[macvoiceover] Re: Scripting

  • From: Bryan Smart <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "macvoiceover@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <macvoiceover@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:36:20 -0500

Hi Sam.

Sorry if I didn't make this clear, but I do understand that AppleScript scripts 
are used to control VoiceOver. I was looking for some examples or documentation 
on what methods or properties were exposed by VoiceOver for use by the scripts.

I figured out what I was doing wrong with the script editor. When you open an 
app's dictionary, the focus goes in to a toolbar area. If you back out (stop 
interacting with), then you can see the rest of the window, including the 
object browser.

If anyone is curious, here is what I've figured out.

Your scripts can trigger just about any VO behavior, including standard 
navigation, manually position and clicking the mouse, reading information from 
the screen, etc.

However, it doesn't look like VoiceOver raises any events when stuff happens on 
screen (new windows appear, the focus moves, text is written, etc), so you 
can't make scripts automatically speak anything or otherwise react to what 
happens on screen. I'm still a fairly noob of a VO user, though, so there might 
be a way of showing events that I've missed.

Anyhow, there is enough here to build some cool scripts for VO. The first one 
that comes to mind is a more advanced hot spot tool. I'll talk about that in 
another thread, though.

Bryan

-----Original Message-----
From: macvoiceover-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
[mailto:macvoiceover-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Sam Troia
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 1:11 PM
To: macvoiceover@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [macvoiceover] Re: Scripting

Brian, they're Apple scripts, not vo scripts.  There are two things for you to 
look at: Apple scrips themselves and automator which you can use to write 
scripts.

On Nov 10, 2009, at 11:44 AM, Bryan Smart wrote:

> I'm trying to get started with VO scripting, but information is very thin. My 
> short-term goal while learning VO scripting is to speed up operations in 
> Garage Band by making macros for lengthy VO procedures and directly 
> controlling Garage Band from script when VO UI processes can't accomplish a 
> task.
> 
> For starters, I tried to track down the pre-installed VO scripts to use for 
> study, but can't find them on the hard drive. I can see the Time of Day 
> script listed in the Keyboard Commander table of the VO Utility, but it 
> doesn't show the path, and selecting to add a new script starts out in my 
> home folder, so this way of tracking them down was a bust. I checked the VO 
> manual, but it doesn't say anything about where default scripts are or should 
> be stored.
> 
> Since I couldn't study any examples, I tried to just have a look at what VO 
> commands are available from scripts. To do that, I went to the AppleScript 
> editor and attempted to use Open Dictionary from the File menu to have a look 
> at what methods/properties are exposed from VO. When I open VO's dictionary, 
> though, the window seems mostly blank. I see a search box, a few unlabeled 
> check boxes, and some dimmed unlabeled buttons. Is this part of script editor 
> broken? Perhaps I'm doing something incorrectly?
> 
> Finally, I tried Googling for VO scripting info or examples, but came up dry. 
> It doesn't seem like many people are experimenting with this VO feature yet.
> 
> It has been over 10 years since I last did anything with AppleScript, and 
> that was on OS9. I catch on to new languages quickly, but it just seems that 
> there isn't much available for study as relates to VO scripting. Can anyone 
> assist with a link to some info?
> 
> Bryan
>> 
>> Click on the link below to go to our homepage.
>> http://www.icanworkthisthing.com
>> 
>> Manage your subscription by using the web interface on the link below.
>> //www.freelists.org/list/macvoiceover
>> 
>> Users can subscribe to this list by sending email to 
>> macvoiceover-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> with 'subscribe' in the Subject field OR by logging into the Web 
>> interface at //www.freelists.org/list/macvoiceover
>> 

>
> Click on the link below to go to our homepage.
> http://www.icanworkthisthing.com
>
> Manage your subscription by using the web interface on the link below.
> //www.freelists.org/list/macvoiceover
>
> Users can subscribe to this list by sending email to  
> macvoiceover-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> with 'subscribe' in the Subject field OR by logging into the Web 
> interface at //www.freelists.org/list/macvoiceover
>
>
> Click on the link below to go to our homepage.
> http://www.icanworkthisthing.com
>
> Manage your subscription by using the web interface on the link below.
> //www.freelists.org/list/macvoiceover
>
> Users can subscribe to this list by sending email to
>  macvoiceover-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> with 'subscribe' in the Subject field OR by logging into the Web
> interface at //www.freelists.org/list/macvoiceover
>

Other related posts: