Katherine,
Yes; Microsoft is pushing developers to create modern UI apps-- but
that's mostly so their Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platform has
something to attract users. I can promise you that, for now at least,
legacy applications aren't going anywhere. Modern UI apps, while they
can be made easily enough, have a lot of limitations in terms of user
interface components and behavior. You couldn't, for example, create
something as sophisticated as a screen reader with modern UI. A weather
or news ticker? Twitter client? Game? Music player? Sure. those are the
kinds of apps Microsoft is wanting from developers. But, just like on
iOS and Android, as soon as said app loses focus, it for all intents
shuts down. Desktop apps (for lack of a better term), on the other hand,
function nearly identically on Windows 8 as they do on Windows 7. The
API and behavioral restrictions imposed on modern apps don't apply. And,
believe me, there are far too many developers, programs, businesses, and
end users that depend on legacy applications for Microsoft to flip the
kill switch. When and if that happens, I'm sure there will be options
for adaptive technology vendors going forward.
In terms of which language or architecture you decide to use is up to
you. There might be an idea which will work better as a modern app, and
conversely one that would be easier to create as a standard desktop
application. If you are still learning, I would strongly recommend
picking up a language first and then become comfortable with its API
second. It will be easier to pick up other languages after that, and
should the current API change or become entirely irrelevant, you won't
be left high and dry. We use a lot of different languages and tools here
to get our own jobs done; it's just a matter of using the best set of
tools for the task at hand.
Steve
On 11/7/2012 7:18 PM, Katherine Moss wrote:
My real fear though is that one of these days, the Modern UI will be the only
UI available, and then what are you guys going to do? I mean, as a person
interested in learning to program using the .NET Framework, how are decisions
made about whether to use desktop applications or those applications for the
modern UI in design? It right now seems that Microsoft is leaning toward
modern UI only, which could very well mark the end of accessibility on Windows
for blind people, right?
-----Original Message-----
From: Stephen Clower [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2012 8:54 AM
To: Katherine Moss
Cc: Loy; gw-info
Subject: Re: How's the support coming for Modern interface apps on Windows 8?
Katherine,
I can't speak to the Windows 8 Skype app as I personally have not used it.
However, just like any prgoram, it can be designed with accessibility in mind
or not at all. From what we have heard from other Windows 8 users who have
tried it, the Skype app falls in the latter category. Window-Eyes and other
adaptive technologies follow a set of rules as spelled out by a number of
organizations (including Microsoft) and also incorporate work-arounds based on
real world experience.
Unfortunately, just because a specification exists doesn't mean that people
will use it, know about it, or disregard it because they don't feel
accessibility is important. Modern UI apps are especially tricky as their
designs are geared more for touch-based hardware and not navigation via the
keyboard. Some areas of Windows 8 even don't provide consistent keyboard
navigation (hence our Windows Enhanced app). Windows
8 and modern apps are still very, very new, and we're hopeful that the
remaining issues will be sorted out as time progresses.
Regarding the older Skype client, I quote the following paragraphs from
GWConnect's own documentation:
Ever since the initial release of the Skype client in mid-2003, people from all
around the world have used it to initiate high-quality voice and text
conversations, send and receive files, and stay in touch with one another. The
visually impaired community, likewise, has used Skype since then to facilitate
equal communication with each other and their sighted counterparts. However, as
the service has grown, so too has the program. For years, screen reader users
have kept up with Skype's ever-morphing interface either with custom patches,
scripts, or apps.
While largely successful, such utilities must be constantly maintained as any
new version of Skype can, and often will, cause previously working scripts or
apps to stop functioning properly.
In mid-2011, Skype announced its Skype Kit developer program. This service
allows program developers to directly access nearly all Skype services without
the additional need of traversing its user interface.
Developers, therefore, can create their own interface to Skype and seamlessly
integrate it into their own products. And, because the underlying Skype
services are much less likely to change on a whim, GW Micro decided to take
advantage of this service and create a simple, elegant, fully accessible
interface to Skype which is designed with the visually impaired community in
mind. Having full control of the user interface also means that unlike the
official Skype client, GWConnect's interface will not dramatically change from
version to version. When you learn how to use GWConnect today, you can be
confident that your knowledge will continue to apply in the future as new
versions are released.
Thus, we have the tools to try to keep augmenting the standard Skype client,
but as its interface never remains constant we'd be playing a never-ending game
of catch up. With GWConnect, we did devote quite a bit of time to incorporate
nearly all of the Skype features provided by the Skype Kit, but now that this
task has been completed, we can focus our resources on other innovations-- such
as Window-Eyes 8. We intend to continue providing feature updates to GWConnect,
but the beauty of the Skype Kit approach is that we don't have to release an
augmented app update every few days just to keep up with Skype's ever-changing
user interface.
Regards,
Steve
On 11/6/2012 10:30 PM, Katherine Moss wrote:
Not to scare anyone, but since I am a technical person, I'd like to
know the details preventing WE from working with the metro Skype app;
after all, I bought Windows 8 so that I could join this new world of
apps; this has not happened yet. What is really going on here? But
anyway, what exactly is it that prevents WE from working with even the
regular Skype Client? Steve, you mentioned that it's something on Skype's end.
I would assume that it's the custom control used in the application,
for if it were just a matter of things not being labeled, then that
could have been fixed via a WE script a long time ago. Am I right
about that? Or are their true limits to how far WE scripts can take us?
*From:*Loy [mailto:[email protected]]
*Sent:* Tuesday, November 06, 2012 2:49 PM
*To:* gw-info
*Subject:* Re: How's the support coming for Modern interface apps on
Windows 8?
Can't read mail on the Windows 8 Mail app and I can't find anyone who
can tell me how.
----- Original Message -----
*From:*Katherine Moss <mailto:[email protected]>
*To:*[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
*Sent:*Tuesday, November 06, 2012 1:42 PM
*Subject:*How's the support coming for Modern interface apps on
Windows 8?
Hello all,
I am a user and lover of Windows 8. That's not to say that WE 8
doesn't seem to have it's problems though. I have noticed this
mostly on the metro side of things. For instance adding an account
to People is impossible using WE because WE doesn't read things
properly in the dialog that comes up when you click add another
account. I'd appreciate it if this were fixed. I also have trouble
seeing everyone on the messaging app as well as answering and
writing messages because I cannot tell whether a message was sent or
not. The edit field never clears. Also Skype doesn't work either
with WE 8, and it would be nice to be able to use the official Skype
client with no need for scripts or alternate clients.
--
Stephen Clower
Product support specialist & App Development GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North
Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com
--
Stephen Clower
Product support specialist & App Development
GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825
260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com
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