You are here: Mozilla Accessibility QA testcases > Windows UI keyboard navigation and focus QA testcase

Accessibility QA Test Case: Windows UI keyboard navigation and focus

Firefox user interface on Microsoft Windows: keyboard navigation and visual focus on Windows

Description

This test case describes the approach and methods used to test keyboard navigation and visual focus of the Firefox user interface (chrome) on the Windows operating system. It must be possible to access all program functions using the keyboard, with no mouse required. As the keyboard is used to navigate the application, there must be a clear visual indicator as to which part of the application currently has focus.

Note that navigation of the user content area of Firefox, i.e., the area where a Web page is actually displayed, is not tested in this test case. Only the application's user interface (menus and dialogs) are tested here.

1. Navigating the System Menu
2. Navigating Menu Bar options
3. Navigating Toolbars
4. Navigating Application Dialogs
5. Navigating the Application window, including Tabbed Browsing
6. Navigating Context menus
7. Navigating User Interface Elements and Controls

This test case is based on IBM Software Accessibility Checklist version 3.5.1, checkpoint 1.1 and checkpoint 2.1.

Scope of test

Every dialog and menu pulldown option in the application, the install, and the uninstall process must be tested to ensure all functions that can be accessed with a mouse can also be accessed or accomplished using only the keyboard. Each menu option and dialog is not listed here, but the techniques described here should be used for all menu pulldowns and dialogs, as appropriate.

Note: The keystrokes documented in this test case are specifically for the Microsoft Windows operating system. The concepts described in this test case can be used when testing Firefox on another operating system, such as Linux®, but the keystrokes may be different.

Test Environment

Operating system: Microsoft Windows (any version)

Tools required

No software tools are required for this test.

Note that this is a visual test. There should be no assistive technologies (such as screen readers or screen magnifiers) running during the execution of this test case, since those products generally intercept keyboard functions.

Test Case Instructions

In the Firefox application, the install process, and the uninstall process, go through all menu options and dialogs provided by the software user interface. Note: During the install process, it is important to include navigation of the license agreement.

Verify that all of the following items can be accessed using just the keyboard (i.e., without using the mouse).

Navigating the System Menu (Alt + Spacebar)

The system menu is the pulldown box associated with the title bar icon in the upper left corner of the application. It contains options to move, resize, minimize, and maximize the application. Use the following techniques to navigate the system menu.

1. Press Alt + Spacebar to access system menu
2. Use Arrow Keys to move from option to option.
3. Verify that there is a clear visual indication as to which option has current focus at all times.
4. Verify keyboard shortcuts when available, as indicated by underlined letters in the menu options.

Navigating Menu Bar options (Alt)

The menu bar is a series of pulldown menus directly below the title bar at the top of the application window. It usually has options like "File", "Edit", "View", and so on. Usually, each menu bar option can be selected to view a pulldown of related menu items. Use the following techniques to navigate through all of the menu bar options.

1. Press Alt to access menu bar.
2. Use Arrow Keys to move from option to option.
3. Verify that there is a clear visual indication as to which option has current focus at all times.
4. Verify all options can be selected using the Enter key.
5. Verify mnemonic access keys are available for each menu item, as indicated by underlined letters in the menu options, and that the key works properly. For example, after opening the "File" menu, you can press the "V" key to open the Print Preview window.
6. Verify shortcut (accelerator) keys when available (keys that do not require you to actually open the menu bar pulldown, such as Ctrl+R to reload the current Web page.
7. Verify submenus can be opened and closed using Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys. If the currently highlighted item has no submenu, pressing the Right Arrow key should cause the current menu pulldown to close and open the next item in the menu bar.
8. Verify the Esc key closes submenus and eventually returns focus to original focus location, before Alt was originally pressed.

Navigating Toolbars

A toolbar is a row of icons across the top of the window, just below the menu bar.

The toolbar in many applications is not keyboard accessible; i.e., there is no way to use the keyboard to move focus to the icons in the toolbar. As of version 1.5, the toolbar in the Firefox application is not keyboard accessible. In this case, the following test must be done:

• For applications where the toolbar is not keyboard accessible:
  1. Verify that for every icon that can be displayed in the toolbar, the icon's function can be accessed using another keyboard accessible method. For example, the "Back" button function can be accessed by pressing Alt+Left Arrow, and the "Refresh" button function can be accessed by pressing Ctrl+R.

In the future, if Firefox supports keyboard access to the toolbar, use the following techniques to test the toolbar.

• For applications where the toolbar is keyboard accessible:
  1. Verify Toolbars can be accessed from the keyboard. The Toolbar might be part of the Tab ring, or access to the toolbar could be implemented using another keystroke combination.
  2. Verify that either Tab or the Arrow keys will move from one toolbar option to another. If Tab is used, then Shift+Tab should work in the reverse direction.
  3. Verify that there is a clear visual indication as to which option currently has focus at all times.

Navigating Application Dialogs

Application dialogs include any application windows that are not part of the main Firefox browser window. This includes any windows that open as a result of selecting options in the menu pulldowns, such as the Open File dialog, of the Organize Bookmarks dialog. This also includes all of the dialogs in the install and the uninstall process.

Use the following techniques to test navigation of application dialogs.

1. Verify that the initial keyboard focus, when dialog is first opened, is in a logical place (probably upper left-most element in the dialog).
2. Verify Tab key can be used to move from option to option, and Shift+Tab moves in reverse order.
3. Verify that there is a clear visual indication as to which option currently has focus at all times.
4. Verify that all user controls can be reached using the Tab key or Arrow keys.
5. Verify Tab Order is logical. As you tab from option to option, keyboard focus should follow a logical progression, just as with the visual presentation. Each page is unique, so use your judgment to decide if the order is logical. It may be that left to right, and top to bottom makes most sense. If there are columns of information, perhaps moving down each column, then up to the top of the next column makes sense.
6. Verify the Tab Ring, i.e., press Tab till you reach the last item in the dialog, then press Tab again to verify that focus moves back to the first item in the dialog. Conversely, press Shift+Tab till you reach the first item, then press Shift+Tab again to verify that focus rings back to the last item in the dialog.

Navigating the Application window, including Tabbed Browsing

Application windows or dialogs may be organized into sections, panes, frames, notebook tabs, and so on. For example, Firefox version 1.5 uses notebook tabs to organize information on some of the Options dialog menus. Firefox also allows several Web pages, to be displayed, each in its own notebook tab within the Firefox application window. This is known as "Tabbed Browsing". It must be possible to move from one notebook tab to the next using the keyboard.

Use the following techniques to test navigation between tabbed browser windows and other types of window sections.

1. Verify that all parts of the application window can be accessed via the keyboard.
   • Commonly, F6 is used to move between sections, panes and frames)
2. Verify notebook tabs can be navigated using Ctrl+Tab to change from one notebook tab to another.
   • Ctrl+Tab is used to navigate between notebook tabs, both in application dialogs such as the Firefox Options dialog, and in the Firefox Tabbed Browsing feature. When testing the Tabbed Browsing, it will be necessary to open multiple Web pages, each in its own tab, to test this feature. Use the New Tab option in the File menu pulldown (Ctrl+T) to open new Web page notebook tabs in the browser.
3. Verify that there is a clear visual indication as to which part of the application has current focus.

Navigating Context menus

A context menu is a popup box of options displayed when user clicks the right mouse button on a user interface element, such as an icon. If there are any elements that support a context menu, use the following techniques to test navigation of the context menu.

1. Verify the context menu can be opened using standard Windows key Shift+F10.
2. Verify Arrow keys can be used to move between items in context menu.
3. Verify that there is a clear visual indication as to which option currently has focus at all times.
4. Verify all context menu items can be selected using the Enter key.

Navigating User Interface Elements and Controls

There are many user interface elements that are commonly found in application dialogs, such as push buttons, radio buttons, lists, and many more. Some common elements are listed here, with keystrokes used to interact with those elements. Use these techniques to verify the operation of user interface elements in all application dialogs.

1. Push Buttons: Verify push buttons are selectable with either the Enter or Spacebar key.
2. Check boxes: Verify Spacebar will select/deselect a check box.
3. Radio buttons: Verify Tab moves from one radio button group to the next element, and Arrow keys move from one radio button to another within a group.
4. Read-Only text fields: Text boxes, such as the license agreement during the install process, must be tested to ensure that the entire text area can be viewed. Verify Tab moves to and from the text field. If Scroll Bars are present, verify the Arrow keys will scroll the text up, down, right, and left, as appropriate.
5. Text input fields:
   1. Verify Tab moves to and from the input field. (If tabs are allowed within the field, another method of exiting the field must be provided.)
   2. Verify editable text can be selected using Shift+Arrow keys, in text input fields. (For example, use Shift+Arrow to select, then Ctrl+C to copy to clipboard, then Ctrl+V to paste from clipboard.)
   3. Verify that Enter causes the default action for the dialog to be activated, if appropriate.
6. Spin boxes: Verify Up and Down Arrow keys can increase or decrease the value of the spin box.
7. Tree views: Verify branches of tree views can be opened with Right Arrow, and closed with Left Arrow keys.
8. Drop down boxes: Verify drop down box can be opened with Alt+Down Arrow.
9. Default Action: If the dialog has a default action associated with it, such as a "Submit" button, or a "Next" button, verify that pressing Enter will activate the default action from anywhere within that dialog. (Except, of course, when selecting a non-default action in the dialog.) For example, if keyboard focus is in a text input field (such as Name, Address, etc.) then pressing the Enter key might activate the submit button. Or, in the install process, pressing Enter might activate the "Next" button, to continue to the next install dialog page.
10. Any other user interface elements should be usable with standard and intuitive keystrokes.

End of Test Case.