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NVDA Settings for Coding
The three NVDA settings I change when I write code, and why each one matters.
When I read code with NVDA, I need to hear more detail than I do when reading normal text. These are the three settings I change first.
1. Hear all symbols
Set the symbol level to all:
- Quick way: press the NVDA modifier key, usually
Insert, plusP. Each press moves to the next level, none, some, most and all, so keep pressing until you hear "all". - From the NVDA menu: press the NVDA modifier key plus
N, then go to Preferences -> Settings -> Speech and set the symbol level to all.
Programming syntax depends on symbols. Hearing them helps me understand the code and catch a missing brace, parenthesis, colon, or other character.
2. Hear indentation
Press the NVDA modifier key plus N, then go to Preferences -> Settings -> Document Formatting and set line indentation to speech.
Spoken indentation helps me follow the structure of a file. It is especially important in Python, where indentation defines code blocks.
3. Hear capital letters
Press the NVDA modifier key plus N, then go to Preferences -> Settings -> Speech and select the checkbox for "Say cap before capitals."
Knowing when a letter is capitalized helps when I read, write, and debug names that use different capitalization.