Add touch based web element navigation in browse mode

source/globalCommands.py

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Copyright (C) 2006-2025 NV Access Limited, Peter Vágner, Aleksey Sadovoy, Rui Batista, Joseph Lee,
 # Leonard de Ruijter, Derek Riemer, Babbage B.V., Davy Kager, Ethan Holliger, Łukasz Golonka, Accessolutions,
 # Julien Cochuyt, Jakub Lukowicz, Bill Dengler, Cyrille Bougot, Rob Meredith, Luke Davis,
-# Burman's Computer and Education Ltd, Cary-rowen.
+# Burman's Computer and Education Ltd, Cary-rowen, Kefas Lungu.
 
 import itertools
 from typing import (
@@ -4662,6 +4662,108 @@ def script_touch_rightClick(self, gesture):
 		winUser.setCursorPos(x, y)
 		self.script_rightMouseClick(gesture)
 
+	webElements = (
+		"default",
+		"link",
+		"button",
+		"form field",
+		"heading",
+		"frame",
+		"table",
+		"list",
+		"graphic",
+		"landmark",
+	)
+
+	webBrowseMode = 0
+
+	browseModeCommands = (
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextLink,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousLink,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextButton,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousButton,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextFormField,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousFormField,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextHeading,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousHeading,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextFrame,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousFrame,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextTable,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousTable,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextList,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousList,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextGraphic,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousGraphic,
+		),
+		(
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_nextLandmark,
+			browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor.script_previousLandmark,
+		),
+	)
+
+	@scriptHandler.script(
+		description="Select next web navigation element",
+		gesture="ts(Web):flickDown",
+	)
+	def script_nextWebElement(self, gesture):
+		ti = api.getNavigatorObject().treeInterceptor
+		if not isinstance(ti, browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor):
+			return
+
+		self.webBrowseMode = (self.webBrowseMode + 1) % len(self.webElements)
+		ui.message(self.webElements[self.webBrowseMode])
+
+	@scriptHandler.script(
+		description="Select previous web navigation element",
+		gesture="ts(Web):flickUp",
+	)
+	def script_prevWebElement(self, gesture):
+		ti = api.getNavigatorObject().treeInterceptor
+		if not isinstance(ti, browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor):
+			return
+
+		self.webBrowseMode = (self.webBrowseMode - 1) % len(self.webElements)
+		ui.message(self.webElements[self.webBrowseMode])
+
+	@scriptHandler.script(gesture="ts(Web):flickRight")
+	def script_nextSelectedElement(self, gesture):
+		ti = api.getNavigatorObject().treeInterceptor
+		if not isinstance(ti, browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor):
+			return
+
+		if self.webBrowseMode == 0:
+			self.script_navigatorObject_nextInFlow(gesture)
+		else:
+			nextScript, _ = self.browseModeCommands[self.webBrowseMode - 1]
+			nextScript(ti, gesture)
+
+	@scriptHandler.script(gesture="ts(Web):flickLeft")
+	def script_prevSelectedElement(self, gesture):
+		ti = api.getNavigatorObject().treeInterceptor
+		if not isinstance(ti, browseMode.BrowseModeTreeInterceptor):
+			return
+
+		if self.webBrowseMode == 0:
+			self.script_navigatorObject_previousInFlow(gesture)
+		else:
+			_, prevScript = self.browseModeCommands[self.webBrowseMode - 1]
+			prevScript(ti, gesture)
+
 	@script(
 		# Translators: Describes the command to open the Configuration Profiles dialog.
 		description=_("Shows the NVDA Configuration Profiles dialog"),

source/touchHandler.py

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # A part of NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA)
 # This file is covered by the GNU General Public License.
 # See the file COPYING for more details.
-# Copyright (C) 2012-2025 NV Access Limited, Joseph Lee, Babbage B.V.
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2025 NV Access Limited, Joseph Lee, Babbage B.V., Kefas Lungu
 
 """handles touchscreen interaction.
 Used to provide input gestures for touchscreens, touch modes and other support facilities.
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 import core
 import systemUtils
 from utils import _deprecate
+from treeInterceptorHandler import post_browseModeStateChange
 
 __getattr__ = _deprecate.handleDeprecations(
 	_deprecate.MovedSymbol(
@@ -95,6 +96,31 @@
 POINTER_MESSAGE_FLAG_CANCELED = 0x400
 
 
+def _browseModeStateChange(browseMode=False, interceptor=None, **kwargs):
+	if not handler:
+		return
+
+	webModeName = "web"
+
+	if browseMode:
+		# Entering browse mode
+		if webModeName not in availableTouchModes:
+			availableTouchModes.append(webModeName)
+
+		handler._curTouchMode = webModeName
+
+	else:
+		# Leaving browse mode
+		if webModeName in availableTouchModes:
+			availableTouchModes.remove(webModeName)
+
+		if handler._curTouchMode == webModeName:
+			handler._curTouchMode = "object"
+
+
+post_browseModeStateChange.register(_browseModeStateChange)
+
+
 class POINTER_INFO(Structure):
 	_fields_ = [
 		("pointerType", DWORD),

user_docs/en/changes.md

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 * A new command, assigned to `NVDA+x`, has been introduced to repeat the last information spoken by NVDA; pressing it twice shows it in a browseable message. (#625, @CyrilleB79)
 * Added an unassigned command to toggle keyboard layout. (#19211, @CyrilleB79)
 * Added an unassigned Quick Navigation Command for jumping to next/previous slider in browse mode. (#17005, @hdzrvcc0X74)
+* Added touch based navigation of web elements in browse mode, allowing touch screen users to move between links, headings, form fields, landmarks and other structural elements. (#3424, #19414, @kefaslungu)
 
 ### Changes
 

user_docs/en/userGuide.md

@@ -599,13 +599,13 @@ Therefore, gestures such as 2-finger flick up and 4-finger flick left are all po
 #### Touch Modes {#TouchModes}
 
 As there are many more NVDA commands than possible touch gestures, NVDA has several touch modes you can switch between which make certain subsets of commands available.
-The two modes are text mode and object mode.
+The three modes are text mode, object mode and web mode.
 Certain NVDA commands listed in this document may have a touch mode listed in brackets after the touch gesture.
 For example, flick up (text mode) means that the command will be performed if you flick up, but only while in text mode.
 If the command does not have a mode listed, it will work in any mode.
 
 <!-- KC:beginInclude -->
-To toggle touch modes, perform a 3-finger tap.
+To switch between touch modes, perform a 3-finger tap.
 <!-- KC:endInclude -->
 
 #### Touch keyboard {#TouchKeyboard}
@@ -1050,6 +1050,33 @@ If you want to use these while still being able to use your cursor keys to read
 To toggle single letter navigation on and off for the current document, press NVDA+shift+space.
 <!-- KC:endInclude -->
 
+#### Touch Navigation in Browse Mode {#BrowseModeTouch}
+
+When using a touch enabled device, NVDA provides an additional touch navigation mode for browsing web content.
+
+When browse mode is active in supported documents such as web pages, NVDA can expose a Web touch mode. This mode allows users to navigate structural elements of a document using touch gestures, similar to browse mode navigation with the keyboard.
+
+In Web touch mode, flick gestures are used to move between common web elements such as links, buttons, headings, form fields, landmarks, and other document structures.
+
+This feature is intended to provide touch users with efficient, structured navigation that mirrors existing browse mode functionality.
+
+##### Touch gestures in Web mode
+
+<!-- KC:beginInclude -->
+
+| Gesture     | Description                                          |
+| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
+| Flick down  | Switches to the next web navigation element type     |
+| Flick up    | Switches to the previous web navigation element type |
+| Flick right | Moves to the next element of the selected type       |
+| Flick left  | Moves to the previous element of the selected type   |
+
+<!-- KC:endInclude -->
+
+When any element type is selected, flicking left or right moves through the document in reading order, while flicking up and down selects different element.
+
+Web touch mode is only available when browse mode is active and does not affect touch navigation outside of browse mode documents.
+
 #### Text paragraph navigation command {#TextNavigationCommand}
 
 You can jump to the next or previous text paragraph by pressing `p` or `shift+p`.