browser sendkey

[cool_...@hotmail.com]

Hi

im trying to use sendkey to browser and i need to simulate that the shift key is down programmely, but i can't get it to work!

here is the code:
self.browser.SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN,self.keyInfo(cefpython.VK_TAB),cefpython.KEY_SHIFT)

I have also tried adding following code before the tab send key, withou luck:
self.browser.SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN,self.keyInfo(cefpython.VK_LSHIFT),0)

what im trying to get the code to do, is tab down when i press the down arrow on the keyboard, and then i want it to tab back up when the up key is pressed!

help please, how do this?

cheers
c_bb

[Czarek Tomczak]

Hi c_bb,

Did you try with other keys? For example "shift+a" in a textarea?

Try also this:

    SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, false), cefpython.VK_LSHIFT);

Try a combination of (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, false) / (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, true) 

with both KEY_SHIFT & VK_LSHIFT.

Cheers,

Czarek.

[Czarek Tomczak]

"modifiers" parameter in SendKeyEvent() is an LPARAM in WM_KEYDOWN message:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms646280(v=vs.85).aspx

Using cefpython.KEY_SHIFT is probably wrong, these constant is for use only with

KeyboardHandler.OnKeyEvent(). You should definitely pass cefpython.VK_LSHIFT as

modifiers parameter to SendKeyEvent(), so the code is:

    SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, false), cefpython.VK_LSHIFT);

Czarek.

[Czarek Tomczak]

There is also cefpython.VK_SHIFT, try both VK_LSHIFT & VK_SHIFT.

Czarek.

[cool_...@hotmail.com]

Hi Czarek Tomczak

thanks for the reply. I have tried all of those methods without any luck, i forgot to mention that self.keyinfo returns the tuble like (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, false).

The funny thing is that even if i set the modifier the sendkey acts like a normal tab, tabbing down the page, it's like it doesn't register that the modifier is set and it need to simulate the shift key!

cheers
c_bb

[Czarek Tomczak]

In CEF binaries you can find "cefclient.exe" application, in Tests menu there

is an off-screen rendering example, it uses SendKeyEvent() and it works fine,

the c++ code is here:

http://code.google.com/p/chromiumembedded/source/browse/branches/1271/cef1/tests/cefclient/osrplugin.cpp?r=940#635

You haven't answered my question, whether sending shift key works in a textarea.

The funny thing is that even if i set the modifier the sendkey acts like a normal tab, tabbing down the page, it's like it doesn't register that the modifier is set and it need to simulate the shift key!

I'm not sure I understand, are you saying that the "modifiers" parameter doesn't work

for sending shift, but it works when you simulate KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN for shift?

Did you try this?

    SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_SHIFT, false, false), 0);

    SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, false), cefpython.VK_SHIFT);

Czarek.

[cool_...@hotmail.com]

Hi Czarek

i tried:

SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_SHIFT, false, false), 0);
SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_TAB, false, false), cefpython.VK_SHIFT);

no luck! all is does is send a normal tab to the browser, so that the diplay page tabs down the page!

regarding your cefclient, off-screen rendering example, that works fine and i can also my code to tab back up the page if i *manually* hold down the shift key and use the sendkey to send the cefpython.VK_TAB, but that is not what i want! i want the up key on the key board to simulate a shift+tab key stroke, so when i press the up key on the keyboard the page displayed will tab upwards! hope it makes sence!

>You haven't answered my question, whether sending shift key works in a textarea.

I tried to send following code to the browser, while focused in textbox:
SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_A, False, False), cefpython.VK_SHIFT)
nothing happened! also tried:
SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN, (cefpython.VK_A, False, False), 0)
nothing happened!

> but it works when you simulate KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN for shift?

Don't know, nothing really happens when i send the shift key alone, so i can't see if that works or not! but i guess so!

cheers
c_bb

[Czarek Tomczak]

This works fine for sending shift+a to textarea:

    self.browser.SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_CHAR,

                (cefpython.VK_A, False, False), cefpython.VK_SHIFT)

Regarding shift+tab try google "WM_KEYDOWN shift tab" there

are some solutions, you will probably need to use pywin32 extension

and use some winapi functions.

Czarek.

[cool_...@hotmail.com]

hi Czarek

i also tried:

SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_CHAR, (cefpython.VK_A, False, False), 0)

and that sends a capital A too, even though shift is not send with it!

cheers
c_bb

[Czarek Tomczak]

c_bb, 

Windows keyboard input seems complicated.

Read this regarding case-sensitive problems:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/C-1040/case-sensitive-problems.htm

WM_CHAR (KEYTYPE_CHAR) is a translation of WM_KEYDOWN (KEYTYPE_KEYDOWN)

messages, but it uses different key codes, you can pass VK_SHIFT only to WM_KEYDOWN,

WM_CHAR already uses different key codes for upper/lower case letters, lower A in

WM_CHAR key code is 0x61 (VK_NUMPAD1), this will print lower A:

SendKeyEvent(cefpython.KEYTYPE_CHAR, (0x61, False, False), 0)

I suggest finding a library that will easy sending keyboard input, as understanding winapi

keyboard input is not trivial. Have a look at "SendKeys":

SendKeysCtypes.py in pywinauto project:

http://code.google.com/p/pywinauto/source/browse/pywinauto/SendKeysCtypes.py

Others similar:

http://code.google.com/p/sendkeys-ctypes/

https://github.com/zvodd/sendkeys-py-si

https://bitbucket.org/orutherfurd/sendkeys/overview

Cheers,

Czarek.

[Czarek Tomczak]

I have updated wiki page for the SendKeyEvent() method, with the recommendation

of using SendKeys library:

http://code.google.com/p/cefpython/wiki/Browser

Cheers,

Czarek.