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How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

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Re: How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

#61
post #46
post #4

I imagine many would benefit if we had a smart developer assistant where it could have a higher level understanding of programming. "Jarvis import library foo" - could be said from anywhere in file "Jarvis jump to file bar.c" "Jarvis declare var current temperature equals zero" - var currentTemperature = 0 "Jarvis write for enumeration on var word over var name list" "Jarvis build and run" or simply "Jarvis run" By t…

And then one day there will be a generation of programmers who have only known coding via a voice-driven developer assistant. Imagine trying to interview such a person. "Please stop shouting at the whiteboard. It doesn't work that way. I need you to pick up one of the dry-erase markers and write your algorithm to invert a binary tree." "What? Who codes with their hands? I need my assistant!"

"You have to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy!"

Re: How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

#63
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Voice input is an option when other types of input are not. In the same vein, I am learning morse code. Any resources helping with this would be appreciated. I would like to use morse code for silent, no-look I/O on my phone. I'm not sure vibrations can be quiet enough; might have to use something special-purpose plugged into the headphone jack.

You could design a keyboard for it on Android at least. Make the whole keyboard area a blank "tap zone" where you can just use any digit to tap text into an input field.

I looked and this has already been done a few times!

https://github.com/gitonwithit/MorseKeyboard

https://github.com/whymarrh/morse-code-keyboard

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.Input.Mors...

Re: How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

#64

This is great. I always wondered how blind developers managed to navigate IDEs at a decent pace. I can't help but wonder how Saqib Shaikh navigates through log files for large applications though. Log files usually generate a large amount of noise in the form of time stamps, thread names, log levels, stack traces, etc. that overtime I've learned to "scan" instead of read to find what I am looking for. I would love to…

To be fair, sighted developers have to filter all that noise out too when we slog through logs visually.

Re: How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

#65

I met two blind programmers. The process they used was exactly how it's described in this video. What was odd was that: 1 - they were given the worst place in the room: no windows, literally facing a wall. Took some time to realize why they didn't complain. 2 - The computer had monitors. Then I learnt that Windows (don't know what version it was) wouldn't work it no monitor was attached.

The idea of someone using a computer with no monitor seems to bizarre.

I know blind people wouldn't need one, but somehow the lack of it brings up the wow factor.

Re: How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

#66
post #3

Damn, he works faster than me... the only thing I could have done faster was removing the " Edit: wrote semi colon instead of " double quote

I imagine even that fix would have been quicker were it not for on-stage nerves and the crowd noise distracting from the TTS

Re: How a Blind Developer uses Visual Studio [video]

#67
post #2

I always wondered how someone could use text-to-speech effectively, especially with a programming language full of symbols with long names such as 'semi-colon', 'underscore', 'left parenthesis' etc. The answer it seems is to speed up the voice tenfold! Honestly incredible he's fine-tuned his other senses well enough to be able to code at a reasonable speed again.

One of the company I worked with had to design an audio interface for blind people. I proposed something relying on several stereo located sounds of different pitches and intensity. I was told this would be too hard to use for a normal user. I wish I had such a video at the time to show the kind of bandwidth a blind person is able to get from audio alone.
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