This question already has an answer here:
How to mock the background window to active state using VB script?
(1 answer)
Closed 5 years ago.
I have written this script and of course every 10 seconds the 'my program' window is activated to send the F9 key. However, what I'd like to do is send the F9 key every 10s to the 'my program' window without actually activating it as it interupts work on other windows/browsers. Will need it to run continuously during my day as a background process ideally. (the F9 key refreshes the screen)
Option Explicit
Dim WshShell
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Do
WshShell.AppActivate "my program"
WshShell.SendKeys "{F9}"
WScript.Sleep (1000 * 10)
Loop
As Alex K. mentioned, SendKeys can only send keystrokes to the foreground window, so what you're asking simply is not possible with VBScript.
Related
This question already has answers here:
VBS send mouse clicks?
(4 answers)
Closed 5 years ago.
I'm trying to create a VBScript to automate two left clicks and a right click with a 0.2 seconds delay between them to automate Minecraft farming.
I used this code but it gives me an error on line 5:
Dim x
Set x = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Do
WScript.Sleep 200
x.SendKeys "{CLICK LEFT,960,540}"
WScript.Sleep 200
x.SendKeys "{CLICK LEFT,960,540}"
WScript.Sleep 200
x.SendKeys "{CLICK RIGHT,960,540}"
Loop
What could I have done wrong?
I don't know where you got that syntax from, but the WScript.Shell SendKeys method doesn't have any way to send mouse clicks.
There's no way built into VBScript to simulate mouse clicks. You either need to find or create a COM Component that does so, or use some other language for the automation you're trying to do.
I wrote this little vbs script to press the left arrow key in my Chrome browser:
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.AppActivate "Google Chrome"
WshShell.SendKeys "{LEFT}"
But it simulates a keypress with instant releases. Is there also a way to parse the pressed key over a longer time?
(I know that this would be easy to handle in Javascript by the Keypress even, but I am trying to learn vbs.)
The WshShell object does not provide a way to send KeyUp and KeyDown events. To closest you can get to what you want to do is by doing repetitions of the same key. This can be done by putting the .SendKeys in a loop or by putting a number after the key within the braces.
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.AppActivate "Google Chrome"
WshShell.SendKeys "{LEFT 40}"
In the past I've used the script below to detect if an active window with the title "Remote Desktop" is or isn't active. If it isn't active the script will auto launch or make it active again.
Question: Is there a way to detect if a window is active and auto close it? I'm setting up a kiosk in chrome kiosk mode on a Windows 7 machine for our office. The main page launches a selected Google form in a pop-up window. The form confirmation page has the title "Thank You!" in the title bar. Is there a way for the script to auto detect this window and close it? This would be nice because the user would see that their response was submitted (for a second or two) but if they did not close the window it would not still be open when the next user goes to use the kiosk.
Another option might be if there is a way to use a Google script on the form to program the submit button to close the window. I'm not sure if that's possible.
Option Explicit
'On Error Resume Next
Dim objShell
Set objShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Do
If (objShell.AppActivate("Window Title Here") = False) Then
objShell.Run "mstsc.exe " & chr(34) & "c:\scripts\Remote Desktop.rdp" & chr(34)
WScript.Sleep 5000
Else
WScript.Sleep 3000
End If
Loop
If the window I need closed is active and then the following script is ran the window will close. It's almost like I need to piece the top and bottom code here together to achieve what I need, but I'm not sure how.
Dim oShell
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
If oShell.AppActivate("Untitled - Notepad") Then
WScript.Sleep 500
oShell.SendKeys "%{F4}"
End If
I'm trying to find a script that will run on startup and wait for a window with a specific title to open and then close it once it is detected. It would be even better if I could control how long the window remains open once detected, but if I could just get it to close that would suffice.
I think I've found a good solution. I found this post and modified the answer. Does anyone see any issues with this?
' Will loop forever checking for the message every half a second
' When it finds the message it will close the window
Set wshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Do
ret = wshShell.AppActivate("Untitled - Notepad")
If ret = True Then
wshShell.SendKeys "%{F4}" 'ALT F4
End If
WScript.Sleep 500
Loop
Set wshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Do
ret = wshShell.AppActivate("Untitled - Notepad")
If ret = True Then
wshShell.SendKeys "%{F4}" 'ALT F4
End If
WScript.Sleep 500
Loop
The only trouble i see is the Alt+F4 will sequentially close windows until it will want to shut down windows itself. kinda makes me nervous even though this script will only detect the name you give it.
I tried the script and it works fine but what about using the escape key for certain windows?
The other thing i do not like is this is always running and taking resources. I slowed down the loop so it will at least be paused in the background most of the time..
How to mock the background window to active state using VB script?
There is some keycode command I need to send to some background window(I known the related VB function), but it will only work when the window is active. If the window is really active, I cant do anything in the foreground.
So is it there anyway to mock the window to active state?
Yes there is, see this example
Dim oShell
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
'bring the window to front
'title must be exactly what you see in the titlebar of the window
oShell.AppActivate "title of your window"
WScript.Sleep 500 'give the window the time to activate, time is in miliseconds
oShell.SendKeys "{ENTER}" 'you can send keystrokes to this window
Set oShell = nothing
if you want to minimize that window you can send keystrokes to do that, but this is language dependent so first try them manually. The following sends the keystrokes Alt (%) space and N from miNimize. Try in your window to push the Alt-Space keys to get the menu that controls this
oShell.SendKeys "(% )N"
I need to be able to make separte .vbs files that will (when triggered with a keyboard short-cut) will make the active window maximized, minimized, or restored.
How can I do this without downloading and installing (not allowed here) a separate package.
VBScript and Windows Script Host don't provide intrinsic functions for maximizing/minimizing/restoring a window. Without any third-party tools, your only option is to use SendKeys to simulate keyboard the shortcuts of the corresponding commands in a window's system menu.
To maximixe the active window, you can simulate the Alt+SpaceBar, x shortcut:
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.SendKeys "% x"
To minimize the active window, use Alt+SpaceBar, n:
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.SendKeys "% n"
To restore the active window, use Alt+SpaceBar, r:
Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.SendKeys "% r"
(Note that this code won't work in non-English Windows versions, where the names of the Maximize/Minimize/Restore commands are localized and therefore have other shortcuts.)
SendKeys was not working in my computer. Spanish native with Spanish and English keyboard. I did this and worked in my code as instruction and worked to maximize my excel window. I put the .Sleep to visually check it.
objExcel.SendKeys"% x"
objExcel.Visible = True
objExcel.SendKeys"% x"
WScript.Sleep 2000
To maximize any window, the following code will work:
Application.SendKeys "%{ }"
Application.Wait (Now + TimeValue("00:00:02"))
Application.SendKeys "x"
Topic is old. But I managed to find language independent solution. SendKeys can basically send any keys to application, including arrow keys and enter key. So we can emulate those actions without particular letters (x,r,n). Here is working example:
Dim oShell : Set oShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
oShell.SendKeys("% {DOWN}{DOWN}{DOWN}{DOWN}{ENTER}") 'Maximize
'...
oShell.SendKeys("% {ENTER}") 'Restore
'...
oShell.SendKeys("% {DOWN}{DOWN}{DOWN}{ENTER}") 'Minimize
This works for me in my Excel macro to maximise an external PDF document by executing the shortcut keys 'Alt+Spacebar+x'.
Mote: '%' represents the Alt key, '( )' represents the spacebar key and 'x' represents the maximise key.
Application.SendKeys "%+( )+(x)", True