Tool Bar

Component Name: Tool Bar

Description

A tool bar is a horizontal rectangular region containing buttons that perform frequently used functions. These functions are also available via the menu system, but are used so often that an explicit, easily reached (via mouse) mode of operation is desired.

Sound Rationale

There are only a few things a user can do with a tool bar. One is to move keyboard focus to it from wherever they are within the user interface. This ability to warp directly to the menu bar is cued by a rising-then-falling "wee-woo" sound that is meant to convey that they have left one part of the user interface and immediately moved to the tool bar. Once there, they can move among the tool buttons themselves, and activate the one they desire to do so.

Navigation To the Tool Bar

  1. Required navigation sound effect. menuBarNavTo.wav
  2. Optional disabled sound effect. N/A.
  3. Optional combined component ID and state information sound effect. N/A.
  4. Required name/title of component as speech. N/A.
  5. Optional role as speech. "Tool bar".
  6. Optional state as speech. N/A.

Navigation Within the Tool Bar

  1. Required navigation sound effect. navTo.wav
  2. Optional disabled sound effect. disabled.wav
  3. Optional combined component ID and state information sound effect. That for the tool bar button, ususally a push button. See Buttons documentation.
  4. Required name/title of component as speech. "<Tool button name>" [Alternate: "unknown"].
  5. Optional role as speech. That of the tool bar button, ususally a push button. See Buttons documentation..
  6. Optional state as speech. That for the tool bar button, ususally a push button. See Buttons documentation.

Activation

The audio look and feel does not support activation feedback over and above the navigation feed back. If the user activates one of the tool bar buttons, then its activation feedback sequence is given.

"Where Am I?"

There are, broadly speaking, two places where the user could be with respect to the tool bar -- either at the tool bar itself, or at one of its tool bar buttons. If the former, then the "where-am-I?" report is simply "tool bar". If the latter, then the feedback is "tool bar" followed by the "where-am-I?" report for the tool bar button with focus. Typically, this is push button, and so the push button "where-am-I?" feedback sequence is given -- see Buttons documentation.

  1. Optional disabled sound effect. N/A.
  2. Optional combined component ID and state information sound effect. N/A.
  3. Required name/title of component as speech. N/A.
  4. Optional role as speech. "Tool bar".
  5. Optional state as speech. N/A.
  6. If a tool bar button has focus, then its "where-am-I" feedback sequence is given.

First Letter Navigation

First letter navigation is implemented for tool bars. In this case, the search is confined to the tool bar when it has focus. Pressing a key will invoke the search; if a menu on the menu bar matches, the feedback is the same as if the user navigated to that menu via the navigation keys. Finally, if no menu matches, a generic error sound is played.

Additional Information (Control + shift + E)

There is no additional information for the tool bar alone.

Tool tip (Control + shift + T)

It is assumed that there is no tool tip associated with a tool bar, so there is no feedback for this keystroke.

Leaving Tool Bar

Uses can exit the tool bar at any time without having to activate any of its buttons. Keyboard focus will revert to where it was before they warped to the tool bar. In this case, a special audio feedback sequence is given to indicate that they have left the tool bar.

  1. Navigation sound effect. menuBarNavFrom.wav
  2. Navigation speech. "leaving"
  3. Navigation role. "Tool Bar".

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Last updated 10 Jun 99