[libreoffice-users] Reality Check - Windows Java Accessibility API non-functional for ALL LibreOffice 3.6.x releases to date

LibreOffice versions 3.6.0 and later have not correctly implemented the Java
Access Bridge (JAB) modules used to expose the Java Accessibility API roles
for Windows users.
 
It took me a little while to work out the testing methods, but the Oracle
test utilities JavaFerret-32 and JavaMonkey-32 show that LibreOffice is not
implementing the Java Accessibility API and therefore does not expose
accessibility roles to Assistive Technologies.
 
Neither JAB v.2.0.2 or v 2.0.3, nor current JRE version 1.6u35 or 1.7u7 will
make a difference.
 
I tested LibreOffice builds 3.6.0.4, 3.6.1.2, 3.6.2.2, and 3.6.3.1 none of
which are functional.
 
In addition today I completed testing of ALL builds of LibreOffice from
3.4.5 to 3.5.7rc2.  With exception of the 3.5.0 build they all correctly map
Java Accessibility API roles to UNO Accessibility roles.
 
The Java Accessibility API is not as comprehensive as the IAccessible2 role
mappings provided by IBM Lotus Symphony 3.0.1, but it is functional for the
3.4 and 3.5 releases of LibreOffice.  And, for these versions Windows 
Assistive Technologies will work. For example, the Windows NVDA screen
reader will function with cursor control and component announcements for the
entire document tree.
 
Windows versions of LibreOffice 3.6, including the current build 3.6.3 rc1,
are NOT USEABLE with Assistive Technologies and they have not been usable
with Windows Assistive Technologies at any point.
 
For folks that I've mislead with my insistence that all is well with
LibreOffice 3.6 and Java Access Bridge and JRE with use of Assistive
Technologies like NVDA screen reader I was wrong--I apologize.

I've updated the FDO#53474 (http:  bug report
https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=53474 ) and would encourage
folks to vote, i.e. comment on, the enhancement to implement IAccessible2
API  ( http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Vote_for_Enhancement ) for Windows
builds by incorporating the IBM contributed Symphony code base as a
replacement of the Java Accessibility API as that is probably the fastest
means of bringing Windows builds of LibreOffice to the same functional level
as Linux builds that use the ATK AT-SPI accessibility APIs.
 
Stuart

Apologize for cross posting to the Users list--this had been an ongoing
discussion on the Accessibility list with several open threads but a broader
dissemination was appropriate as this is a major oops folks should be aware
of.



--
View this message in context: 
http://nabble.documentfoundation.org/Reality-Check-Windows-Java-Accessibility-API-non-functional-for-ALL-LibreOffice-3-6-x-releases-to-dae-tp4013336.html
Sent from the Users mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

-- 
For unsubscribe instructions e-mail to: users+help@global.libreoffice.org
Problems? http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/mailing-lists/how-to-unsubscribe/
Posting guidelines + more: http://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Netiquette
List archive: http://listarchives.libreoffice.org/global/users/
All messages sent to this list will be publicly archived and cannot be deleted