Accessibility/Comparisons:Roles

Accessibility Role Comparison

This is a comparison between the roles available in each architecture.

Mac comparison in process

Please note, the colors represent the level of compatibility UA has with the rest. This is an aid for the ongoing Mac Accessibility effort.

Please leave comments to the newsgroup. Thanks! --HakanW 12:24, 9 May 2006 (PDT)

Color legend

Color legend
UA seems compatible
UA probably compatible
Seems irrelevant?
Not yet done / Undecided (white).

Comparison Table

MSAA 1.3 Role (ROLE_SYSTEM_ *)	Closest ATK Role(s) (ATK_ROLE_*)	Closest UA Role (NSAccessibility*Role)	Description
ALERT	ALERT	Window with SystemDialog subrole?	An error, warning, or informational message
ANIMATION	ANIMATION		A dynamic or moving image that changes over time.
APPLICATION	APPLICATION	Application	Toplevel accessible object of an application, which may contain frame objects or other accessible objects.
BORDER	don't use	don't use	Window border as an object
BUTTONDROPDOWN	add custom role	No such standard widget on mac. (If needed, roll our own.)	Button that drops down a list of items
BUTTONDROPDOWNGRID	add custom role	No such standard widget on mac. (If needed, roll our own.)	Button that drops down a grid
BUTTONMENU	add custom role	MenuButton	Button that drops down a menu
CARET	don't use	don't use	System caret
CELL	TABLE_CELL		Cell in a table
CHARACTER	don't use	don't use	Paperclip character.
CHART	CHART (proposed)	Image with a special DescriptionAttribute?	Graphical depiction of quantitative data
CHECKBUTTON	CHECK_BOX, CHECK_MENU_ITEM, TOGGLE_BUTTON	CheckBox	Choice that can be checked or unchecked. A checkbox and check menu item have a separate indicator for the state. A toggle button is a specialized push button that does not have a separate indicator for the state.
CLOCK	add custom role	don't use	Clock object.
COLUMN	don't use	Column	Column of table cells.
COLUMNHEADER	TABLE_COLUMN_HEADER, COLUMN_HEADER	Get the NSAccessibilityHeaderAttribute on a Table	Header which labels a column of data, or more specifically a column of data in a table.
COMBOBOX	COMBO_BOX	ComboBox	Edit control with a drop-down list of selections
CURSOR	don't use	don't use	Mouse pointer.
DIAGRAM	IMAGE, DRAWING_AREA, or add custom role	Image	Image is a generic graphic. Diagram is a specific type of a drawn graphic. Drawing area is used for creating custom user interface elements.
DIAL	DIAL	Really useful?	Control with value changes using a rotating visual indicator
DIALOG	DIALOG, COLOR_CHOOSER, FILE_CHOOSER	Window with dialog subrole (sometimes Sheet)	Top level window with a title bar and border. A file chooser is a specialized dialog that displays files in a directory and allows file selection, directory browsing, and filename specification. A color chooser is a specialized dialog for choosing a color.
DOCUMENT	HTML_CONTAINER or DOCUMENT_FRAME (proposed)	Use custom role WebArea like Safari for the actual web browser view? Window for the actual window.	For MSAA, a document is a window that corresponds to MDI document. An HTML container or document frame is an HTML document or a frame containing a view of document content.
DROPLIST	add custom role or COMBO_BOX	ComboBox?	Drop down list but not a combo box
EQUATION	add custom role	Image/StaticText + special DescriptionAttribute probably sufficient.	Math and chemistry equations
GRAPHIC	IMAGE, DESKTOP_ICON	Image	Graphic or an icon
GRIP	add custom role	SplitterBar	Mouse pointer used for resizing windows.
GROUPING	PANEL, PAGE (proposed), SECTION (proposed)	Group	Container used to group objects, like a group box or a FIELDSET in HTML. A page is defined for documents. A section is a generic container of content within a document, such as a navigation bar, table of contents, main content section, content between headings, etc.
HELPBALLOON	add custom role	Button with DescriptionAttribute="Help"	Help icon to click on to get tooltip help
HOTKEYFIELD	add custom role	Really needed?	Editable field for assigning keys
INDICATOR	ARROW or add custom role	Too vague. Can we really have a role to indicate "something"? Image + RoleDescription/DescriptionAttribute?	An indicator is a graphic, like an arrow, used to indicate something. Arrow is a 2D directional indicator.
LINK	LINK (proposed)	TextLink	Hypertext link in a document that can be an image or text
LIST	LIST, FONT_CHOOSER	List	List of objects that allows one or more selections. A font chooser allows selection of a display font.
LISTITEM	LISTITEM	Row?	Element in a selectable list
MENUBAR	MENU_BAR	MenuBar	Object drawn at the top of the primary window or dialog box of an application ((just below the title bar)) that contains a list of menus.
MENUITEM	MENU_ITEM, RADIO_MENU_ITEM, CHECK_MENU_ITEM	MenuItem, MenuBarItem	Element in a menu that presents a selectable action. A radio menu item is both a radio button and a menu item. A check menu item is both a check box and a menu item.
MENUPOPUP	MENU, POPUP_MENU, TEAROFF_MENU_ITEM	Menu, MenuButton (button with icon that pops up a menu when clicked) or PopupButton (regular popupmenu showing the current choice)	A menu is a list of actions from which the user can choose. A pop-up menu is a temporary window that offers the user a list of choices, then hides itself once the user selects one of those choices. A tearoff menu item is a is a menu that can be removed from the menubar and shown in its own window.
OUTLINE	TREE, TREE_TABLE	Outline	A tree or an outline is an object used to present hierarchical information to the user, usually with expandable/collapsable elements. A tree table presents both tabular and hierarchical information to the user.
OUTLINEITEM	use custom role	Row and subrole OutlineRow	A tree item.
PAGETAB	PAGE_TAB	Just a Group child inside a TabGroup	A tab that usually contains a label or title for a page or panel of a notebook container.
PAGETABLIST	PAGE_TAB_LIST	TabGroup	A tabbed notebook container, or a series of panels presented as tabbed pages.
PANE	FRAME, INTERNAL_FRAME, GLASS_PANE, LAYERED_PANE, OPTION_PANE, SCROLL_PANE, DIRECTORY_PANE, DESKTOP_FRAME, ROOT_PANE, SPLIT_PANE, VIEWPORT	Window (subroles StandardWindow), ScrollArea, SplitGroup (two adjacent "views" with a splitter bar), Browser (horizontal tree-like view often used for nagivating in the filesystem)	A pane or frame in the current window. A frame is a top level window with a title bar, border, menubar, etc. An internal frame is a frame clipped by a desktop pane. A glass pane is painted on top of all panes beneath it. A layered pane allows its children to be drawn in layers based on a stacking order. An option pane is a pane inside of a dialog. A scroll pane contains scroll bars. A directory pane contains selections (icons, lists, trees) for the content of a directory. A desktop frame is a pane that supports internal frames and icons for those internal frames. A root pane has a glass pane and a layered pane as its children. A split pane is a panel that presents two other panels at the same time. A viewport is a container of content, usually used in a scroll pane, that represents a clipped version of that pane that is onscreen (visible).
PROGRESSBAR	PROGRESS_BAR	ProgressIndicator	Object that shows the percentage of a task that has completed.
PROPERTYPAGE	PAGE (proposed) or add custom role	Group with DescriptionAttribute describing special purpose?	Page showing properties of something.
PUSHBUTTON	PUSH_BUTTON, TOGGLE_BUTTON	Button (see also subrole ToolbarButton)	A push button tells the application to do something when it is activated. A toggle button is a specialized push button that does not have a separate indicator for the state.
RADIOBUTTON	RADIO_BUTTON, RADIO_MENU_ITEM	RadioButton (grouped together using RadioGroup)	Usually in a group, only one radio button in a group can be "checked". Check one radio button causes all others in the group to be unchecked. A radio menu item is both a radio button and a menu item.
ROW	add custom control	Row (see subroles OutlineRow, TableRow)	Row in a table.
ROWHEADER	ROW_HEADER, TABLE_ROW_HEADER	Header attribute of a table/outliner/browser.	Header which labels a row of data, or more specifically a row of data in a table.
SCROLLBAR	SCROLL_BAR	ScrollBar, see children ValueIndicator (the draggable thumb), and arrows: IncrementPage, DecrementPage subroles	Object which allows a user to incrementally view a large amount of data by moving the bounds of a viewport along a one-dimensional axis.
SEPARATOR	SEPARATOR	A Splitter that is disabled/static?	Object that provides a visual separation of contents in a menu or between 2 areas/panes.
SLIDER	SLIDER	Slider	Object that allows the user to select or adjust a value in increments from a bounded range of minimum to maximum values.
SOUND	IMAGE, ICON, or add custom control		System sound object.
SPINBUTTON	SPIN_BUTTON	Incrementor ("Stepper"), (Increment/Decrement subroles).	Object that allows the user to select a value from a set of choices.
STATICTEXT	LABEL, ACCELERATOR_LABEL	StaticText	A label presents text that provides a short name or description associated with another object, like a text entry field. An accelerator label indicates the keyboard accelerators for its parent, like a menu item.
STATUSBAR	STATUS_BAR	We could use BusyIndicator here for indeterminate progress and ProgressIndicator for determinate progress	Display non-quantitative status information, in contrast to a progress bar which displays quantitative status.
TABLE	TABLE, CALENDAR, TREE_TABLE	Table	Presents information in terms of rows and columns. A calendar contains one or more dates, usually arranged in a tabular format, but not always. A tree table presents information in both a tabular and hierarchical format.
TEXT	TEXT, DATE_EDITOR, PASSWORD_TEXT, AUTOCOMPLETE, ENTRY (proposed), PARAGRAPH, HEADING (proposed), HEADER, FOOTER, CAPTION (proposed)	StaticText, TextField, TextArea are the actual text widgets. See various text attributes for describing text content. There's also SecureTextField for password boxes.	Text information in general. A date editor allows entry of a date. A password text entry object shows nothing or an alternative character, like an asterisk, when the password text is typed. Autocomplete is a dialog or list containing items for insertion into an entry widget, such as a list of words or characters for completion of a text entry. Entry is a text entry field which may be editable or read-only depending on the STATE_EDITABLE attribute. A paragraph is a paragraph of text in a document. A heading is the title for a section in a document. A header is a section at the top of a document, or the top of each page in a document. A footer is a section at the bottom of a document, or the bottom of each page of a document. A caption is descriptive information, usually textual, about another user interface element such as a table, chart, or image.
TITLEBAR	add custom role	title attribute of Window role	Title or caption of a window or dialog.
TOOLBAR	TOOL_BAR	Toolbar (see also toolbar button subrole of Button)	A bar or palette usually comprised of push buttons or toggle buttons.
TOOLTIP	TOOL_TIP	HelpTag (same as "Help Balloon")	An object that provides descriptive or helpful information about another object, often when the help key is pressed or the mouse moves over an object.
WHITESPACE	FILLER	Really needed?	Object that takes up space in a user interface.
WINDOW	WINDOW	Window	A top level window with no title or border.
	RULER	Ruler, RulerMarker	Object that describes margins and tab stops.
	EMBEDDED	Unknown + smart RoleDescription/DescriptionAttribute?	Object that is an embedded component container in a document.
	EDITBAR	Basically same as textfield, or similar to whatever we'd do for an inline textfield in a table?	Object that is an editable text object in a toolbar.
	CANVAS		Object that can be drawn into and used to trap events.
	INVALID		An error condition, such as an uninitialized role.
	UNKNOWN	Unknown	Object contains accessible information but its role is not known.
		ColorWell	Button for invoking a color inspector, where you can choose colors.
		SearchField	Textfield used for searching