Microsoft/vscode

Parameter hints should not use aria.alert

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#90,874 opened on Feb 18, 2020

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 (7 comments) (1 reaction) (2 assignees)TypeScript (10,221 forks)batch import
accessibilitydebteditor-parameter-hintshelp wanted

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Description

Instead they should use activeDescendent same as suggest widget. Code pointer where parameterHints are currently using aria alert https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/blob/8451f8bd913914aac17b6b3273b6ed0db137a217/src/vs/editor/contrib/parameterHints/parameterHintsWidget.ts#L251

As @pawelurbanski points out: Using activeDescendant for parameter hints.

  • Currently, the hints are outputted by the alert function, which has 2 nasty attributes:
  • If you do not modify the message with a counter, repeate messages are filtered out,
  • If you modify the message you go crazy after hearing: string appeared 29 times,
  • When there is more than 1 paremter all the items are read as a single string with no pauses,
  • The alert is an offscreen DOM element that is not-focusable so you can’t scroll through the items.
  • I just disable the hints all together and use Ctrl+Shift+Space every now and then…

fyi @alexdima

Contributor guide

Research direction
Refactor parameterHintsWidget.ts to use activeDescendant for accessibility, similar to the suggest widget. Replace the aria.alert usage with appropriate aria activedescendant attributes and ensure keyboard navigation works correctly.
Tech stack
typescript
Domain
frontendaccessibility
Issue type
Accessibility
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
Active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
Clear
Prerequisites
GitTypeScript
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
65