Re: Your Experience with Braille Displays
- From: Tyler Littlefield <tyler@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:18:39 -0600
I cant say you won't spot them right away because it's something you have to
get used to. I cought all the errors first time around, and the errors are not
"annoying," but descriptive. A braille display won't make them less annoying,
you'll have to learn to listen to your errors.
Thanks,
Tyler Littlefield
http://tds-solutions.net
Twitter: sorressean
On Jul 25, 2010, at 6:14 PM, Alex Midence wrote:
> Forgot to mention the other thing that wouldn't work on my code. Line
> 10 should read:
>
> cout << "hello " << nombre << "!";
>
>
>
> On 7/25/10, Øyvind Lode <oyvind.lode@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> I'm by no means a strong Braille reader myself, but I still find Braille
>> very useful and try to read as much as I can on my Braille display.
>> I started learning Braille about 2 years ago.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Alex Midence
>> Sent: 25. juli 2010 06:44
>> To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> Subject: Re: Your Experience with Braille Displays
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I'll add the following to this discussion. I'll preface my comments
>> by stating that I'm new to programming with my time in it measured in
>> months. I'm a little more seasoned at html though which I don't
>> consider a programming language although it has a few of the same
>> quirks.
>>
>> I use Jaws 11 and a focus 80 braille display on a machine running
>> windows xp pro and another running windows xp media center. I simply
>> could not conceive of being able to code efficiently without one.
>> Proofreading is so much simpler with a braille display than with
>> speach alone. Also, editing the code can be much faster since a lot
>> of braille displays now adays have routing buttons right above the
>> cells that you can push to jump right to a bit of code you wish to
>> edit. For instance:
>>
>> 1 // c++ program to make your pc greet you personally.
>> 2 #include <string>
>> 3 #include <iostream>
>> 4 using namespace std;
>> 5 int main ()
>> 6 {
>> 7 string nombre;
>>
>> 8 cout < "What is your name?" << endl;
>> 9 cin >> nombre;
>> 10 cout << "Hello, " << "nombre!':
>> 11 return 0
>> 12 ]
>>
>>
>> This will not compile because I've got some syntax errors. On line 8,
>> I've only got one left angle bracket instead of two (< instead of
>> <<). On line 10, I've got a single quote (') and a colon (:) instead
>> of a double quote and a semicolon on the end ( " and ;). On line 11,
>> I don't have a semicolon at the end of my line and line 12 has a right
>> bracket instead of a right brace ( ] and not a }).
>>
>> Now, when I run this code, my compiler throws a fit and gives all
>> sorts of annoying little error messages. When I go back into my code
>> to check it, unless I've got my punctuation settings at maximum with
>> speech and arrow down line by line and wait until the speech is over
>> for that line, I won't spot these errors right away. It might take me
>> a few passes to find them. This is only 12 lines of code. I can't
>> imagine how long and grueling this is with hundreds of lines of code.
>> With my handy dandy focus 80 brailel display, however, I pan down the
>> lines of code, run the old fingers across and spot the errors pretty
>> quicly. I hit the routing button above that lonely < sign on line 8
>> and type another one to make two. I do the same thing on line 10 at
>> the end there to get my " and ; onto the line and I slap a semicolon
>> on the end of line 11. I get to line 12, curse, delete the offending
>> bracket and replace it with a brace by first routing to it with the
>> routing button and just doing my replacement.
>>
>>
>> also, I'm able to perceive all the indentation in the code nicely.
>> I've got my braces at 8 spaces in and my text in the block at 5 spaces
>> in from the left margin. When I learn Pyton, I don't anticipate
>> having any trouble using braille. You CAN make Jaws tell you exactly
>> hwo many blank spaces there are before some text but it's pretty
>> annoying to hear.
>>
>> In html braille is even more critical since you can have lines and
>> lines of text until you get to your tags. Having your screen reader
>> spell every word or give you each and every punctuation mark in a
>> multiparagraph webpage is simply too horrrible to think about
>> especially when, most of the time, you just forgot to place your end
>> tags just so or have two less than signs when you needed a less than
>> and a greater than.
>>
>> You really need to get yourself a braille display. If you aren't a
>> strong braille reader yet, make it a priority to become one. It will
>> open up a whole new world for you and not just in programming.
>> Hope this helps.
>>
>> Alex
>>
>>
>> On 7/23/10, Nick.Adamson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> <Nick.Adamson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>> Hi Kerneels.
>>>
>>> Glad to see your still looking in to this.
>>> As I recommended I would try to see if you can borrow a display for a
>>> month or so to find out if you get on with it. As I said to you I find
>>> mine invaluable but I no some who can take or leave them.
>>>
>>> In terms of size my personal preference is as big as you can get. IMO it
>>> allows you to see as much of the code in one go as you can but it all
>>> depends on money.
>>>
>>> In terms of make I've used an Alva, focus and Tieman. The one I liked
>>> most was the Tieman, it was a comby Braille 80. the controls were nice
>>> and the Braille cells were lovely and clear. I don't know if you can
>>> still get these. The Alva I've got is ok, it's a bit basic in terms of
>>> controls but it does me ok. I use the focus 80 at work and its so. The
>>> controls are nice and its generally a smaller bit of kit. It doesn't
>>> seem as robust as the Alva, I've been using it from new for the last 5
>>> years and some dots have already stopped working. The Alva I've had for
>>> 7 years and it was second hand then and all but 1 dot is still working
>>> fine. I also find the display on the focus a little mushy, I'm not sure
>>> how else to describe it.
>>>
>>> In terms of screen reader support many people on this list will know I'm
>>> a fan of Hal. IMO the Braille support in Hal is wonderful. I know there
>>> are many users in Europe which don't use the speech at all with Hal,
>>> just Braille. In comparison the last time I used Braille with jaws it
>>> did seem a bit primitive but that was on jaws 7 so I would hope things
>>> have moved on since then. I've never tried Braille with WE so someone
>>> else may have some experience with it.
>>>
>>> HTH.
>>> Nick.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kerneels
>>> Roos
>>> Sent: 22 July 2010 16:15
>>> To: programmingblind
>>> Subject: Your Experience with Braille Displays
>>>
>>> Hi everyone,
>>>
>>> In a recent conversation with a fellow member of this list, I got a
>>> strong impression that, with the aid of a Braille display one would be
>>> able to be a lot more productive when coding, especially if the display
>>> is sufficiently large (80 cells for example).
>>>
>>> I myself have never used a Braille display and have been learning
>>> Braille for the last year and a half with reasonable success. As a
>>> programmer who has been in the industry for about 10 years now I can
>>> totally understand how a Braille display could assist you, especially
>>> with those long lines of object upon object ending in some deep down
>>> function call. Or some of those heavily nested conditional C-style
>>> expressions:
>>> result = (condition1 || condition2) && condition3 ? value1 :
>>> (condition4 ? value4 : value5)
>>> or something similar and more complex -- the above one is quite trivial
>>> :-).
>>>
>>> But how have you experienced programming with a Braille display at your
>>> service?
>>>
>>> Has there been any particular model / make / design which you can
>>> recommend above others?
>>>
>>> Are there any models you absolutely could not get along with, or which
>>> were unreliable and broke all the time?
>>>
>>> And how about screen reader compattibility? In your opinion, does screen
>>> reader X stand out at working the best with a Braille display while
>>> screen reader Y failed you dismally.
>>>
>>> And lastly, has there been any particular language you absolutely could
>>> not get any joy with while trying to read code with a Braille display?
>>>
>>> Many questions, I know, but feel free to respond with anything you feel
>>> strongly about regarding this topic.
>>>
>>> Eager to hear your responses,
>>> K
>>> --
>>> Kerneels Roos
>>> Cell/SMS: +27 (0)82 309 1998
>>> Skype: cornelis.roos
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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