[access-uk] FW: A Short Introduction to Window-Eyes Scripting, and the Window-Eyes Object Model
- From: "Steve Nutt" <steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2008 22:57:16 -0000
_____
From: gw-news@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gw-news@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Saturday 2 February 2008 18:24
To: gw-news@xxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: A Short Introduction to Window-Eyes Scripting, and the Window-Eyes
Object Model
As you most likely know by now, the scripting cat is out of the scripting
bag. At ATIA, GW Micro introduced one of the most requested features in
Window-Eyes: support for a scripting language. Not only is Window-Eyes
providing a scripting support, but the method being used is by far the
easiest available in the market today. As time goes on, we will provide more
information. For now, I'd like to provide you with a small section of the
introduction in the Window-Eyes Scripting documentation.
Enjoy!
*****
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.
Are you a Perl programmer, and want to use PerlScript? Be our guest. Do you
prefer Python? Then why not create your scripts in ActivePython? Granted,
the PerlScript, PythonScript, and similar parsing engines would need to be
installed on machines where the scripts in those languages are going to be
used. But if you're only creating scripts for yourself, and you happen to be
an excellent Perl programmer, you have the power. Are you a C++ programmer?
Are you a Visual Basic programmer? Do you use VBA, PHP, or .NET? Regardless
of the language you choose, as long as it supports COM Automation, you can
make Window-Eyes sing (literally, if you want).
Unlike other scripting engines' limited exposing of their interface to other
applications and the use of proprietary languages, Window-Eyes scripting is
an open server that not only hosts clients (i.e. scripts, executables,
etc.), but also exposes itself through COM Automation to other applications.
In other words, in addition to creating scripts that Window-Eyes can host,
you can also access Window-Eyes objects from other programs. The
possibilities are endless.
How to Use this Guide
The Window-Eyes Object Model reference is divided into several sections. The
Objects section contains a detailed listing of all available objects, along
with their properties, methods, and events. The Enumerations section lists
all available constants and their values. The Custom User Interface section
talks about creating your own dialogs using the Window-Eyes scripting
engine. Lastly, the Tips & Tricks section provides a few ways to do common
scripting tasks.
The Window-Eyes Object Model reference standardizes with the VBScript
language. All examples, syntax, and other notation will be in VBScript
unless otherwise noted.
What are Objects, Properties, Methods, and Events?
Objects are containers of data, the data being a combination of properties
(or attributes), methods (things you can make an object do), and events
(things that an object causes to happen). Understanding the organization of
an object is best done through analogy.
Imagine a dog as an object. A dog has properties, such as color, height,
weight, breed, and so on. A dog has methods (or functions) such as sit,
speak, stay, roll over, and heel -- these are commands that you tell a dog
to perform. A dog also has events, including barking, tail wagging, and
chasing cars -- these are things that dogs do in their free time.
What About Syntax?
As mentioned previously, the Window-Eyes Object Model reference will use
VBScript when supplying syntax and examples. It is important to note,
however, that accessing object information is similar in other programming
languages -- you are not restricted to using VBScript. When you're working
with objects, you access properties and methods using a convention called a
dot operator, meaning you use a dot (or period) to connect an object with a
property or method.
For example, to assign a color to a dog object, you might do:
Dog.Color = "Brown"
To command your dog object to perform a task, you might say:
Dog.PlayDead
To listen for your dog object to bark, and then command your dog object to
behave, you might try:
Sub MyDogBarked()
Dog.Silence
Dog.Sit
Dog.Stay
End Sub
Syntax will become clearer as you read through the various objects sections,
and review examples.
More to come!
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