By Kim, 31 January, 2014
Forum
iOS and iPadOS
Ever since the app store opened, I've had my HP-12C emulator on the store and it always said button button button when voiceover was turned on. App development being a business and all, the number of potential additional customers I'd gain by adding accessibility is... kinda small. Because you pretty much had to learn to use this thing in school. And have been able to remain in the financial field in spite of your vision. And have an iPhone. And need an emulator.
But I decided that what the heck, it doesn't matter if it sells or not--it's a good thing to do anyway. It might, just might, give someone with a head for numbers the same tool that the rest of the world has used for so long... and that in and of itself is enough.
Anyway, the staff here at AppleVis doesn't know enough about the 12C to give it a run through which is understandable because it really is something only a CFA falls in love with. They suggested I ask here on the forums if anyone was a current or former 12C user that can give it a good workout, I can get you a promo code...
Thanks--I'd also like to learn what I could do to make it better...
Comments
I'll give testing this RPN Calculator a Shot
P.S. Some sample posts
I realize that there's probably no way for you to evaluate the quality of response you might get, so I thought I'd post a few links to some examples that describe the assessment that was given of VoiceOver accessibility for app related to calculations. Most of these posts were written in response to queries on the viphone mailing list, so you can read the threads and posts at the Mail Archive site for that group:
• RE: Simple calculator for iPad
• Free accessible Financial Calculator app: EZ Financial Calculators
• Try the freeiTip (tip calculator) by PalaSoftware, Inc. [was Re: Accessible tip calculator]
Because these posts were prompted by user questions, they general cover requests for simple calculators. A few of these have shown up at AppleVis like the entry for iTip. However, the combination of the spam checker and the requirement that I spend a good deal of the time formatting to reproduce the same information that appears in the app store, instead of focussing on text content, means that for a number if apps that I've started to enter at AppleVis, I end up getting tossed off the web site before I can complete the entry, if I go into any detail.
The Mail-Archive pages only use text format (I don't have to specially create links), and the search capability to locate old content is superior to the algorithms used by Google. You can also use access keys (keyboard shortcuts) to read down threads for any browser/OS combination. In Safari on the Mac, I would use "Control-n" to read the next post in a thread. (If you started Safari without VoiceOver on, you'd have to press Control-Option-n instead, since your access key prefix would be Control-Option). In Internet Explorer on Windows, you'd use Alt-n to read the next post and Alt-p for the previous post. See their FAQ for more details on searching and shortcuts.
Cheers,
Esther
Thank you!
Some initial comments
Just wanted to say that I redeemed the code, but it will take me a while to work through the app. A few initial comments: this app seems to be usable with VoiceOver on the iPhone, but not on the iPad. Although it's a universal app, the download app on an iPad Mini, at least under iOS 7, has some of the keys unlabeled (VoiceOver announces these as "button", regardless of landscape or portrait orientation) even when the same keys are announced with different labels on the iPhone. Easiest way to check this is to a two finger flick up "Read All" gesture and compare what you hear for the iPhone vs, the iPad. Secondly, I suspect that for operations on the iPhone, with VoiceOver, most users will want to use the rotor to set their typing mode to "Standard typing" instead of "Touch typing". This is because the calculator menu options for key actions changes when the "f" or "g" keys are used to switch menu modes.
In standard typing mode, when I flick right or left, or otherwise navigate to keyboard controls so that VoiceOver's focus is on a particular key, I can double tap anywhere on the screen to activate that control. In touch typing mode, on either a familiar, standard keyboard, such as the onboard keyboard used for typing text, or simple number keypads for entering numbers, I can move to a letter key while keeping my finger on the screen, listening to VoiceOver announce the key under my finger, and have that key register when I lift my finger from the screen. The problem is that it is too easy to switch the menu mode functions associated with f and g keys on and off when you use touch typing mode with VoiceOver, especially because of the multiple functions of the keys. When you're moving to a a specific operation key, you're just as likely to disable the f or g key mode activation while navigating the keyboard in touch typing mode. I also think most people will use this calculator in Portrait mode. Another useful tip is to enable the "vertical navigation" feature as one of the rotor options, so you can easily flick up and down along columns when your rotor is set to this mode. I use this feature with the Big Calculator free app discussed in the link given in my first post (sorry, broken there because of formatting):
• RE: Simple calculator for iPad
This is going to take quite a bit of exploration before I can report back. Meanwhile, take a look at the links for developers at the bottom of each page. The blog post by Matt Legend Gemmell linked on that page is one of the most readable articles I've found for explaining to developers how to builde VoiceOver accessibility into iOS apps.
Cheers,
Esther
Thank you!
Applauding Developers who work with Numbers
Much appreciated but...
My sincere apologies to all...
Thanks Kim
Cool!