Re: FAQ on nonvisual development
- From: Bill Cox <waywardgeek@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 15:49:17 -0400
Nice FAQ for Windows. It would be nice to enhance it for Gnu/Linux
and Mac OS X. There a lot's of amazing blind programmers over in
Linux land.
Bill
On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 3:08 PM, Jamal Mazrui <empower@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Nonvisual Development FAQ
>
> This is a set of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the subject
> of software development by people who are blind or visually impaired (blind
> programmers). The initial version is by Jamal Mazrui, who may be reached at
> the address
> mailto://jamal@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Corrections, modifications, and new topics are solicited for inclusion in
> the FAQ. Indicate the question and answer being addressed. Your name and
> email address will be listed as a contributor unless you specify otherwise.
>
> The current version was posted on
> May 18, 2010
> at
> http://EmpowermentZone.com/NonvisualDevelopmentFAQ.htm
>
>
>
> ----------
>
> Contents
>
> Where can I find introductory examples for programming in a particular
> language?
> Are screen reader configuration sets available for the Microsoft Visual
> Studio integrated development environment (IDE)?
> Is a free version of Visual Studio available?
> Are there tips for using Visual Studio with a screen reader?
> Are other IDEs available for .NET development besides Visual Studio?
> Is it possible to build .NET programs without Visual Studio?
> What accessible text editors may be used for programming?
> What tools are recommended for developing with the Java language?
> What tools are recommended for developing with the Python language?
> Is a simpler language available, e.g., one that does not involve object
> oriented programming (OOP)?
> Is there an IDE designed with screen reader support?
> What screen readers may be customized for applications via scripting
> languages?
> Is there job training specifically for blind programmers?
> What mailing lists exist for blind programmers?
> What web sites have resources for blind programmers?
> ----------
>
> Where can I find introductory examples for programming in a particular
> language?
>
> Blind programmers have contributed to a project intended for this purpose.
> Specifications and samples of a "fruit basket program" are at the web site
> http://FruitBasket.QuantumMyst.com
>
> A fruit basket program is intended as a simple but nontrivial graphical user
> interface (GUI), exhibiting how a developer may employ a particular
> programming language and platform, and how a user may experience the result.
> The length and complexity of code may be considered from a developer
> standpoint; the accessibility and performance of the program may be
> considered from a user standpoint.
>
> Basically, the user interface contains an edit box for entering a fruit name
> (e.g, apple), a listbox for collecting the fruit (the basket), and buttons
> to add or delete items. Obviously, such a program is not inherently useful,
> but it does offer an informative example of a development approach, with
> comparisons possible to other programs meeting the same criteria. Fruit
> basket samples are available for many development approaches.
>
> ----------
>
> Are screen reader configuration sets available for the Microsoft Visual
> Studio integrated development environment (IDE)?
>
> Blind programmers have developed a set of JAWS scripts for Visual Studio
> (VS), which work with either VS 2005 or VS 2008. They do not work with VS
> 2010, which uses Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) controls rather than
> Windows Forms controls.
>
> The executable installer for the scripts works with 64-bit Windows and
> Windows 7, as well as earlier versions of Windows. It is available at
> http://EmpowermentZone.com/msenv2005.exe
>
> Pick your JAWS version in the installer dialog -- the default is the latest
> version found on your computer. Otherwise, just press Enter to accept all
> defaults of that dialog.
>
> A zip archive is also available for a manual install at
> http://EmpowermentZone.com/msenv2005.zip
>
> Documentation for the scripts is in the file msenv2005.htm. It gives steps
> for manual installation. It also includes a list of hotkeys and a tutorial
> on developing a fruit basket program with C# and VS.
>
> ----------
>
> Is a free version of Visual Studio available?
>
> VS comes in various versions with increasing amounts of developer tools and
> corresponding costs. The "Express Editions" may be freely downloaded and
> used, even in commercial projects. Each Express Edition is oriented to a
> particular language or platform: C#, Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Visual
> Web Developer (for developing web sites with ASP.NET). These are available
> at
> http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/
>
> ----------
>
> Are there tips for using Visual Studio with a screen reader?
>
> A collection of tips has been gathered from blind programming lists, called
> "Nonvisual Development with .NET," posted at
> http://EmpowermentZone.com/ndn.htm
>
> ----------
>
> Are other IDEs available for .NET development besides Visual Studio?
>
> Sharp Develop is an open source, cross platform IDE for .NET languages,
> available at
> http://www.icsharpcode.net/opensource/sd/
>
> Eclipse is an open source, cross-platform IDE for Java and other languages,
> available at
> http://eclipse.org
>
> A plug in for C# development with Eclipse is called Emonic, available at
> http://emonic.sourceforge.net/
>
> ----------
>
> Is it possible to build .NET programs without Visual Studio?
>
> C#, Visual Basic, and JScript .NET command-line compilers are part of the
> .NET Framework 2.0 Software Development Kit (SDK), which is freely available
> at
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa731542.aspx
>
> Later versions of the .NET Framework include these command-line compilers in
> the distribution of the Framework, itself. Usually, a shortcut is put on
> the Windows Start Menu for opening a command prompt with PATH and other
> environment variables set so that these tools are found when run. You could
> also search your hard disk for the C# compiler, csc.exe, and then add its
> directory to your search path.
>
> ----------
>
> What accessible text editors may be used for programming?
>
>
> Boxer
> http://TextEditor.com
>
> EdSharp
> http://EmpowermentZone.com/edsetup.exe
>
> NoteTab Pro
> http://NoteTab.com
>
> TextPad
> http://TextPad.com
>
> ----------
>
> What tools are recommended for developing with the Java language?
>
> Install the Java Development Kit (JDK) from
> http://JavaSoft.com
>
> Also there is the Java Access Bridge (JAB), which should be installed for
> each Java Virtual Machine (JVM) on your computer. A direct download URL for
> the JAB is
> http://www.renovation-software.com/files/tgsdk/accessbridge-2_0_1.exe
>
> Eclipse is an accessible IDE especially tailored for Java development. It
> is available from
> http://eclipse.org
>
> Also there is the Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT), a Java package that
> produces accessible GUIs on Windows and Linux.
>
> ----------
>
> What tools are recommended for developing with the Python language?
>
> Install Python from
> http://python.org
>
> Install the wxPython package for creating accessible GUIs from
> http://wxPython.org
>
> For Windows development, install the Python for Windows extensions at
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/
>
> Also install py2exe, a package for building stand-alone executables from
> http://py2exe.org
>
> In Python, code indentation is syntactically required rather than
> stylistically optional. The EdSharp editor includes features that help
> screen reader users manage indentation efficiently, available at
> http://EmpowermentZone.com/edsetup.exe
>
> ----------
>
> Is a simpler language available, e.g., one that does not involve object
> oriented programming (OOP)?
>
> AutoIt is a Visual Basic-like language that is freely available from
> http://AutoItScript.com
>
> ----------
>
> Is there an IDE designed with screen reader support?
>
> Sodbeans is being developed at
> http://sodbeans.sourceforge.net/
>
> ----------
>
> What screen readers may be customized for applications via scripting
> languages?
>
>
> HAL
> http://YourDolphin.com
>
> JAWS
> http://FreedomScientific.com
>
> Nonvisual Desktop Access
> http://www.nvda-project.org/
>
> Window-Eyes
> http://GWMicro.com
>
> ----------
>
> Is there job training specifically for blind programmers?
>
> Lion's World Services For the Blind has a curriculum called Enterprise
> Solutions Programming -- a 10-month course which prepares clients to work in
> a wide range of programming environments including .NET and others. Exams
> for Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) are offered through
> the program.
> http://www.lwsb.org/enterprise_solutions_programming.asp
>
> ----------
>
> What mailing lists exist for blind programmers?
>
>
> Blind Geeks -- Where Blind People Learn Programming
> http://BlindGeeks.org
>
> BlindWebbers -- List for blind and visually impaired web authors
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/blindwebbers/
>
> dev-accessibility -- Accessibility of Mozilla products to those with
> disabilities
> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-accessibility
>
> GW-Scripting -- Discussion list for information regarding the development
> and use of Window-Eyes scripts
> http://www.gwmicro.com/Support/Email_Lists/
>
> Java Accessibility
> http://archives.java.sun.com/cgi-bin/wa?A0=java-access
>
> JAWSScripts -- For scripting and configuring JAWS
> //www.freelists.org/list/jawsscripts
>
> LibLouis and LibLouisXML -- List for the discussion and development of the
> liblouis and liblouisxml braille translation, back-translation, and
> formatting software
> //www.freelists.org/list/liblouis-liblouisxml
>
> NVDA Developers -- List for development of the Nonvisual Desktop Access
> screen reader
> http://www.nvda-project.org/wiki/Community
>
> Open A11y of the Linux Foundation
> http://www.linux-foundation.org/en/accessibility/email
>
> program-l -- Discussion group for visually impaired computer programmers
> //www.freelists.org/list/program-l
>
> ProgrammingBlind -- Programming while blind
> //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind
>
> ----------
>
> What web sites have resources for blind programmers?
>
>
> AbilitiesSoft -- Developing software for people with disabilities
> http://www.AbilitiesSoft.com/
>
> Blind Geeks -- Where Blind People Learn Programming
> http://BlindGeeks.org
>
> Inthane's Grab Bag -- Blind programming assistance
> http://GrabBag.AlacornComputer.com
>
> NonvisualDevelopment -- promoting software development without visual
> dependencies
> http://NonvisualDevelopment.org
>
>
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>
>
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