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 (74,848 stars) (10,221 forks)batch import
accessibilitydebteditor-parameter-hintshelp wanted

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

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
accessibilityfrontend
Issue type
bug
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.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
stale
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of VS Code extension APIFamiliarity with ARIA accessibilityTypeScript
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
55
Research direction
The issue is to replace the use of aria.alert with activeDescendant for parameter hints in VS Code. The code pointer is in parameterHintsWidget.ts at line 251, where alert is currently used. The suggest widget already uses activeDescendant, so reference that implementation. The fix involves modifying the widget to use activeDescendant and ensure accessibility compliance. The issue has assignees but no linked PR, so check with the current assignees or maintainer (@alexdima) for scope and acceptance before starting work. The change should be localized to the parameter hints widget file.