[orca-list] Firefox, text editors and Orca support

[Jason White <jason jasonjgw net>]

The subject line of this post may be misleading. Here's the question: suppose
I am using Firefox and I need to write and edit more than a line of text in a
form field. I need a good text editor for this, such as Emacs or Vim.

Is there a way to achieve this from within Firefox, such that the editor
itself will be accessible throughout? In console-based Web browsers there is
usually a command to invoke a text editor on the current form field, and of
course, those of us who like Emacs appreciate the fact that it is possible to
browse the Web from within Emacs.

I assume that, for Firefox, this would need to be extension, unless there is
an option somewhere that I've missed. It would have to invoke the editor under
Gnome-terminal in order for Orca to continue providing braille and speech
while the text is being edited.

Another possibility, for Vi and Vim users, is Vimperator
(http://www.vimperator.org/) which actually replaces the entire Firefox user
interface with a Vi-style interface. It would be a great project for someone
who knows Xul and Javascript, and who has some spare time, to make it
accessible with Orca. This might also help with document navigation issues.

I am comfortable with both Emacs and Vim, so a solution with either would
address my problems. I am well aware, of course, that I could invoke a
terminal, write the file and use xclip to import it into the X session, but
that's much more awkward than it needs to be.

I wasn't sure whether this belonged on mozilla-accessibility or orca-list,
since the nub of it is really an accessibility question, about whether there
is a solution that is accessible with Orca today.