[macvoiceover] Re: Net4Mac Patch

  • From: Greg Kearney <gkearney@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: macvoiceover@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:15:56 -0600

Well it will not work for all application and in particular the Pro Audio applications can not be patched in this way. Here is what I do:


When I encounter an application like Net4Mac in which buttons or other controls have not been labeled with accessibility features I open the application package and try and find the English project .nib files. Then with the Interface Builder application, part of Xcode, I edit that .nib file putting in the missing accessibility features.

WARNING: Do this ONLY ON A COPY of the software never the original application. You've been warned!

Read that last part again!

If this works then you have an accessible version of the application. Next step is to build a patch program to install it into an unmodified copy of the program. So copy the .nib files you modified to a temporary location and use AppleScript, create an Application bundle and in the scrip part enter something like the following changing the paths as needed:

-- Start of appleScript
--Here we check to make sure the application is installed in the / Applications directory
if (do shell script "ls /Applications") contains "Net4Mac.app" then
        -- set appPath to the path of the patcher application.
        set appPath to path to me as string
-- add the path to the nib file we are going to install here we are placing it into the script application.
        set nibPath to appPath & "Contents:MainMenu.nib"
        -- Make the whole thing into a unix path name
        set nibPath to POSIX path of nibPath
        -- copy it to the correct path in the application to be patched.
-- the -R option is used because technically .nib files are directories. do shell script "cp -R " & nibPath & " /Applications/Net4Mac.app/ Contents/Resources/English.lproj"
        --tell the user we're done.
        display alert "Net4Mac has been patched."
else
        --tell the user he need the application installed before he can patch.
        display alert "Please install Net4Mac allication before running patch."
end if
-- End of appleScript

Now like I said this approach of modifying applications to provide accessibility is limited and not all applications can make use of it but when it does work it works well. Where it does not work is for applications which have not followed the Apple specification for GUI, like the Pro Audio application. If developer would just pay attention they would have the items added as they make their programs.

I have no idea if any of this is legal.

Greg Kearney
535 S. Jackson St.
Casper, Wyoming 82601
307-224-4022
gkearney@xxxxxxxxx

On Apr 14, 2008, at 3:50 PM, Lewis Brock wrote:
hi greg. contact me off list at lewisjbrock@xxxxxxx and give me some details on how the app works etc and how it can implement this kind of tooling. if so then this could be an essential tool for developing access to specific applications in pro audio.

if anything give me a link for the file and I'll download it. is it leopard compatible?

lew


On 14 Apr 2008, at 22:42, Greg Kearney wrote:

Some of you may recall that I have spoken about how it is possible to modify a program, with out access to the source code to make it accessible. Net4Mac is one such program and I have a patch program that will make it much more accessible with VoiceOver.

I don't now about the legality of such an approach to accessibility but if anyone wants to try this our drop me a line and I'll send you the patch program.

Greg Kearney
535 S. Jackson St.
Casper, Wyoming 82601
307-224-4022
gkearney@xxxxxxxxx


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Mr. Lewis Brock
Totally blind musician and composer of 21st century synth orchestral music

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E-Mail: lewisjbrock@xxxxxxx
Skype: lewisjbrock


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Manage your subscription by using the web interface on the link below.
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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

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