[jawsscripts] Re: What Is A Dialog Box?
- From: Soronel Haetir <soronel.haetir@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: jawsscripts@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:27:55 -0900
Umm, a window is just a region of screen space owned by a single
program. Some types of windows can overlap other windows and provide
user control over their position on screen. These are usually top
level windows (the ones that show up on the task bar and sometimes a
few others).
Windows are controlled on the code side by a series of messages
(create, show, activate, size, paint and so on, there are a great many
such standard messages). The way the code responds to those messages
determines its functionality.
Top level windows can turn over part of the area they own to child
windows, which can have child windows of their own until you run out
of system memory (you are much more likely to run out of virtual
desktop space foro all these windows to show up before that happens
though).
There are also quite a few standard window types for tasks that nearly
every program needs at some point, these include buttons, edit
controls, combo boxes etc. The system provides these so that
programmers don't need to create them from scratch every time they
start a new program.
These standard window types usually have a fairly limited set of
functionality but do it extremely well. The button window class for
instance is responsible for drawing a piece of text, possibly an icon,
is resposible for spacing the text and icon correctly. It responds in
a specific manner to mouse button clicks (if you hold a mouse button
down the button window is redrawn so that it appears depressed, if
you continue to hold the mouse button down and move the mouse out of
the button window the window is redrawn again, in the raised state, it
will go back to the depressed appearance if you move the mouse back
into the button area while still holding the mouse and so on).
Most such visual niceties are not particularly relevant to blind folks.
A dialog is a type of overlapped window that is provided by the
system. In the usual case it does not allow itself to be resized, but
its position can be changed. A dialog usually creates a set of
controls from a template. It provides logic for child window
selection, initialization and some other stuff. A dialog also usually
prevents input from reaching windows that are owned by the same paren
while the dialog is running.
Specific examples of dialog you likely encounter on a regular basis
would be the standard file open and save windows.
On 2/29/12, mark <marktorgerson@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi
> I am relatively new at dealing with these windows that you mentioned.
> Can you give me some more insight on them please?
>
> God bless,
> Mark
>
> God Loves you!
> You can visit my website at:
> http://christiantraditions.info
> Please visit my blog at:
> http://christian-traditions.blogspot.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jawsscripts-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:jawsscripts-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Soronel Haetir
> Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2012 6:25 PM
> To: jawsscripts@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [jawsscripts] Re: What Is A Dialog Box?
>
> The important thing about dialog boxes is that they usually disable
> interaction with any 'lower' portion of the program that created them
> (there are exceptions such as how find/replace is often implemented,
> but those are a definite minority). The other major point about
> dialogs is that they are much more likely than regular windows to use
> the standard windows controls (buttons, edit, combo box and so on).
> So dialogs are usually used to perform a single integrated (and
> usually fairly concise task). From the windows programmer's
> perspective dialogs offer some advantages, such as built in logic for
> creating a set of controls from a template, handling the tab key to
> switch controls, default controls and some other such items. But as
> far as scripting goes for the most part dialogs (and their controls)
> should just be more windows to deal with.
>
> On 2/28/12, Jackie McBride <abletec@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> Mark, a dialog box is simply a series of controls that enable a
>> "conversation" of sorts w/the user. An example is the typical "file
>> open" dialog box u get when u press
>> ctrl o, for example.
>>
>> On 2/28/12, mark <marktorgerson@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>> Hi
>>> I am trying to script a program on my own. When I am using the Jaws
>>> cursor to move around the screen, I keep hearing JAWS saying I am on
>>> different dialog boxes. Apparently this is very important. However, I
>>> have
>>> no idea what it means. Any ideas are appreciated.
>>>
>>> God bless,
>>> Mark
>>>
>>> God Loves you!
>>> You can visit my website at:
>>> <http://christiantraditions.info> http://christiantraditions.info
>>> Please visit my blog at:
>>> <http://christian-traditions.blogspot.com>
>>> http://christian-traditions.blogspot.com
>>>
>>>
>>> __________�
>>>
>>> View the list's information and change your settings at
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>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Blame the computer--why not? It can't defend itself & occasionally
>> might even be the culprit
>> Jackie McBride
>> Ask Me Computer Questions at: www.pcinquirer.com
>> Jaws Scripting training materials: www.screenreaderscripting.com
>> homePage: www.abletec.serverheaven.net
>> __________�
>>
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>>
>
>
> --
> Soronel Haetir
> soronel.haetir@xxxxxxxxx
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>
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>
--
Soronel Haetir
soronel.haetir@xxxxxxxxx
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