Hi Tony
Thanks a million for your explanation of Oracle. It was a very good clear
answer.
Thank god, I don't actually have to use Oracle myself. It was a query for
another blind person who is due to join VICS soon.
Joan Ann.
Hi Joan Ann,
Good question. I'll try and explain, but it is a big area. For those not interested Control + D will stem the flow! Here we go.
It really depends on what Oracle tools you want to use.
Oracle itself is really just a company, who build all sorts of applications. They are most widely known for their Database Management Systems (DBMS). For that reason, I'm going to assume this is what your question is about.
Generally what you start with is an Oracle Database. You can not look at an actual Oracle database file, it won't make sense... It is raw data. This Database file can be accessed in a number of different ways, and for a number of different reasons. The way you access this database is through the use of a tool, generally contained within a stand alone application. The database, and the tools you use to get at it, are the DBMS. The tools make sense of the raw data contained within the database. A tool to view all entries in a table would go to the database, run some fancy algorithm, convert the raw data in to English that we can read, and display it.
Microsoft Access which we are all so familiar with is a small DBMS, all contained within one package. A typical Oracle DBMS would generally be distributed over a number of applications, machines... and even countries, but essentially it's the same idea. You can use the DBMS to create tables, pull data from tables, generate reports, etc etc. An Access Database is a .mdb file, and it is opened in MS Access so you can manipulate that database with the available tools.
The problem for us as users of adaptive software, is that there are many different independent tools available, to do all these different things with an Oracle database. In MS Access, there are a few ways to create a simple database table, each with it's own individual interface. They are all within the same package though, probably developed by the same person, with the same standards of design in mind. They are still considered tools, a table creation tool, a table querying tool...
The wide variety of Oracle tools on the other hand is a bonus for most users, as it allows them to pick a system specifically designed for the operations they wish to carry out. Then, they are often customisable. Cool, as long as you're not hoping that Jaws will work with the super new offering which will reduce your work time by 95%.
Oracle tools are used for a wide variety of things, and have a number of different interfaces... or frontends... or types of screens.
For example, some open up in Internet Explorer. These might have a Java frontend (something called an Applet) which is essentially an application which runs in your Browser's window.
Another style which would open up in your browser could have an HTML frontend produced by Java, something called a JSP or a Servlet.
Then Oracle databases can be accessed from a command line, remember using DOS commands at the C: Prompt? Same idea.
Each of these frontends has it's pluses, the command line being the easiest to use with Jaws I guess. You have to learn lists and lists of commands (basically a new language) to use this method of accessing your Oracle Database. Maybe not a bad thing though!
Applets are notoriously painful to use with Jaws, but in some cases they are ok. HTML frontends can be fine too, very similar to accessing a standard webpage.
In addition Oracle has custom frontends, which are screens specifically built to display, for example, the output of a query run against an Oracle database. These would be less common though, especially for potential everyday users like yourself or yours truly.
Each style of frontend can be contained in a tool designed by Oracle to create databases, alter databases, create reports, view reports, create applications which use an Oracle database as it's data storage area, the list goes on. It is so powerful, because there are so many different kinds of tools to access the potentially massive databases. Each tool, is generally contained in one specific application, packed with features all concerned with doing one small set of operations on the database... E.g. a report generation tool.
Now, the cool thing is, Oracle as an American company are bound by the Section 508 legislation which exists in that wonderful country, the spreaders of freedom and democracy. A while back I read about their plans to try and build accessibility in to their tools from the ground up... Which ties in nicely with VICS' wish list for an Information Society for all.
The end result of this (hopefully), is that any Oracle tools you try and use, as long as they are developed by the Oracle Corporation, should be accessible, or should have accessibility features built-in. Anything developed since 2001 (was it?) should have accommodation for screen reader users in there. Now, there are other companies who develop their own tools for accessing Oracle databases, but let's not go there... Unless you come back and say we need to.
As far as I can remember there is a website:
http://www.oracle.com/accessibility/
This (if it still exists) should give you more information on what accessibility is available in which tools Oracle produce. They used to be quite frank and open about what worked and what didn't... A few other companies could take a leaf...! If there is nothing there, do a Google search.
So, to finish, it might be an idea to identify which Oracle tools you'll be using, then to find out how accessible they are. Chances are you'll be fine, and there are a bunch of Jaws scripts out there to render a lot of the popular Oracle developed tools accessible.
Apologies for the long mail (I'm becoming famous for them), but I thought I should try and explain what people are chattering about when they talk about "Oracle".
The really short answers to:
"I was just wondering if anyone has used Oracle and if it is Jaws friendly?" are... Yes, and probably maybe!
Watch out for the ambiguous language used when talking about databases, database tools, database languages, etc etc... It's a complete nightmare.
Speaking of ambiguous language, did any of the above make sense.. at all?
I hope so.
Cheers,
Tony
----- Original Message ----- From: "Joan Ann Brosnan" <joanannbrosnan@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "vics" <vicsireland@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 4:06 PM
Subject: [vicsireland] Oracle
Hi I was just wondering if anyone has used Oracle and if it is Jaws friendly? Any advice would be welcome Joan Ann.