Java Access Bridge

Description:

Java Access Bridge is a technology that exposes the Java Accessibility API in a Microsoft Windows DLL, enabling Java applications and applets that implement the Java Accessibility API to be visible to assistive technologies on Microsoft Windows systems.

In order for existing assistive technologies available on Microsoft Windows systems to provide access to Java applications, they need some way to communicate with Java Accessibility Utilities. Java Access Bridge supports this communication.

Enabling Java Access Bridge

In Windows Vista and later, one can enable Java Access Bridge through the Control Panel:

Go to Start > Control Panel > Ease of Access > Ease of Access Center. Alternatively, press Windows logo key+u to access the Ease of Access Center.
Select Use the computer without a display.
In the section, Other programs installed, select the check box Enable Java Access Bridge (one may have to scroll down).

Note: After enabling Java Access Bridge, one must restart their assistive technology software and Java applications that use the accessibility API.

Installation

If you have installed only one JDK/JRE version 7 or higher, LEAPWORK Studio tunes your Java Access Bridge automatically during installation.
If you have few installed versions of Java, LEAPWORK studio tunes only the default Java Access Bridge on your machine.
To find out a default JDK/JRE version on your machine, perform the next steps:

1. Look at a list of all System Variables and detail information about the Path variable like on the screenshots:
   
   

2. If you have the JAVA_HOME variable in your list of variables then this is your default path to JDK/JRE (Figure 1), if you don’t – your default path will be in the Path variable.

Troubleshooting

1. If you have Java 6 on your machine and other versions of Java before you install LEAPWORK studio you need to ensure that your JAVA_HOME path contains a path to Java 6 because if you don’t, you should install Java Access Bridge manually:

   1. All needed Java Access Bridge files to lie in our installed directory C:/Program Files/LEAPWORK/Studio/JavaAccessBridge, you need just copy these files to the specified destination directories (official documentation):

      1. For Java 6 x86 version on 64-bit Windows:

         1. JavaAccessBridge-32.dll and JAWTAccessBridge-32.dll to:
            C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\bin
            C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\bin\

         2. accessibility.properties to:
            C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\lib\
            C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\lib\

         3. access-bridge-32.jar and jaccess.jar to:
            C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\lib\ext\
            C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre6\lib\ext\

      2. For Java 6 x64 version on 64-bit Windows:

         1. JavaAccessBridge-64.dll and JAWTAccessBridge-64.dll to:
            C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\bin
            C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\

         2. accessibility.properties to:
            C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\lib\
            C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\

         3. access-bridge-64.jar and jaccess.jar to:
            C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\lib\ext\
            C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\ext\

      3. For Java 6 x86 version on 32-bit Windows:

         1. JavaAccessBridge.dll and JAWTAccessBridge.dll to:
            C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\bin
            C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\

         2. accessibility.properties to:
            C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\lib\
            C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\

         3. access-bridge.jar and jaccess.jar to:
            C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.6.0_45\jre\lib\ext\
            C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\ext\

2. How to ensure that your Java Access Bridge is enabled?

   1. Download Java Access Bridge 2.0.2 from the official Oracle web-page;

   2. Start your java based application

   3. start Java-Monkey.exe version depending on your operating system and Java bit level, e.g. for Java 6 x86 on Windows 64-bit you should start Java-Monkey-32.exe

   4. Press File -> Refresh Tree. Java-Monkey will show you a tree of accessible elements

3. Automation Studio is unable to load anything and an hourglass cursor keep on blinking
This issue occurs when the machine installed a few versions of Java. To understand which on of Java versions starts certain Java application you need:

1. Start your Java application, open the Task Manager, add a Command-line column by right click on a mouse, like on the picture as follows:

   2. Look at the full path of started Java application like on the example as follows:

 

  3. C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_201\ - path to your JDK/JRE. If it is Java 6 or lower, you need to ensure what in JDK/JRE folder lie Java Access Bridge files like in Troubleshooting 1 question.

 

If JDK/JRE version 7 or higher you can try to enable Java Bridge manually:

1. Start Command prompt (aka cmd):

 

     2. Execute the next command : "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_201\bin\jabswitch.exe" -enable

Where C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.8.0_201 – path to JDK/JRE.

 

 

For any clarification, please contact our Priority Support.