JAWS Scripts For Dropbox
Doug Lee
Last Revised October, 2021
This document describes the scripts for Dropbox and provides
tips for using this application with JAWS.
This document can be opened from within the application via a double press
of JAWSKey+F1 (or Insert+F1)
when the scripts are running.
Table of Contents
System Requirements For JAWS Users
In addition to any system requirements for the application, the following
apply for JAWS users:
- The computer should be running Windows 10.
The scripts should also work with Windows 7, but this has not been formally verified.
- JAWS 17.0 or later should be used. The scripts will not
work with or install into JAWS versions older than 17.0.
Script Installation Instructions
To install these scripts on a new system:
- Load JAWS if this has not already been done. This will require
administrative privileges on the computer.
- Run JAWS as the user for whom the scripts are to be installed.
This and the following steps must be performed for each user of the computer
who will be using JAWS with these scripts.
- Download and run, or run directly, the installer for these scripts; and follow the on-screen
directions. Be sure to install the scripts in the currently running
JAWS version if a JAWS version list is presented.
- To verify successful installation, type Insert+Q from
within the application. Part of the JAWS spoken response should be a
revision number. If you do not hear a revision number, the scripts are
not correctly loaded.
In some cases, restarting JAWS may fix this issue.
Script Commands and Features
These scripts provide the following commands beyond those provided by the application itself:
- JAWSKey+Q, along with announcing the active configuration name, will announce the revision number of these scripts.
- Insert+F1, typed twice in quick succession, opens this document in the default browser.
These scripts also provide the following features:
- Better naming of fields in the Share screen for setting up folder shares and links.
- Automatic correction of a focus anomaly that occurs on Alt+Tab into the Share screen from another application.
- Announcement of the current value of the "To:" edit box in the Share screen when it receives focus and on the JAWS
SayLine command.
- Support for the autocomplete list that can appear during creation of a Dropbox share list for a file folder.
Tips For Using the Share Screen
The Share screen can be accessed from within Windows Explorer via the "Share..." option in the Context menu for a folder in the Dropbox folder tree.
Adding Tokens To a Folder
In the Share dialog,
Tab to the "To:" / "typeAhead input" edit box. To add someone by complete email address, type or paste the address and press Enter. The address will be added to a list of tokens; these will be added to the folder
when the Share dialog closes.
The scripts also add support for an autocomplete feature in the "To:" edit box in the Share screen:
As you start typing into the box, JAWS will announce the first item that appears when an autocomplete list pops up. Pressing Enter will add this item to the token list and close the autocomplete list.
Up and Down arrows will move among the
available items in the autocomplete list, and Enter will add the item last announced and close the autoComplete list.
JAWS will beep and repeat the current item if an Up or Down arrow attempts to navigate past the top or bottom of the
autocomplete list.
Note that this autocomplete support takes advantage of a feature in Dropbox itself whereby Up and Down arrows and Enter select items for addition to the token list, though Dropbox at this writing does not visually
indicate this selection until Enter actually adds an item to the token list. Dropbox behavior on this point may change in the future.
To remove an entry from the token list:
- Press Backspace or Left arrow in the edit box when it is empty. This will move focus to the Delete button for a recently-added item in the token list.
- Use Left and Right arrows to move among the Delete buttons for all items in the add list. Use Backspace to remove the current item from the list. Note that Space and
Enter will not work here.
Warning: A side effect of the just-described native Dropbox interface for deleting add list items is that pressing Backspace repeatedly in the "To:" edit box, such as to make sure the box is empty,
can remove entries from the add list.
To help users be aware of what is pending for addition to the folder, the scripts make JAWS announce the number of tokens in the token list after each press of Enter or Backspace while focus is in the
"To:" edit box.
Further Information
Some buttons in the Share screen bring up new controls but do not move focus to them:
- Pressing the "Can edit" or "Can view" button beside a user's name in the Member List table brings up a menu of options, including
Can edit, Can view, Make owner, and Remove. Tab several times after pressing the initial button to find the menu options.
Tabbing beyond the final option will quietly close the menu.
- Pressing the Settings button brings up a dialog with two buttons, Folder Settings and Link Settings, that act like tabs, changing the rest of the dialog when pressed. Again, Tab after pressing Settings to find
these buttons and the dialog material following them. Tabbing past the end of this dialog will wrap around to its beginning rather than closing it. Press Save or Cancel to close the dialog.
Note that if no link has been created, the Link Settings page of this dialog will not contain any tabbable controls.
Known Issues
The following issues are known and may be encountered during use of the application with these JAWS scripts.
These issues may be fixed in a future update to the scripts or to the application itself.
It may be necessary to Alt+Tab out of and back in to the Share dialog once in a while on opening it from within a folder in Windows Explorer in order to get JAWS to announce fields as you Tab through the dialog.
Left and Right arrows and the Backspace key do not speak normally in the Share
screen's "To:" edit box.
Braille support is not well tested and is likely incomplete.
Revision History
This is the revision history of these scripts, most recent revision first:
Revision 32, released October 26, 2021, tested against application version 98.4.158
- Fixed a bug that could cause some localized strings not to be spoken where expected.
- Included minor updates to improve support for JAWS 2021 and later.
Revision 24, released June 05, 2020, tested against application version 98.4.158
- Screen readers respond better to activation of Table of Contents links in this document.
- The messages for these scripts are now distributed in XML rather than jsm files so that translators can create translations with no need for script source recompilation.
See the Script Translation Procedure document for details on how to translate these scripts, including how to update the XML message file.
- The installer contains version and product information visible from the Details tab in Windows Explorer, to better identify its contents. This update is being applied to all projects.
- A "directives" text file is included that provides information on how to install this set of scripts manually.
See "Handling Directives Files" in the "Common Script Elements" document for further information.
For this particular script set though, the only directive in that file is the one that indicates the minimum JAWS version supported.
Revision 15, October 21, 2019
- Fixed an inconsistency in the set of files sent out. This change does not affect script functionality.
Revision 14, October 19, 2019