Re: [orca-list] Orca doesn't read contents of XUL combo boxes

[Joanmarie Diggs <joanmarie diggs gmail com>]

Hi Milan.

> - The associated <label> is not read.

Looking at the source of your sample, it seems that you used <label
for=""></label>.  That's how you do it in HTML.  XUL, it would seem,
works differently.  According to the XUL Accessibility Guidelines for
form labels (http://developer.mozilla.org/en/doc
/XUL_accessibility_guidelines#Form_labels):

> [...] Labels are not automatically associated to form elements. Use
> the control attribute to bind a text label (from a label element) to
> a form element. [...]

Put another way, as far as ATs are concerned your label currently
doesn't label the combo box -- or anything else for that matter.  Change
your "label for" to "label control" and the association between the
label and the item should be made -- and then Orca will announce it
automatically.  At least it did when I made that change to your sample.

As a related aside, are you familiar with Accerciser?
(http://live.gnome.org/Accerciser)  If not, I highly recommend it.  When
you indicated Orca wasn't speaking the label, I launched Accerciser, and
used it to examine the accessibles in your XUL application.  In doing so
I confirmed the lack of the expected labelled_by/label_for relationship
pair present between your label and the combo box.  From there, it just
became a matter of figuring out what was needed to get the relationship
in place (i.e. use the control attribute).

> - When using the up/down arrow keys to change the selected combo box 
> item, Orca is completely silent.

That would be part of this Mozilla bug:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=395400 (see comment 11).

It was supposed to be addressed in that bug (see comment 12).

It apparently was not.  See the Mozilla bug I just filed as a result:
https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=399128.  Thank you for
pointing this issue out, Milan.  I do try to keep on top of all of these
changes and fixes (both supposed and actual), but clearly I don't always
succeed. :-)

Hope this helps.  Take care.
Joanie