Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Friday April 28 2006 - 19:41:33 BST

I am not a Javascript expert and I'm only familiar with editing the menu_data.js file. Is there a way so that people with disabilities and who cannot use a mouse can use the menu by using only the keyboard.

Poster: Migru
Dated: Friday April 28 2006 - 21:18:56 BST

Hi

there is a keyboard module, its called keypress.js
This module will allow the user to navigate Milonic menus via the keyboard.
you find it here:
http://www.milonic.com/menumodules.php

Michael

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Friday April 28 2006 - 21:27:49 BST



Thank you Migru, I will have a look!

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Saturday April 29 2006 - 8:25:32 BST



Hi Michael,

I tried it but it didn't work. I placed the file in the same folder as the HTML page and the other Milonic files. This is the code in my HTML page:

<script src="/keypress.js" type=text/javascript></script>
<SCRIPT type="text/javascript" src="milonic_src.js"></SCRIPT>
<param copyright="JavaScript Menu by Milonic http://www.milonic.com"> <a href="http://www.milonic.com/"><font color="#C01733">JavaScript DHTML Drop Down Menu By Milonic</font></a>
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
if(ns4)_d.write("<SCR"+"IPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript SRC=mmenuns4.js><\/SCR"+"IPT>");
else _d.write("<SCR"+"IPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript SRC=mmenudom.js><\/SCR"+"IPT>");
-->
</SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT type="text/javascript" src="menu_data2.js"></SCRIPT>

Have I done something wrong? I also made sure that the file was uploaded on the server and the HTML page was updated.

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Saturday April 29 2006 - 8:43:28 BST

Hi,

I believe that keypress.js has to go after the menu_data.js file and you'd need to put the correct path based on your site. For example if it's in the same folder as all the pages, it would only be keypress.js not /keypress.js

Ruth

Poster: Migru
Dated: Saturday April 29 2006 - 13:29:36 BST

Hi Ruth,

there should be a note or comment included in the keypress module with information where to place the file though it is relatively logical, that it should go after the menu_data file.

If I had an idea that this could be source for an error, I would have certainly suggested to place it AFTER the menu_data.js file.

I tested that module, but took it out again, once I was aware, that it is - in my opinion - too complicated using it, if you have multiple menus on one page.

Michael

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Saturday April 29 2006 - 18:28:46 BST



I placed it under menu_data2.js, but when I use the tab keys to move from one link to another, it does not go on the DHTML menu. It is the tab keys that we use, isn't it, to move from link to link?

Here is the code (also, I added the quotes (there were missing):

<SCRIPT type="text/javascript" src="milonic_src.js"></SCRIPT>
<param copyright="JavaScript Menu by Milonic http://www.milonic.com"> <a href="http://www.milonic.com/"><font color="#C01733">JavaScript DHTML Drop Down Menu By Milonic</font></a>
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
if(ns4)_d.write("<SCR"+"IPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript SRC=mmenuns4.js><\/SCR"+"IPT>");
else _d.write("<SCR"+"IPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript SRC=mmenudom.js><\/SCR"+"IPT>");
-->
</SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT type="text/javascript" src="menu_data2.js"></SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT src="keypress.js" type="text/javascript"></SCRIPT>

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Saturday April 29 2006 - 21:18:17 BST

Hi,

Go to the main site: http://www.milonic.com/

and when you get there try using the tab to move and see what happens.

If that works then we need to see your page to figure out why it's not working on yours. I didn't go through the whole menu just a couple of tabs but it seemed to work for me.

Ruth

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Sunday April 30 2006 - 18:27:49 BST



Hi Ruth,

Thanks for getting back to me. I did what you asked me to do, it does work when I use the tab key on http://www.milonic.com/. So please if you could look at my page and tell me what I may have done wrong, that would be great. Here is the address: http://www.stpaulsacademy.org.uk/Mock-U ... hadows.htm

I also have all the files in the same directory as the HTML page.

Thanks!

Nathalie

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Sunday April 30 2006 - 21:38:13 BST

Hi,

The first thing you are going to have to do is upgrade your menu. You are way downlevel. Download the newest version, and make sure that you take your older version and save the files someplace in case you have to go back to them, if there's some problem with the new ones. Then upload the new files. YOU ARE ONLY UPLOADING THE 3 program files NOT the menu data file. You don't want to overwrite your personal data file. I always suggest to people that they rename the menu_data.js file that they make to something else so there is never an opportunity to overwrite it with the menu_data.js file that comes with the Milonic download.

I'm still working on the problem there is something in your menu data file causing the issue because when I substitute the menu_data.js file from the download it works... more or less... but, you need the newest files so I can report it to Milonic if I can't find a solution. They cannot test things in other than the newest version of the menu.

Ruth

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 9:29:39 BST



Hello Ruth and thanks again for helping me out,

Before I do the updates I have 2 questions to ask you:

Firstly, do you want me to send you my menu_data.js file?
Secondly, the version I have is 5.723, and although you state that I'm way downlevel, Milonic mentionned that keypress works for versions 5.1 or above. What should be the latest version?

Thanks and will let you know when I've done the updates!

Poster: Migru
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 10:02:25 BST

Hi,



Michael

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 10:05:57 BST



Hello Michael,

By "full version", do you mean the "paid version"?

Poster: Migru
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 10:12:12 BST

Hi
as I understand - no - not really. Of course, you should have a license, if its a professional one or a free license, doesn´t matter.

In this regard see
http://www.milonic.com/nonprofits.php


Michael

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 10:50:34 BST



Ruth,

I have solved the problem (thanks to you!). You were right there was a problem with my menu_data.js file. The reason it did not work is that I did not have links (e.g. url=www.stpaulsacademy.org/filename.htm).

Thanks again!

Nathalie

Poster: stephen702
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 17:30:20 BST

I have never been able to get keypress.js to work on my test site, which has two horizontal menus. I have tried everything over the past few months, but nothing solves the problem.

Could you take a look? It's on our internal server, but not protected:

http://inside.arc.losrios.edu/

When I use the tab key, the first horizontal menu works fine, but on the second menu, the first drop-down submenu (Quick Links) does not drop down at all, and pressing the tab key takes me to the next submenu (Calendars) which does drop down. However, at the end of the Calendars submenu, pressing the tab key takes me out of the menu entirely, dropping me down into links on the page itself.

Any help would be appreciated. I've reported this problem before, but received no response.


Thanks

Poster: nathaliev
Dated: Tuesday May 2 2006 - 19:12:44 BST



I had a quick look at your data_menu file, and your problem seems very different to mine so it's difficult for me to compare. However, have you tried not to make the top level links so that you delete the url=etc.. from Quick Links, Calendar, etc...

What I did to solve my problem is that I replace my menu_data.js file by the one provided by Milonic and recreated it line by line until I stumbled over the problem. I know it can be quite lengthy but it solved my problem.

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Saturday April 17 2010 - 2:58:56 BST

I added the key module to my menus and the tabbing to the different first level menu items works just fine but when there is a flyout set of menus I find nothing on the keyboard that will let me get to those items in the flyout menu.
Is there a short how to use the keyboard menu manual since I want to put instructions on the site for those who can't use a mouse on how to maneuver through the menus.

You can see the site (in draft at http://www.fxtas.org/index_new.htm )

Much thanks for help

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Saturday April 17 2010 - 3:28:36 BST

Stupid me did not put the keypress module after the last menu since the last menu is in a div tag and further down in the body of the page...it now works as it should.

So the only instructions for a user is to simply use the tab key to walk thru the menus...nothing more?

Thanks

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Wednesday April 21 2010 - 1:02:20 BST

Hiya

Thanks for posting the solution, it is something that many might not even consider: putting the module after the last 'call' for the menu.

Ruth

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Wednesday April 21 2010 - 1:26:44 BST

My pleasure...see the site at http://www.fxtas.org/index_new.htm (still under wraps) ...a different site had some interesting problems with keeping the submenus to "stick" to the main menus. Figured it out but not sure it is anything normal...just hacked until they stuck. Position=relative is an interesting concept that is hard sometimes to get your head around. If interested go look at the draft site http://www.wwmgmt.org/stephenwellsNEWcom/

I just wanted the submenus to stick when the site is wider or narrower since the page is centered.

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Thursday April 22 2010 - 0:32:43 BST

Hi,

If you use the old method for relatively positioned menus the submenus will always open where they are supposed to open. To do that you need to remove the main menu from the data file, put it in its own file with a drawmenus at the end of it. Then call the data file right after the program files, and call the main menu in the div where you want it. Using that method you shouldn't have a problem. Here's a test page and if that works for you, here are the Here
Let me know when you get this so I can remove the links Take a look at the data files to see what I did for the separtors and images and such. Also note that, because you have two menus and separate files for them you can't use the same style names, I just added an a or b so the menu could distinquish between the styles for the top and for the left side. You could actually put all the sub and style parts in one file and just the two main menus in their own files. Anyway, take a look at the files and see what I did.

Ruth

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Thursday April 22 2010 - 0:48:40 BST

OK...I see what you have done with the placement of the files in the html but when I try to download the zip file it sends me to a bogus website...??? I see it in the status line but that is not where I end up. If I do a save as it says the zip file is not a valid file...got a virus or been hacked?

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Thursday April 22 2010 - 0:51:00 BST

I actually got the menus to stay where they are suppose to with the coding I did but the only thing that they do not do now is when you are too close to the window edge the menus do not push up to compensate so part of the submenu is hidden.
I will look at the files you made and try them out.

Thanks

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Thursday April 22 2010 - 4:42:11 BST

Hi,

I sent you an email with the file attached. I do not know what is happening, perhaps something in the upload. I can't get the file either, but if I ftp to my site I can see it there, but it tells me it isn't there when I click the link. There is no virus, I scanned it with Avast. I removed your email. Let' me know when you no longer need the page since I used your page with your stuff on it, so I don't think you want that to remain at my poems2u site, I'll delete it when you don't need to go there anymore

Yes, the way you did it would get them to be wherever you positioned them, however, it's a lot of extra coding. Doing it this way, they will be where they belong automatically so you don't have to try and figure out position for each submenu.

Let me know if you need anything more.

EDIT: I must have done something wrong in the link, because I just re-did it and now it is working thought I'd let you know in case you would rather download it. Again, just let me know when you are done and I'll remove all that stuff

Ruth

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Thursday April 22 2010 - 5:18:38 BST

I will deal with it in the AM...don't ya just love computers? I am an old retired IBMer who remembers programming hardware with yellow wires on a board...things have come a long way and very fast..it is truly amazing what we can do now.

Thanks again for your help...love these forums and the community of brains on the Internet...you all make it possible to do anything!

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Friday June 4 2010 - 0:05:22 BST

I have an interesting problem and thought someone might know the answer. I am using milonic menus on a site and then use an application from coffecup called sitemapper. It works great if you are not using dhtml menus or menus like milonic which are js based. I have a site www.fxtas.org that I have included the keyboard.js file so people who can't use a mouse can get around. I also have the menus hidden from view except when you turn off js.

Do you think just using he keyboard.js addition will still let the sitemapper work? Trying to build a listed based menu that is hidden except when js is turned off is a pain.

I guess what I am trying to say is there a module that will show the menus (read the js) and allow a scanning sitemapper to see the links and build the site map?

Thnks

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Friday June 4 2010 - 17:07:24 BST

Hi,

The site index type programs won't read the data in a js file where the links are. They only look at links on the pages. However, there is a php_sitemap in the extras folder which is a Milonic created item. There is also a function created by Kevin, and a little module, which will let you make a 'sitemap' of the menu data file. http://support.milonic.com/demos/site_index/index.htm I have used this one to create a sitemap I uploaded for my site [when I actually worked on my site!]

I don't know about the php one, though a lot of people use it and it seems to work just fine. There is a link on the main Milonic site http://www.milonic.com/ Look at the right side just to the right of the search box at the top.

I don't know why the coffee cup one wouldn't work on the links on the pages, it just won't read the js files. Open your coffee cup thing and put in www.milonic.com and it will give you a site map of Milonic. I downloaded the coffee cup thing to test and tried that. Worked fine, but of course it doesn't read the js menu, but it read all the other links on the page

Ruth

Re: Accessibility and keyboard-only users

Poster: wpatters1229
Dated: Friday June 4 2010 - 17:28:49 BST

I find that if I do a noscript tag and place all the menus in list format the sitemap tool from coffeecup works just fine. I will play with the tools you sent me to look at. Part of the reason I did the menus hidden behind the noscript tag is for 508 compliance and the ability to see a menu structure when css and js are turned off. Screen readers need to read the menus. Maybe with those suggestions I can find a way to not have to list the menus in a noscript area. The main reason for using milonic is having a single central file that affects all pages. I guess I could use an include file for the noscript area.

This is reference to the www.fxtas.org site

Thanks