B4J Question How to automate windows desktop apps

[xulihang]

I want to automate Microsoft Word to replace text.

It needs the following steps:

1. CTRL+H to open the search and replace dialog
2. ALT+P to switch to replace tab
3. ALT+N to switch to "find" and input the text
4. ALT+I to switch to "replace" and input the text
5. ALT+F to find a match
6. ALT+R to replace

I tried JAWTRobot, but it does not seem to work. Is this because AWTRobot is for java programs and I should use Autoit or VBA to do this?

 

[xulihang]

I plan to use Python with https://github.com/asweigart/pyautogui. Maybe BAnano can be used to write a web front end as developing GUI program with Python is not easy.

 

[Daestrum]

You can use JAWTRobot to interact with MS Word.

I have used it to edit files in the B4J IDE, the program it interacts with doesn't have to be a java program.

 

[Daestrum]

Or another thought you could use the POI lib and edit the word files directly.

 

[xulihang]

You can use JAWTRobot to interact with MS Word.

I find AWTRobot partly works but combo does not work, like ctrl+h. I use the test code below. Run the B4J app and switch to Word. The dialog does not show.

Do While True
    Log("combo")
    Sleep(1000)
    Dim awt As AWTRobot
    awt.RobotSpecialKeyCombo("ctrl_h")
Loop

use the POI lib and edit the word files directly.

I have thought about this. But it is a bit complicated and users cannot see the replacing process directly. And ultimately, I want to create a universal text replacer which works for word, excel, ppt, photoshop, indesign, etc.

 

[Roycefer]

If my recollection serves me, ctrl_h is not one of the listed combos in the comments for RobotSpecialKeyCombo. This means you will have to separately press and release the ctrl and h keys.

 

[xulihang]

This means you will have to separately press and release the ctrl and h keys.

This works. Thanks!

Do While True
    Sleep(1000)
    awt.RobotSpecialKeyPress("control")
    awt.RobotKeyPress("h")
    awt.RobotSpecialKeyRelease("control")
    awt.RobotKeyRelease("h")
    Log("combo")
Loop