|
Hi,
If this would be implemented in Orca it would be
nice and give it a step up closer to competing with jaws. and maybe with this
feature more students would be encouraged to use Gnome with Orca.
Skim Reading
The Skim Reading feature lets you quickly browse through long documents by reading the first part of each paragraph. To begin skim reading in a document, press CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW. By default, JAWS reads the first line of each paragraph, but you can choose to read the first sentence of each paragraph instead or set up your own skim reading rules. To change your skim reading preferences, press CTRL+SHIFT+INSERT+DOWN ARROW. For more information on these options, see Skim Reading Dialog. Skim Reading Dialog Press SHIFT+CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW or choose "Skim Reading Tool" in the List of JAWS Managers (INSERT+F2) to display the Skim Reading dialog box. Use this dialog box to define how you want JAWS to skim through the current document. You can choose to read either the first sentence or line of each paragraph. Alternatively, you can create text rules to search for lines, sentences, or paragraphs that contain specific words or phrases. The options available in the Skim Reading dialog box are described below. When you press CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW, JAWS begins skim reading from the
current location of the cursor to the end of the document. However, one of the
most useful aspects of the skim reading feature is the ability to create a
summary of the current document. To generate a summary using your current skim
reading settings, choose the Create Summary button.
The summary displays in the Virtual Viewer and contains all the text that
matches the criteria you defined. Each segment of text is a link, and each is
individually numbered. You can move to a segment and press ENTER to jump to its
location within the document. Once you create a summary, it remains available
until you generate another, even if you switch to a different document or
program. You can press WINDOWS Key+INSERT+DOWN ARROW to review the last summary
that you created in the Virtual Viewer. However, you can only use the links if
the summary was created from the active document.
Use Rule Type
Select one of the following radio buttons to choose the skim reading mode you want to use: Read First Line of Paragraph ? When you press CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW, JAWS
reads the first line of each paragraph.
Note: The other options in this dialog box are not available if you select this radio button. Read First Sentence of Paragraph ? When you press CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW,
JAWS reads the first sentence of each paragraph.
Note: The other options in this dialog box are not available if you select this radio button. Text Rules Apply for Reading ? When you press CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW, JAWS
searches for text according to a text rule that you define. JAWS then reads the
line, sentence, or paragraph that contains the matching text, depending on the
option you have selected in the Speak Unit list.
Attributes and Color Rules Apply for Reading ? When you press CTRL+INSERT+DOWN ARROW, JAWS searches for text according to the selected text color and attributes. The selections made are cumulative, meaning that if you select bold and red text, JAWS will only search for text that is red and bold. If you add the italic attribute, then JAWS will only search for text that is red, bold, and italic. Any text that lacks any of these attributes or color is ignored by JAWS. Rules History This combo box allows you to create a new text reading rule or select an existing text reading rule. Text rules are logical expressions that tell JAWS to search for specific text when skim reading. JAWS then reads the line, sentence, or paragraph that contains the matching text, depending on the option you have selected in the Speak Unit list. You must select either the Text Rules Apply for Reading radio button or the Attributes and Color Rules Apply for Reading radio button if you want to use text rules while skim reading. If you are creating a new text rule, select <New> from the combo box
and then enter the appropriate search pattern, color or attribute rules, or
speak unit rules. Once the rule is configured, press the Start Skim Reading
button to save and start the new skim reading rule.
<New> is the default setting for this combo box.
Text Search Pattern
In the Text Rule edit box, enter a word or phrase that you want JAWS to search for while skim reading. Optionally, you can use a regular _expression_ to further refine your search. There are many different ways to create these expressions. If you only want to search for text units that contain two or more words, separate each word with ".*" (that is, a period followed by an asterisk with no spaces between the words or symbols). For example, you can use the following _expression_ to search for text units containing both the words "JAWS" and "MAGic": JAWS.*MAGic
If you want to search for text units that contain any of several different
words, separate each word with "|" (that is, a vertical bar with no spaces
between the words or symbols). For example, you can use the following _expression_
to search for text units containing either the words "JAWS" or "MAGic":
JAWS|MAGic
You can create more advanced expressions as well. For example, you can use
the following _expression_ to search for text units containing any year starting
with "19":
19\d{2}\s
Tip: For more information on creating complex expressions, refer to the
section Regular _expression_ Language Elements in the MSDN Library.
After you enter some text or a regular _expression_, type a name for the text
rule in the Rule Name edit box. Choose OK to save the text rule. You can select
which text rule you want to use in the Text Rules list.
Color or Attribute Rules
Text Color edit box ? Use this combo box to select or enter a specific color that a passage of text uses. You can use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to cycle through a list of text colors, or you can type a color into the combo box. JAWS uses word prediction to predict the color that you want. An asterisk appears as the default setting. Background Color edit box ? Use this combo box to select a background color to be used for the skim reading rule. You can use the UP and DOWN ARROWS to cycle through a list of text colors, or you can type a color into the combo box. JAWS uses word prediction to predict the color that you want. An asterisk appears as the default setting. Attribute Check Boxes ? Select an attribute check box to search for the type of selected text in a document or Web page. Each attribute can be used inconjunction with any other text attribute. The following attributes are available: Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikeout, Double Strikeout, Superscript, Subscript, Shadow, and Outline. These check boxes are only available when the Attributes and Color Rules Apply for Reading radio button is selected. Delete Rule To delete a text rule, select it in the Rules History list and then choose the Delete Rule button. Delete All Rules
To delete all your saved text rules, choose the Delete All Rules button. Speak Unit
Select whether JAWS should read the paragraph, sentence, or line containing any text that matches the currently selected text rule. Use Regular _expression_
A regular _expression_ is a search string that uses special characters to help you define the search and match text patterns. This feature is used primarily by advanced users. Do not select this check box if you are simply performing a plain text search. This check box is unchecked by default and is only available if the Text Rules Apply for Reading radio button is selected. Skim Reading Indication
If you select this check box, JAWS notifies you when skimming past units of text that do not match the currently selected text rule. JAWS beeps once for every 20 units that it skips. Start Skim Reading
Choose this button to save your changes and begin skim reading from your current location. Create Summary
Choose this button to create a summary of the current page in the Virtual Viewer. This summary contains all the text you would hear if you began skim reading from your present location using your currently selected options. The summary remains available until you create another, even if you switch to another document or program. You can review the summary in the Virtual Buffer at any time by pressing WINDOWS Key+INSERT+DOWN ARROW. Close
Choose this button to close this dialog box and save your changes. Back
Josh
Join me on klango at www.klango.net visit and sign my petition at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/coda1234/petition.html
and visit my blog at: http://jkenn337.klangoblog.net follow me on twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jkenn337 |