This is not an attempt to teach you how to do Notes development. It can be used as a sort of mini-reference on how to do some common Notes development tasks, though. Most of what is said can be applied to other screen readers. In many cases, you will have to label a lot of graphics, if you use another screen reader. Some of the key strokes mentioned are specific to JFW, rather than Notes or another screen reader. I will point those key strokes out when necessary and try not to confuse you. If you are using this document with the scripts for JFW, the graphics should already be labeled and the JFW key strokes should work.
If you are attempting to become a better Notes user, I recommend you browse to http://www.empowermentzone.com and get the 10 minute guide to Lotus Notes there. If you are striving to become a developer, Get one of the other Lotus Notes files.
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This script set works with Lotus Notes versions 4.5 and 6, and It is intended for use with JFW version 3.2. Press insert + q to get the version number. If I remember to put it in the code, it will be current. Check this file for the real version numbers. Since I don't consider myself a complicated man, there is no complicated scheme for different kinds of releases. The version number simply represents the number of times the scripts have been released since either a version change of JFW or a major version change of Lotus Notes.
Please note that as of this version, I have discontinued support for JFW 3.0.
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I have taken away the dependence on the new default scripts. You can now choose to run the Notes scripts with or without the new default scripts. It would be nice if you would run the new default scripts, because the guys really put a lot of great work into them. Which ever way you choose to run the scripts, I have retained the auto route feature, because it makes Notes operation a lot nicer.
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JAWS Screen Sensative Help: This is sorely lacking, and needs to be implimented.
Navigation in properties boxes needs to be improved. In practice, these serve as multi-page dialogs, but they don't behave well at all. I don't anticipate putting enough time in to make these really behave flawlessly, but some time spent at least making switching from tab to tab might be a beginning.
Notes R5 is in beta 1, as of this writing, and I really need to start looking at that. That could, and probably will necessitate a total re-write of the script set, which will be extremely enjoyable to say the least.
Please be aware that I am open to any and all suggestions about improving the scripts and the interface to NOtes, including beating a few Lotus programmer's heads against one-another. Just kidding.
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The first section is the normal Windows title bar and menu bar. The Top line of the work space window is a normal Windows title line. It tells you that you are in the work space, and gives you the location you are using.
The next line down is the menu bar. The left-most menu is a labeled graphic that pulls down the Application Control menu. If you need to, you can get to this menu choice by pressing the alt key by itself. You can get to the other menus by using the usual keyboard alt combinations. In some cases, the letter you press in combination with the alt key may not be the first letter of the menu choice, so turn on your mouse cursor and use the JAWS Say Letter key combination (num pad 5) to make sure you know what alt key combinations to use.
The next two lines of the top section of the Notes Work Space is where the Smart Icons are. These are used by your sighted peers to click on and perform common Notes actions. You won't see this section of the work space, because JAWS is set up for Notes to show only labeled graphics, and you will be able to perform Notes functions without the smart icons.
The next line down contains the names of the work space tabs you have defined, and the Replicater choice.
The Bottom Line is the status line.
The rest of the work space contains the names, locations, and Unread counts for all the databases you have previously opened or Notes has placed on the work space.
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If you have the benefit of using a Braille display, you will be able to see that the Braille cursor is always stuck on the left most work space tab. If you are using speech only, you should be able to use Say Word (insert + num pad 5) to read the first word of the left most tab.
Let's do some initial set up to make the work space more speech friendly.
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Note: the key combination used to close all properties boxes is specific to the Lotus Notes script set, and is not a default JFW key combination. This key stroke will close a properties box even if the focus is in another part of the screen. This is handy to know, because if you switch from Notes to another application and back again, your focus will not be in the properties box, but the properties box will cover up part of the screen and drive you crazy. This will also happen if you are developing shared fields. End Note.
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Turn on your JAWS cursor (num pad minus) and make sure it is on the name of the work space page you want to work with. Click the right mouse button (num pad star). a context menu will appear. Arrow down till you hear JAWS say "Unread Count." If the line you land on also says "checked", press the enter key. This will uncheck that selection and return you to the work space. If it doesn't say "Checked", press escape to leave the setting the way it is.
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It is possible for you to use File, Database, Open to find the server and database you want to open, but this can be a very slow process. It is actually easier for you to use the JAWS cursor to open often used databases directly from the work space. The only way for you to know what server each database is on is to turn off stacked replicas on your work space. So, How 'bout let's shut up, Jim, and tell 'em how to do it, already.
Turn on the JAWS cursor (num pad minus) and make sure it is on the name of the work space page you want to work with. Press the right mouse button (num pad star). This will display a context menu. Arrow down till you hear JAWS say "Stack Replica Icons." If the line you land on also says "checked," press the enter key. This unchecks the selection. If it doesn't say "checked", press the escape key to cancel changing this setting. Now you will be placed back in the work space page, and if you have databases that are stored locally, for example, and databases of the same name on some other server whose names are the same, you will be able to tell which one you are about to work with. If it is hard for you to figure out which database you are about to open, You can check the database properties. I will tell you how to do that next.
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In Notes, using the Window menu, the work space is always window 1. Every other task you initiate becomes a window below that. So, as soon as you open a database, say your mail database, the view that opens up will be window 2. If you then deside to design a form, that window will become window 3. Then, if you deside to go to the Notes help database Help Topics view, that window will become window 4. To switch to a window, all you would have to do would be to remember the order you opened things up in and press alt + w, n, where n is the number of the window you want to open. Also, you can get rid of windows you don't want to use right now by going into them and pressing escape. When you do this, Notes destroys the window and adjusts the positions of the windows in the windows menu.
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You can use workspace keys to perform the following tasks on Windows, OS/2, and UNIX.
To do this:
Press:
Get context-sensitive help
F1
Exit Notes
ALT+F4
Log off Notes (revoke password login but leave Notes running)
F5
Restore Notes program window to default size
ALT+F5
Cycle through open panes
F6
Cycle through open windows
CTRL+F6
Update all fields in current document, view, or workspace
F9
Rebuild all views in current document, view, or workspace
SH+F9
Minimize active window and cascade other active windows
CTRL+F9
Maximize all open windows
CTRL+F10
Maximize the Notes program window (OS/2 only)
ALT+F10
Access the menu bar so you can use arrow keys to choose commands
F10 or ALT
Create a new memo
CTRL+M
Send a memo
ALT+3
Create a new database
CTRL+N
Open a database (add a database to workspace)
CTRL+O
Close a document
ESC
Cancel a server operation
CTRL+BREAK
Open the Scan Unread dialog box
TAB
Enter and follow a URL to a World Wide Web site
CTRL+L
Move from one workspace tab to another right arrow or left arrow
Move from any workspace tab except Replicator to the first workspace tab HOME
Move from any workspace tab except Replicator to the Replicator tab
END
Move from one database icon to another arrow
Move a database icon
CTRL+SH+arrow
To stop moving, press ENTER.
Delete a database icon, or mark document for deletion
DEL
Move from one Replicator entry to another up arrow or down arrow
Move from any Replicator entry to the first entry
HOME or PAGE UP
Move from any Replicator entry to the last entry
END or PAGE DOWN
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You can use the following keyboard combinations while viewing documents on Windows, OS/2, and UNIX.
To do this:
Press:
Select all documents
CTRL+A
Copy selected documents
CTRL+C
Find occurrence of a text string CTRL+F
Find next occurrence of a text string CTRL+G
Open the File Print dialog box
CTRL+P
Cut selected documents
CTRL+X
Open the selected document
ENTER
Select or deselect the highlighted document
Spacebar
Go to next selected document
F3
Go to previous selected document
SH+F3
Go to next unread document
F4
Go to previous unread document
SH+F4
Update all fields in current document, view, or workspace
F9
Enter and follow a URL to a World Wide Web site
CTRL+L
Retain selection of document while switching to another view
CTRL
Rebuild the current view
SH+F9
Rebuild all views in current database SH+CTRL+F9
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You can use the following keyboard combinations while reading documents on Windows, OS/2, and UNIX.
To do this:
Press:
Read the selected document
ENTER
Edit the selected document
CTRL+E
Print the selected document
CTRL+P
Enter and follow a URL to a World Wide Web site
CTRL+L
Close the active window
ESC
Activate a link to a document, view, or database
Spacebar
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You can use the following keyboard combinations while editing documents or designing forms or subforms on Windows, OS/2, and UNIX.
To do this:
Press:
Select contents of a document, form, or subform
CTRL+A
Bold selected text
CTRL+B
Copy selected text or object
CTRL+C
Edit a document (does not apply to forms or subforms)
CTRL+E
Find and replace
CTRL+F
Find next and replace
CTRL+G
Italicize selected text
CTRL+I
Format paragraphs (margins, tabs, line spacing, and so on)
CTRL+J
Format text (font, size, color, and so on)
CTRL+K
Change selected text to normal
CTRL+T
Underline selected text
CTRL+U
Insert page break
CTRL+SH+L
Paste
CTRL+V
Cut selected text or object
CTRL+X
Clear selected text or object
DELETE
Undo last action
CTRL+Z
Save the current document, form, or subform
CTRL+S
Close the current document, form, or subform
CTRL+W
Enlarge selected text to next available point size
F2
Reduce selected text to next available point size
SH+F2
Indent the first line in a paragraph F7
Outdent first line in a paragraph
SH+F7
Indent entire paragraph F8
Outdent entire paragraph
SH+F8
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You can use the following keyboard combinations while designing a view, folder, or navigator on Windows, OS/2, and UNIX.
To do this:
Press:
Copy selected column in a view or folder or object in a navigator
CTRL+C
Paste column or object
CTRL+V
Cut selected column or object
CTRL+X
Clear selected column or object
DELETE
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