Guess What? - Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 Set File Manager and Dynamic Keyboard Layouts
Oct-14-2006
Disclaimer
The following message includes information regarding Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1. Please note that Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 HAS NOT been released at this time. We are, however, providing you with some small glimpses into the features that Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 will contain. We are currently not answering any questions regarding the functionality of the beta. The only things we're going to talk about will be what we have included in our new Guess What series, which will continue daily up to the beta release date, October 16, 2006. We will answer all questions at that time. Please be patient; you will be rewarded.
If you're subscribed to the GW Micro or Guess What podcast feed, you'll automatically receive this Guess What in MP3 format. Check out www.gwmicro.com/podcast for more information. If you want to download the MP3, read this article online, or view more Guess What articles (when they are released), please visit www.gwmicro.com/beta.
Enjoy!
--
Welcome to GW Micro's "Guess What?" series, an introductory look at the upcoming release of Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1.
We'll be covering a new feature in Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1 every day until its release, so stop by our web site daily (www.gwmicro.com/beta) to make sure you don't miss any of the exciting new features.
One of the more powerful features of Window-Eyes is the ability to save all kinds of settings in speech environment files called Set Files. Installing, removing, and updating set files just got a whole lot cooler with Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1.
Let's take a look at the new Window-Eyes Set File Manager. The Set File Manager is accessed from the File menu in Window-Eyes, just like the older Select Set File dialog. I'm going to open up the new Set File manager now.
Let's take a look at some of the features inside the new Set File Manager dialog. The first thing you'll notice is that Window-Eyes uses a list view, rather than a list box, for the list of set file names. List views allow Window-Eyes to provide more comprehensive information about each item.
The Set File Manager Applications list view presents all available set files, along with their installed status, as well as version information. The list view contains four columns used to represent this information -- Name, Status, Factory Version, and Installed Version. The Name column lists the names of the Set File packages that are available for use. Status indicates whether or not a set file package is installed (or if it's been modified, is outdated, or newer than the factory sets version).
The Factory Version column shows version numbers for the set file packages that are included with Window-Eyes, and the Installed Version column indicates version numbers for the set file packages that are installed.
Since this is a list view, you can choose to select one set file package, or multiple packages, allowing for a batch install or uninstall of all selected set files.
The next control in the Set File Manager dialog is the Information read-only edit box.
The Information read-only edit box contains the readme included with the selected factory set files. Set file readmes often include information on setting up the program correctly, and different hot keys to make using the application easier.
The next control in the Set File Manager dialog is the Set Files Read-only Edit Box.
This read-only edit box lists all files contained in the set file package selected in the Applications list view, along with each individual file's installed status, such as "installed," "missing," or "modified."
The next control is the Install button.
This button allows you to install the set file package (or packages) you have selected in the Applications list view. If you're installing set files that already exist, you'll be prompted to overwrite the existing sets. You'll also have the opportunity to merge existing dictionary files with the factory version. For example, say you've added your own exception dictionary entries, and then we release new Window-Eyes default sets with a new exception dictionary. With the new Set File Manager, you'll get the opportunity to merge the new exception dictionary entries with your existing exception dictionaries, ensuring that you never lose your custom settings again.
If you decide that you don't want to preserve your existing dictionaries, you can choose to have them replaced. Or you might decide to install the latest sets, but leave your existing dictionaries alone. You can make these choices for the Window-Eyes files that contain application help too. The Set File Manager puts you in complete control of managing your set files.
The next control is the Uninstall button.
This button allows you to remove the set file package (or packages) you have selected in the Applications list view. Remember, since you can select multiple set file packages at once, installing and uninstalling numerous set files at the same time is a breeze.
The next control is the Update Outdated button.
The Update Outdated button is a quick way to make sure you're running the latest and greatest of all factory set files. When you select this button, Window-Eyes will determine which set packages you have installed are out of date, and will install the latest for you.
The next control is the Close button.
The Set File Manager dialog stays open until you're finished making all the changes you want to make. Once you're finished, just select the close button to close the Set File Manager dialog.
Another requested feature that Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 offers deals with the Window-Eyes keyboard layouts located in the Keyboard menu of the Window-Eyes voice control panel (assuming that your menu level is not set to beginner). After you apply a keyboard layout, the keyboard layout menu item will indicate the last layout you chose by telling you the layout is checked. In other words, if you select the default layout, and say yes to the prompt, and then look at the default layout option in the layout menu item, it will be checked.
Let's hear that in action now. I'm going to select the default keyboard layout, and then say "Yes" to the prompt.
Now I'm going to go back to the keyboard layout menu item, and listen to what it tells me about the default layout.
Now I'm going to switch to the Laptop layout.
Now I'm going to go back to the keyboard layout menu item, and listen to what it tells me about the laptop layout.
What's even more interesting about this feature is that it has been redesigned so that additional keyboard layouts can be added in the future without requiring a whole new version of Window-Eyes to be installed.
I think it's important to take a minute to reflect on that. Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 introduces several features that allow for future updating without requiring a new version of Window-Eyes. That may be one of the most requested features, and it's included in Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1.
Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1 also includes the JAWS keyboard layout. This keyboard layout (which is an easy way for JAWS converts to experience the power, stability, and reliability of Window-Eyes without having to learn all new hot keys) was available before Window-Eyes 6.0 beta 1, but we've gone through the process of using the new dynamic keyboard layout option to include it for you without any extra work. If you switch to the JAWS keyboard layout, the keyboard layout menu item will show it as checked.
The keyboard status indication is a good way to remember the last keyboard layout you selected.
We hope today's "Guess What?" has given you a glimpse into the power of Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1, its intuitive new support for managing set files, and support for multiple and dynamic keyboard layouts. Stay tuned for tomorrow's "Guess What?" to learn more about Window-Eyes 6.0 Beta 1.
Return to Latest News
