Re: Java & Orca

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Hello Jackie,

as others have already mentioned, Java is a general-purpose programming
language, so yes, the accessibility inherently depends on the used GUI
framework.


But I assume the question was targeted to Java applications making use
of the Java Accessibility API, since these are the native Java GUI
frameworks we usually imagine under the term "Java application".


This matter is... complicated.


First of all, as far as I remember, Java Accessibility API was never
anywhere near stable, speak of reliability, on any platform.

Actually, even on Windows, it was always a bit of luck to get the Java
Accessibility Bridge running in the first place. Sometimes it didn't
work alltogether, sometimes just the implementation in the control panel
was buggy, I never saw any consistency between the controls in the
control panel and the CMD JAB switcher, and even if you got things
actually running, in the past you could also be stopped because NVDA
used different architecture than JAB.

In the optimal case, everything worked and you got an accessible
interface. But the term accessible is somewhat relative, when it comes
to Java.

The computer fan has been always suddenly very active. Screenreader
reactions became slow, working with the UI was a pain.

Things like object navigation didn't work. Since focus handling of the
frameworks was not always optimal, being unable to access parts of the
interface was nothing rare.

You had to be careful switching focus from the window and back, it was
pretty common for the accessibility to just disappear on the fly.

And, another very common problem, often during the standard tab
navigation the whole app would just crash, because why not.


This was the state of the art two years ago on Windows, when I was a
Windows user. I'm not sure how much have things progressed since then,
maybe someone with a more recent experience could give us a refresher.


Either way, what is the situation on Linux? It's simple, pretty much the
same.

It can be troublesome just to get things working, JAB is called Java ATK
Wrapper, and back in Java 8, it had to be manually set up in order for
the accessibility to work by turning on flags, copying and symlinking
libraries etc.


I think the situation was supposed to be improved in Java 11, the
structure has changed, and I do remember things being accessible without
any special configuration.


And yet, my own app I just tried is not accessible. Why? IDK.


It's Java. It's not supposed to work. :)


So, to answer the original question, can Java apps be used with Orca?

In theory yes, and I've used apps like AndroidStudio here, so it's truly
possible.

But in practice, you need to be prepared for a lot of hassle. Just like
on Windows.


Best regards


Rastislav


Dňa 4. 1. 2023 o 20:43 Linux for blind general discussion napísal(a):
> Can programs written in Java be accessed by Orca? If so, explanations
> welcome. & your efforts in advance are definitively appreciated.
>
> Just in case the list nukes my signature, I'm Jackie McBride. I have
> the great pleasure of knowing some of you.
>
> --
> Jackie McBride
> Be a hero. Fight Scams. Learn how at www.scam911.org
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