The only thing I would add is that our XML dialogs were designed from the ground up for people who can't see. Controls are automatically sized and placed in relation to one another and their respective groups specifically so that you don't have to worry about things like pixel coordinates. In fact, if you peruse the XML files that ship with Ai Squared apps, you'll rarely find dialog controls with specific x/y offsets. Instead, we take advantage of the built in sizing logic, and employ orientation and justification to make things look visually pleasing.
Thanks, Aaron -- Aaron Smith Web Development * App Development * Product Support Specialist Ai Squared * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 260-489-3671 * www.aisquared.com To insure that you receive proper support, please include all past correspondence (where applicable), and any relevant information pertinent to your situation when submitting a problem report to the Ai Squared Technical Support Team. > -----Original Message----- > From: Scripting [mailto:scripting- > bounces+asmith=aisquared....@lists.window-eyes.com] On Behalf Of Tom > Kingston via Scripting > Sent: Thursday, March 31, 2016 11:39 AM > To: David <trailerda...@hotmail.com>; Window-Eyes Scripting List > <scripting@lists.window-eyes.com> > Subject: Re: Small wish for the XML dialogs > > For what it's worth, dialog units are used in these dialogs. Dialog units > scale to > the resolution and aspect ratio of the current display. > So everything will be the same relative size regardless of the resolution. > > Dialog units are not as precise as pixels but they're good enough unless you > want your window to be a work of art. They work on an average of 4 units > wide and 8 units high per character. And be it that it's an average, a lower > case i will be less than a w. But it works out pretty good on average for > location, sizing, and spacing. > > You may also want to offset things to get the best alignment. For example, in > the case of a static text label next to an edit box the edit box will be a > little > taller due to the border. So you could make the static text 10 high, the edit > box 12, and offset them so that the static text lines up with the text entered > into the edit box. Check it with the mouse to make sure it's right. > > Disclaimer: It's been ages since I wrote a Window-Eyes script dialog. > But I use this method in standard programming. So Aaron can slash my tires if > necessary. > > Hth, > Tom > > > On 3/31/2016 9:35 AM, David via Scripting wrote: > > I have an idea, for an enhancement when constructing XML dialogs. That > > is, if it is possible... :) > > > > When defining an element, you can set the hight, width and the X and Y > > positions. Yet, for a blind person, with no sighted assistance, this > > is really quite a hit-and-miss job. OK, we got the AUTO feature for > > Hight and Width, and to play safe as can be, that might be the one way to > go. > > > > But then we have the actual positioning of the element. Had all > > screens looked the same, and all fonts been the same size, we could > > have gone by screenpoints. But even that is a hit and miss. So, > > AISquared has provided the chance to position our stuff on TOP, at > > BOTTOM, or align it in the CENTER or near the LEFT and RIGHT edge. > > > > I just wondered, if it would have been possible to implement a chance > > for me, to define the size of the element percent-wise, in both the X > > and Y direction. I could then have decided that my button should sit > > in the upper left corner, and take up say 10 X-percent, and 5 > > Y-Percent. My Next element, an edit box, I could have defined to sit > > 15 percent down the X-line, and cover the next 3 X-percent. that is, > > it would start at X15, and end at X17 percent. And it would stretch from Y20 > to Y49 percent. > > > > Hope the above gave a bit of meaning. The Dialog could then - all in > > the background - do all the percent calculation, based on the actual > > size of the dialog on the current computer, screen and under the > > currently conditions that affects the dialog's physical size. It would > > have been a bit easier, for me as a blind person to have things > > correctly positioned and sized, did I have some tangible and reliable > numbers to operate with. > > > > In other words, could we have a feature to set the actual upper-left > > and lower-right corners of an element, and also the starting position > > for it, all based on percents of the total dialog size? > > > > Anyone have some input on this? > > > > Thanks, > > > _______________________________________________ > Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author > and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. > > For membership options, visit http://lists.window- > eyes.com/options.cgi/scripting-window- > eyes.com/asmith%40aisquared.com. > For subscription options, visit http://lists.window- > eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/scripting-window-eyes.com > List archives can be found at http://lists.window- > eyes.com/private.cgi/scripting-window-eyes.com _______________________________________________ Any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Ai Squared. For membership options, visit http://lists.window-eyes.com/options.cgi/scripting-window-eyes.com/archive%40mail-archive.com. For subscription options, visit http://lists.window-eyes.com/listinfo.cgi/scripting-window-eyes.com List archives can be found at http://lists.window-eyes.com/private.cgi/scripting-window-eyes.com
