JAWS Scripts For Zello
Doug Lee
Last Revised October, 2020

This document describes the scripts for Zello and provides tips for using this application with JAWS. This document can be opened from within Zello via a double press of JAWSKey+F1 (or Insert+F1).

Table of Contents

• Key Sequences
• Script Features In Brief
• System Requirements For JAWS Users
• Script Installation Instructions
• How To Use Zello
  • Signing In
  • Adding Channels and Users
  • Where Your Voice Is Sent
  • What You Will Hear
    • Special User Statuses
    • Solo Mode
  • Message History
  • Handling User Authorization Requests
• Useful Tips and Tricks
  • Searching the Contact List
  • Finding Out Who Last Spoke
  • Finding New Channels
  • Checking Channel Participants
  • Skipping the Rest of the Current Message
• Experimental Script Features
  • Automatic Announcement of Who Is Transmitting
  • Hands-Free Magic
• Known Issues
• Revision History

Key Sequences

These scripts incorporate commands that consist of sequences of keystrokes, all beginning with a common prefix, or "command keystroke." This approach allows many script commands without the risk of conflicting with application keystrokes. See the "Multi-Key Command Sequences" section of the "Common Script Elements" document for further details, including how to explore the available script commands (similar to exploring a menu system), and how to change the Command keystroke if necessary.

By default, the Command keystroke for these scripts is [. This document may refer to this keystroke as [ or Command; so, for example, [ Tab and Command Tab both refer to typing the prefix keystroke, then separately the Tab key. Some sequences may consist of more than two keystrokes, or "levels"; for example, [ d r would refer to typing [, then d, then finally r.

Script Features In Brief

These scripts provide the following commands beyond those available in Zello itself on Windows:

• Ctrl+Shift+S or the sequence [ Sreads the user's current status, and a double press of Ctrl+Shift+S or the sequence [ Shift+S allows the user to update it.
• Ctrl+Shifft+E does the same for any pending events, such as authorization requests and Zello version updates. The corresponding sequences for events are [ E and [ Shift+E.
• When focus is in the main contact list or the Recents list, Ctrl+Shift+P or the sequence [ P begins playing any unplayed messages from the current channel or user. Each press of this command while a message is already playing will skip the rest of that message and start playing the next one, allowing quick skimming of message backlogs. This command also works in a message history list, where it not only starts playing at the oldest unplayed message but also moves focus to it.
• In a message history list, Ctrl+Shift+N or the sequence [ N moves to the first (oldest) unplayed message. It does not start playing messages however; use Ctrl+Shift+P or [ P for that.
• When focus is in the main contact list, Ctrl with the four arrows provide a system for searching for users and channels meeting specific criteria. The possible searches are
  • Next or previous channel or user with new (unread) messages,
  • Next or previous disconnected channel,
  • The channel or user in solo mode, and
  • The first user (below the channels).
  Use Ctrl+LeftArrow and Ctrl+RightArrow to switch among possible search types and Ctrl+UpArrow and Ctrl+DownArrow to search for the previous or next match.
• Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab switch among tabs in the main window without either missing later tabs or announcing the wrong tab name, and JAWSKey+T (the SayWindowTitle command) includes the active page name.
• Ctrl+Shift+W or the sequence [ W launches the home page for these scripts in the default browser. This can be useful when checking for updates. Information regarding the user's script revision, JAWS version, and Zello version is sent to the script author's web site by this command as well, so the author can keep track of what configurations to support with the scripts.
• The sequence [ L places a copy of a Zello activity log on the Windows clipboard. This feature is meant primarily for diagnostic use during script development.

These scripts also provide the following features beyond those provided by Zello itself on Windows:

• Better announcement of items in lists such as Contacts and channel participant lists.
• Automatic announcement of some status messages such as during the sign-in process.
• Automatic focus on Contacts or Recents list, rather than on the "Push to talk" button, when Zello takes focus.
• Evasion of various situations where JAWS would say focus has been lost.
• Correct operation of the Application key in Zello versions where it natively stopped working in list controls.
• Silencing of F7, the default transmit key, in all applications while JAWS is running.
• Incremental search in the Contacts and Recents lists and in history lists, filtered or unfiltered.
• Working Tab and Shift+Tab keystrokes in the incoming call alert popup dialog, text chat windows, and various other places.
• Automatic announcement of success or failure on most outgoing call alerts.
• Automatic announcement of incoming authorization requests as they arrive, including the user name of the sender.
• Brief indication of when and how many people join and leave the active channel when focus is on its entry in the Contacts list.
• Specific real-time announcement of who is joining or leaving the active channel while focus remains in its participant list.
• Silencing of extra announcements of "ListView" during arrowing through list controls like the Contact list.
• Improved announcement of prompt information in the initial account creation screen.
• Better information for buttons in the sign-in screen and in other places.
• Better naming and spoken information for many controls in the Options pages.
• An indication of which Options page is currently active (just that page's button says "Pressed" when focused).
• An intuitive process for changing Zello hotkeys: Press Space to start or cancel the changing of a hotkey. (Normally this would have required mouse clicks.)

Finally, there are some experimental features described later in this document.

System Requirements For JAWS Users

There are no known system requirements for these scripts beyond those These scripts require JAWS 17.0 or later. The scripts were written against Zello 1.16 for Windows and modified subsequently to support various changes in Zello versions 1.18 through 1.86 and 2.4.2.0.

Script Installation Instructions

To install these scripts on a new system:

1. Load JAWS if this has not already been done. This will require administrative privileges on the computer.
2. Run JAWS as the user for whom the scripts are to be installed. This and the following steps must be performed for each user of the computer who will be using JAWS with these scripts.
3. Download and run, or run directly, the installer for these scripts; and follow the on-screen directions. Be sure to install the scripts in the currently running JAWS version if a JAWS version list is presented.
4. To verify successful installation, type Insert+Q while the application is in focus. Part of the JAWS spoken response should be a revision number. If you do not hear a revision number, the scripts are not correctly loaded.

How To Use Zello

This section provides brief guidance on general Zello usage.

Signing In

On first launch, Windows Zello brings up a screen from which to create a new Zello account. If you already have one, press Esc on this screen to return to the regular Zello sign-in screen, then log in with your Zello name and password. If you do not already have a Zello account, fill out the account creation form. You can use the "Check availability" button to verify whether the user name you want is available.

Adding Channels and Users

If you know a user's Zello name, use "Add a contact" in the Tools menu to add the user to your Contacts list. You will need the user's exact Zello name or email address.

Zello also supports channels, or named discussion areas, in which users may participate as a group. Zello allows some searching for channel names via the "Add a channel" dialog, again reached from the Tools menu. Type a full or partial channel name into the Edit box, then tab to the list of matches. Selecting a match and pressing Enter will add the channel to your Contacts list.

From a channel in your Contacts or Recents list, you can also open a Context menu with the Applications key and choose "Show online users" to get a list of users currently participating in (or listening to) that channel. From any participant in this list that is not already in your Contacts list, you can again press the Applications key to get an "Add user" option with which to add that user individually to your contacts.

Where Your Voice Is Sent

By default, holding down F7 transmits your voice to a person or channel. (This keystroke can be changed in the Control page of Tools/Options.) The selected line in the Contacts or Recents list, whichever is showing, determines where any transmission you send will go. If you are in the History list, beware of this, as the current History list line may not indicate where F7 would begin sending your voice.

What You Will Hear

In normal operation, you will hear all transmissions to all channels to which you are connected. Exceptions to this occur when your status is Away or Busy or if you are in Solo mode with a person or channel.

Special User Statuses

With the scripts running, Ctrl+Shift+S or [ S will announce your current status. Press twice quickly or type [ Shift+S to change your status from a popup menu. You can also edit the wording of the "Available" status by choosing "Change status message" from the Tools menu.

If your status is Away or Busy, all incoming messages will be queued without playing. Numeric unplayed message counts will begin appearing visually beneath each person and channel entry in the Contacts list where unplayed messages exist. Clicking on such a number will begin playing saved messages. As you arrow through the Contacts list, these numbers will read between the channel name (for a channel of course) and the online user count for the channel.

There is also a "Headphones" status. This appears to play messages immediately just as "Available" does.

If you change your status to "Offline," you will be signed out of Zello and returned to the Zello login screen.

Solo Mode

You can perform various actions on a person or channel from its Contacts list entry via the Context menu key. One such option is "Enable solo mode." In solo mode, your transmissions still go to the selected person or channel as usual, but only messages from that person or channel will play immediately. Messages to all other persons and channels will quietly queue up as if you were using status Away or Busy.

Solo mode is ended by any of these actions:

• Choosing "Disable solo mode" from the Context menu for this person or channel, or
• Choosing "Enable solo mode" on a different person or channel, or
• Transmitting to another person or channel, or
• Restarting Zello.

Message History

The History page, accessible with Alt+V and then the History option, lists all undeleted messages in chronological order. Pressing Enter on a message entry will play that message and begin playing all messages from that one to the end of the list. Esc will close the History list and stop any of this automatic message playing. Pressing Enter on one message while another is playing will abort the playing of one message and start playing the one currently selected.

It is also possible to get a subset of message history from a particular user or channel. From the Contacts list, find the channel or user of interest and press the right arrow key. Press Esc to leave this list and return to the Contacts list.

Some consider it wise to delete history periodically via Context menu entries on list items, in order to avoid bogging Zello down with a massive message backlog.

Handling User Authorization Requests

When focus is on a Contacts list entry corresponding to a user, the available Context menu for the entry may include an "Add user" choice. Activating this will send the user an authorization request. Authorizing a user allows direct messaging between you and that user.

When an event such as an authorization request arrives in Zello, a number indicating how many are pending will appear on the Zello status line to the right of your status. With the scripts running, Ctrl+Shift+E or [ E will announce the number of pending events. Pressing this command twice quickly or typing [ Shift+E will open a menu of pending events from which you may select one to address.

Useful Tips and Tricks

Here are some potentially useful tricks for improving efficiency in Zello using these scripts:

Searching the Contact List

These scripts provide a way to search the contact list for various types of entries. When focus is in the Contacts list, Use Ctrl+LeftArrow and Ctrl+RightArrow to switch among possible search types and Ctrl+UpArrow and Ctrl+DownArrow to search for the previous or next match. For example, when the search type is "New messages," which is the setting that takes effect when the scripts first load, Ctrl+UpArrow and Ctrl+DownArrow move to the previous and next channel containing new messages, respectively. The possible search types are

New messages

Finds channels and users with unread messages. This is handy when in Busy status with many channels and/or users in the contact list. On finding a channel or user with unplayed messages, you can use Ctrl+Shift+P or [ P to play or skim through them.

Disconnected channels

Finds channels that are disconnected. This is useful during bouts of Internet connectivity problems, as Zello can sometimes inadvertently disconnect from random channels in such a situation.

Solo mode

Finds the channel or user in solo mode, if any.

First user

Finds the first contact list entry that is a user as opposed to a channel.

Finding Out Who Last Spoke

Use the Recents tab in the main window to find out who last spoke and from which channel (if any). The top entry in the listView in that tab will indicate the last speaker and channel and how long ago the message was sent. See also the experimental features section for another way to do this.

Finding New Channels

Zello itself includes means for searching for channels, but the results are limited to five matches for each search, and there is no apparent way to page through more results. The Zello web site, however, includes a means for searching for channels and finding all results for a search.

Warning The following directions apply to the Zello web site as of June 1, 2012. As web sites often change, however, these directions may go out of date at some point.

To search for channels from the Zello web site:

• Go to http://www.zello.com.
• Find and activate the "Explore Zello Channels" link, such as by typing JAWSKey+F7 and then the letter E to jump to it in the list of links, then pressing Enter.
• On the resulting page, find the "Zello Channels" heading.
• You now have choices, each of which is explained below. For any set of search results, use the "Next" and "Prev" links to move forward and backward through matches. "Next" and "Prev" links appear both above and below the search results. Each matching channel appears as a level 2 heading, so H or 2 and their shifted equivalents will move forward and backward through matches. Each match shows the channel name, description, creator's Zello name, creation date, and number of subscribers. Note that the number of subscribers is not the same as the number of people currently active in the channel.
• Popular channels are displayed by default, but to redisplay this set of matches, activate the "Popular" link.
• To get a list of relatively new channels, press the "Fresh" link.
• You can also get a list of channels matching any of several other criteria. Each of these is activated by pressing Space on the corresponding text line, even though JAWS may not announce the line as a link or button. At this writing, the available categories are
  • Talk channels.
  • Broadcast (read only) channels.
  • With non-empty description.
  • Without password.
  • With subscribers.
• Finally, to search for a channel by name, type a channel name, partial name, or even just a key word or words of interest into the Search edit box and press Enter.

Checking Channel Participants

Pressing the Application key while on a channel in the Contact list brings up a context menu that includes an option for showing the current channel participants. Pressing Enter on a channel line also shows participants. While focus remains in a channel's participant list, JAWS will report the names of users joining and leaving the channel.

Skipping the Rest of the Current Message

Some Zello users can transmit very long messages. If you find it necessary to silence Zello, such as for an incoming call or to hear a screen reader, you can switch temporarily to the History page by typing Alt+V and then H. This action has the side effect of silencing the current transmission. Press Esc to return to the page you were in (Contacts or Recents). This trick has not been verified since Zello 1.16.

Experimental Script Features

Warnings:

• The features described in this section and its subsections are experimental in nature, possibly prone to error, can change or disappear without notice, and may rely on features of Zello that are undocumented and thus themselves subject to disappearing without notice.
• All features described here are disabled by default, and currently, they must each be enabled manually after each restart of JAWS or the computer itself.
• These features only work when Zello is in focus. If you Alt+Tab to another application, these features will not work.
• Each feature described below has its own toggle keystroke to enable or disable it. For various reasons, these toggles do not currently appear in the standard JAWS Settings / JAWS Options / Quick Settings dialogs (which dialog depends on your JAWS version). The toggle keystrokes are documented below with each feature.

Automatic Announcement of Who Is Transmitting

This feature is currently turned on/off by Shift+F2 or the sequence [ A. The feature is off by default and is turned off every time the computer restarts or JAWS is reloaded.

When this feature is enabled, the scripts use an undocumented feature of Zello to announce the following events as indicated:

• When a user begins transmitting, either to you directly or into a channel you are monitoring, the names of the user and channel (if any) are announced before the user's message begins playing.
• When a user stops transmitting, the name of the channel (if any) and the name of the user are announced.
• When you begin transmitting, the name of the channel to which you are sending is announced. However, if you are using F7 or a similar held-down hotkey, JAWS will naturally interrupt this announcement and you will likely not hear it. If you use a toggle key, such as Ctrl+F7 instead, you should hear this announcement.
• When you stop transmitting, JAWS will indicate this by saying "done."

Hands-Free Magic

This feature is currently turned on/off by Shift+F3 or the sequence [ H. The feature is off by default and is turned off every time the computer restarts or JAWS is reloaded.

This experimental feature is aimed at users of FreeTalk Wireless headsets and other devices that include a button that sends the Alt+Pageup keystroke. The popularity of Skype prompted this feature to appear in some wireless headsets years ago.

When this feature is enabled, Alt+Pageup performs the following actions as indicated:

• If the JAWS cursor is activve and sitting on the numeric unread message count for a user or channel in the Contacts list, pressing Alt+Pageup will click the number with the left mouse button, causing Zello to begin playing unread messages starting with the oldest available. If a message is already playing, it will be stopped and the oldest remaining unplayed message will begin playing. This allows for rapid skimming through and clearing of unread messages. You can place the JAWS cursor on this number (the final digit is suggested), then walk away and skim messages while doing chores.
• If the above conditions do not apply but focus is in the Contacts list, pressing Alt+Pageup becomes the same as pressing the transmit toggle keystroke, Ctrl+F7 by default. This allows you to start and stop transmitting to a channel while wandering around doing things.
• If neither of the above conditions apply, Alt+Pageup is sent to the computer as usual.

Known Issues

The following issues are known and may be encountered during use of the application with these JAWS scripts. These issues may be fixed in a future update to the scripts or to the application itself.

Typing the JAWS SayLine command twice in quick succession will not cause JAWS to spell list entries in some cases. This is true with or without these scripts.

JAWS may sometimes fail to see off-screen model (OSM) text at least under Windows 10. Restarting JAWS sometimes fixes this. While JAWS is unable to see OSM text though, several things will not likely work correctly, including

• Announcement of the status line on Insert+PgDn.
• Commands for reading and changing your status (online, away, etc.).
• Parts of the announcement of Contacts, Recents, etc., list entries.
• The announcement of tab names such as Contacts and Trending Channels.

Zello 1.22 allows popup notifications when messages are being transmitted or received, but these popup notifications are completely inaccessible to screen readers and are probably best left disabled (unchecked in Zello Options). This advice needs to be re-examined under Zello 2.4.0.0 or later.

This author has found the following problems in Zello 1.17 that did not appear in Zello 1.16 (this list needs to be re-examined under Zello 2.4.0.0 or later):

• There is no easy way to stop the playing of a stream of messages from history once it has been started.
• Disconnecting from a channel and then reconnecting does not cause the existing channel history to go away, but it does cause Zello to forget that any messages not played before disconnect remain unplayed, at least for the purposes of showing an unplayed message count. For example, if Zello showed "63" for the number of unplayed messages in a channel, disconnecting and reconnecting to the channel will cause that number to go away. Any new unplayed messages will start the count over at 1. The original 63 messages do remain unplayed however, and they can still be played from history.
• Clicking a channel's unplayed message count after the above has occurred will begin playing the wrong message while still marking the correct one as Played.

Revision History

This is the revision history of these scripts, most recent revision first:

Revision 160, released February 03, 2021, tested against application version 2.6.0.0

• The minimum JAWS version is now 17.0 rather than 14.0.
• There are minor code updates to improve support for JAWS 2021.
• Tab and Shift+Tab can now reach chat input edit and message history windows in a text chat screen.

Revision 156, released October 05, 2020, tested against application version 2.4.0.0

• Many script commands now have multi-key sequence versions that are less likely to conflict with a Zello native keystroke and that may be easier for some users with motor coordination difficulties.
• The scripts may recognize the Application key on keyboards where this was not previously the case.
• The sequence [ L places a Zello activity log on the Windows clipboard. This feature is meant primarily for diagnostic use during script development. Ctrl+Shift+L actually did this in older script versions but was not documented and no longer does this.
• A "directives" text file is included that provides information on how to install this set of scripts manually. See "Handling Directives Files" in the "Common Script Elements" document for further information.
• The JAWS configuration file for Zello, zello.jcf, is no longer overwritten during a script installation or update; rather, the script-managed settings are inserted into it as needed by the installer, so that any other user settings are not removed. This is also true of the graphics label file, zello.jgf. Users who need to install the scripts manually without running the installer should consult the directives file just mentioned for information on how to handle these changes.
• Screen readers respond better to activation of Table of Contents links in this document, keystroke names in this document are more consistent, the script release notes are incorporated instead of being separate, and there are other minor documentation improvements.
• Fixed a rare cross-project bug that could cause JAWS to speak or Braille out-of-date information about the current screen. For technical details on the bug and fix, refer to The JAWS Script Cache Life Cycle (CLC) Bug and Resolution. It is not known whether this bug ever affected these scripts in particular.
• There are significant internal code updates affecting how fields are named.
• The installer contains version and product information visible from the Details tab in Windows Explorer, to better identify its contents.
• Source code to the scripts is no longer included. See my Script Distribution Policy document for details. As one side effect, this will cause installation to run much faster.
• The messages for these scripts are now distributed in XML rather than jsm files so that translators can create translations with no need for script source recompilation. See the Script Translation Procedure document for details on how to translate these scripts, including how to update the XML message file.

Revision 135, released September 26, 2018

This revision supports Zello 1.86 and JAWS 2019 public beta, requires JAWS 14 or later, and includes numerous code upgrades and some bug fixes. Details:

• The oldest supported JAWS version is now 14.0 instead of 12.0. This permits use of newer script language features. Accordingly, much code is updated to use newer techniques and functions.
• The jsm files are updated, which will be important to any script translators.
• The scripts and installer support JAWS versions up through the public beta of JAWS 2019 as of this writing (September, 2018).
• When focus is lost on the close of a window, the scripts restore it if possible to the visible list control in the foreground window. This happens, for example, when Esc is used to close a profile, online user list, etc., and return to a main-screen list such as Contacts.
• When a new dialog appears, such as a profile, the scripts properly set focus to it so focus is not lost.
• Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab work properly instead of missing all but the first two tabs, and JAWS announces the tab name correctly on a tab switch.
• Searching for the first user (non channel) in the Contacts list will no longer stop on a channel whose password is incorrect.
• Drives D and E along with C are tried when the installer needs to find JAWS but is not allowed to read the registry. This is a rare issue and is not often if ever found outside of corporate settings.

Revision 117, released October 14, 2017

This update comes after a long silence (since March, 2013), during which there were a few updates to Zello itself and the release of several major upgrades to JAWS. I stopped working on these Zello scripts in 2013 first because of the number of serious Zello bugs I encountered starting in 2012 and the fact that new releases of Zello were introducing new bugs; and then because I detected very little community interest in Zello scripts. Zello's popularity increased suddenly in 2017 as Zello became a popular application for helping with Texas hurricane relief efforts, but I still detected no interest in Zello scripts in the blind community until October.

Warning: I still regard Windows Zello as buggy, based on brief tests I ran in August, 2017. However, I provide this script update in case it is useful. For examples of bugs I initially saw in 2012, some of which I believe still exist, visit my PC Zello 1.17 Bug List page.

Included updates in this script revision:

• The oldest JAWS version supported is now JAWS 12.0.
• The scripts are now intended to support Zello 1.77.
• The installer is now Nullsoft instead of Inno Setup.
• JAWS 2018 is supported by the installer.

Revision 102, released March 29, 2013

This is an update to support Zello 1.30. Features and notes:

• Contact and participant lists are recognized in Zello 1.30 as they were in 1.22 and earlier. This makes Ctrl+arrows and other things work as expected in Zello 1.30.
• Zello 1.30 does not allow the Tab and Shift+Tab keys to reach the contact list. With the scripts running, a workaround is to Alt+Tab out of and then back into Zello. The scripts will place focus on the contact list when you return to Zello in this way.

Revision 101, released November 29, 2012

This release contains a few documentation updates for Zello 1.22. Also, channels with an invalid password count in searches as disconnected channels. This means you can use Ctrl with arrows to find channels whose passwords need updating.

Revision 93, released July 29, 2012

This is another fairly major update and addresses some issues in Zello 1.18 and 1.19.

Enhancements and fixes:

• The Application key now opens context menus in Contacts, Recents, and a channel participant list, all of which stopped working natively in Zello 1.18 and 1.19.
• JAWS better announces contact list items. New items announced include
  • Contact status for non-channel list entries, based on the actual status icon. The posted status message is of course still announced as well when it is different from the icon.
  • Full-length status messages regardless of whether they are cut short on screen.
  • Clearer indication of new messages, still including the message count.
  • The word "channel" for channel list entries.
  Similar improvements are included for the participant lists for channels.
• Invisible tab controls no longer cause tab page announcement on Insert+T. This fixes, for example, the inclusion of "page is Contacts" in sign-in screens.
• Unlabeled graphic icons no longer cause speech.
• Focus no longer stays on invisible windows but moves to visible ones when possible. This causes 'Forgot your password?' to get focus during auto signin and prevents focus loss on signin errors and other situations.
• Space is no longer announced in outgoing text alert edit boxes when JAWS is in a typing echo mode other than Characters.
• Insert+PgDn works more often to read the Zello status line.
• More sign-in-time messages speak, though the actual "Signing in..." message still doesn't.

Revision 77, released June 23, 2012

This is a fairly major update and the first script version that includes features specifically aimed at Zello 1.17. These scripts still work with Zello 1.16 as well.

New features and fixes:

• When focus switches from another application into Zello, JAWS will land in a list control if one is available instead of always moving to the "Push to talk" button. This facilitates movement among users and channels.
• Tab and Shift+Tab work in the dialog that pops up when a call alert comes in.
• When you send a call alert to a contact, JAWS will announce when it successfully sends. If it is an invalid request, such as when you try sending to an offline contact, JAWS will announce this also. Note that there remain some types of failures that JAWS may not announce however..
• Typing letters in a list, such as Contacts, will do an incremental search and land on the next list entry beginning with what has been typed. You can, for example, quickly type "ec" to find the Echo user (if that user is in your contacts).
• The search always starts at the first list entry though, not the current entry. This may be fixed in a future release, but it is caused by a peculiarity of Zello itself.
• Incoming authorization requests immediately speak on arrival, including the name of the user making the request.
• When people join or leave a channel while you are focused on the channel's entry in the Contacts list, JAWS will say how many people joined or left instead of repeating the channel's list entry.
• If you leave focus in the list of participants in a channel, JAWS will announce the names of people joining or leaving.
• Ctrl+Shift+P, the script command for playing the next unread message, works in the Recents tab as well as in the Contacts tab. It also works in history lists and moves to a message as it starts playing.
• Ctrl+Shift+E failed to function properly for some users due to the appearance of a "Resize" icon for the Zello window too close to the status line. This should now be fixed.

Revision 51, released June 11, 2012

Heads Up: Ctrl+Shift+A, the keystroke that announced the number of pending authorization requests, is now Ctrl+Shift+E. This change conforms to Zello's actual intentions: The count is really the number of pending events of any kind. Currently the only type of event supported in Windows Zello is authorization requests, but the script author expects text alerts eventually to be included there.

This update includes the following enhancements:

• The manual includes much more information on how to use Zello with the scripts.
• The scripts cause F7, the default Zello transmit key, not to speak its name repeatedly when typed from within Zello or even from within any other application.
• Ctrl+Shift+A is now Ctrl+Shift+E as explained above.
• There is a system for searching your contact list for various types of entries: Use Ctrl+Left/right to switch among types of searches and Ctrl+Up/down to search using the current search type. This system allows you quickly to locate channels and users with unread messages, channels that have been disconnected, the user or channel currently in solo mode if any, and the first user in your contact list, below all the channels. The manual describes this system in more detail.
• Ctrl+Shift+P from the contact list starts playing missed messages from the selected channel or user. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+P while a message is playing stops that one and starts the next one, which facilitates rapid skimming of new messages.
• Ctrl+Shift+W launches the Zello script home page in your default browser, which can be handy for checking for script updates. This command also sends information about your running JAWS version, Zello version, script revision, etc., to the web site so the script author can better know what configurations to support with the scripts.

This script update also includes a few experimental features, disabled by default but accessible via special hotkeys. These are described in the manual. The experimental features currently included allow you to hear user and channel names when people talk, hear which channel you are sending to before you start speaking, and use certain wireless headsets to start/stop transmission or review unplayed messages without having to use the keyboard. A link to the manual appears near the top of this page.

Revision 25, released May 29, 2012

Several features added:

• Much more complete help accessible via a double press of JAWSKey+F1, including a whole section on basic PC Zello usage.
• Ctrl+Shift+S reads the user's current status, and a double press allows the user to update it.
• Ctrl+Shifft+A does the same for any pending authorization requests.
• Ctrl+Tab and Ctrl+Shift+Tab switch among tabs in the main window, and JAWSKey+T (the SayWindowTitle command) includes the active page name.
• Improved announcement of prompt information in the initial account creation screen.
• More buttons say "button" instead of saying no control type. The sign-in screen contains examples.
• An intuitive process for changing Zello hotkeys: Press Space to start or cancel the changing of a hotkey. (Normally this would have required mouse clicks.)
• Silencing of extra announcements of "ListView" during arrowing through list controls like the Contact list.

Revision 4, released May 25, 2012

Initial release version with the following features:

• Silencing of F7, the default push-to-talk key.
• Better naming and spoken information for many controls in the Options pages.
• An indication of which Options page is currently active (just that page's button says "Pressed" when focused).