[CMake] Introduction and Cmake's accessibility

[Jaffar Sidek]

Hi all.  First, a brief intro.  My name is Jaffar Sidek and I am a blind 
computer programmer and user from Singapore.  Would also like to thank 
the list owner for helping me with my subscription since I couldn't get 
around to filling up the capture thingy on my own.  I first came to know 
about CMake 2 years ago when I cloned a git repository of SFMl from Git 
Hub.  CMake was needed to build the libraries, so I downloaded CMake to 
give it a shot.  However, 2 years ago, unless I opted for the command 
line option, The CMake GUI option was a total no go for me because my 
screen reader simply could not see the output and instructions needed 
for me to make successful use of it.  However,  I was pleasantly 
surprised with the usability of the more recent versions, particularly 
from v3.50 onwards.  Nowadays, CMake is at least partially accessible, 
meaning that I can use the default configuration options to build 
libraries of software that I need.  However, I do wish that 
Accessibility of CMake can be improved.  First, Here are the more 
helpful components of CMake that I can access and use successfully.

1. the edit boxes where the source and build directories are to be 
filled in is accessible.  since my sfreen reader announces both 
correctly.  The browse buttons for both the source and build directories 
also work and are announced correctly.
2.  The configure and generate buttons are accessible since the list  of 
compilers available on my system and beyond is correctly spoken by my 
screen reader, and the generate button is also announced correctly.


Now for what that is inaccessible which is that CMake, when there are 
errors in configuration on my part, or when something that it needs is 
missing, doesn't output those errors in a way that my screen reader can 
inform me, which means that I have to actually go to the directory where 
I am building my app to see what is missing and what went wrong so as to 
fix my build problems.  IF this could be fixed, then CMake would be a 
truly awesome piece of software. There is also a read only edit box of 
which I don't know what purpose it serves, and when the configuration 
button is pressed, there is and edit box right after the combo of 
compiler choices whose purpose i also am not aware of since it is not 
described my my screen reader.  These are the inaccessible parts that  i 
hope can be dealt with.  Thanks and cheers!