How to generate keyboard events in Python?

Question

short summary:

I am trying to create a program that will send keyboard events to the computer that for all purposes the simulated events should be treated as actual keystrokes on the keyboard.

original post:

I am looking for a way to generate keyboard events using python.

Assume that the function receives a key that it must simulate pressing, like so:

keyboardevent('a') #lower case 'a'
keyboardevent('B') #upper case 'B'
keyboardevent('->') # right arrow key

def keyboardevent(key):
    #code that simulated 'key' being pressed on keyboard

The above are obviously examples, but what I am looking for is a library, module, or whatever, which I can use to simulate keyboard events.

note: This is different than sending characters to notepads, or inputting text into fields or such. I want the python script to simulate an actual keyboard event, the computer will think that there is really a keyboard event.

Extra Note:

I don't want to send keystrokes to the active window - I want the system to believe the keyboard's keys are being pressed, subtle difference, as some active-windows do not accept certain key-combinations, or if I wanted to use keyboard shortcuts for background processes through my script, they don't need to go through the active-window

So far I have looked at these things:

Generate keyboard events for the frontmost application

How to generate keyboard keypress events through Python?

Which were all about apple and didn't help at all.

And this:

Which is the easiest way to simulate keyboard and mouse on Python?

Which seems like it might be what I need, but I can not find the library for it or any documentation.

I have searched more places as well, but have yet to find a solution.

Answer 1

Windows only: You can either use Ironpython or a library that allows cPython to access the .NET frameworks on Windows. Then use the sendkeys class of .NET or the more general send to simulate a keystroke.

OS X only: Use PyObjC then use use CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent call.

Full disclosure: I have only done this on OS X with Python, but I have used .NET sendkeys (with C#) and that works great.