Ang: Proposal: mouse-only Caribou for GNOME 2.30

[Mats Lundälv <mats lundalv vgregion se>]

Hi Ben,

I have little insight in the schedules and procedures for adding things to a next Gnome release, but fully respect the need to limit the scope as you propose. Switch input and scanning are more complex issues than one would believe not having been messing with it. So it may well be wise to focus on getting the basic OSK functionality in place for mouse input only first.

Having tested the first alpha, and in relation to the overall planning, I have the following remarks and questions:

1. The basic OSK functionality (selection and output/input to target application) works fine, and seems to be stable as far as I have tested (including making an alternative layout with the extra Swedish characters and some more) - so that's great!

2. I notice the support for SVG graphics in the key buttons with satisfaction! This opens up for novel application of this OSK in the Unix environment - as a tool for AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) - with graphic symbol support. Question: Do you plan to support both graphic and text in the buttons in the near future?

3. In connection to the previous question: As far as I can see, the keys may currently only contain a single character each for output (and display for the basic keys). Do you plan to add support for string display and output/input to target app?
This is important to support quick word and phrase layouts. It also calls for support for convenient separation between display text and send text in the set-ups (basic functionality already there for the current "keysyms" - sort of).

4. I'm a bit curious about the thinking around the current pop-up on text input functionality: This is a catchy option for some kinds of users and usage, but also a rather useless feature for many others, especially for switch users - but also many direct selection users -  who need the OSK for controlling the environment just as much as inputting text.
The same can be said about the "follow-text-cursor" feature: nice option, but very disturbing with a constantly moving selection target for others. Plans?

5. What are the plans for sizing of keyboard and keys, as well as spacing between keys? Very important in general, but particularly for pointing device input for users with limited pointing/selecting control and accuracy.

6. Plans for input filtering?

7. Plans for visual feedback - mouse-over and selection feedback etc?

8. Plans for word prediction support?

There are and will be many more issues when coming to the switch input user needs etc, but these are the ones that come to my mind after the initial testing of this first promising alpha, and focusing on direct selection users.

Cheers,

Mats

-----gnome-accessibility-list-bounces gnome org skrev: -----

Till: Gnome Accessibility List <gnome-accessibility-list gnome org>
Från: Ben Konrath <ben konrath utoronto ca>
Sänt av: gnome-accessibility-list-bounces gnome org
Datum: 2009-12-09 22:03
Ärende: Proposal: mouse-only Caribou for GNOME 2.30

Hi,

I'm thinking about shifting the development focus of Caribou from my
initial plan. The next stage of my plan was to start adding switch
access scanning to Caribou which would work towards text entry
functionality for two use cases: mouse-only users and switch-access users.

Looking at other stuff going on in GNOME accessibility community right
now, I think it makes more sense to concentrate on making a rock solid
application for the mouse-only user case in time for GNOME 2.30. This
will allow distros to keep the CORBA base at-spi off for mouse only
users (including dwell click users using MouseTweaks) as well as for the
other use cases covered by programs using pyatspi. This doesn't help
switch only users who will still need to use the CORBA based at-api but
at least it's a step to include more users with the DBus based at-spi.

I know that I missed the official module proposal for GNOME 2.30 so
Caribou will not be officially included but I still think there is value
to concentrating on one user group first. And I can defintely have
something usable for mouse-only users in time for GNOME 2.30.

So what do people think? Any thoughts about this would be appreciated.

Cheers, Ben
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