Re: lynx-dev Show Cursor Feature

[Lloyd G. Rasmussen]

What screen reader are you using?  I can give you some help, 
especially with Vocal-Eyes.  

If -show_cursor is not enabled, the cursor will be parked at the end 
of the status line.  In a typical DOS communications session, it will 
always be on line 24, column 80.  If you want to use the arrow keys 
to move from link to link and hear what link you have landed on, or 
see it on a braille display, you have to tell your screen reader what 
color combination is being used to highlight the current link.  And 
when you are filling out a form, it can be even more difficult to 
figure where your typed text is going to appear.  Even if you use the 
"form fields and links are numbered" option instead of "numbers act as 
arrows", you still need to do lightbar tracking to figure where the 
cursor is.

If show_cursor is enabled, the cursor will move all over the screen.  
In a communications session, it might go anywhere from line 2 through 
24.  It will be on line 24 for pages which do not have any active 
links.  Generally, if there are links on the current screen, the 
cursor will be positioned on the first character of the link.  Even 
with show_cursor turned on, I find it handy to have lightbar 
tracking turned on most of the time.  I also turn off screen echo, 
because I find Lynx sessions too talkative.   

On Sat, 5 Dec 1998 08:55:00 -0500 (EST), 
Suleman Currim   <address@hidden> wrote:

>        
>                        December 5, 1998 
>
>
>Hello!  
>
>     I sincerely thank all who responded to my query concerning 
>activating the "show cursor" feature on Lynx.  Even though I am 
>not a subscriber to the mailing list, your valuable suggestions 
>have reached me by email.  
>
>     Since posting the inquiry, I have learned that my Internet 
>service provider's system carries Lynx version 2.7.1f.  Its 
>options menu has no provision for activation of the "show cursor" 
>feature.  Therefore, I tried the many suggestions offered in 
>messages I read.  
>
>     In the options menu, when I tried to type "show_cursor:true" 
>(without the quotation marks), immediately upon my typing the 
>letter "s" the system sought to change the Lynx character set.   
>
>     Beginning the command with a hyphen ("-") also did nothing 
>about "show cursor".  
>
>     I then tried using the following sequence:  
>
>
>                       @ SPACEBAR ENTER > 
>
>
>     Typing that sequence brought the system message:  "Value 
>accepted", but without any mention of "show cursor".    
>
>     Thereafter, when I typed words in Altavista and other WWW 
>search engines, the screen response seemed to be a little less 
>confusing.  Presumably, I have now activated the "show Cursor" 
>feature on my system's Lynx, but I have no way of knowing for 
>sure.    
>
>     I have read somewhere that although a system may offer Lynx, 
>"show cursor" may not necessarily be available on the browser.  I 
>have inquired about this with my system's technical help service, 
>and am awaiting a response.  
>
>     A fundamental point still remains unclear to me:  Exactly 
>how does Lynx become easier for a blind person to use with "show 
>cursor" activated?  In other words, what are the practical 
>benefits of activating "show cursor"?  
>
>          My thanks again for the generous help from all 
>respondents to my initial query.  I would welcome further email 
>tips and tricks on how to use Lynx more efficiently with a speech 
>output program.  
>
>                            Regards, 
>
>                         Suleman Currim 
>
>                    Email:  address@hidden 
>                               or 
>                   address@hidden 
>
>
>On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Doug Kaufman wrote:
>
>> Actually, the URL for the DOS port of lynx from my site is:
>> "ftp://ftp.rahul.net/pub/dkaufman/";. Note the "/pub/" in the middle of
>> the URL. If you prefer, it is also at "http://www.rahul.net/dkaufman";.
>> 
>> In answer to the original question, show_cursor can be activated by
>> seting "SHOW_CURSOR:TRUE" in lynx.cfg or by invoking lynx as 
>> "lynx -show_cursor".
>>                             Doug
>> 
>> On Mon, 30 Nov 1998, Vitor Manuel dos Santos Oliveira wrote:
>> 
>> > I'm a blind user to and I use dos version with a ppp driver.
>> > Now, the current version is 2.8.2dev6 in "ftp://ftp.rahul.net/dkaufman/";.
>> > 
>> > On Sun, 29 Nov 1998, Suleman Currim wrote:
>> > 
>> > > I am a blind user, using DOS only (no Windows). I have heard that
>> > > the "show cursor" feature helps a blind person use Lynx more
>> > > efficiently. Please explain in what way "show cursor" does so, and
>> > > how I could activate it. I think my Lynx version is either2.72 or
>> > > 2.8. Thank you.
>> 
>> __
>> Doug Kaufman
>> Internet: address@hidden (preferred)
>>         address@hidden
>> 
>> 
>

-- Lloyd Rasmussen
Senior Staff Engineer, Engineering Section
National Library Service for the  Blind and Physically Handicapped
Library of Congress          202-707-0535
(work)       address@hidden    http://www.loc.gov/nls/
(home) address@hidden http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/lras/