Releases: daisy/ace-gui
Ace by DAISY App v1.1.2
This is version 1.1.2
of the Ace by DAISY App, the official graphical user interface for the EPUB accessibility checker developed by the DAISY Consortium. The Ace App is available for the Windows, MacOS and Linux desktop operating systems.
Release Notes - Summary
Here is a list of notable changes since the previous release:
- Fixed support for EPUB accessibility metadata link "rel" attribute (was "property").
- Updated the DAISY Knowledge Base to include the accessibility metadata fix as well.
- Fixed a Windows bug related to corrupted zip directory entries (backslash path separators)
- Upgraded several application dependencies (NPM packages).
Known Issues
Same as the previous release
Further Information
Documentation about the core projects (command line, HTTP interface, etc.) is available at the Ace support website. There is a dedicated subsection for Ace App.
The Inclusive Publishing hub provides useful guidance as well as higher-level marketing material.
Developers are encouraged to check the project homepage to learn more, as well as the GitHub Wiki pages.
Installation
- MacOS: download the DMG file, open it, and drag the
Ace by DAISY.app
file into your Applications folder. - Windows: download the NSIS installer, and follow the step-by-step instructions.
- Linux: download the AppImage file, and double-click the icon to immediately start using the application. Alternatively, you may download the Debian package to install the app via your package manager (e.g.
sudo apt install ace-gui_1.1.2_amd64.deb
).
Developer Notes
The source code for this ace-gui
release is tagged as v1.1.2
. Under the hood, the latest pre-release build of Ace is used (version v1.2.0-beta.x
). The Ace App is therefore based on a special code branch of the core Ace project, which satisfies the technical requirements of the desktop graphical user interface. This branch includes an up to date version of Axe.
More information in this developer-oriented wiki page.
Ace by DAISY App v1.1.1
This is version 1.1.1
of the Ace by DAISY App, the official graphical user interface for the EPUB accessibility checker developed by the DAISY Consortium. The Ace App is available for the Windows, MacOS and Linux desktop operating systems.
Release Notes - Summary
Here is a list of notable changes since the previous release:
schema:accessibilityHazard
is a required metadata in EPUB- the DAISY Knowledge Base URL for accessibility metadata has changed
- updated application dependencies (various NPM packages)
Known Issues
Same as the previous release
Further Information
Documentation about the core projects (command line, HTTP interface, etc.) is available at the Ace support website. There is a dedicated subsection for Ace App.
The Inclusive Publishing hub provides useful guidance as well as higher-level marketing material.
Developers are encouraged to check the project homepage to learn more, as well as the GitHub Wiki pages.
Installation
- MacOS: download the DMG file, open it, and drag the
Ace by DAISY.app
file into your Applications folder. - Windows: download the NSIS installer, and follow the step-by-step instructions.
- Linux: download the AppImage file, and double-click the icon to immediately start using the application. Alternatively, you may download the Debian package to install the app via your package manager (e.g.
sudo apt install ace-gui_1.1.1_amd64.deb
).
Developer Notes
The source code for this ace-gui
release is tagged as v1.1.1
. Under the hood, the latest pre-release build of Ace is used (version v1.2.0-beta.x
). The Ace App is therefore based on a special code branch of the core Ace project, which satisfies the technical requirements of the desktop graphical user interface. This branch includes an up to date version of Axe.
More information in this developer-oriented wiki page.
Ace by DAISY App v1.1.0
This is version 1.1.0
of the Ace by DAISY App, the official graphical user interface for the EPUB accessibility checker developed by the DAISY Consortium. The Ace App is available for the Windows, MacOS and Linux desktop operating systems.
Release Notes - Summary
Here is a list of notable changes since the previous release:
- Major new feature: editor for accessibility metadata, with built-in validation, auto suggestions for easy input, linking into listed metadata violations, incremental workflow to edit and run Ace evaluations, and final EPUB zipping when done. Documentation: https://github.com/daisy/ace-gui/wiki/Metadata-Editor
- Updated version of Ace (core) with notable bugfixes: incorrect accessibility metadata reporting, and validator timeout.
- Like the MacOS app, the Windows installer is now also code-signed, which means that the security warning messages do not appear anymore when installing Ace App.
- Updated DAISY Knowledge Base.
- Removed the disrupting and unnecessary "check epub?" OK/CANCEL confirmation dialog, when launching the app via a command line argument, or drag-n-drop of publications onto the app icon, or "open with" from file explorer / finder, etc.
- Fixed issues in the bottom message panel.
Known Issues
schema:accessibilityHazard
is a required metadata in EPUB- the DAISY Knowledge Base URL for accessibility metadata has changed
(both issues are fixed in the automated builds available at https://github.com/daisy/ace-gui/releases )
Same as the previous release
Further Information
Documentation about the core projects (command line, HTTP interface, etc.) is available at the Ace support website. There is a dedicated subsection for Ace App.
The Inclusive Publishing hub provides useful guidance as well as higher-level marketing material.
Developers are encouraged to check the project homepage to learn more, as well as the GitHub Wiki pages.
Installation
- MacOS: download the DMG file, open it, and drag the
Ace by DAISY.app
file into your Applications folder. - Windows: download the NSIS installer, and follow the step-by-step instructions.
- Linux: download the AppImage file, and double-click the icon to immediately start using the application. Alternatively, you may download the Debian package to install the app via your package manager (e.g.
sudo apt install ace-gui_1.1.0_amd64.deb
).
Developer Notes
The source code for this ace-gui
release is tagged as v1.1.0
. Under the hood, the latest pre-release build of Ace is used (version v1.2.0-beta.x
). The Ace App is therefore based on a special code branch of the core Ace project, which satisfies the technical requirements of the desktop graphical user interface. This branch includes an up to date version of Axe.
More information in this developer-oriented wiki page.
Ace by DAISY App v1.0.1
This is version 1.0.1
of the Ace by DAISY App, the official graphical user interface for the EPUB accessibility checker developed by the DAISY Consortium. The Ace App is available for the Windows, MacOS and Linux desktop operating systems.
Release Notes - Summary
Here is a list of notable changes since the previous release:
- Fixed a bug related to
dcterms:conformsTo
metadata which was crashing the report view
Known Issues
Same as the previous release
Further Information
Documentation about the core projects (command line, HTTP interface, etc.) is available at the Ace support website. There is a dedicated subsection for Ace App.
The Inclusive Publishing hub provides useful guidance as well as higher-level marketing material.
Developers are encouraged to check the project homepage to learn more, as well as the GitHub Wiki pages.
Installation
- MacOS: download the DMG file, open it, and drag the
Ace by DAISY.app
file into your Applications folder. - Windows: download the NSIS installer, and follow the step-by-step instructions. Please ignore the security warning messages, they are due to the application not being signed yet.
- Linux: download the AppImage file, and double-click the icon to immediately start using the application. Alternatively, you may download the Debian package to install the app via your package manager (e.g.
sudo apt install ace-gui_1.0.1_amd64.deb
).
Developer Notes
The source code for this ace-gui
release is tagged as v1.0.1
. Under the hood, the latest pre-release build of Ace is used (version v1.2.0-beta.x
). The Ace App is therefore based on a special code branch of the core Ace project, which satisfies the technical requirements of the desktop graphical user interface. This branch includes an up to date version of Axe.
More information in this developer-oriented wiki page.
Ace by DAISY App v1.0.0
This is version 1.0.0
of the Ace by DAISY App, the official graphical user interface for the EPUB accessibility checker developed by the DAISY Consortium. The Ace App is available for the Windows, MacOS and Linux desktop operating systems.
Release Notes - Summary
Here is a list of notable changes since the previous release:
- Added Spanish and Portuguese localizations, see contributor credits in the localization wiki page.
- Updated Axe to version 3.4.0, which now supports Spanish and Portuguese languages (same contributors).
- The application now starts with the operating system's language, fallback to English if the locale is not supported.
- The DAISY Knowledge Base links now correctly reflect Axe's latest set of evaluation rules.
- Added EPUB file extension associations, so that users can double-click on publications, or "open with" from file explorer, or drag and drop onto the application icon.
- Fixed filesystem issues related to the Ace log file, which is now uniquely allocated to Ace App (i.e. does not collide with Ace CLI anymore). Older log files are automatically cleaned up to avoid cluttering the logging folder.
- Fixed a timing issue with some EPUB documents which was causing empty Ace reports.
- Improved drag-and-drop support (better visual feedback)
- Various user interface tweaks and screen reader accessibility improvements. For more information, see the additional change log below:
Release Notes - Full Change Log
Here is an additional list of notable updates since the previous release:
- The user-chosen language is now reflected correctly in the root of the HTML user interface.
- When the locale is changed, an already-loaded report is re-generated.
- Improved semantic role for user interface landmarks (accessibility improvement).
- Screen reader now receives polite ARIA live region notifications to display logging messages.
- During multiple, successive accessibility evaluations, the state of the report table view is now reset properly (e.g. pagination).
- The top menu bar has been fixed (some commands were failing to execute properly).
- Fixed Axe
failureSummary
which was incorrectly forcing English language. - Fixed path issues with EPUB publication resources that use URI percent-encoding in ZIP filenames.
- Fixed Electron/Chromium storage cleanup issue during application shutdown (content cache, HTTP server)
- Added "nightly builds" / continuous integration and deployment of latest code (i.e. pre-release Ace App downloads)
- Electron updated to the latest version (v7), which bundles a newer version of Chromium (the web browser engine which executes the Axe accessibility checks).
- Updated the Ace (core) lib to its latest pre-release build.
- Developer tools are now provided to manage localizations, verify code usage of translated labels (i.e. to help contributors create and maintain the JSON resources).
- Developer debugging workflow improved thanks to tighter tools and sourcemap inclusion, "web inspector", React and Redux plugins, DevTron and Axe-based React UI accessibility checker, and Visual Studio Code debugger integration.
- Updated Ace unit tests, notably: the Electron Axe runner (unlike the Puppeteer one) handles XML / XHTML publication resources correctly.
Known Issues
Please use the issue tracker to report problems, suggest features, etc.
The most notable caveats in this release are:
- The Windows installer is not "signed" yet, therefore security warnings are displayed at installation time. The MacOS app is code-signed using a DAISY certificate, as well as "notarized" by Apple, therefore passes the operating system's trust checks. Support for Windows signing is work-in-progress (should be ready at the next release).
- The user interface layout and the report table are currently not "responsive" (i.e. do not adapt to window dimensions), causing unnecessary scrolling. Fixes to the UI are planned for a future release.
- The accessibility for screen reader users as well as for general keyboard usage is limited (notably: the report table). Development efforts will be put into an upcoming release to address these limitations.
- There are issues with some menu items not being localized in languages other than the operating system's own locale, due to the application framework defaulting to the OS language.
Further Information
Documentation about the core projects (command line, HTTP interface, etc.) is available at the Ace support website. There is a dedicated subsection for Ace App.
The Inclusive Publishing hub provides useful guidance as well as higher-level marketing material.
Developers are encouraged to check the project homepage to learn more, as well as the GitHub Wiki pages.
Installation
- MacOS: download the DMG file, open it, and drag the
Ace by DAISY.app
file into your Applications folder. - Windows: download the NSIS installer, and follow the step-by-step instructions. Please ignore the security warning messages, they are due to the application not being signed yet.
- Linux: download the AppImage file, and double-click the icon to immediately start using the application. Alternatively, you may download the Debian package to install the app via your package manager (e.g.
sudo apt install ace-gui_1.0.0_amd64.deb
).
Developer Notes
The source code for this ace-gui
release is tagged as v1.0.0
. Under the hood, the latest pre-release build of Ace is used (version v1.2.0-beta.x
). The Ace App is therefore based on a special code branch of the core Ace project, which satisfies the technical requirements of the desktop graphical user interface. This branch includes an up to date version of Axe.
More information in this developer-oriented wiki page.
Ace by DAISY App v1.0.0-rc.1
This is the first release candidate of the Ace by DAISY App, the official graphical user interface for the EPUB accessibility checker developed by the DAISY Consortium. The Ace App is available for the Windows, MacOS and Linux desktop operating systems.
Notable Features
- Online/Offline integration of the DAISY Knowledge Base.
- English and French localization.
- Latest Ace and Axe libs.
- Reduced application size (Axe now runs via Electron itself, the Puppeteer dependency has been removed)
- Signed and Notarized DMG for MacOS, using the official DAISY Code Signing Certificate (the Windows NSIS installer will be signed at a later stage).
- Software update notifications.
Known Limitations
Please use the issue tracker to report problems, suggest features, etc. The most notable caveats in this pre-production release are:
- User documentation: lack of step-by-step instructions, in-depth tutorial (only quick-start guide)
- Visual presentation: sub-optimal user interface layout and report rendering (table view needs more "responsive design")
- Accessibility: less-then-ideal support for keyboard usage, and compatibility with screen readers
- Windows: security warnings due to present lack of code signing certificate, missing permissions to access configuration folder
- Multiple, successive evaluations: the state of the report table view is not reset, drag-and-drop support is limited
- Language localization: some menu items are not translated automatically, the platform language is not taken into account when starting the app, and only English and French are currently supported (more information in this wiki page)
General Information
Documentation about the core projects (command line, HTTP interface, etc.) is available at the Ace support website. The Inclusive Publishing hub also provides useful guidance. At this stage, there are few tutorials / step-by-step instruction guides for the Ace App. Please check the project homepage to learn more.
Installation
- MacOS: download the DMG file, open it, and drag the
Ace by DAISY.app
file into your Applications folder. - Windows: download the NSIS installer, and follow the step-by-step instructions. Please ignore the security warning messages, they are due to the application not being signed yet.
- Linux: download the AppImage file, and double-click the icon to immediately start using the application. Alternatively, you may download the Debian package to install the app via your package manager (e.g.
sudo apt install ace-gui_1.0.0-rc.1_amd64.deb
).
Developer Notes
The source code for this ace-gui
release is tagged as v1.0.0-rc.1
. Under the hood, the latest version of Ace is used (v1.1.1
). However, instead of using the official NPM packages, the Ace App is based on a special code branch of the core Ace project, which satisfies the technical requirements of the desktop graphical user interface. This branch includes a slightly more up to date version of Axe.
More information in this developer-oriented wiki page.
Ace for desktop v1.0.0-beta.2
This is an internal release, for testing purposes only.
The application is built from the code at this revision (master
branch):
https://github.com/daisy/ace-gui/tree/3ae781946a7241500aeb4ba19e605fa307bb3a87
...and based on this Ace Core PR:
daisy/ace#229
The main notable new features are:
- Integration of the DAISY Knowledge Base
- English and French localization
- Reduced application size (removed Puppeteer dependency of Ace Core)
Ace for desktop v1.0.0-beta.1
This is an internal beta build of the desktop application for Ace, the accessibility checker for EPUB developed by the DAISY Consortium, for testing purposes only.
Caveat emptor: this is beta software, with known issues and limitations.
Any feedback (comments, feature requests, UI/UX suggestions) is more than welcome!
Changes since the v1.0.0-beta.0 internal beta
Bug Fixes
Export Report
from File menu no longer crashes (e0d1463), closes #26- disable file input areas while processing (802ddf7), closes #24
- open report from dialog (590d2dc), closes #25
- sorting of the 'A11y' column (Metadata tab) (1d48320), closes #28
- typo in the splash screen (286fbb5), closes #16
- update Electron to v2.0.16 to apply security fixes (905a289)
Features
Limitations
- the application code is not signed with a certificate (as a result, the app may appear as "untrusted" on a new install)
- slow load time
- reports cannot be deleted (only closed)
- the history command is disabled
- the message pane needs UI/UX improvements (e.g. it cannot be copied from
Cmd/Ctrl+C
or via a context menu, it cannot be cleared, etc.)
For other known issues and foreseen enhancements, please refer to the issue tracker
Ace for desktop v1.0.0-beta.0
This is the first “internal” beta build of the desktop application for Ace, the accessibility checker for EPUB developed by the DAISY Consortium.
WARNING: this is beta software targeted at a small group of testers and advanced users. Please do not publicize it widely (yet ;-)
As usual, any feedback (comments, feature requests, UI/UX suggestions) is more than welcome!
Features
- initial beta release of the Ace GUI
- open EPUB files or folders via menu or drag-and-drop
- runs Ace on the selected EPUBs, and render the report
- alternatively, directly open an existing report
- re-run Ace on the current EPUB
- export the current report to a Zip archive
For known issues and foreseen enhancements, please refer to the issue tracker