Using LSR for Jambu On Screen Keyboard

["Steve Lee" <steve fullmeasure co uk>]

HI, Jambu is a project to improve computer access for people who do
not use a standard keyboard or mouse but rather use alternative input
devices such as switches and head mice. Jambu is supported by a
Mozilla Accessibility grant. http://www.oatsoft.org/trac/jambu

I'd like to investigate using LSR as the platform to support Jambu as
it appears to have a architecture designed to support many of the
technical and operational requirements that I have so far identified.

Developing the flexible handling of alternative input devices with
gestures across devices is key, rather than being just another me-too
OSK. Coupled with that is non-obtrusive operation with in-application
selection and attractive visuals. The
final piece of the puzzle is easy yet flexible configuration by
non-technical users and helpers. The Jambu vision is first class
computer access for users of alternative input.

The biggest issue with LSR from my current stance is the lack of Windows
support, requiring a port first or else moving Jambu to Linux first.
The current strategy is Windows first as that is were users currently
are.

I'm going to spend time looking at LSR on Ubuntu. Could you possibly
give me some 'get up to speed' quick hints and provide some ideas of
possibilities and highlight any possible problems?

Here's my wish list for a platform

* Flexible access to all input devices - gestures across devices
* Good access to any application including via a11y APIS
* Good graphics and UI support, eg SVG (eventually multimedia)
* Good support for user customisation - preferably UI, declarative & script
* Good development tools leading to fast development with good architecture
* Interpreted & interactive, Python or Javascript, some C++ OK
* Cross platform - Windows first, then Linux, then Mac
* Easy deployment
* Use common dev skills - attract developers
* Stable and well supported - mature
* liberal licence (non copyleft)
* use open standards
* An existing developer community to tap into would be useful

LSR appears to score well from first impressions but my questions
centre around how LSR can support these and how best to evaluate it.
Having read much of the documentation and started to looked at the
code I'm developing much confidence and have several ideas. I'm
thinking I might need enhanced input handling though I think LSR has
much of that. Areas not obviously supported by LSR include
graphics/widgets for creating OSK, in-application selection/highlight,
and perhaps even declarative config via an XML parser.

What problems could I hit? Any show stoppers?

How do *you* debug and develop?

How hard do you think a Windows port will be. It seems pretty firmly
tied to gnome/gtk/linux so what and where are the points of contact
and how difficult would they be to replace. IAccessible2 will greatly
ease one area of mismatch.

I guess a plus for LSR would be more exposure, a possible
windows port and more developers using and contributing to LSR.

--
Steve Lee
www.fullmeasure.co.uk
www.oatsoft.org
www.schoolforge.org.uk