Make python automations on current window

Question

I'm trying to make a simple python script that can use the keyboard to write / execute commands.

Example : open Photoshop and execute "select all and delete, then save" (control + a, delete, control + s) keys each after 1 second.

Example2 : open taskmanager (control + alt + del) use the N key to move to the N section in process and use end task (alt + e) every few minutes...

Moreover to create a function, while the python script is running if i hit alt+f1 (for example) it executes (control + alt + del)

Answer 1

In order to do this you need to integrate with the native messaging interfaces. Sikuli is a good test tool and so (as per @juxhin's suggestion) a sensible candidate if you can limit yourself to Jython.

However if you can't live with that, you'll probably need a different solution for Linux and Windows. For example:

• Linux: Listening for global key-combinations in python on Linux
• Windows: Set global hotkey with Python 2.6 (Note that some answers are not limited to 2.6)

Answer 2

You may want to try SikuliX. This is an image-based framework that can be used with Python (via Jython), Ruby (via JRuby) and Java (via the optional Java API).

It is very useful to automate certain behavior on your screen such as opening Photoshop, clicking regions on your screen or typing via the key. For example:

//Using Java API, however the idea is the same for Python
Screen screen = new Screen()
screen.type(new Pattern("some-image.png"), "keyboard");

In Python:

def changed(event):
    print "something changed in ", event.region
    for ch in event.changes:
            ch.highlight() # highlight all changes
    sleep(1)
    for ch in event.changes:
            ch.highlight() # turn off the highlights

with selectRegion("select a region to observe") as r: # any change in r larger than 50 pixels would trigger the changed function onChange(50, changed) observe(background=True)

wait(30) # another way to observe for 30 seconds r.stopObserver()

It is quite a bit of work, but it allows you to create very robust scripts that perform your desired actions. You may also pipe console output back to your Python script via subprocess in order to change your scripts behavior based on the environment.

Rest is all limited by your imagination.

Note: Not EVERYTHING has to be done with SikuliX, infact I wouldn't recommend actually doing everything. Just certain things that may require specific behavior on your screen.

If you are strictly on Ubuntu, you may also want to look at Xpresser

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Update

So I have worked around with AutoIt and PyAutoIt and would genuinely think they are suitable tools for what you wish to achieve as they can be very potent against certain applications.