Our mission is to support applications development using information technology with tools and techniques that do not depend on eyesight. We promote learning and collaboration in the use of computer languages to build useful products and services in society. Such applications benefit people with and without visual disabilities. All guests can read any of the content on the site. Anyone who wishes to contribute content may create an account with log in credentials. We welcome content contributions.

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Introducing NonvisualDevelopment.org

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How Do I Get The C# Compiler To Work From The Command Line In Any Directory?

Submitted by admin on Wed, 12/07/2011 - 07:22

Thanks to TJ for contributing this to the program-l e-mail group.

You are getting the message:

csc.exe is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or a batch file...

All this message really means is that the system cannot find the program requested, because it is not in the current path of directories it checks.

There are many ways to add a directory to the path. I will show you the one that I use.

Learn Python The Hard Way Gets A Second Edition

Submitted by admin on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 06:04
in

The web book Learn Python The Hard Way now has a second edition. See it at http://learnpythonthehardway.org/book/

The philosophy behind the book is to get the Python learner good at solving programming problems independently and comfortable with reading documentation and digging for answers. The tutorial takes a gentle pace and really works well.

Mercurial Tutorial

Submitted by admin on Sat, 12/03/2011 - 11:52
in

http://mercurial.selenic.com/wiki/Tutorial is a tutorial that explaines how to use Mercurial, a decentralized software management system. This kind of software allows team members on a project to work independently of one-another and distribute their changes back to the project without the need to coordinate changes.

SVGToSIG by Amanda Lacy

in

This is a converter which allows owners of non-Tiger embossers to emboss SVG files. This program was tested with files created using the latest version of the free and fully accessible drawing program SVGDraw01, which can be found at dickbaldwin.com. SVG files created using an earlier version of SVGDraw01 or with some other program are not guaranteed to work with this version of SVGToSIG. Note that this program is meant to create files for non-Tiger embossers which emboss at 12 dots per inch.

How to make Backtrack Linux 5 RC1 VMWare accessible with speakup

Submitted by Britta on Sat, 11/19/2011 - 13:54
in

I set the Virtual machine Memory to 1600MB, this is optional.
Wait for Backtrack 5 rc1 to start up.
Type root and press Enter to login.
Type toor and press Enter, to enter the password.
You may need sighted help to do some of the following instructions. Once you get speakup working, the command line will, of course be accessible:

Fix the audio bug in Backtrack 5

The following has been copied from an answer given on the Backtrack Forum :
To get to Backtrack GUI, type startx after you login.

Where can I find information about the C++ language?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 04/14/2011 - 02:57

http://www.cplusplus.com. This site contains both non-technical and technical material about the C++ language. There is also material about the C language here.

Where can I find a JavaScript Document Object Model reference?

Submitted by jhomme on Wed, 04/06/2011 - 07:46

You can find a full Document Object Model JavaScript Reference at http://www.w3schools.com/jsref/default.asp.

What sources of standards and APIs support development of accessible applications?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 07:01

Adobe, Accessibility Resource Center
http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/

Apple, Accessibility
http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

IBM, Accessibility
http://www.ibm.com/accessibility/us/en/

The Linux Foundation, Open Accessibility
http://a11y.org/

Microsoft, Accessibility Information for Developers
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/developer.aspx

Mozilla Foundation, Accessibility Project
http://www.mozilla.org/access/

Oracle, Accessibility
http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/index.html

Sun, Accessibility
http://www.sun.com/accessibility/index.jsp

What web sites have resources for blind programmers?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:59

AbilitiesSoft -- Developing software for people with disabilities
http://www.AbilitiesSoft.com/

Blind Geeks -- Where Blind People Learn Programming
http://BlindGeeks.org

Fruit Basket Demos, where you can find sample programs in various languages.
http://www.fruitbasketdemos.org
Inthane's Grab Bag -- Blind programming assistance
http://GrabBag.AlacornComputer.com

NonvisualDevelopment -- promoting software development without visual dependencies
http://NonvisualDevelopment.org

What mailing lists exist for blind programmers?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:57

Blind Geeks -- Where Blind People Learn Programming
http://BlindGeeks.org

BlindWebbers -- List for blind and visually impaired web authors
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/blindwebbers/

dev-accessibility -- Accessibility of Mozilla products to those with disabilities
https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/dev-accessibility

Dolphin Scripting Forum -- Discuss scripting speech, braille, or magnification with Supernova
http://www.yourdolphin.com/scripts/scripting_forum.asp

GW-Scripting -- Discussion list for information regarding the development and use of Window-Eyes scripts

Is there job training specifically for blind programmers?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:55

Lion's World Services For the Blind has a curriculum called Enterprise Solutions Programming -- a 10-month course which prepares clients to work in a wide
range of programming environments including .NET and others. Exams for Microsoft Certified Professional Developer (MCPD) are offered through the program.
http://www.lwsb.org/enterprise_solutions_programming.asp

What programming languages are most useful on Linux?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:52

To contribute to the community, it is helpful to know one or more of the following languages:

* Bash schell scripting. This may be the easiest language to learn in Linux, and it is very powerful. Bash scripts are used throughout most Linux systems
to control practically everything.

Bash Guide for Beginners
http://tldp.org/LDP/Bash-Beginners-Guide/html/

Main Page - Linux Shell Scripting Tutorial - A Beginner's handbook
http://bash.cyberciti.biz/guide/Main_Page

GNU Bash Reference Manual
http://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/bashref.html

What distributions (distros) of Linux are accessible?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:50

You can use a screen reader on another computer to log into any distro remotely, and then use it accessibly in a console mode session. Some mainstream distros
can be made to come up talking, without sighted assistance. There are blind programmers who love Debian, Arch, Knoppix, and Gentoo, for example. Ubuntu
Lucid currently holds a small lead over other main-stream distros in terms of default accessibility on the Gnome desktop, though more experience hackers
often prefer other distros.

Is there an IDE designed with screen reader support?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:48

Sodbeans is being developed at
http://sodbeans.sourceforge.net/

What tools are recommended for building installation programs?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:46

Inno Setup
http://InnoSetup.org

NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System)
http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Main_Page

Is there a simpler language available, e.g., one that does not involve object oriented programming (OOP)?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:45

AutoIt is a Visual Basic-like language that is freely available from
http://AutoItScript.com

What tools are recommended for developing with the Python language?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:42

Install Python from
http://python.org

Install the wxPython package for creating accessible GUIs from
http://wxPython.org

For Windows development, install the Python for Windows extensions at
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/

Also install py2exe, a package for building stand-alone executables from
http://py2exe.org

Alternatively, install ActivePython from http://www.activestate.com/activepython/downloads/. ActivePython comes with some Windows extensions and ActiveState's PyPM, which you can use to easily install, upgrade, and remove Python packages and modules.

What tools are recommended for developing with the Java language?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:40

Install the Java Development Kit (JDK) from
http://JavaSoft.com

Also there is the Java Access Bridge (JAB), which should be installed for each Java Virtual Machine (JVM) on your computer. A direct download URL for the
JAB is
http://www.renovation-software.com/files/tgsdk/accessbridge-2_0_1.exe

Eclipse is an accessible IDE especially tailored for Java development. It is available from
http://eclipse.org

Also there is the Standard Widget Toolkit (SWT), a Java package that produces accessible GUIs on Windows and Linux. SWT comes with Eclipse.

What accessible text editors may be used for programming?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:38

Boxer
http://TextEditor.com

EdSharp
http://EmpowermentZone.com/edsetup.exe

NoteTab
http://NoteTab.com

TextPad
http://TextPad.com

Is it possible to build .NET programs without Visual Studio?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:36

C#, Visual Basic, and JScript .NET command-line compilers are part of the .NET Framework 2.0 Software Development Kit (SDK), which is freely available at
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa731542.aspx

Later versions of the .NET Framework include these command-line compilers in the distribution of the Framework, itself. Usually, a shortcut is put on the
Windows Start Menu for opening a command prompt with PATH and other environment variables set so that these tools are found when run. You could also search

Are other IDEs available for .NET development besides Visual Studio?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:28

Sharp Develop is an open source, cross platform IDE for .NET languages, available at
http://www.icsharpcode.net/opensource/sd/

Eclipse is an open source, cross-platform IDE for Java and other languages, available at
http://eclipse.org

A plug in for C# development with Eclipse is called Emonic, available at
http://emonic.sourceforge.net/

Are there tips for using Visual Studio with a screen reader?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:27

A collection of tips has been gathered from blind programming lists, called "Nonvisual Development with .NET," posted at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/ndn.htm

Is a free version of Visual Studio available?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:23

VS comes in various versions with increasing amounts of developer tools and corresponding costs. The "Express Editions" may be freely downloaded and used,
even in commercial projects. Each Express Edition is oriented to a particular language or platform: C#, Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Visual Web Developer
(for developing web sites with ASP.NET). These are available at
http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/

Are screen reader configuration sets available for the Microsoft Visual Studio integrated development environment (IDE)?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:22

Blind programmers have developed a set of JAWS scripts for Visual Studio (VS), which work with either VS 2005 or VS 2008. They do not work with VS 2010,
which uses Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) controls rather than Windows Forms controls.

The executable installer for the scripts works with 64-bit Windows and Windows 7, as well as earlier versions of Windows. It is available at
http://EmpowermentZone.com/msenv2005.exe

Pick your JAWS version in the installer dialog -- the default is the latest version found on your computer. Otherwise, just press Enter to accept all defaults

Where can I find introductory examples for programming in a particular language?

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 06:16

Blind programmers have contributed to a project intended for this purpose. Specifications and samples of a "fruit basket program" are at the web site
http://www.FruitBasketdemos.org.

A fruit basket program is intended as a simple but nontrivial graphical user interface (GUI), exhibiting how a developer may employ a particular programming
language and platform, and how a user may experience the result. The length and complexity of code may be considered from a developer standpoint; the accessibility
and performance of the program may be considered from a user standpoint.

Microsoft Releases Free Courses On Winforms Accessible Development

Submitted by admin on Thu, 03/24/2011 - 03:08

Microsoft has released a free ISO image of a CD containing courses on building accessible applications with WinForms, WPF, ARIA, and other technologies at

http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/f/4/1f4c1601-64a5-459e-9e56-d49...

It's easy to create a cd from an iso file.

  • Get a cd burning package such as deep burner from http://www.deepburner.com.
  • Open the program & select burn image. Make certain that you don't make a data or audio cd.
  • Add the file to the project by tabbing to the browse button (it reads ...).

SuperNova scripts for Eclipse

Submitted by cliffanthony on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 15:07
in

The attached zip file contains a SuperNova script and map file for the Eclipse IDE (Helios Service Release 2)

To install unzip the contents of the attached zip file into a temporary folder on your hard disk and then use the “File” ->”Import” menu option in SuperNova’s control panel in order to first import the map file (eclipse.dtl) and then import the script file (eclipse.lua). Once you have done this quit SuperNova from memory and restart it in order for the changes to fully take effect.

AutoHotKey script for automating batch conversions in Dolphin EasyConverter 5

Submitted by cliffanthony on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 13:17
in

Attached is an AutoHotKey script file, that when Dolphin EasyConverter 5 is running and idle at its main screen, if you have the attached script file running and you press WINDOWS KEY+SPACEBAR it will then start an auto-batch quick conversion of a whole bunch of input files (defined in the file JOBS.INI on your Windows desktop) into your specified output formats (also defined in the file JOBS.INI on your Windows desktop).

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