Braille message timeout, 0 to disable

[dkager]

IMO the value 0 should lead to no timeout. Currently this value disables messages altogether, which isn't very useful. If it is needed to disable messages it should be a global toggle that also affects speech.

To make this work:

• Implement in braille.py.
• Change the setting label to "Message timeout (sec, 0 to disable)".

Related: #6470

[jcsteh]

This was implemented (#2482 d30a09b) at the request of several users (and the patch came from one of those users). I too argued it was not useful, but apparently, several braille + speech users disagreed. You can set a long timeout to keep the messages on the display for longer. Do you have a desire for keeping them there forever? If so, we might need to consider a check box plus timeout.

[dkager]

Do you have a desire for keeping them there forever?

Not really, just long enough to read them if they are a bit more complex than usual text. A longer timeout is fine, though to me "0 to disable" feels more natural than "0 to completely turn off the feature". As a compromise, could we update the label to include "(0 to disable messages)"?

[derekriemer]

Random idea, but why not make the timeout increase a little if the user presses the right advancer button.

…

On 1/3/2017 9:18 AM, Davy Kager wrote: Do you have a desire for keeping them there forever? Not really, just long enough to read them if they are a bit more complex than usual text. A longer timeout is fine, though to me "0 to disable" feels more natural than "0 to completely turn off the feature". As a compromise, could we update the label to include "(0 to disable messages)"? — You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#6669 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AFGiveJbNQ3oqN9eLxjfyTLScEb9a4y3ks5rOnTkgaJpZM4LUzSl>.

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[jcsteh]

@dkager commented on 4 Jan. 2017, 2:18 am AEST:

A longer timeout is fine, though to me "0 to disable" feels more natural than "0 to completely turn off the feature". As a compromise, could we update the label to include "(0 to disable messages)"?

I guess that's an option. Still, perhaps this whole magic value thing is just too ugly and we should just have an explicit check box. @feerrenrut, @Qchristensen, thoughts?

@derekriemer commented on 4 Jan. 2017, 3:07 am AEST:

Random idea, but why not make the timeout increase a little if the user
presses the right advancer button.

It already does. In fact, it resets the timeout completely if the user scrolls either right or left.

[Qchristensen]

I can see both arguments to what 0 should mean here. There is a logic to 0 disabling messages, as if messages time out after 0 seconds, then you would never get a chance to read them anyway. I think the label should specify what a value of 0 means if not that messages instantly disappear.

A checkbox to specify whether to display messages and then a value for how long to display them would be one extra control but would probably be the clearest option.

[feerrenrut]

An alternative might be to change the way that the values are reported. In some applications "slider" type controls have special values at each end, the minimum value might report as "messages disabled" and the maximum value might report as "no timeout" and in between are the values 1 - X. For this to work there needs to be a label, or read only text control (or similar) that shows the current value of the slider.

However if we only need one special value a checkbox would be simpler.

[dkager]

I'd go checkbox, also because no other setting currently uses special sliders as far as I know.

[dkager]

@feerrenrut I found a corner case that yields an error. It's pretty innocent but should still be addressed. Apologies for only finding this on master!

STR:

1. Make sure the default profile does not have the setting to show messages indefinitely.
2. Create an app-specific config profile and choose the new feature to show messages indefinitely.
3. Go to the application and trigger a message, e.g. by pressing NVDA+t to report the title bar.
4. Go to the desktop or switch out of the application.

Expected: the message clears.
Actual: it does, but an error is raised:

ERROR - eventHandler.executeEvent (18:06:08):
error executing event: gainFocus on <NVDAObjects.IAccessible.sysListView32.ListItem object at 0x04F6CE10> with extra args of {}
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "eventHandler.pyc", line 143, in executeEvent
  File "eventHandler.pyc", line 91, in __init__
  File "eventHandler.pyc", line 98, in next
  File "appModules\explorer.pyc", line 280, in event_gainFocus
  File "eventHandler.pyc", line 98, in next
  File "NVDAObjects\__init__.pyc", line 900, in event_gainFocus
  File "braille.pyc", line 1676, in handleGainFocus
  File "braille.pyc", line 1692, in _doNewObject
  File "braille.pyc", line 1667, in _dismissMessage
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'Stop'

To fix this and make the code a bit more robust too I think we need to change the following line in braille.BrailleHandler._dismissMessage from:

if not config.conf["braille"]["noMessageTimeout"]:

To:

if self._messageCallLater:

[dkager]

Here is a patch:

diff --git a/source/braille.py b/source/braille.py
index a377834cf..06baebe6f 100644
--- a/source/braille.py
+++ b/source/braille.py
@@ -1663,7 +1663,7 @@ class BrailleHandler(baseObject.AutoPropertyObject):
 		"""
 		self.buffer.clear()
 		self.buffer = self.mainBuffer
-		if not config.conf["braille"]["noMessageTimeout"]:
+		if self._messageCallLater:
 			self._messageCallLater.Stop()
 			self._messageCallLater = None
 		self.update()

This patch preserves the original timeout, or no timeout if that option was enabled.
Note that the message being shown is likely to disappear when changing config profiles, since this usually implies a focus change.

[feerrenrut]

Thanks @dkager, I have tested this and updated in master, and will merge master into next. Please see PR #7230