I already know how to use java.awt.Robot
to type a single character using keyPress
, as seen below. How can I simply enter a whole pre-defined String
value at once into a textbox?
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_1);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_1);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_1);
// instead, enter String x = "111"
Common solution is to use the clipboard:
String text = "Hello World";
StringSelection stringSelection = new StringSelection(text);
Clipboard clipboard = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getSystemClipboard();
clipboard.setContents(stringSelection, stringSelection);
Robot robot = new Robot();
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_V);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_V);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL);
You need to "type" the character, which is a press AND release action...
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_1);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_1);
Now you could just copy and paste it three times, but I'd just put it in a loop
Since Java 7 you can also use KeyEvent.getExtendedKeyCodeForChar(c). An example for lower case only could be:
void sendKeys(Robot robot, String keys) {
for (char c : keys.toCharArray()) {
int keyCode = KeyEvent.getExtendedKeyCodeForChar(c);
if (KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED == keyCode) {
throw new RuntimeException(
"Key code not found for character '" + c + "'");
}
robot.keyPress(keyCode);
robot.delay(100);
robot.keyRelease(keyCode);
robot.delay(100);
}
}
You can enter value in a string and then you can use that string as explained by Eng.Fouad. But there is no fun in using it, you can give a try to this
Robot robot = new Robot();
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_H);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_H);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_E);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_E);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_L);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_L);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_L);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_L);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_O);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_O);
and you can also use Thread.sleep so that it can enter data bit slowly.
I think I've implemented better soultion, maybe someone found it usefull (the main approach is to read all values from enum KeyCode and than to put it into a HashMap and use it later to find a int key code)
public class KeysMapper {
private static HashMap<Character, Integer> charMap = new HashMap<Character, Integer>();
static {
for (KeyCode keyCode : KeyCode.values()) {
if (keyCode.impl_getCode() >= 65 && keyCode.impl_getCode() <= 90){
charMap.put(keyCode.getName().toLowerCase().toCharArray()[0], keyCode.impl_getCode());
}
else{
charMap.put(keyCode.getName().toLowerCase().toCharArray()[0], keyCode.impl_getCode());
}
}
}
public static Key charToKey(char c){
if(c>=65 && c<=90){
return new Key(charMap.get(c), true);
} else {
return new Key(charMap.get(c), false);
}
}
public static List<Key> stringToKeys(String text){
List<Key> keys = new ArrayList<Key>();
for (char c : text.toCharArray()) {
keys.add(charToKey(c));
}
return keys;
}
I created also a key class to know whether to type an uppercase or lowercase char:
public class Key {
int keyCode;
boolean uppercase;
//getters setter constructors}
and finally you can use it like that (for single character) robot.keyPress(charToKey('a').getKeyCode());
If you want to press an uppercase you have to press and release with shift key simultaneously
StringSelection path = new StringSelection("path of your document ");
// create an object to desktop
Toolkit tol = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit();
// get control of mouse cursor
Clipboard c = tol.getSystemClipboard();
// copy the path into mouse
c.setContents(path, null);
// create a object of robot class
Robot r = new Robot();
r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL);
r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_V);
r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL);
r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_V);
r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER);
r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER);
}
This doesn't type the entire "string" but helps to type whatever you want other than one character at a time.
Runtime.getRuntime().exec("notepad.exe");//or anywhere you want.
Thread.sleep(5000);//not required though gives a good feel.
Robot r=new Robot();
String a="Hi My name is Whatever you want to say.";
char c;
int d=a.length(),e=0,f=0;
while(e<=d)
{
c=a.charAt(e);
f=(int) c; //converts character to Unicode.
r.keyPress(KeyEvent.getExtendedKeyCodeForChar(f));
e++;
Thread.sleep(150);
}
see it works perfectly and it's awesome!
Though it doesn't work for special characters which cannot be traced by unicode like |,!...etc.