Braille Screen Input does not appear to be passed to third party keyboard extensions, so they are unable to use such input even when they're the active keyboard. Visually impaired users can't use the features of our keyboard, which seems to be a significant accessibility shortcoming.
Could I be missing something, or is there no way for a keyboard extension to detect and respond to Braille Screen Input?
To see what I mean (FB7741375):
3. Launch TextExpander
4. Sign in to TextExpander, and ensure you have an abbreviation 'txp' which expands to 'TextExpander'
5. Add TextExpander English keyboard:
textexpander.com/kb/ios/how-to-textexpander-custom-keyboard/
6. Launch the Notes app
7. Select the “English – TextExpander” keyboard
8. Type: txp
Expected: txp becomes TextExpander
Actual: txp becomes TextExpander
9. Start a new line (so that you're not typing immediately following TextExpander)
10. Engage Braille Screen Input (via the Rotor)
Actual: txp remains txp
Nothing gets called in our keyboard extension. There are no touch events reported (which is understandable given that Braille Screen Input is basically a "curtain" designed not to interfere with any underlying apps or extensions). Our UIInputViewController subclass' UITextInputDelegate methods aren't called either. This is less understandable, as it seems that textWilllChange: and textDidChange: could be called.
Could I be missing something, or is there no way for a keyboard extension to detect and respond to Braille Screen Input?
Commentary:
If there's no way to detect input made via Braille Screen Input when the TextExpander keyboard is in use, there's no way to support users of Braille Screen Input who wish to type abbreviations TextExpander would normally expand.
Could I be missing something, or is there no way for a keyboard extension to detect and respond to Braille Screen Input?
To see what I mean (FB7741375):
On an iPad (we used an iPad Pro 11” 2018 model) running iOS 13.5 and an English (US) soft keyboard
Install TextExpander from the App Store
3. Launch TextExpander
4. Sign in to TextExpander, and ensure you have an abbreviation 'txp' which expands to 'TextExpander'
5. Add TextExpander English keyboard:
textexpander.com/kb/ios/how-to-textexpander-custom-keyboard/
6. Launch the Notes app
7. Select the “English – TextExpander” keyboard
8. Type: txp
Expected: txp becomes TextExpander
Actual: txp becomes TextExpander
9. Start a new line (so that you're not typing immediately following TextExpander)
10. Engage Braille Screen Input (via the Rotor)
Hold 2,3,4,5 then release to type lowercase t
Hold 1,3,4,6 then release to type lowercase x
Hold 1,2,3,4 then release to type lowercase p
Actual: txp remains txp
Nothing gets called in our keyboard extension. There are no touch events reported (which is understandable given that Braille Screen Input is basically a "curtain" designed not to interfere with any underlying apps or extensions). Our UIInputViewController subclass' UITextInputDelegate methods aren't called either. This is less understandable, as it seems that textWilllChange: and textDidChange: could be called.
Could I be missing something, or is there no way for a keyboard extension to detect and respond to Braille Screen Input?
Commentary:
If there's no way to detect input made via Braille Screen Input when the TextExpander keyboard is in use, there's no way to support users of Braille Screen Input who wish to type abbreviations TextExpander would normally expand.
