Link to build:

https://ci.appveyor.com/project/NVAccess/nvda/builds/45276333/tests

System test logs:

alpha27093 commit f6745056-SymbolsTestFailures-systemTestResult.zip

Failures:

• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.moveByWord
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.moveByCharacter
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.delayedCharacterDescriptions
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.selectionByWord
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.selectionByLine
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.tableHeaderSymbols
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.selectionByCharacter
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.symbolInSpeechUI
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow
• Robot.symbolPronunciationTests.moveByLine
  • Error message: Didn't return to the first item with left arrow

Investigation:

• Since there are multiple failures with the same error message it is best to start by investigating the first. From the robot framework log, this was: symbolPronunciationTests.symbolInSpeechUI
• Screenshot shows the task switcher active, with chrome, docker desktop user survey, notepad and appveyor build agent in that order.
• Robot log shows that the task switcher was opened, then the left arrow was pressed.
• The "first item speech" was: "Welcome to Chrome Google Chrome column 1"
• The test then fails with "Didn't return to the first item with left arrow"
• Looking at the logic in tests.system.libraries.WindowsLib.taskSwitchToItemMatching the pattern used is firstItemPattern = _re.compile(r"row 1\s+column 1")

Note:

• The actual speech for the first item includes the column number but not the row number.
• Only changed row/columns are reported.
• This pattern is required to detect when there is only one item in the task switcher.
• Looking at the logic in taskSwitchToItemMatching, the title of the item at column 2 could be considered before moving on.
• It isn't clear whether it will always be faster to move forward through the list or backwards:
  • In cases like this, notepad is the third item, forwards would be faster.
  • Hypothetical case (not yet confirmed to be fixed) for chrome: Already the foreground, but NVDA needs another foreground event to inject. Going backwards would be faster.
• The tests should also cater to a prior test failing and leaving the task switcher open, in this case a subsequent press of control+alt+tab will move the selection forward, to column 3.