Prototype screen reader support #4854
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Pull Request Overview
This PR introduces prototype screen reader support by implementing a SafeRender abstraction that uses ANSI control codes when screen reader mode is enabled. The changes modify rendering behavior throughout the application to provide better accessibility for screen reader users.
Key changes:
- Introduces
SafeRendermethod that outputs ANSI escape sequences instead of full re-rendering when screen reader support is enabled - Adds screen reader detection for Windows (including Narrator) and macOS VoiceOver
- Replaces many
Render()calls withSafeRender()calls across editing operations, undo/redo, history, and completion functionality
Reviewed Changes
Copilot reviewed 13 out of 13 changed files in this pull request and generated 7 comments.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| PSReadLine/Accessibility.cs | Enhanced screen reader detection for Windows and macOS platforms |
| PSReadLine/Cmdlets.cs | Added ScreenReader option with automatic detection as default |
| PSReadLine/Options.cs | Added logic to disable predictions when screen reader is enabled |
| PSReadLine/Render.cs | Implemented SafeRender method using ANSI control codes |
| PSReadLine/UndoRedo.cs | Replaced Render calls with SafeRender for undo/redo operations |
| PSReadLine/PublicAPI.cs | Updated Insert and Replace methods to use SafeRender |
| PSReadLine/BasicEditing.cs | Modified editing operations to use SafeRender with appropriate ANSI codes |
| PSReadLine/History.cs | Updated history navigation and search to use SafeRender |
| PSReadLine/KillYank.cs | Modified kill operations to use SafeRender |
| PSReadLine/Completion.cs | Added TODO for menu completion screen reader testing |
| PSReadLine/KeyBindings.cs | Added TODO for WhatIsKey screen reader evaluation |
| PSReadLine/ReadLine.cs | Added TODOs for screen reader evaluation in various render calls |
| PSReadLine/PlatformWindows.cs | Added IsMutexPresent method for detecting Windows Narrator |
PSReadLine/PlatformWindows.cs
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| try | ||
| { | ||
| using var mutex = new System.Threading.Mutex(false, name); | ||
| return Marshal.GetLastWin32Error() == 183; // ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS |
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Magic number 183 should be extracted to a named constant for ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS.
Suggested change
| return Marshal.GetLastWin32Error() == 183; // ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS | |
| return Marshal.GetLastWin32Error() == ERROR_ALREADY_EXISTS; |
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daxian-dbw
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Jul 23, 2025
daxian-dbw
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Jul 25, 2025
andyleejordan
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That should default to enabled when one is detected on startup, but also allows the support to be forcibly enabled.
Borrows the "better" algorithm from Electron, with attribution.
Spawns a quick `defaults` process since in .NET using the macOS events is difficult, but this is quick and easy.
That algorithm doesn't work for a non-windowed app like PowerShell.
Because they'll be rendered and it's useless noise.
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A work-in-progress that utilizes a
SafeRenderabstraction that relies on ANSI control codes when a screen reader is enabled. Passes tests locally, handles all basic editing movements (including revert line, forward delete, and case-changing), up/down arrow history, incremental history search (needs more testing), completions (almost coincedentally), and undo/redo (tested across characters and strings, insertions and deletions. Predictions are disabled, and Vi mode has not fixed.Specifically tested with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS within VS Code's integrated terminal, with shell integration loaded, and Code's screen reader optimizations enabled. Is probably not going to work in the old Windows Console.
Not yet tested with Windows PowerShell 5.1, nor multi-line input.