ScriptTip#111: Start Menu Activation Default Setting.
Synopsis: Instructions on setting Start Menu activation default.
Description: Gives instructions on setting the Start Menu's default
activation state when access with either the Windows key, or the
Control+Escape keystroke.
Remarks: By default, when the Start Menu is activated, (the menu
you get when you hit either the Control+Escape keystroke, or use the
Windows key, (if your keyboard supports it)), there is no item that has
focus. This allows the Shift+F10 keystroke to access the Context Menu--a
menu giving you the ability to edit the Start Menu's items directly.
This was confusing to a lot of new Windows users, since without anything
being focused on, the particular screen reader being used would either read
the entire menu, or nothing at all! Several of the screen reader
developers took care of this confusion by issuing a DownArrow keystroke
whenever it detected that the Start Menu had been invoked, thereby giving
the first item within that menu the focus. With this, the user was able to
have the menu activated, and the first menu item announced, letting them
know exactly where they were within that particular area!
Now that those users are experienced veterans of Start Menu access, they
want to have things as natural as possible, becoming "in tune" with their
operating system, and as such, in tune with Nature itself! (Or maybe they
just got tired of hearing that first item always spoken, and are tired of
tracking down the Start Button in order to initiate the Shift+F10 keystroke
that will give them access needed to edit their shortcuts!
Whatever the reason may be, here is a means of achieving that "natural,
tingling all over" state of being...
Example: When you hit Control+Escape, or your Windows key, it
brings up the Start Menu, and announces the first item in that menu. It
does so by JAWS issuing a DownArrow when it detects the Start Menu
activation.
This script instruction shows you how to have it not issue that DownArrow,
and giving you the ability to hit Shift+F10, (which, by the way, is the
Right-MouseButton equivalent keyboard shortcut for Windows), and access to
the menu used for editing the Start Menu's items.
Compatibility: JFW3.X and higher.
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1. Hit Control+Shift+0 to launch the Script Manager with the
default.jss file loaded into the editor.
2. Hit Control+L to bring up a list of scripts/functions within this
file.
3. Start typing the word "MenuModeEvent" until you land on that item, and
whack Enter.
4. Arrow down until you reach the lines that read:
Say(msg4,ot_message) ;"Start Menu"
{down arrow} ; 95, say first item in menu
Those are the relevant lines for the verbosity setting of "Beginner". If
you want to use that Verbosity mode, and you don't want the DownArrow
automatically issued, then place a semicolon at the beginning of the line
that reads:
{down arrow} ; 95, say first item in menu
If you use something other than Beginner's verbosity mode, then keep
arrowing down until you reach the lines that read:
if GetWindowSubTypeCode(WinHandle) == WT_STARTMENU then
{down arrow} ; 95, say first item in menu
These lines deal with the same issue, but for non-beginner verbosity.
To disable the automatic DownArrow, place a semicolon at the beginning of
the line that reads:
{down arrow} ; 95, say first item in menu
5. Hit Control+S to compile these modifications and Alt+F4 to exit the
editor.
You may need to recycle JAWS from memory before the new settings are
activated.
Hope this helps!
Dennis Brown, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
June 17, 1999
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