Hi Chip, Steve et al:
OK, I have tried most everything I can think of, including most recent
suggestions about CursorKeys.
I watched for a UIA OnFocus Change event and if the AutomationElement is
off-screen I stopped speech and routed focus to the MainWindow's MenuBar.
This works unless I close the MenuBar.
Instead of hearing nothing and having nothing happen when I hit enter on the
empty MainWindow, focus is returned to SolutionExplorer, the item focus is
transferred to is spoken and hitting enter activates that hidden and
disabled object which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place.
So, I can get the off screen stuff to not speak easily enough, I dont need
to use the Keyboard Input at all.But, to stop the non-spoken and hidden
object from being activated I think I need to trap the keystrokes and have
nothing done if a key is pressed while the object is off-screen and
disabled.
I think this requires trapping the KeyStroke(s) and then not doing the
action in the Target Program if the object is disabled and, or, off-screen.
So that is where I am this morning.
I ask myself if I am using the KeyProcessed method improperly or if there
appears to b4e a bug in the way WE is handling it and I just dont know.
Perhaps there is some other way around this but first things first.
Do we have a bug in WindowEyes or am I misunderstanding the KeyProcessed
Method and, or, using it improperly.
I will try and figure better tests to figure that out today or watch some
baseball, not sure which would be more fun - grin.
Later and thanks for all the help.
Rick USA
I might be able to watch for an event to occur like the Hiding of the
Solution'Explorer Window since I think I remember that occuring in my
initial WEEvent Analysis tool output for this SolutionExplorer testing prior
to doing any coding.
I have been able to trap a UIA action, or even a KeyProcessDown event key
stroke, speak nothing if the object is hidden and route focus to the MenuBar
for the Main window since nothing else is open on that window.
This is pretty close to what I want. But if I close the MenuBar, instead
of reading nothing or the MainWindow TitleBar focus is returned to the
hidden and disabled SolutionExplorer except that is not hidden nor disabled
even though I think the Properties indicate it is still hidden and
disabled - it is still on screen and active even though the properties say
it is off screen and disabled if I remember correctly.
I have gotten\
l Message -----
From: "Chip Orange" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 7:48 PM
Subject: RE: A VBS and Wrappers Question
Hi Rick,
I think Steve was saying, if you want to write your app in VBS, then of
course there are functionalities of UIAutomation which you can't access.
So, you would need to write a relatively small vb.net module which
accesses
this functionality, and makes it available as methods and properties of a
class you have defined, then you register an object of this class as a
shared object. This module would be a separate .exe which would run each
time your app runs, so your app could then get to this object you shared,
and thus use the methods and properties you defined to give your app the
functionality it would need in order to do whatever it is you want to do.
You get to bypass all of the Iaccessible headaches this way, but you are
essentially still having to write a wrapper.
I think you'll find it easier to try to use the WE objects (such as the
cursor key I talked about in a separate thread) from within a vb.net app,
before trying this split approach.
hth,
Chip
-----Original Message-----
From: RicksPlace [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2012 8:12 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: A VBS and Wrappers Question
Hi Steve:
this is getting way more complicated than I think I want to deal with.
I am not sure about WE Buggs, my own understanding of some of
their Object Model Documentation and the nasty limitations of
WE, VBS and .net or even native COM Objects trying to play
nicely together.
That said,
I think I used a Standard .net executable calling into it's
functions or subs from a VBS App a long time ago but dont
remember for sure.
I just read a little about IDispatch to try and understand
the problem and found IDispatchx, think that is what it is
called which adds extensions to IDispatch to make COM objects
available to scripts like VBS.
2 questions:
1) Did you used the native UIA DLL or did you use the .net
Framework Automation Namespace to get at the UIA Elements and
Patterns?
2) what type of .net module did you create, standard dll
library, COM Library, standard assembly executable or other
module type you called into from Python to create the "Shared
Objects" methods and properties.
I will do my homework on whatever your answers imply I should look at.
Thanks Steve
Rick USA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Clower" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2012 8:19 AM
Subject: Re: A VBS and Wrappers Question
> Rick,
>
> In brief, VBScript can only take advantage of frameworks
which expose
> themselves through COM Automation. UIA does not, hence the
need for a
> wrapper of some kind. If you wanted to use VBScript or JScript, the
> wrapper would need to expose sufficient methods and
properties of your
> UIA object. Alternatively, using .net, you could create a
Window-Eyes
> shared object to do the same thing. This, imho, would be
much easier.
> I have done this with python and it worked very well.
>
> Regards,
> Steve
>
>
>
> On 6/8/2012 6:26 AM, RicksPlace wrote:
>> Hi Guys:
>> After struggling with UIA in my External script I am wondering if
>> there are unique advantages to creating a UIA script in
VBS - that is
>> one that works with both the WE Object Model and UIA where each is
>> most appropriate.
>> I wrote to the UIA Forum hosted by a developer of the UIA
Native DLL
>> to ask about a few things including using VBS as a
scripting language.
>> He said that VBS could not access some things without
using "Wrappers"
>> which I dont really understand yet.
>> It sounds like creating a COM DLL or something but I've not looked
>> into it since I am working with the Managed Code Framework
for UIA in
>> my current External Script.
>> That said, if there are major advantages to using VBS I
might go that
>> route downline as I learn more about UIA.
>> Do any of you have solid experience creating "Wrappers" and
>> especially related to accessing UIA or Managed Modules?
>> The Microsoft Programmer's name is "Guy" and here is what
he wrote back:
>> ... prior stuff unrelated to vbs ...
>> Regarding VBScript, I don't believe the native-code UIA API can be
>> called from VBScript.
>> VBScript requires the COM objects to support the IDispatch
interface,
>> and the native-code UIA API doesn't support that. But
while I've not
>> does this myself, you should be able to call a COM wrapper from
>> VB.Net which calls into the native-code UIA API.
>> I have some C# samples which call into a COM wrapper like
this. For
>> example,
>> http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Windows-7-UI-Automation-9ce18fd5
>> and
>> http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Windows-7-UI-Automation-9ce18fd5
>> . There a couple of different approaches for generating a
wrapper for
>> the native-code UIA API, and I've described these up at
>>
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsaccessibi
lityandautomation/thread/c3f142e1-0624-4ec5-a313-482e72d5454d
>> and
>>
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-TT/windowsaccessibilityand
>> automation/thread/5b043035-b1eb-4c6c-944c-5ce8df28b1ee
>> .
>> If you do generate a COM wrapper and reference it in a C# (or I
>> assume a
>> VB.Net)
>> project, Visual Studio's Object Browser will show the
contents of the
>> wrapper, and Intellisense works in VS to help write the code which
>> references the wrapper's data types.
>> ... rest gets into the VS Forms Designer...
>> First, it sounds like the "Wrappers" are COM objects like what
>> WindowEyes should be implementing rather than a script but
I am not sure.
>> Second, as VBS Programmers have you developed Wrappers in
VBS to get
>> at functions inside other COM Objects like Guy mentions?
>> I have not done this since my script is already in Managed
Code but
>> would have to do it if I switched to VBS unless GW has
already done
>> it within their Object Model somehow.
>> So that is my question, has anyone created COM Wrappers over DLLs
>> using VBS and does this sound like what Guy is describing
in the Forum reply.
>> I will go look at his examples, actually I peeked at them
and that is
>> why I am pretty sure they are COM wrappers but would like
to know it
>> can, has, been done in VBS before I even consider working
in VBS to
>> create a UIA / WE Object Model script since it might add too much
>> complexity to the project.
>> So, let me know what you have done with this technical set
(COM Wrappers"
>> in VBS.
>> Later Guys:
>> Rick USA
>
> --
> Stephen Clower
> Product support specialist & App Development GW Micro, Inc. * 725
> Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
> 260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com
>
>
