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Open Source JavaScript Library Released For Accessibility Testing

An anonymous reader writes: Deque Systems, a company which focuses on web accessibility, has just released aXe (The Accessibility Engine). aXe is an open-source JavaScript library consisting of accessibility testing rules which can be integrated into any testing framework that supports JavaScript execution. The intent behind aXe is to allow developers testing their products for accessibility compliance to easily integrate a common set of rules into their workflow. The goal is to standardize both automated accessibility testing and test results, and to make incorporating accessibility testing and compliance into web-based products easier for developers. The source code is available on GitHub.

21 comments

  1. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by NotInHere · · Score: 5, Informative

    Javascript is a scripting language. It has weak typing. In order to be sure of *anything*, you *have* to test. I agree, using jquery is as stupid as using boost. But you still have to test your application, and best you do it automated. That's what these frameworks are for.

  2. tota11y by mpol · · Score: 2

    Also make sure to check out Tota11y:
    http://khan.github.io/tota11y/?ref=hn

    --

    Well, don't worry about that. We can get you back before you leave. (Dr. Who)
  3. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yet another javascript library!

    ...(rant rant rant) ... It's just bloat and makes everyone's job more complicated by needing to learn about yet another library to do something javascript can already do by itself.

    In your rush to have a good rant about libraries, you completely failed to read the bit about it being a testing framework. It simply isn't the type of thing that you're ranting about, so you've made yourself look a bit of a fool.

  4. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I agree, using jquery is as stupid as using boost.

    Dear god what? You clearly have no idea what jquery can do then. If you are seriously saying that Document.getElementById() etc is just as good as using jquery then you're full stop ignorant and don't belong in web development. However, I doubt you're a web developer with that kind of mentality.

  5. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I agree, using jquery is as stupid as using boost.

    Dear god what? You clearly have no idea what jquery can do then. If you are seriously saying that Document.getElementById() etc is just as good as using jquery then you're full stop ignorant and don't belong in web development. However, I doubt you're a web developer with that kind of mentality.

    Well it is faster, but he does completely miss the point of the article.

    It sounds like he is going through the 'I'm awesome and can write it from scratch in a couple of days' phase. A few more years of that and he will move on to the 'let's just find something that is properly tested then go home'.

  6. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 1

    Internet Explorer itself is now officially dead and being replaced by Edge, which should be as compliant as the other browsers.

    No IE is very much alive on Windows 7, as it's the only authorized web browser my company allows on the network. Edge looks like it will be a Windows 10 browser. Who knows if the corporate world will ever adopt Windows 10.

  7. aXe is an old editor for X11 by J.K. Wight by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://www.boutell.com/lsm/lsmbyid.cgi/002020

  8. Re:Github? by TWX · · Score: 1

    Good description, but you still will be modded down.

    I know. Sometimes ridiculousness needs to be pointed out though, and it's not like I'm picking on something that is outside of the control of the individuals I'm lampooning.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  9. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by POWRSURG · · Score: 2

    Or he could be the type that needs to worry about low powered mobile devices (like the type that Firefox OS initially targeted). Those devices would choke HARD trying to load jQuery.

    Don't get me wrong, I definitely see the value in jQuery since it even fixes bugs in modern browsers. But lets not assume that just because someone is shying away from it that they are some newb that doesn't know better.

    If I am writing a few line script for something then yes, I will spend the extra few minutes to first try to avoid using jQuery when I can. Adding a 100 kb (just guessing, I have not checked it lately) JavaScript library so that I can write what I want in 10 lines of jQuery rather than 60-100 lines of vanilla JavaScript just doesn't seem reasonable in my eyes.

  10. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by TWX · · Score: 1

    It feels like we just adopted Windows 7 and then Windows 8/8.1 on more portable devices; I doubt that we'll want to turn around and redo high-five-figures worth of devices again when we just got done.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  11. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Yes, this is a testing library. In other words, you use it during development and testing - it does not get included in your production code/system.

  12. Re:Github? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Besides GitHub and SourceForge, what would you recommend?

  13. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Death to javascript librairies. It's just bloat and makes everyone's job more complicated by needing to learn about yet another library to do something javascript can already do by itself.

    So you suggest for game development to use straight OpenGL or DirectX instead of Graphic Engine because "it makes everyone's job more complicated by needing to learn about yet another" engine to do something OpenGL/DirectX "can already do by itself"? You don't know what library is for then.

  14. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or he could be the type that needs to worry about low powered mobile devices

    Fat chance that his complaint hinges on some obscure benchmark but thanks for wasting my time playing devil's advocate.

  15. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 2

    I did a PC refresh project at a hospital a few years ago that replaced older Win XP PCs with newer Windows 7 PCs that had higher hardware specs. That was the first step in rolling a virtual desktop solution where users log into the network and download their desktop to the local PC. It might be easier to roll out Windows 10 in a virtual desktop environment.

  16. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You don't know what library is for then.

    And you don't know what grammar is for.

  17. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Javascript is a scripting language. It has weak typing. In order to be sure of *anything*, you *have* to test. I agree, using jquery is as stupid as using boost. But you still have to test your application, and best you do it automated. That's what these frameworks are for.

    From comments some don't seem to understand what "accessibility analysis" means. This isn't about testing code on your site to make sure average people can get to your site. It is about making sure outliers of people with impairments are still reasonably able to access your site.

    What this is for... is after your typical "web developer" has destroyed every last bit of inherent semantic relevance traditional software which aids impaired would have been automatically able to leverage... by doing this:

    #include "all web3.0 buzzword bingo compliant javascript frameworks"
    #include "moare ajax!!!!!11!!!"

    This is a library to help people undo the fruits of their idiocy... like pumping sulfer dixiode into the atmosphere to reverse climate change.

  18. Re:Fuck you, Deque Systems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I am writing a few line script for something then yes, I will spend the extra few minutes to first try to avoid using jQuery when I can.

    If you are writing only a few lines of script then your website is not very functional, relevant or important. In other words, your opinion doesn't matter and represents virtually nobody.