We have reached the final post in this detailed Leasey 11.5 series.
Over the past posts, we have looked closely at individual features. Each of those deserved its own space.
But a major update is not only made from the features which can easily carry a whole blog post.
Sometimes the smaller things matter just as much.
They are the details which make a feature easier to learn. They are the refinements which remove friction. They are the extra commands which solve a practical problem. They are the accessibility touches which may not sound dramatic in a feature list, but which make the experience feel more thoughtful every day.
So, to close the series, this post is about those things.
The smaller changes.
The helpful additions.
The improved tools.
The finishing touches.
Because in software, little things really can mean a lot.
Context Sensitive Help Across the New Apps.
Context Sensitive Help has been part of JAWS for a very long time.
For decades, JAWS users have been able to press Insert+F1, or Caps Lock+F1 when using the JAWS laptop layout, to receive help about the current control or situation.
The idea is simple but powerful.
You do not always want to leave the application, open a manual, search for the right section, and then work out which part applies to where you are.
Sometimes you want help for the thing currently under focus.
Leasey 11.5 brings that idea strongly into the new Leasey apps described throughout this series.
Each app has Context Sensitive Help applied.
Focus on a control, press the Context Sensitive Help key, and a Leasey Help window opens. The help is shown in a read-only edit field, so it can be reviewed with the arrow keys. Press Escape to close the window.
This is intentionally similar in spirit to how Vispero would provide JAWS help for controls. It is concise, practical and tied to the place where the user is working.
The help is not generated by an automated tool.
That matters.
These messages have been written by a real trainer so that they explain the purpose of the control and give useful working instructions.
For example, if you are focused in the tree view of LeaseyNotes, the help explains that this is the Notes tree view, identifies the selected note, tells you how to move through notes and categories, how to open and close branches, how to open a note in read-only view, how to move to the note text, how to copy the note text, rename or delete a note, move it to a category, assign it to an additional category, and open item commands.
That is not a vague description.
It is practical training at the point of need.
If you are replying to a post in LeaseySocial, Context Sensitive Help can tell you who you are replying to, how many characters you have typed, how many remain, how to move and select text, how to use Leasey selection commands, how to spell check, how to use account completion, how to use ChatGPT Text Tools, and how to send depending on your chosen setting.
That is very useful because social media composition involves more than simply typing words. There may be character counts, account completion, spell checking, ChatGPT assistance and different send settings.
If you are focused in the Podcast episodes list in LeaseyMedia Centre, the help explains how to move through episodes, that new episodes and played progress are included in the list text when available, how to play an episode, how to copy the episode title, and how to return to the feed list.
Again, this is exactly the sort of help people need.
Not a theory of the application.
Not a generic description.
A short explanation of how to work with the thing currently in focus.
We hope this becomes one of the quiet strengths of Leasey 11.5.
There is a lot to learn in this update. Context Sensitive Help gives users a way to learn while working, without having to hold every command in memory at once.
Improved Guidance Tools.
Several Leasey features which previously used browser-based views now have more direct Leasey interfaces.
This matters because a browser can be a very good place for some tasks, but it is not always the most comfortable place for a focused utility.
If the user wants to transcribe audio, upload a document to ChatGPT, create an image or convert Markdown, the interface should be clear, keyboard-friendly and predictable.
Leasey 11.5 moves several of these tools in that direction.
Transcribing Audio to Text.
The Transcribe audio to text feature is no longer displayed in a browser.
When launched, you can Tab through the controls.
There is an Audio file path edit field. A full path can be pasted there, which could have been copied from File Explorer, or of course Leasey File Manager, and pasted with Control+V.
There is also a Browse button if you prefer to choose the file that way.
Two radio buttons allow you to choose between Transcript with speaker separation and Plain transcript.
Finally, there is a Transcribe button.
Progress messages are given during the file upload. When the transcript is ready, Leasey tells you. An edit field is then available containing the transcript.
You can copy the transcript or save it as a text file in a location of your choosing.
This is a cleaner experience.
The user selects the file, chooses the kind of transcript, starts the process, receives progress information, and then has the result in an edit field which can be read, copied or saved.
Audio translation from a language other than English uses an interface which is identical in style to the audio transcription tool, so the workflow remains familiar.
Uploading Documents to ChatGPT.
Upload Document to ChatGPT is also no longer displayed in a browser.
When launched, the dialog contains a Document file path edit field. As with audio transcription, a full path can be pasted from File Explorer or Leasey File Manager.
There is also a Browse button.
When the document is ready, Leasey advises you. An edit field is available where you can type your question and press Enter.
When the response is received, JAWS says, "Answer Ready."
You can then read the answer in the edit field.
Other controls include Clear, Copy Answer and Save Exchange. Save Exchange saves the entire question and answer session to a location of your choosing.
This is a useful improvement because document analysis should feel like a task in its own right, not like a detour.
The workflow is simple:
Choose the document.
Ask the question.
Read the answer.
Copy it or save the exchange if needed.
Creating Images with ChatGPT.
Image creation via ChatGPT has also moved away from a browser display.
When launched, you are presented with two edit fields.
The first asks for the file name you would like.
The second asks for a detailed description of the image.
A combo box allows you to choose from predetermined image sizes: Square at 1024 by 1024 pixels, Portrait at 1024 by 1536 pixels, or Landscape at 1536 by 1024 pixels.
A Submit button follows.
Once the image has been generated, a Save button allows you to save it to the computer in a location of your choosing.
This makes the feature feel more like a practical tool.
Name the file, describe the image, choose the size, submit, and save.
Markdown Conversion.
Leasey has, for many years, included features to help create Markdown documents through a wizard, including formatting, bulleted and numbered lists, and tables.
In Leasey 11.5, the Markdown Converter is available from the Markdown menu.
It serves two purposes.
First, it can convert a Markdown document to Microsoft Word format.
That is more valuable than it may sound.
Markdown conversion is not only about moving text from one format to another. The output needs to be properly structured. Headings should become headings. Lists should become lists. Tables should be correctly formatted for Word.
The aim is that the converted Word document follows sensible formatting rules rather than producing something which visually looks acceptable but is not structurally right.
Second, the Markdown Converter can create an HTML rendering of the Markdown document.
This is particularly useful for blind users because Markdown is a plain text format. It is efficient and powerful, but it does not immediately convey the final visual shape of the document.
An HTML view gives a better appreciation of how the document may look when rendered.
It also opens another possibility. A user could create content for a blog post or web page in Markdown and convert it to HTML.
The interface follows the same clear pattern as the other tools.
Browse to a Markdown file. Choose whether you want Word or HTML. Convert the document. Save the output.
For many users, that is exactly how a utility should behave.
It asks for what it needs, does the job, and gives you the result.
LeaseyMedia Centre Improvements.
Since this blog post series began, further improvements have been made to LeaseyMedia Centre.
One of them is loop-back recording in Sound Control.
Loop-back recording records the audio being played through the selected output device.
This means that if JAWS, system sounds, a browser, or another application is playing through that output, those sounds are included in the recording.
Activate Start loop-back recording to begin.
Activate Pause loop-back recording to pause or resume.
Activate Stop loop-back recording to finish.
The recording is saved using the Recording folder and Recording Format selected in Options.
This is a valuable addition because not all audio someone may want to capture comes from a microphone. Sometimes the audio is already being played by the computer.
LeaseyMedia Centre has also gained support for the .ogg file format for tagging and conversion of audio files.
That gives users another useful audio format in a feature already designed to make media work easier.
LeaseyWord Improvements.
LeaseyWord has also continued to grow during the series.
One important addition is detecting spelling while typing.
When the Space Bar is pressed, JAWS can report the term "Misspelled", play a sound, or do both.
This setting is controlled with the Leasey Key followed by O, which has long been standard practice in Leasey.
This is useful because it gives the user immediate feedback without forcing them into a full spell checking process at that moment.
If you are writing and a word may be wrong, you can be told as you type.
Quick Navigation Keys in LeaseyWord.
LeaseyWord now includes Quick Navigation keys.
This is a JAWS concept many users already know from the virtual cursor or from Microsoft Word documents.
Press Insert+Z or Caps Lock+Z to turn Quick Navigation Mode on or off.
This is a deliberate toggle.
Escape does not turn Quick Navigation off, because Escape is too easy to press by accident.
When Quick Navigation is on, ordinary typing keys in the document edit field become navigation keys. Keys which are not assigned to Quick Navigation commands are ignored, so ordinary characters are not inserted accidentally.
Press the same toggle key again before typing normal text.
When LeaseyWord regains focus after moving away to another window, it reports that Quick Navigation is on. If Quick Navigation is off, LeaseyWord does not speak an extra message when focus returns.
The available Quick Navigation keys are practical and familiar.
P moves to the next paragraph, and Shift+P moves to the previous paragraph.
Space moves to the next page marker if the document has page markers, and Backspace moves to the previous page marker.
H moves to the next heading, and Shift+H moves to the previous heading.
1 through to 6 move to the next heading at that level, and Shift+1 through to Shift+6 move to the previous heading at that level.
B moves to the next bookmark, and Shift+B moves to the previous bookmark.
T moves to the next Markdown table, and Shift+T moves to the previous Markdown table.
M moves to the next misspelling, and Shift+M moves to the previous misspelling.
When a paragraph is found, LeaseyWord speaks the destination text.
When a heading is found, it announces the heading level and heading text.
When a bookmark is found, it announces the bookmark name.
When a Markdown table is found, it announces the word "Table" followed by the first few column names.
When a misspelling is found, LeaseyWord selects it and announces the misspelled word and its letters.
This is a very strong addition because it gives writers and reviewers a fast way to move through a document.
It is especially useful in longer documents, Markdown files and structured text.
Spell Checking Without Opening the Full Dialog.
Quick Navigation also makes spell checking more fluid.
If you are on a selected misspelling and want spelling choices, press the Context Menu key or Shift+F10 while Quick Navigation is still on.
The spelling menu contains suggestions, Ignore, Ignore All and Add to Dictionary.
JAWS reads each spelling suggestion as you move through the menu, and LeaseyWord speaks the letters of that suggestion after a short delay.
Items such as Ignore, Ignore All and Add to Dictionary are not spelled.
This is excellent because users do not necessarily have to enter a full spell checking dialog if they do not wish to do so.
There is also a way of adding a word directly to the spelling dictionary.
To add the focused or selected word to the spelling dictionary, press Control+M.
These are small details, but they matter to people who write a lot.
Spell checking should be available when needed, but it should not always interrupt the flow of writing.
ChatGPT Tools in LeaseyWord.
It is also worth remembering that LeaseyWord includes ChatGPT Tools.
When invoked, they offer a wide range of writing and review options.
These include spell checking text using UK or US English, using the Dictionary, using the Thesaurus, summarising main points, rewriting in a formal tone, simplifying the language, checking grammar, punctuation and style, extracting key points, rewriting for accessibility, rewriting in a friendly and encouraging tone, creating step-by-step instructions, generating FAQs, rewriting for beginners, converting text into a summary email, extracting action items, paraphrasing, rewriting as a short social media post, summarising as a meeting summary, reviewing text and providing constructive feedback, or rewriting as a speech draft.
Each option submits a carefully constructed prompt to ChatGPT so the returned information is clear, accessible and appropriate to the chosen task.
This reinforces a theme we have seen throughout Leasey 11.5.
ChatGPT is not just bolted on.
It is being placed where it can help: in writing, document analysis, social media, spoken conversation, image creation and other practical workflows.
A Much Larger Emoji List.
For many years, Leasey has allowed users to select emoji from a simple list box.
The Windows emoji tool is quite accessible, but some people feel more comfortable with a straightforward list.
Leasey 11.5 broadens the range significantly.
The current Leasey product has just over 100 emoji divided into 10 numbered sections.
Leasey 11.5 now has 465 items divided into 15 numbered sections.
To enter emoji from any application, press the Leasey Key followed by Control+Shift+E.
The sections include smileys, hearts and emotion symbols, hands and gestures, people and accessibility, family and relationships, animals, plants, weather, food and drink, activities, games, sports, music, entertainment, celebration, technology, office, study, travel, places, transport, fantasy, objects and symbols.
The emoji are represented in words under each numbered heading.
Just press Enter on the one you want to insert.
This is another example of Leasey keeping a familiar style while expanding what it can do.
Leasey Database Manager Templates.
Leasey Database Manager now allows a database template to be exported and given to another Leasey user.
This could be extremely valuable.
Not everyone is confident about creating a database from the beginning.
But if a trainer, colleague, friend or support person can create the structure and export the template, another user can start from that ready-made design.
This makes Leasey Database Manager more shareable and more teachable.
It also supports a very practical kind of help.
Someone who understands the process can build a useful structure for someone who needs the result.
LeaseySocial Audio Recording.
LeaseySocial now includes the ability to make an audio recording of a post within the app itself.
The recording can be made in mono or stereo.
That is a natural addition to a social media client, particularly one designed with accessibility and flexibility in mind.
People do not always want to communicate only in text.
Sometimes a spoken post is faster, warmer or more expressive.
Bringing recording directly into the app reduces the need to prepare audio elsewhere and then return to attach it.
A Free Gift for Leasey Users.
To celebrate the LeaseySocial part of Leasey 11.5, Hartgen Consultancy has launched a new Mastodon server instance:
leaseysocial.com
Any current Leasey user is entitled to join the instance if they wish.
This may be especially useful for someone who wants to try Mastodon for the first time, or for someone who would like to move to a new instance.
There is no compulsion to join and no pressure at all.
LeaseySocial should function with any compatible instance. leaseysocial.com is simply available for Leasey users who would like to use it.
The instance provides a 20 thousand character text limit and 8 poll options.
It may also become a way for Leasey users to meet each other.
Anyone interested can contact Hartgen Consultancy for an invitation link.
Documentation and Leasey Quick Steps.
Leasey 11.5 is not only about the software.
Documentation matters too.
All documentation for the new version will be available several days before release. It will be available to read online, and also as downloadable HTML and Microsoft Word files.
Every section of the documentation has been changed in some way.
The new features are described with step-by-step and real-world examples of how they might be used, written in easy-to-understand language.
That is important for two reasons.
First, users should have clear documentation they can read in the form that suits them.
Second, the documentation is fed into Leasey Quick Steps.
That means a user can ask specific questions and receive step-by-step examples based on the documentation.
Each documentation section also now ends with a list of keystrokes described in that section, something users have asked for.
That is a very practical improvement.
When learning software, people often remember the task but not the exact command. A keystroke list at the end of each section makes the documentation easier to review and easier to use as a reference.
Final Thoughts.
Leasey 11.5 is a free upgrade for anyone licensed for Leasey 11.
Given the range of features in this release, we hope that feels generous.
Across this series, we have covered a great deal.
We have looked at major new features, long-established tools which have been redesigned, modernised interfaces, Braille support, speech-friendly workflows, ChatGPT integration, new writing tools, a social media client, media playback and recording, notes, databases, diary entries, file management, menus, contacts and more.
But this final post is a reminder that a software release is also made from the details around those features.
Context Sensitive Help.
Clearer utility windows.
Better Markdown conversion.
More audio options.
Spelling feedback while typing.
Quick Navigation keys.
A larger emoji list.
Database templates.
Audio posts.
Better documentation.
Leasey Quick Steps.
These may not all be headline features on their own, but together they change the feel of the product.
They make it easier to learn.
They make it easier to move around.
They make it easier to write, copy, save, convert, record, ask, check and understand.
They reduce the number of times a user has to leave the Leasey environment to complete a task.
We hope they show the care that has gone into Leasey 11.5.
And that is a fitting place to end this series.
Leasey 11.5 is not only a collection of new features.
It is a broad redesign of how many parts of Leasey feel, behave and support the user.
Some of the changes are large.
Some are small.
But little things mean a lot.