Re: lynx-dev Show Cursor Feature

[Suleman Currim]

Hi Lloyd, 

     Thanks for your thoughtful and clear response to my query 
about the "show cursor" feature of Lynx.  

     In response to your question, the screen reader I use is an 
early version of "Enhanced Speech".  I do all of my Internet work 
in the DOS environment, without the use of Windows technology.  

     My monitor screen provides a monochrome display.  My version 
of Enhanced Speech, as far as I know, has no provision for color 
tracking.  Instead, it can, if desired, inform the user whether 
certain text is in normal, bright, or reverse video display.  
Pressing F7 reads text to the right of the cursor.  

     Perhaps, like you, I should make greater use of the normal, 
bright, and reverse video tracking.  

     As for the chatter from Lynx, I agree with you:  it is too 
much.  I usually switch off punctuation on my screen reader, and 
have set the Lynx user mode to "advanced", even though I am not 
an advanced user.  The advanced mode just seems to help to reduce 
the chatter a little bit.  

     Speaking of screen chatter, when reading or writing email 
messages in PINE, just how can one get rid of the repetition of 
the two-line mini-help menu at the bottom of the screen every 
time a new screen appears?  The help menu interrupts the text, 
disrupts the flow of the thought, and drives me nuts!  

     Lloyd, thank you again for your explanation of how "show 
cursor" helps.  

                            Regards, 

                         Suleman Currim 

                        address@hidden 
                               or 
                   address@hidden 


On Mon, 7 Dec 1998, Lloyd G. Rasmussen wrote:

> What screen reader are you using?  I can give you some help, 
> especially with Vocal-Eyes.  
> 
> If -show_cursor is not enabled, the cursor will be parked at the end 
> of the status line.  In a typical DOS communications session, it will 
> always be on line 24, column 80.  If you want to use the arrow keys 
> to move from link to link and hear what link you have landed on, or 
> see it on a braille display, you have to tell your screen reader what 
> color combination is being used to highlight the current link.  And 
> when you are filling out a form, it can be even more difficult to 
> figure where your typed text is going to appear.  Even if you use the 
> "form fields and links are numbered" option instead of "numbers act as 
> arrows", you still need to do lightbar tracking to figure where the 
> cursor is.
> 
> If show_cursor is enabled, the cursor will move all over the screen.  
> In a communications session, it might go anywhere from line 2 through 
> 24.  It will be on line 24 for pages which do not have any active 
> links.  Generally, if there are links on the current screen, the 
> cursor will be positioned on the first character of the link.  Even 
> with show_cursor turned on, I find it handy to have lightbar 
> tracking turned on most of the time.  I also turn off screen echo, 
> because I find Lynx sessions too talkative.   
> 
> On Sat, 5 Dec 1998 08:55:00 -0500 (EST), 
> Suleman Currim   <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
> >        
> >                        December 5, 1998 
> >
> >
> >Hello!  
> >
> >     I sincerely thank all who responded to my query concerning 
> >activating the "show cursor" feature on Lynx.  Even though I am 
> >not a subscriber to the mailing list, your valuable suggestions 
> >have reached me by email.  
> >
> >     Since posting the inquiry, I have learned that my Internet 
> >service provider's system carries Lynx version 2.7.1f.  Its 
> >options menu has no provision for activation of the "show cursor" 
> >feature.  Therefore, I tried the many suggestions offered in 
> >messages I read.  
> >
> >     In the options menu, when I tried to type "show_cursor:true" 
> >(without the quotation marks), immediately upon my typing the 
> >letter "s" the system sought to change the Lynx character set.   
> >
> >     Beginning the command with a hyphen ("-") also did nothing 
> >about "show cursor".  
> >
> >     I then tried using the following sequence:  
> >
> >
> >                       @ SPACEBAR ENTER > 
> >
> >
> >     Typing that sequence brought the system message:  "Value 
> >accepted", but without any mention of "show cursor".    
> >
> >     Thereafter, when I typed words in Altavista and other WWW 
> >search engines, the screen response seemed to be a little less 
> >confusing.  Presumably, I have now activated the "show Cursor" 
> >feature on my system's Lynx, but I have no way of knowing for 
> >sure.    
> >
> >     I have read somewhere that although a system may offer Lynx, 
> >"show cursor" may not necessarily be available on the browser.  I 
> >have inquired about this with my system's technical help service, 
> >and am awaiting a response.  
> >
> >     A fundamental point still remains unclear to me:  Exactly 
> >how does Lynx become easier for a blind person to use with "show 
> >cursor" activated?  In other words, what are the practical 
> >benefits of activating "show cursor"?  
> >
> >          My thanks again for the generous help from all 
> >respondents to my initial query.  I would welcome further email 
> >tips and tricks on how to use Lynx more efficiently with a speech 
> >output program.  
> >
> >                            Regards, 
> >
> >                         Suleman Currim 
> >
> >                    Email:  address@hidden 
> >                               or 
> >                   address@hidden 
> >
> >
> >On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Doug Kaufman wrote:
> >
> >> Actually, the URL for the DOS port of lynx from my site is:
> >> "ftp://ftp.rahul.net/pub/dkaufman/";. Note the "/pub/" in the middle of
> >> the URL. If you prefer, it is also at "http://www.rahul.net/dkaufman";.
> >> 
> >> In answer to the original question, show_cursor can be activated by
> >> seting "SHOW_CURSOR:TRUE" in lynx.cfg or by invoking lynx as 
> >> "lynx -show_cursor".
> >>                             Doug
> >> 
> >> On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Vitor Manuel dos Santos Oliveira wrote:
> >> 
> >> > I'm a blind user to and I use dos version with a ppp driver.
> >> > Now, the current version is 2.8.2dev6 in "ftp://ftp.rahul.net/dkaufman/";.
> >> > 
> >> > On Sun, 29 Nov 1998, Suleman Currim wrote:
> >> > 
> >> > > I am a blind user, using DOS only (no Windows). I have heard that
> >> > > the "show cursor" feature helps a blind person use Lynx more
> >> > > efficiently. Please explain in what way "show cursor" does so, and
> >> > > how I could activate it. I think my Lynx version is either2.72 or
> >> > > 2.8. Thank you.
> >> 
> >> __
> >> Doug Kaufman
> >> Internet: address@hidden (preferred)
> >>         address@hidden
> >> 
> >> 
> >
> 
> -- Lloyd Rasmussen
> Senior Staff Engineer, Engineering Section
> National Library Service for the  Blind and Physically Handicapped
> Library of Congress          202-707-0535
> (work)       address@hidden    http://www.loc.gov/nls/
> (home) address@hidden http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/lras/      
> 
>