Testing without AT
Testing for this requirement without assistive technology will be difficult for many testers and developers. You can use diagnostic tools such as Microsoft Spy++, Inspect32, UI Spy, and Java Ferret to test for the criteria below. To use each tool:
- Activate the tool.
- Activate the application.
- Move the mouse over the desired item and activate the associated button in each application to get the accessibility or API information from the element. Alternatively, use the tool's navigation features to locate the screen element and then review the API or accessibility information. Review the following:
- Text input values
- Text names
- Fonts and other attributes
- Text input caret locations and selections
- Window and dialog titles
Note: It is typically not possible to determine text input location and text selection using Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) -based tools because MSAA does not provide an interface for this information. Thus, text input caret location cannot be tested easily for most Windows-based applications.
Java-based applications and applications created using UI Automation do expose this information through their accessibility interfaces; use the appropriate tool in those cases. The language in which the application is written determines what tools to use and how much information you can obtain without using assistive technology. Use the following guidelines for selecting tools:
- For non-Java applications:
- Use the Object Inspector or UI Spy to check text input values and text names.
- Use UI Spy to determine font attributes.
- Use Spy++ to determine window class names. If standard controls are used, this is the best indication that text will be exposed properly.
- Use Spy++, the Object Inspector or UI Spy to check window and dialog titles.
- Use AT to determine actual text input location for non-Java applications. (This cannot be tested without AT.)
- For Java, use the Java Ferret to check text input values, text names, text input caret location and attribute and window and dialog titles.
- For applications that use cross-platform or custom controls, you must use AT.
Pass/Fail
Use these criteria to make your evaluation of the related checkpoints:
PASS
Pass if all these criteria are met:
- Text is exposed through the OS or an API.
- The text input value appears as the accessible value of each element.
- The static text name appears as the accessible name of each element.
- Text input caret location and attribute information are exposed through the OS or an API.
- Window and dialog titles are exposed through the OS or an API.
- Appropriate settings or parameters for accessibility in Java and Flash/Flex applications are enabled in the application or its development platform. Accessibility settings must be enabled for non-AT testing methods to be able to access the accessibility information.
FAIL
Fail if any one of the above conditions is not met.
Select Next to complete this module.
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