Microsoft Visual C++ Accessibility

Enlarging Toolbar Buttons

To enlarge toolbar buttons

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
   
   
2. Click Toolbars, and then select the Large Icons check box.

Enlarging Text in the Code Window

To enlarge text in the Code window

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
   
   
2. Click the Format tab.
   
   
3. In the Colors group box, select the Text entry in the list box, and then set the font and size you prefer.

Turning on Screen Reader Compatible Menus

Visual C++ uses a custom version of Command Bars, which does not include Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA) support. However, you can turn on standard Windows menus and toolbars instead, allowing your screen reader to access them.

To use Screen Reader Compatible Menus

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
   
   
2. Select the Use Screen Reader Compatible Menus check box on the Workspace tab.

Customizing the Keyboard

Visual C++ supports Dvorak keyboard layouts, which make the most frequently typed characters more accessible. Also, you can create your own keyboard scheme, with your own accelerators.

To customize your keyboard

1. On the Tools menu, click Customize.
   
   
2. Click the Keyboard tab.

Rearranging Windows

You can select the windows you want docked by using the list on the Workspace tab of the Options dialog box, available on the Tools menu. When a window is not docked, it becomes an MDI child window, letting you access one window at a time. If you are blind, you may find this setting preferable.

Customizing the Controls Toolbar

You can customize the Controls toolbar by adding controls to it.

To add a control to the Controls toolbar

1. On the Project menu, point to Add to Project, and then click Components and Controls.
   
   
2. In the Components and Controls Gallery dialog box, open a subfolder and select a control.
   
   
3. Click Insert.
   
   
4. Click OK in the confirmation dialog box.
   
   
5. Click OK in the Confirm Classes dialog box to accept the default names for the control classes, or modify them and then click OK.
   
   
6. When you are finished adding controls, click Close.

Note   The Controls toolbar is available within the Dialog editor. To display the Controls toolbar, right-click on an empty part of the menu bar and select Controls from the shortcut menu.

Providing Visual Cues while Editing Code

Margin Indicators in the Code window enable you to provide visual cues to certain actions while editing your code. The Indicators appear on the left margin of the Code window. You can click to select or clear the Selection Margin in the Editor tab of the Options dialog box (Tools menu).

Adding Prompts for Methods and Parameters

The Visual C++ text editor includes a new feature called Statement Completion. Statement Completion enables you to display pop-up windows in the text editor that prompt you with available members for the current object and the parameters that complete a function or statement. These pop-up windows can be helpful if you have difficulty typing. However, they do interfere with focus in the Text editor, which can be problematic for some users. You can turn off these pop-up windows by clearing the Auto list members and Auto parameter info check boxes in the Editor tab of the Options dialog box (Tools menu). For more information about Statement Completion, see "About Automatic Statement Completion" in the Visual C++ online documentation.