Navigation:  19: Working with the Internet > 19.5: Forms

Definition

 

A form is a section of a web page that contains elements called controls (check boxes, radio buttons, menus, etc.). Most of the time, when you submit a form, the information that you fill out will be sent to a web server for processing (like shopping online, or using search engines). Forms may also contain fieldsets and legends. Fieldsets allow web page authors to group together controls that share a particular function (much like group boxes in standard Windows applications), making form and control access more intuitive. Legends are simply name tags for fieldsets.

 

We strongly suggest that you review the entire page to get a feel for how the form is laid out before you begin filling out any information.

 

Navigation

 

F = Next Form

SHIFT-F = Previous Form

LEFT-BRACKET-F = Beginning of current Form

RIGHT-BRACKET-F = End of current Form

C = Next Control

SHIFT-C = Previous Control

E = Next Fieldset

SHIFT-E = Previous Fieldset

 

Note that pressing F to navigate to the next form, or pressing SHIFT-F to navigate to the previous form, will not automatically place you on the first control of that form. The reason being that forms often contain information integral to filling out a form correctly. Window-Eyes will instead place you on the first line of the form where you can read any information that may exist before the first control. If your intention is to get to the first control of a form, press F to navigate to the form, and C to navigate to the next control. Window-Eyes will place you on the first control of a form if that control is the first line of the form.

 

Radio buttons, check boxes, and buttons can all be manipulated while either in or out of Browse Mode by using the SPACE BAR. Note that when using the SPACE BAR while in Browse Mode, you will remain in Browse Mode, even after the control has been toggled. The space bar can not be used on other controls (edit boxes, combo boxes, list boxes) as they require Browse Mode be off. This will be discussed below.

 

Because Browse Mode is a special mode specifically designed for reviewing web pages, it needs to be turned off so that you can interact with some form controls. If you attempt to enter text into a form while Browse Mode is on, the keys will attempt to perform the associated Browse Mode functions. Turning off Browse Mode provides you with a dedicated environment for safely interacting with various form elements.

 

You can toggle Browse Mode three different ways:

 

 

You can use the Browse Mode hot key to toggle Browse Mode on or off at any point on the web page.

 

When you press ENTER on any control, Window-Eyes will automatically turn off Browse Mode and give the control focus. Pressing ENTER on an edit box will provide you with a blinking cursor, indicating the ability to input the necessary information. Pressing ENTER on a check box will toggle the check box's state (checked or unchecked). Pressing ENTER on a button will cause that button to be activated. When Browse Mode is off, you will need to use the TAB and SHIFT-TAB keys to move among the various controls; C and SHIFT-C are Browse Mode hot keys, and are not available when Browse Mode is off. Note that even with Browse Mode on, TAB and SHIFT-TAB provide another means of moving through the controls in a form. The difference between TAB and C is that, if a link exists between two controls, TAB will focus the link, whereas C will bypass the link, and focus the next control.

 

Although turning off Browse Mode from the general menu is a valid option, it tends to interrupt the flow of working with forms. We recommend using either of the previous two options for the best possible form experience.

 

Out of Browse Mode, Window-Eyes will attempt to find and speak field names for controls (check boxes, radio buttons, edit boxes, and buttons) as you TAB to them by first examining the control for a TITLE attribute. Window-Eyes recognizes TITLE attributes for controls in Browse Mode and uses them for field names. If no TITLE attribute is specified, Window-Eyes will examine the control for an ALT attribute. If neither a TITLE or ALT attribute exists, then it may become difficult to read field names with 100 percent accuracy. If a web developer has not implemented TITLE or ALT attributes on their form controls, you may experience times where Window-Eyes either doesn't read a field name, reads the wrong information for a field name, or reads incomplete information. If you are not sure where you are on the form, turn on Browse Mode by pressing CTRL-SHIFT-A. After the page has been loaded you can ARROW UP and DOWN to get some context. Then simply press ENTER on the necessary control to continue filling out the form.

 

Before you submit any form, you may want to consider reviewing the information you have entered with Browse Mode on to make sure everything is correct. After submitting a form, assuming that a new page loads, and Auto Load is turned on, Browse Mode will automatically turn on.

 

Enhanced Control Search

 

When pressing either the Specified Control Next (N by default) or Specified Control Prior (SHIFT-N by default) hotkey in Browse mode, Window-Eyes will announce "In control search mode," and will wait for the next key press, and act on it accordingly.

 

The subsequent key press after pressing the Next/Prior Control key acts as a modifier, adding additional information to the final command.

 

C - modifier indicating checked version of the actual control to be specified with the next key press (relevant for checkboxes and radio buttons only)

U - modifier indicating unchecked version of the actual control to be specified with the next key press (relevant for checkboxes and radio buttons only)

D - modifier indicating disabled version of the actual control to be specified with the next key press

ENTER - if a previous version of the next/prior control hotkey was given since the launch of Window-Eyes this will repeat the exact same command. If there was no previous command given since the launch of WE then this will simply navigate to the next/prior control as the hotkey originally functioned.

 

After pressing the Next/Prior Control hotkey, and an optional modifier, the following keys represent the kind of control to navigate to:

 

B - Button

E - Editbox

O - Combobox

X - Checkbox

R - Radio Button

L - Listbox

A - Next any control

 

For example, pressing N,X will find the next checkbox. Pressing N,U,X will find the next unchecked checkbox. Pressing N,C,X will find the next checked checkbox. And so on. You can also use the number keys (1-9) prior to pressing the Specified Control Next/Prior hot keys to jump from the current location the number specified for the particular control.

 

Verbosity