Android Question Android Talkback Control Text

[canalrun]

Hello,
I have received feedback from deafblind users of one of my apps.

They say my app is not too friendly with Android Talkback – it doesn't identify the controls.

I have buttons that use images instead of text. I have found that if I set text with the color set to transparent, Talkback uses the text to identify the button, but the text does not interfere with my button image.

I also have ImageViews that I use like buttons (multistate buttons). Talkback identifies these controls as buttons, but the control is not identified by function because there is no text field available for an ImageView.

I am wondering is there actually a text field associated with an ImageView that is not accessible (maybe only by using JavaObject)?

Looking at the Android Developers ImageView website, it appears there is not, but I may have missed it.

Thanks,
Barry.

 

[canalrun]

Oooh, I get to answer my own question .

I use the following code to set a field called the "Content Description". This field is spoken by Talkback when the field is highlighted (Talkback active).

Sub SetContentDesc(v As View, desc As String)
  Dim r As Reflector
 
  r.Target = v
 
  r.RunMethod2("setContentDescription", desc, "java.lang.CharSequence")
End Sub

For an ImageView that I use as a multistate button, for example, in my "Update" subroutine that updates the ImageView bitmap depending on the status, I set the Content Description to a very short string. For example, "Alerts Off" or "Alerts On".

This seems to work. I will see what the users who gave me feedback say…

Barry.

 

[Harris]

I will see what the users who gave me feedback say…

Good luck - this seems rather challenging in this unique situation.

Side note: How do you implement a feedback system from your apps? This could happen in many ways - but what do you use and find most effective?

Thanks

 

[canalrun]

Hopefully this will work.

To make things even more fun, the user is in Spain (I am in USA). He probably would like Talkback to speak in Spanish. I will localize the text I set as the Content Description to Spanish and hopefully when Talkback reads it out, it will speak Spanish.

For feedback, I have a button (usually as part of a menu) that opens email with an intent (examples are on the forum) and pre-fills the To: and Subject: fields so that email is sent to my development email account.

Barry.

 

[Harris]

For feedback, I have a button (usually as part of a menu) that opens email with an intent (examples are on the forum) and pre-fills the To: and Subject: fields so that email is sent to my development email account.

Simple - yet effective. I shall see if I can set it to add it to a DB... for on-going tracking and resolve.

Thanks for your feedback...