SkypeWatch Installer version 1.20

January 15, 2010

Note: For complete list of what's new and what's changed in particular version, please view Changes.txt.

Table of contents

1. Introduction

First of all, I'm going to ask you the following questions:

  1. Are you using JAWS for Windows screen reader?
  2. Are you using Skype?
  3. Are you using JAWS scripts for Skype provided by Doug Lee (www.dlee.org/skype)?
  4. Are you having difficulties setting up SkypeWatch to work with your version of JAWS, or you are a basic computer user so this seams too complicated to you?

Well, if answer to all of these questions is Yes, then this program is for you!

If answer to any of these questions is No, then you can stop reading here and simply delete this program! Don't worry, I will not be offended if you didn't say "Thank you", or don't use this program.

In fact, even if you are the advanced user, this program will prevent you from manual configuring SkypeWatch script to work with JAWS and save your time a little.

Please read the following sections if you want to know more about SkypeWatch Installer and how to use it.

1.1. The license

This software is distributed under the GNU General Public License version 2.0. For more information, please see www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html or view the file License.txt in the same directory as SkypeWatchInstaller.exe.

PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE LICENSE BEFORE USING THIS PROGRAM!!!

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1.2. So what on earth is SkypeWatch Installer? What it does? How it works?

Before you can understand what is SkypeWatch Installer, you must understand what is SkypeWatch itself.

SkypeWatch is a part of Doug Lee's JAWS scripts for Skype. This feature is used to read Skype alerts about incoming calls, incoming chats, incoming file transfers, contact's online/offline statuses, and other Skype notifications. However, it needs to be configured in order to work, and this work requires attention. This is where SkypeWatch Installer becomes useful for you.

So what this program does? How it works? You ask me. Well, it does the following:

  1. Copies your default.jsb from shared settings folder to default_fs.jsb in your user folder.
  2. Writes required information for using SkypeWatch in new default.jss file.
  3. Compiles default.jss automatically for you.

So, in short, does everything described on script installation instructions page for setting up SkypeWatch, but the main advantage is that this is done in seconds, not minutes! You don't need to memorize anything, you never need to do this over and over when upgrading to a new release of JAWS, you just need to run this little utility, choose Install and Execute, answer Yes, probably restart JAWS, and you're done! Sounds good?

But wait, you can also remove SkypeWatch feature, in case when something is not working properly! Just choose Remove and then Execute, and that's it!

In addition, it is important to note that SkypeWatch Installer is not a replacement for SkypeWatch! SkypeWatch Installer has been created just to configure SkypeWatch, not to replace it. Don't be confused!

SkypeWatch Installer is written in Python programming language. It doesn't need to be installed, and you can run it even directly on your USB key. Just run the self-extracting archive, extract it to a desired folder, find SkypeWatchInstaller.exe and press Enter to launch it. Note that if Program Compatibility Assistant window appears, you can just ignore it and close it with Escape.

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1.3. System requirements

In order to run SkypeWatch Installer successfully, you need the following:

Please note that starting from update 1.20, SkypeWatch Installer no longer needs a separate 64-bit executable. A 32-bit version will now work for 64-bit Windows editions.

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1.4. How can I get it?

To get the latest version or update for SkypeWatch Installer, go to HKProjects Website. Under "SkypeWatch Installer" section, you will find details about the latest version, and a download link for the program as well as log of changes, and this documentation.

After downloading a self-extracting 7-zip archive, press Enter to launch it. You will be asked for path where the files will be extracted to. If you press Enter again, the files will be extracted into a current directory, in a subfolder named "SkypeWatch Installer". If you wish to extract the files on a different location, type in a full path where you want "SkypeWatch Installer" folder to appear, and then press Enter. For example, if you type in "C:\Program Files", the SkypeWatch Installer will be extracted to your Program Files folder on a C: drive, so in order to launch it, you should find it in Program Files\SkypeWatch Installer folder and press Enter on SkypeWatchInstaller.exe file.

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1.5. Can I use it in my native language?

Starting from version 1.0, SkypeWatch Installer interface can also be translated into other languages, so you can use SkypeWatch Installer in your native language like other applications and installers. If you are interested in translating the application, there are instructions for translating the program under "SkypeWatch Installer" folder, "SRC" subfolder. You can also contact me via E-Mail hrvojekatic@gmail.com, and I will be more than happy to send required message files and instructions to you.

At the time of this writing, the following language translations are available for SkypeWatch Installer in addition to US english:

Thanks to all the people who contrebuted translation for SkypeWatch Installer. Hope we will see more languages in the future *smyle*.

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1.6. I am a programmer. How can I contribute to a source code?

If you have some Python programming knowledge and experience, I will be happy to hear an advice or get some contribution in order for SkypeWatch Installer to be improved. When you extract SkypeWatch Installer, you will find an "SRC" subfolder under "SkypeWatch Installer" folder. There's a SkypeWatch Installer source code as well as language file sources, batch files for compiling the program and generating translation template, and a Readme.TXT which is a must-read document for anyone who wants to contribute. Readme file explains what is required for running the program from source and compiling it, as well as instructions for people who want to contribute translations to other languages.

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2. Using the program

Asuming you don't have installed SkypeWatch, but you have installed JAWS scripts for Skype from www.dlee.org/skype, or you have upgraded to a newer version of JAWS, this program will allow you to integrate SkypeWatch functionality into your selected version of JAWS. It will also allow you to remove SkypeWatch functionality and return JAWS back to it's normal behavior if needed. This section describes how this can be done and what you need to do in order to install or remove SkypeWatch feature successfully.

2.1. Running the program and selecting interface language

To run SkypeWatchInstaller, first find a directory where you've extracted the program, and then find SkypeWatchInstaller.exe file and press Enter to run it. The program will then start, and if SkypeWatch Installer supports your prefered language selected in regional settings, it will switch to that interface language automatically.

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2.2. The SkypeWatch Installer's main window

After loading interface language, the main window will be shown with the options you can navigate by using the Tab and Shift+Tab key, or activate them with associated hot keys, like in most Windows dialogs.

The SkypeWatch Installer's status bar will display your currently selected JAWS version, which is a version that will be used for installing SkypeWatch unless you select any other version (if you have more than one JAWS version installed on your system). Use JAWS Insert+Page Down to read it as always.

In addition to the main SkypeWatch Installer options, you will also find the following options:

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2.3. Selecting your version and language of JAWS for Windows

The first option you will land on in SkypeWatch Installer's main window is JAWS version combo box. If you have multiple versions of JAWS installed on the same machine (for example, 11.0 and 10.0), here you can select a JAWS version for which you want to install SkypeWatch. SkypeWatch Installer detects installed JAWS versions automatically. The shortcut key for moving to this combo box is ALT+J.

Note: If you have only one version of JAWS installed, it will be automatically selected for you.

The next option, JAWS Language Folder combo box, is used to select a JAWS language for which you want to integrate SkypeWatch. In most cases, this is ENU which stands for English United States. If your JAWS version uses only one language, it will be automatically selected for you. The shortcut key for moving to this combo box is ALT+L.

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2.4. Make Backup option

The Make Backup option is a check box you can toggle. When checked, the SkypeWatch Installer will make a backup of your current files before replacing them with new files. The files that will be backed up are Default.JSB, Default_FS.JSB, and Default.JSS. The backup will be saved into your JAWS user settings folder under "SkypeWatch Installer Backup" subfolder. The shortcut key to toggle this check box is ALT+B, and it's unchecked by default.

This option is useful if you want to keep your current files and restore them back in case when something went wrong after SkypeWatch installation, such as bad JAWS behavior, or messed up Default.JSS file.

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2.5. Overwrite Default.JSS option

By default, SkypeWatch Installer overwrites Default.JSS file in your JAWS user settings folder with a new one while writing SkypeWatch integration code into it. This was maid for avoiding certain problems. However, if you are using Default.JSS for other things as well, such as making your custom functions, integrating other .JSB files etc., and not only for SkypeWatch integration, then you need to tell SkypeWatch Installer to append SkypeWatch information at the end of Default.JSS rather than overwriting it, so your other important code written before will remain intacked.

Overwrite Default.JSS is another check box, and when checked, it will overwrite Default.JSS file and your current data written to it will be lost, and you will not be able to return it back, unless you've enabled backup option. When unchecked, your current data will be left alone and will stay where it is in Default.JSS, and SkypeWatch integration code will be added at the end of the file. If you've decided to uncheck this option, please use caution! It may mess up your Default.JSS file and may result compilation error in cases when SkypeWatch Installer may not detect SkypeWatch integration code properly or write it properly. This shouldn't happen, but in some rare cases, it may. The shortcut key to toggle this check box is ALT+O, and it's checked by default.

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2.6. Choosing an action

Next to Overwrite Default.JSS check box is a group of radio buttons, Install SkypeWatch and Remove SkypeWatch. Use your arrow keys to select a desired option. Also, you may use shortcut keys ALT+I for checking the Install radio button, and ALT+R for checking the Remove radio button.

After making your choice, you can press ALT+E or find an Execute button in program's main window and press the spacebar. You will be asked for confirmation. Press Y or choose Yes to continue, or No or Cancel to aboart process.

If you choose No, you will be returned back to main window, so you can choose different version of JAWS or JAWS locale, or change your decision concerning backup and overwriting Default.JSS file.

If you choose Yes, then the selected process begins. After completing the process, a message will be displayed that alerts you about process completion or failure. At this point, the program will exit, or if the Terminate Program option is unchecked, you will be returned back to the main window, so you can install SkypeWatch for any other JAWS version or language.

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2.7. Installing SkypeWatch

Important! Before installing SkypeWatch, you should ensure the following:

  1. If you have multiple versions of JAWS installed on your machine, make sure you have selected proper version of JAWS for which you want to install SkypeWatch.
  2. Make sure that the selected JAWS version has JAWS scripts for Skype installed, and that speaking of SkypeWatch messages is turned on as well as various alerts under Skype/Tools/Options/Notifications.
  3. If it is non-english version of JAWS, you should tell the program for which language you are configuring SkypeWatch.
  4. If you would like to backup your current files, check the Make Backup check box, otherwise leave it unchecked.
  5. If you want to add SkypeWatch information without losing your important code located in Default.JSS file, uncheck the Overwrite Default.JSS check box, otherwise leave it checked.

To install SkypeWatch, choose Install radio button in a group of available actions, and then press ALT+E or tab to the Execute button. Answer Yes on a confirmation prompt to continue. If SkypeWatch Installer doesn't find SkypeWatch.JSB file in your selected JAWS version, it will display an error message and you will be returned back to the main window. In this case, please install JAWS scripts for Skype to correct this problem.

After you answer Yes, one of the following things may happen:

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2.8. Removing SkypeWatch

Removing SkypeWatch function is useful if the install process fails, or if undesireable situation is produced. It simply deletes your Default.jsb, Default.JSS, and Default_FS.JSB files from JAWS user settings folder, so JAWS will no longer detect SkypeWatch.jsb file. It also restores your last backed up files if you've previously enabled backup. This function requires you to select proper version of JAWS and eventualy a language of the JAWS version for which you want to disable SkypeWatch functionality.

Note: if Overwriting Default.JSS is unchecked, Default.JSS file will not be deleted. In this case, you should remove SkypeWatch integration code manually from Default.JSS. Also, if backup was previously made, the restore process will replace your Default.JSS file with the one that was previously backed up to SkypeWatch Installer folder.

To remove SkypeWatch functionality for selected JAWS version, choose Remove radio button in a group of available actions, and then press ALT+E or tab to the Execute button. You will be asked for confirmation, so answer Yes to continue. After completing the removal process, a message will be shown that SkypeWatch was successfully removed. At this point, the program will exit, or you will be returned back to the SkypeWatch Installer's main window (depending on Terminate Program option status).

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2.9. Using the command line options of SkypeWatch Installer

If you are more advanced user and want to use SkypeWatch Installer on a command line to speed up SkypeWatch installation/uninstallation procedure, there are command line options in SkypeWatch Installer that will make it possible. You can write them as usual in Windows command prompt, on a Windows Run dialog box, or in a batch file.

The following table lists and describes each of the command line options you can use:

Short Parameter Long Parameter Description
-v --version Specify a JAWS version. For example, -v11.0, --version11.0.
-l --language Specify a language string for your specified JAWS version. ENU is used by default, so no need for this parameter if you are using english version of JAWS. For example, -ldeu or --languagedeu will specify a german language.
-b --backup Enables Make Backup option.
-a --append Specifies that you want to append information to Default.JSS without overwriting it. In other words, turns off the Overwrite Default.JSS option.
-i --install Install SkypeWatch. This parameter is optional, since the Install action is chosen by default unless you specify a parameter to remove SkypeWatch.
-r --remove Remove SkypeWatch. If you accidentally specify both -r and -i parameters, the Install option will be chosen.

Some notes:

As you can see, each command line option has it's short and long variant. It's exactly the same if you will be using e.g. -v or --version, -r or --remove. Both will do the same action! You can also combine short and long parameters if you wish! You may notice that short parameters begin with single dash (-), and long parameters begin with double dash (--). If running the program with command line options, you will not be asked for confirmation when attempting to install or Remove SkypeWatch. However, if SkypeWatch was already installed into the specified version of JAWS, you will be asked if you wish to reinstall it. The main window will be hidden, and you will only have to confirm message boxes. The program will exit automatically at the end of the specified procedure.

Here are some examples:

Example What it does?
SkypeWatchInstaller -v11.0 -b Installs SkypeWatch for JAWS version 11.0 with backup option enabled.
SkypeWatchInstaller --version11.0 -r Removes SkypeWatch from JAWS version 11.0. Notice that in previous example we used short -v parameter, while in this example we used long --version parameter.
SkypeWatchInstaller -v8.0 -ldeu -a -i Installs SkypeWatch for JAWS 8.0, language deu (german) without overwriting Default.JSS (Append Mode). Remember, the -i parameter is optional, and may be excluded. Thus, if you write SkypeWatchInstaller -v8.0 -ldeu -a, it will do the same.

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3. Trouble shooting

This section will help you escape out of accasional problems while using SkypeWatch Installer. Please read it if SkypeWatch Installer doesn't work properly for you.

3.1. SkypeWatch Installer reported that SkypeWatch was installed successfully, but SkypeWatch still doesn't work

This may happen if you didn't configure Skype or JAWS scripts for Skype correctly. The following steps may help you to fix this problem:

  1. If you are using multiple JAWS versions, make sure that you installed SkypeWatch into a JAWS version you are currently running.
  2. Press ALT+SHIFT+F9 and see what happens. You should hear "no skype watch messages since you started JAWS", your online status, or any other event that last happened. If JAWS just speaks "alt shift f9", try unloading JAWS with Insert+F4 and then relaunching it again. This may fix the problem.
  3. Make sure that reading of SkypeWatch messages is turned on. To check this, focus Skype and press Insert+V to open the verbosity dialog, and then make sure that this option is turned on.
  4. Go to Skype, activate the menu bar, go to tools, and then options. Next, move down to the notifications category and press tab to navigate the options in this category. Make sure that all notifications are checked, and if you're using Skype 3.8 or earlier, also make sure that displaying of caller name is shown as Windows tray alert, and not Skype alert.

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3.2. SkypeWatch Installer gives me an error message during the install or remove process

This may happen in situations when SkypeWatch Installer may not find Default.JSB under JAWS shared settings, when Default.JSB may not be copied or renamed, when Default.JSS file may not be accessed for reading and writing, or the compiler may not find or compile Default.JSS file.

To fix this problem, make sure that your JAWS installation is not corrupted, and try to repair it. Also, make sure that there are no any restrictions or problems in your running copy of Windows that may prevent you from accessing files and folders properly.

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3.3. My Default.JSS is messed up, and I'm getting compilation error

This problem may happen if you turned on Overwrite Default.JSS option, and SkypeWatch information was not written properly. If SkypeWatch Installer detects that Default.JSS already contains lines Use "Default_FS.JSB", Use "skypewatch.jsb" or void function _filler(), it will not write these lines again to avoid duplicate code and compilation errors. However, if for some reason you get a duplicate code, SkypeWatch information not written, or a compilation error, try fixing this problem by turning on the overwrite option, and then by removing and reinstalling SkypeWatch.

You can also check your Default.JSS file for errors manually. To do this, go to start menu, choose Programs, find your JAWS submenu, and then find Explore JAWS. Next, choose "Explore My Settings" option and press Enter. Find Default.JSS file and open it by pressing Enter. If you find any duplicate lines or code, please remove it before trying to install SkypeWatch. Don't forget to press CTRL+S after making changes!

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3.4. SkypeWatch Installer doesn't work properly in general

If a chritical problem happened, such as unexpected or unknown error, program not running, program crashing or not working properly, then you can do the following:

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4. Contacting the author

If you have any questions, problems, suggestions, or anything regarding this utility, and if you need help for using this program, or you just want to know what's new and what I am doing, here is how you can reach me:

My web site: www.hkprojects.tk

My blog on klango.net: dj_jukebox.klangoblog.net

My E-Mail address: hrvojekatic@gmail.com

My MSN address: hrkatic@hotmail.com

My Skype ID: hrvojekatic

My Klango ID on klango.net: DJ_Jukebox

You can also Follow me on Twitter or Visit my profile on Facebook

Please feel free to contact me! In my case, good people are always welcome!

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