accessing GUI with TWAPI (was: Accessing GUI of CAD through Tcl/Tk) [TCL]

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From: S-Y. Chen on 13 Dec 2009 11:08

On Dec 13, 1:20 am, APN <palm...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> Here is short sample to start notepad and open the file dialog
>
> (myappdir) 67 % set pid [exec notepad.exe &]
> 1212
> (myappdir) 68 % ::twapi::find_windows -pids [list $pid] -text
> "Untitled - Notepad" -toplevel true
> 0x140524
> (myappdir) 69 % twapi::set_focus 0x140524 ; twapi::send_keys
> {%FOabc.txt{ENTER}}
> 22
>
> (basically sending Alt-F O accelerator followed by name of file and
> ENTER. See documentation of send_keys for key syntax (follows Visual
> Basic syntax for keystrokes). If you can do the whole thing with
> keyboard accelerators, you might try something similar.
>
> For an example of painting with a mouse seehttp://wiki.tcl.tk/20231
>
> However, as others have said, DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. Unless the
> sequence really short and simple, , this way lies madness.
>
> You might try Auto-It for something like this. I have not used it
> extensively but I think it does more under the covers to block other
> input, verify the correct windows have focus etc. With TWAPI, you have
> to do that work yourself using lower level commands.
>
> /Ashok
>

Ashok

Well this helps a lot. I will begin from there. Thanks a lot !!

By the way, is there a way to locate the position of a specific text
(string) on the menu in a window (for example, those File, Edit,
Draw........etc on the menu bar), and then move the mouse there ?

The reason I have to do this, is, well, you may not believe it, but
many of these packages do not even have a short cut key.......

Thanks again

Regards
S-Y. Chen

From: APN on 13 Dec 2009 11:25

On Dec 13, 9:08 pm, "S-Y. Chen" <shenyeh_c...(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Dec 13, 1:20 am, APN <palm...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Here is short sample to start notepad and open the file dialog
>
> > (myappdir) 67 % set pid [exec notepad.exe &]
> > 1212
> > (myappdir) 68 % ::twapi::find_windows -pids [list $pid] -text
> > "Untitled - Notepad" -toplevel true
> > 0x140524
> > (myappdir) 69 % twapi::set_focus 0x140524 ; twapi::send_keys
> > {%FOabc.txt{ENTER}}
> > 22
>
> > (basically sending Alt-F O accelerator followed by name of file and
> > ENTER. See documentation of send_keys for key syntax (follows Visual
> > Basic syntax for keystrokes). If you can do the whole thing with
> > keyboard accelerators, you might try something similar.
>
> > For an example of painting with a mouse seehttp://wiki.tcl.tk/20231
>
> > However, as others have said, DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. Unless the
> > sequence really short and simple, , this way lies madness.
>
> > You might try Auto-It for something like this. I have not used it
> > extensively but I think it does more under the covers to block other
> > input, verify the correct windows have focus etc. With TWAPI, you have
> > to do that work yourself using lower level commands.
>
> > /Ashok
>
> Ashok
>
> Well this helps a lot. I will begin from there. Thanks a lot !!
>
> By the way, is there a way to locate the position of a specific text
> (string) on the menu in a window (for example, those File, Edit,
> Draw........etc on the menu bar), and then move the mouse there ?
>
> The reason I have to do this, is, well, you may not believe it, but
> many of these packages do not even have a short cut key.......
>
> Thanks again
>
> Regards
> S-Y. Chen

Moving the mouse is easy, use move_mouse :-) but finding the
individual text string, not sure how you would do that other than
trying it out (and then hope no one changes system font sizes!)

/Ashok

From: S-Y. Chen on 13 Dec 2009 12:00

On Dec 14, 12:25 am, APN <palm...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Dec 13, 9:08 pm, "S-Y. Chen" <shenyeh_c...(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Dec 13, 1:20 am, APN <palm...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > Here is short sample to start notepad and open the file dialog
>
> > > (myappdir) 67 % set pid [exec notepad.exe &]
> > > 1212
> > > (myappdir) 68 % ::twapi::find_windows -pids [list $pid] -text
> > > "Untitled - Notepad" -toplevel true
> > > 0x140524
> > > (myappdir) 69 % twapi::set_focus 0x140524 ; twapi::send_keys
> > > {%FOabc.txt{ENTER}}
> > > 22
>
> > > (basically sending Alt-F O accelerator followed by name of file and
> > > ENTER. See documentation of send_keys for key syntax (follows Visual
> > > Basic syntax for keystrokes). If you can do the whole thing with
> > > keyboard accelerators, you might try something similar.
>
> > > For an example of painting with a mouse seehttp://wiki.tcl.tk/20231
>
> > > However, as others have said, DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. Unless the
> > > sequence really short and simple, , this way lies madness.
>
> > > You might try Auto-It for something like this. I have not used it
> > > extensively but I think it does more under the covers to block other
> > > input, verify the correct windows have focus etc. With TWAPI, you have
> > > to do that work yourself using lower level commands.
>
> > > /Ashok
>
> > Ashok
>
> > Well this helps a lot. I will begin from there. Thanks a lot !!
>
> > By the way, is there a way to locate the position of a specific text
> > (string) on the menu in a window (for example, those File, Edit,
> > Draw........etc on the menu bar), and then move the mouse there ?
>
> > The reason I have to do this, is, well, you may not believe it, but
> > many of these packages do not even have a short cut key.......
>
> > Thanks again
>
> > Regards
> > S-Y. Chen
>
> Moving the mouse is easy, use move_mouse :-) but finding the
> individual text string, not sure how you would do that other than
> trying it out (and then hope no one changes system font sizes!)
>
> /Ashok

Well, I am just thinking that if those captions on the menu (like
"File", "Edit", etc.) can be "searched" and "located" or "found" as a
string through TWAPI, maybe it will be easier for me to locate the
menu position in a more general case. (maybe not ?). If it can be
"searched" and "located" as a string, there is nothing to do with the
font size right ?

I am just afraid that, the position of the menu may change from
machine to machine, and I just need to do it in a machine independent
fashion.

Anyway, is it possible to do that ?

Regards
S-Y. Chen

From: S-Y. Chen on 13 Dec 2009 12:01

From: APN on 13 Dec 2009 12:06

On Dec 13, 10:01 pm, "S-Y. Chen" <shenyeh_c...(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Dec 14, 12:25 am, APN <palm...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Dec 13, 9:08 pm, "S-Y. Chen" <shenyeh_c...(a)hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > On Dec 13, 1:20 am, APN <palm...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > > Here is short sample to start notepad and open the file dialog
>
> > > > (myappdir) 67 % set pid [exec notepad.exe &]
> > > > 1212
> > > > (myappdir) 68 % ::twapi::find_windows -pids [list $pid] -text
> > > > "Untitled - Notepad" -toplevel true
> > > > 0x140524
> > > > (myappdir) 69 % twapi::set_focus 0x140524 ; twapi::send_keys
> > > > {%FOabc.txt{ENTER}}
> > > > 22
>
> > > > (basically sending Alt-F O accelerator followed by name of file and
> > > > ENTER. See documentation of send_keys for key syntax (follows Visual
> > > > Basic syntax for keystrokes). If you can do the whole thing with
> > > > keyboard accelerators, you might try something similar.
>
> > > > For an example of painting with a mouse seehttp://wiki.tcl.tk/20231
>
> > > > However, as others have said, DO NOT USE THIS METHOD. Unless the
> > > > sequence really short and simple, , this way lies madness.
>
> > > > You might try Auto-It for something like this. I have not used it
> > > > extensively but I think it does more under the covers to block other
> > > > input, verify the correct windows have focus etc. With TWAPI, you have
> > > > to do that work yourself using lower level commands.
>
> > > > /Ashok
>
> > > Ashok
>
> > > Well this helps a lot. I will begin from there. Thanks a lot !!
>
> > > By the way, is there a way to locate the position of a specific text
> > > (string) on the menu in a window (for example, those File, Edit,
> > > Draw........etc on the menu bar), and then move the mouse there ?
>
> > > The reason I have to do this, is, well, you may not believe it, but
> > > many of these packages do not even have a short cut key.......
>
> > > Thanks again
>
> > > Regards
> > > S-Y. Chen
>
> > Moving the mouse is easy, use move_mouse :-) but finding the
> > individual text string, not sure how you would do that other than
> > trying it out (and then hope no one changes system font sizes!)
>
> > /Ashok
>
> Well, I am just thinking that if those captions on the menu (like
> "File", "Edit", etc.) can be "searched" and "located" or "found" as a
> string through TWAPI, maybe it will be easier for me to locate the
> menu position in a more general case. (maybe not ?). If it can be
> "searched" and "located" as a string, there is nothing to do with the
> font size right ?
>
> I am just afraid that, the position of the menu may change from
> machine to machine, and I just need to do it in a machine independent
> fashion.
>
> Anyway, is it possible to do that ?
>
> Regards
> S-Y. Chen

I understood what you were looking for, I just don't know how you
would locate the string at a menu position.

/Ashok

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