not the SAPI version), and
contains all available languages. It is listed as Eloquence in the Synthesizer
Selection dialog. This version of Eloquence is tied to Window-Eyes, much like
the DECtalk Access 32 (Window-Eyes) synthesizer (and can be run from a mobile
copy of Window-Eyes, also like the DECtalk Access 32 (Window-Eyes)
synthesizer). Note that switching to the dedicated Eloquence synthesizer from
the SAPI version of Eloquence will most likely result in speech problems. We
strongly recommend switching to another synthesizer temporarily (like the
DECtalk Access 32 (Window-Eyes) and then switching to Eloquence. In fact,
unless you're using the SAPI version of Eloquence 5 with some other
application, we recommend removing it altogether to avoid potential conflicts. We have
modified the way keyboard layout settings are saved. Now, when you select a
different keyboard layout, you will hear a message spoken (or displayed in
Braille) every 10 seconds indicating the keyboard layout is being modified (as
this can take a few minutes to update all set files). When the update has
completed, you will receive a confirmation that the update is complete. --Set File Updates
The Office
2003 and Firefox set files have been updated, so if you use those applications,
you should re-install those set files. In addition, due to the fantastic Winamp
scripts that are now available from ++Enhancements between Window-Eyes 7.0 and
Window-Eyes 6.1
When
changing keyboard languages, we now speak that the layout has changed. In
addition, if you change the keyboard layout within that language, Window-Eyes
will indicate both the layout name and the language name. Currently we only
support the Polish 214 and Polish (Programmers) layouts within the Polish language.
All others will just hear "layout changed." We can update an external
.ini file if you have layouts you wish us to speak the name of instead of just
"layout changed." The key
describer has been updated for Numbers Toggle and Keyboard Voice Rotor. We resolved
a problem where reading with the mouse would be broken after a read to end was
performed. When
reading the Unicode attribute, speech is slowed down for the Unicode value on
subsequent key presses. Now the speech is slowed for both the mouse and cursor
hotkeys when reading Unicode values. We fixed a
problem where too many onClicks were being reported when using Firefox 3.
Control
backslash should now always bring up something. It should either bring up the
control panel, the active Window-Eyes child window, or the window that parented
itself to the control panel or a Window-Eyes child window. We have
resolved all known Load Before Startup issues. The Office
2007 set files have been updated. Resolved
several memory leaks. We have been
able to resolve many issues thanks to the Window-Eyes error reporting
feature. Thanks to all who have taken
the time to submit your errors which allows Window-Eyes to remain the most
stable screen reader available. We fixed a
problem where message lists were not being announced in Lotus Notes. Some fonts
can simulate bold or italic without being truly bold or italic. Window-Eyes now
recognizes this information, and reports the attribute correctly. We fixed a
problem where the mouse voice would use the global settings when global was set
to verbosity only not voice only. Window-Eyes
7.0 updates the Window-Eyes items in the Start menu. There is a Documentation
folder that holds the Readme, Window-Eyes manual, Window-Eyes scripting manual,
and the Window-Eyes text manual. The text manual option just brings up an
Explorer window in the directory which holds the manual .txt files. The
Window-Eyes manual has now been officially renamed from wineyes.chm to
Window-Eyes Manual.chm. The install will delete the old wineyes.chm and all
references within Window-Eyes now reference the new filename. We fixed a
problem where speech with the We
resolved a BSOD that could occur when installing Window-Eyes video support
under a VMWare virtual machine. We fixed a
problem where the check box status of items in If you
defined a Window-Eyes hot key using the Alt key, and pressed that hot key in
Internet Explorer, the menu bar would get activation. This problem has been
resolved. We fixed a
problem where the Skype option treeview was not reading correctly. We added
support for more We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes would get stuck in a loop, saying, "Window-Eyes
has installed video support. You must reboot the system for the change to take
effect." We fixed a
problem where the cursor was not being detected in a command prompt. We fixed a
problem where speech would cease after opening a new memo in Lotus Notes. We fixed a
problem where hotkeys using the Windows key were not functioning correctly. We fixed a
problem where file modification dates were not being read when a list view was
set to details view under Window-Eyes
was putting a space before apostrophes, causing potentially strange speech.
Although some synthesizers also exhibit this behavior on their own, it has been
resolved in Window-Eyes. We fixed a
problem where punctuation was not being reported after digits. We fixed a
problem where the default button was disabled in the Window-Eyes User Profiles
Dialog. We fixed a
problem where set files were not updating correctly after installing or
uninstalling a set file package. We now
default the SILENT.000 (renamed to k1000.000) set file to all of the Kurzweil
1000 self voicing applications. If K100
was set to voice on its own but Window-Eyes braille was being used we fixed the
problem where braille was not tracking correctly. You must update to the latest factory
Kurzweil sets for braille to be fixed. The
Window-Eyes control panel was not disabled on secure desktops, like the Windows
login screen. In addition, in a Citrix environment, the Window-Eyes control
panel was disabled when it should not have been. These problems have been
resolved. We fixed a
problem where replacing existing character dictionary entries was not working
correctly. We fixed a
problem where user names were not spoken in the Windows login selection combo
box. We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes could become catatonic after resuming from
hibernation. We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes would hang when working with empty dictionary files. We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes was reading previous control information when tabbing
to a new control in the TeamTalk application. If you
used Control-Tab to move through tabs controls, and the tab control had focus,
nothing would be spoken. This problem has been resolved. We fixed a
problem where the shortcut was not being read for the combo box field names in
the Notepad Save As dialog. We fixed a
problem where unselecting items in a list view would not always result in
Window-Eyes speaking, "unselected." We fixed a
problem where check boxes in Skype were always reporting unchecked. We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes would sometimes go silent when typing in the password
edit box as the login screen. We fixed a
problem where edit boxes and rich edit boxes would ignore the Window Type First
verbosity setting. We fixed a
problem where the display settings track bar in We fixed a
problem where the Apply button in the Select Synthesizer dialog often did
nothing more than saving the change to the disk. Now Apply saves the settings
and makes the synthesizer refresh to enact the changes (just like OK, except
that the dialog stays up). We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes would stop working when Spyware Doctor was running
under Windows Vista. If the
Keyboard voice was set to Words or Word with Numbers, and the Special Key
Escape was turned off, escape would still be spoken. This has been resolved. We fixed a
problem where disabling the Vista User Account Control feature would keep Window-Eyes
from launching. We fixed a
problem where numbers separated by colons were not following the number
processing correctly. We fixed a
problem where focusing the clock in the system tray in We fixed
an obscure problem that involved an HP F4100 scanner/printer combo, and
Kurzweil 1000, wherein Window-Eyes was causing the scanning dialog not to be
displayed We fixed a
problem where accessing the Contacts list in We fixed a
problem where check boxes in the network properties dialog under
We fixed a
problem in the Key Label dictionary where entries were not added or removed
correctly, often resulting in a lock up. We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes was losing track of the active window when the
Alt-Tab dialog gained activation. Window-Eyes
now supports keyboard languages which require several key strokes to compose a
single key, as in Asian languages. --Internet/Browse
Mode/Email
We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes would not navigate correctly to some same page links. We fixed a
problem where the Browse Mode status messages could get confused when working
with multiple browse windows. We fixed a
problem where the Browse Mode cursor would not return to the correct position
when going back to a previous page. We fixed a
problem where Browse Mode would not turn on in eClipseReader, and other
applications with similar embedded IE windows. We fixed a
problem where typing in edit boxes would result in a "ding" sound for
each keypress, even though the text was being typed. Opening
some PDF files that contain a large number of links could take a very long time
to load in full document mode. This problem has been resolved. We fixed a
problem where having the Google Desktop installed under Windows Vista would
cause Internet Explorer not to launch. We fixed a
problem where text in Browse Mode could get corrupted if the Screen
Miscellaneous Punctuation was enabled. We fixed a
problem where Window-Eyes could hang when moving between form controls. We fixed a
problem where random text could get inserted into the Browse Mode buffer. We fixed a
problem where Browse Mode would not load correctly if Window-Eyes was set to
launch automatically at the login screen. We fixed a
problem where activating a link from the Insert-Tab dialog would not work
correctly. We fixed a
problem where Browse Mode would turn on (partially) in the Windows XP System
Restore utility. Read only
controls were not being reported in neither Internet Explorer nor Firefox. That
problem has been resolved. When
switching search engines in Firefox 3, the selected search engine was not
spoken. This problem has been resolved. We fixed a
problem where combo boxes were not spoken outside of Browse Mode in Firefox 3. We fixed a
problem of the save password prompt not being spoken in Firefox 3. Going in
and out of bookmark menus in Firefox 3 could cause the menu to stop reading.
This problem has been resolved. The
Domain/URL edit box in the Placemarker dialog was always blank in Firefox. This
problem has been resolved. Window-Eyes now provides support for Internet | ||||
