Visual FoxPro Active Accessibility

In the past, Visual FoxPro supported multiple platforms including DOS, Macintosh and Unix. Because of its cross-platform nature, a number of user interface elements, including form controls, are drawn natively by Visual FoxPro rather than using common Windows UI classes. Accessibility aids and test tools that rely solely on applications using common Windows UI classes do not function fully with Visual FoxPro.

Recently Microsoft has published a new accessibility standard known as Microsoft Active Accessibility, which centers on applications and accessibility clients communicating through a common set of interfaces. Accessibility aids and test tools written in compliance with these new accessibility interfaces can now work directly with applications that implement these interfaces.

Visual FoxPro supports Microsoft Active Accessibility 2.0 and implements full support for all Visual FoxPro user interface elements such as forms, dialog boxes, and menus, at design time and at run time through the accessibility interfaces (IAccessible).

The Accessibility Browser can be used to verify the accessibility features of your application using the IAccessible properties of objects. It can also be used to help you create automated test suites.

The Automated Test Harness tool has been built on Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) technology and can be used with all Visual FoxPro applications to test for accessibility issues. The Mouse and Keyboard events in the Visual FoxPro applications can be recorded and played back at any time.

See Also

Using the Accessibility Browser | Using the Automated Test Harness | Accessibility Browser Window | Development Productivity Tools | Accessibility for People with Disabilities