10.0 Passing Keystrokes and Typing Text with Scripts

People new to writing scripts with JAWS often find it hard to differentiate between JAWS and Windows keystrokes. For example, the script writers at Freedom Scientific have attached scripts to common Windows keystrokes such as CTRL+C and CTRL+V, copy and paste. When you press either keystroke, Windows still copies and pastes using these keystrokes. However, something else also happens; when you press CTRL+C JAWS speaks "copied selection to clipboard." Likewise, when you press CTRL+V, JAWS says, "Pasted from clipboard." These messages let you know the expected action has taken place.

The scripts associated with these keystrokes are examples of "pass-through" scripts. It is called a pass-through script because JAWS intercepts the keystroke before it reaches the application and performs the associated script. The script adds some type of extra functionality to the keystroke and then passes the keystroke through to the application. In this case the added functionality is the message JAWS speaks to notify you the action has been completed.

In this chapter, you will learn how to capture keystrokes, add extra functionality to those keystrokes and pass them through to the active application. You will learn how to access menu bars and give keyboard access to commands in the menu system. You will also learn how to type text using scripts.

Table of Contents

Chapter 10.0 Passing Keystrokes and Typing Text with Scripts, contains the following sections:

10.1 Pass-Through Scripts

10.2 Giving Keyboard Access

10.3 Delaying Your Script

10.4 Typing Text

10.5 Chapter Exercises

 

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