Default gesture for the screen curtain

[CyrilleB79]

Link to issue number:

Closes #10560

Summary of the issue:

The screen curtain is missing a default gesture (working out of the box). Users want to have a default gesture in order not to have to define one themselves.

Description of user facing changes

NVDA+control+escape is defined as default gesture.

The gesture has been discussed in #10560:

• The main key is quite easy to find on a keyboard; e.g. PrintScreen is much harder because it's not always at the same place or sometimes behind Fn key.
• Usage of punctuation key for main key should be avoided because it differs from a local keyboard layout to another. Even if it may be translated by translators, the issue remains for people switching their keyboard layout. Punctuation keys are better suited for personal gestures.
• shortcut using 3 keys and not two due to the probable unfrequency of use with respect to other gestures/commands
• with this gesture, there is no risk to activate the screen curtain by accident.

Description of development approach

Added in script's decorator and updated the documentation.

Testing strategy:

Tested this gesture in NVDA started with a blank config folder.

Known issues with pull request:

None

Code Review Checklist:

• Documentation:
  • Change log entry
  • User Documentation
  • Developer / Technical Documentation
  • Context sensitive help for GUI changes
• Testing:
  • Unit tests
  • System (end to end) tests
  • Manual testing
• UX of all users considered:
  • Speech
  • Braille
  • Low Vision
  • Different web browsers
  • Localization in other languages / culture than English
• API is compatible with existing add-ons.
• Security precautions taken.

[XLTechie]

Thanks @CyrilleB79

[codeofdusk]

I'm not convinced that we need this. The screen curtain is an advanced feature and given various keyboard layouts users can easily assign a gesture that works for them.

[XLTechie]

Thus leaving us as the only major SR having this function, without a default key sequence to employ it. Voiceover (Mac): VO+shift+F11. Voiceover (iOS): Three finger triple tap. Jaws (Windows): Jaws+space, F11; or Jaws+Space, PrntScrn Talkback (Android): Press both volume keys thrice. I'm also not sure that Screen Curtain usage is as advanced a feature as you think: https://www.perkins.org/resource/shoulder-surfers-why-using-the-screen-curtain-screen-shade-is-important/ It's kind of sad, looking at that page, that we're the only ones who have to have a how-to video presented to show how it's done. The other SRs just have a keyboard shortcut or gesture listed.

[CyrilleB79]

@codeofdusk, wrote:

I'm not convinced that we need this. The screen curtain is an advanced feature and given various keyboard layouts users can easily assign a gesture that works for them.

I am a bit surprised by this comment.

From a user point of view, the need for such has been expressed and discussed on the mailing list as well as in #10560 by many people (you included).

IMO, screen curtain is not an advanced feature. And this seems the opinion of the majority as shown by the evidences provided by @XLTechie. It is present with a default shortcut key in all other screen readers, even in phone screen readers where there are less default gestures available (touch only gestures and very few keys).

Also #10560 has been triaged by NV Access, meaning that they seem to agree with this idea.

So could you be more specific and give more context:

• What lets you think that screen curtain would be an advanced feature that does not deserve a gesture?
• What is the problem with the various keyboard layout with regard to the gesture that was chosen?
  Thanks.

[LeonarddeR]

I was a bit surprised by the quite complex gesture at first sight, then indeed realized that we need to use a gesture for this that isn't easy to press by accident. I'm happy with this gesture.

[CyrilleB79]

Note: Although the gesture has already discussed in #10560, it is still time to discuss it here for 2-3 days if new arguments are provided.

I realize that Jaws and VO both use the F11 key. Standardization is of course not mandatory, but is there an advantage for us to also standardize with an F11 combination, e.g. NVDA+control+F11.
On the other hand, NVDA+control+F11 is a bit less easy to execute than NVDA+control+Escape, the Escape key being very easily to find on the keyboard.

Let's wait for NV Access opinion before changing anything.

[amirsol81]

Thanks for this highly needed key stroke! It was strange that NVDA didn't provide one out of the box - unlike almost all screen readers.

[brunoprietog]

I love this, however, why don't we just copy the Voiceover gesture on Mac (and all other Apple operating systems where you can use a keyboard)? NVDA + Shift + F11? NVDA + Shift + Escape, by the way, looks a lot like the gesture you use to open the task manager

[seanbudd]

Thanks @CyrilleB79

[Qchristensen]

This will be a welcome addition for many people, great work!