NVDAJP Release Notes 2013.1.1jp

Table of Contents

1. Overview

Release by NVDA Japanese Team (nvdajp), based on NVDA from NV Access. This document describes difference between original release of NVDA and the NVDAJP. NVDA jpdev snapshot is based on NV Access's main branch.

This release contains enhancements for Japanese language users.

NVDA Japanese is provided "as is", without warranty.

1.1. Install

2. NVDA with Japanese language

3. Japanese input with Windows 8

After the Japanese input session with NVDA edit controls on Windows 8, exiting NVDA (NVDA+Q) cannot be performed correctly. The ending music is not played and the NVDA processes are still alive.

Work around this:

4. Japanese input methods

5. Enhancements

5.1. Japanese keyboard

5.2. Documentations

5.3. Spelling reading

For spelling reading, NVDAJP uses built-in character dictionary. 'Spelling functionarity setting' is not used.

5.4. Synthesizer

JTalk driver is the default synthesizer of NVDAJP, which supports Japanese language.

JTalk2 experimental driver:

5.5. Character description mode

Character description mode can be changed for caret moves by left arrow or right arrow key and character review commands. Laptop key is changed since NVDA 2013.1. Pressing "Report current character in review" (numpad2 or NVDA+period) four-times can enable or disable the description mode.

Name Desktop key Laptop key Touch Description
Move to previous character in review numpad1 NVDA+left arrow flick left (text mode) Moves the review cursor to the previous character on the current line in the text. If description mode is enabled, the character is described.
Report current character in review numpad2 NVDA+period none Announces the current character on the line of text where the review cursor is positioned. If description mode is enabled, the character is described. Pressing twice reports the character with its attributes. Pressing three times reports the numeric value of the character in decimal and hexadecimal. Pressing four-times toggles the description mode.
Move to next character in review numpad3 NVDA+right arrow flick right (text mode) Move the review cursor to the next character on the current line of text. If description mode is enabled, the character is described.

5.6. Language settings

Language settings dialog contains settings for Japanese keyboard, character description, and input composition.

5.6.1. Use NonConvert as NVDA key

If checked, NonConvert key can be used as NVDA modifier key. Default is on.

5.6.2. Use Convert as NVDA key

If checked, Convert key can be used as NVDA modifier key. Default is off.

5.6.3. Beep if IME mode is changed

If checked, the press of Half-shape/Full-shape key is announced only with beep. Default is off.

NVDAJP 2013.1jp reports input composition mode (such as Hiragana Romaji) when they are changed, not when IME is opened or closed.

5.6.4. Phonetic reading for Kana

If checked, Hiragana and Katakana characters are reported using phonetic reading for character review (when description mode is enabled). Default is off.

5.6.5. Phonetic reading for Latin

If checked, Latin characters are reported using phonetic reading for character review (when description mode is enabled). Default is off.

5.6.6. Katakana pitch change percentage

The amount that the pitch of the voice will change when speaking a Katakana letter for character review. Default is -20.

For candidates of Japanese input methods, pitch change is not available.

5.6.7. Half-shape pitch change percentage

The amount that the pitch of the voice will change when speaking a half-shape letter for character review. Default is 20.

For candidates of Japanese input methods, pitch change is not available.

5.6.8. Announce candidate number

The default of 'Announce candidate number' is disabled. If checked, items in candidate window of Japanese input methods such as Micosoft IME are annonced with numbers. If 'IME support of nvdajp' is disabled, this option has no effect.

5.6.9. Use IME support of nvdajp

The default of 'Use IME support of nvdajp' is enabled.

To disable, turn off the option.

5.6.10. Skype Windows 8 Hack

Enables work around issue 2712 (freeze of Skype 6 on Windows 8)

5.7. Character dictionary

NVDAJP can modify character descriptions and spelling readings by users. A dictionary file can be created in the user config directory.

User config directory (Windows XP):

  C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\Application Data\nvda

(Windows Vista, 7, 8):

  C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\nvda

The dictionary file name should be characters-ja.dic. ('ja' is the locale identifier.)

The file should be plain text with UTF-8 encoding. The lines should be tab-separated values.

  field 1: character
  field 2: Unicode hexadicimal character code
  field 3: spelling reading quoted with [ and ]
  field 4 (or later): field 2 or later items of charactersDescriptions.dic

If the line starts with '#', it is ignored. If the line starts with '\#', the character is '#' itself.

Details (in Japanese) NVDAJP ticket 29872

For obsolated enhancement, see NVDAJP ticket 26926

5.8. Braille display

Japanese braille support is updated for NVDAJP 2013.1jp.

5.8.1. Japanese braille table

"Japanese 6 dot computer braille" output table is added and changed to the default. It is 'pseudo' table and it does not use LibLouis. It does not support input.

Cursor position mapping is implemented for Japanese output table.

5.8.2. KGS Braille Memo series

The driver for braille display "KGS BrailleMemo series" from KGS Corporation is added. BM46 is used for development and tests. BM32 is tested by the community members.

Both automatic and manual port setting can be used. It also works with Bluetooth.

The BM Utility (Japanese page) must be installed to the computer.

For USB connection, virtual serial driver (Japanese page) must also be installed. The device should be configured to use 9600BPS connection speed for virtual serial driver.

KGS Braille Memo driver supports following commands:

Basic operations (1):

Name Key BM46
up up up
down down down
left left left
right right right
Shift + up select+up f2+up
Shift + down select+down f2+down
Shift + left select+left f2+left
Shift + right select+right f2+right
review previous line bw f3+up
review next line fw f3+down
review previous word ls f3+left
review next word rs f3+right
move to cell tether tether
display previous f1 f1
display forward f4 f4
Enter enter left thumb
Space space right thumb
Control ctrl left little finger 1
Alt alt left little finger 2
Shift select right little finger 1
Windows read right little finger 2

Basic operations (2):

Name Key BM46(left hand mode) BM46(right hand mode)
NVDA menu ins f1+up f4+up
Backspace bs f1+left f4+left
Delete del f1+right f4+right
Enter ok f4+up f1+up
Enter set f4+down f1+down
Tab inf f4+left f1+left
Esc esc f4+right f1+right
Alt+Tab alt+inf f4+left little finger 2+left f1+left little finger 2+left
Shift+Tab select+inf f4+right little finger 1+left f1+right little finger 1+left

Latin characters:

Name Key
a 1
b 12
c 14
d 145
e 15
f 124
g 1245
h 125
i 24
j 245
k 13
l 123
m 134
n 1345
o 135
p 1234
q 12345
r 1235
s 234
t 2345
u 136
v 1236
w 2456
x 1346
y 13456
z 1356

Latin characters with control key:

Name Key BM46
Control+a ctrl+1 left little finger 1+1
Control+b ctrl+12 left little finger 1+12
Control+c ctrl+14 left little finger 1+14
Control+d ctrl+145 left little finger 1+145
Control+e ctrl+15 left little finger 1+15
Control+f ctrl+124 left little finger 1+124
Control+g ctrl+1245 left little finger 1+1245
Control+h ctrl+125 left little finger 1+125
Control+i ctrl+24 left little finger 1+24
Control+j ctrl+245 left little finger 1+245
Control+k ctrl+13 left little finger 1+13
Control+l ctrl+123 left little finger 1+123
Control+m ctrl+134 left little finger 1+134
Control+n ctrl+1345 left little finger 1+1345
Control+o ctrl+135 left little finger 1+135
Control+p ctrl+1234 left little finger 1+1234
Control+q ctrl+12345 left little finger 1+12345
Control+r ctrl+1235 left little finger 1+1235
Control+s ctrl+234 left little finger 1+234
Control+t ctrl+2345 left little finger 1+2345
Control+u ctrl+136 left little finger 1+136
Control+v ctrl+1236 left little finger 1+1236
Control+w ctrl+2456 left little finger 1+2456
Control+x ctrl+1346 left little finger 1+1346
Control+y ctrl+13456 left little finger 1+13456
Control+z ctrl+1356 left little finger 1+1356

Latin characters with Alt key:

Name Key BM46
Alt+a alt+1 left little finger 2+1
Alt+b alt+12 left little finger 2+12
Alt+c alt+14 left little finger 2+41
Alt+d alt+145 left little finger 2+145
Alt+e alt+15 left little finger 2+15
Alt+f alt+124 left little finger 2+124
Alt+g alt+1245 left little finger 2+1245
Alt+h alt+125 left little finger 2+125
Alt+i alt+24 left little finger 2+24
Alt+j alt+245 left little finger 2+245
Alt+k alt+13 left little finger 2+13
Alt+l alt+123 left little finger 2+123
Alt+m alt+134 left little finger 2+134
Alt+n alt+1345 left little finger 2+1345
Alt+o alt+135 left little finger 2+135
Alt+p alt+1234 left little finger 2+1234
Alt+q alt+12345 left little finger 2+12345
Alt+r alt+1235 left little finger 2+1235
Alt+s alt+234 left little finger 2+234
Alt+t alt+2345 left little finger 2+2345
Alt+u alt+136 left little finger 2+136
Alt+v alt+1236 left little finger 2+1236
Alt+w alt+2456 left little finger 2+2456
Alt+x alt+1346 left little finger 2+1346
Alt+y alt+13456 left little finger 2+13456
Alt+z alt+1356 left little finger 2+1356

Symbols:

Name Key
. (period) 256
: (colon) 25
; (semicolon) 23
, (comma) 2
- (minus) 36
? (question) 236
! (exclamation) 235
' (apostrophe) 3

Select button works as Shift, rather than Enter, since 2013.1jp.

5.8.3. KGS BrailleNote 46C/46D

The driver for braille display "KGS BrailleNote 46C/46D" from KGS Corporation is added.

The BM Utility (Japanese page) must be installed to the computer.

For USB connection, virtual serial driver (Japanese page) must also be installed. The device should be configured to use 9600BPS connection speed for virtual serial driver.

BrailleNote 46C/46D driver supports following commands:

Name Key
NVDA menu f1
move to cell tether
scroll back sl
scroll forward sr
review previous line f2+bk
review next line f2+lf
review previous word f2+sl
review next word f2+sr
up arrow bk
down arrow lf
left arrow f3
right arrow f4

5.8.4. Braille Viewer

"Braille Viewer" is added in Tools menu. Available for Japanese language.

It translates spoken words to Japanese braille pattens, so it is not exactly same as the output to braille devices.

It uses braille Unicode font. For Windows XP, the braille font is available if LibreOffice or OpenOffice.org is installed.

5.9. Default settings

5.10. Microsoft Word support

5.11. Miscellaneous changes

5.12. Source code

We use launchpad.net as bazaar source-code repository.