Xtykutl

How does one simulate keyboard key presses in python (Xlib)
I have been using Xlib-python for simulating mouse pointer events such as movements and clicks. But I haven't been able to find enough help for doing a similar thing for keyboard presses.

Preferred platform : python on linux

One uses xtest for this. As an added bonus, it also handles pointer event injection.

Just in case any Windows users stumble across this question:

https://gist.github.com/Audionautics/2906125

Link may be broken, here is a similar Python code block that I have used to build off of:

import time

import win32api, win32con



VK_CODE = {'left_arrow':0x25,

           'spacebar':0x20,

           'right_arrow':0x27}



def press(x):

    win32api.keybd_event(VK_CODE[x], 0,0,0)

    win32api.keybd_event(VK_CODE[x],0 ,win32con.KEYEVENTF_KEYUP ,0)



def play():

    time.sleep(1)

    s = time.time()

    while time.time() - s < 15:

        press("left_arrow")

        press("right_arrow")

        press("left_arrow")

        press("right_arrow")

        press('spacebar')  



play()

Credit goes to:

chriskieh on GitHub

I'm no expert on Xlib, but managed to piece together this code for the PyAutoGUI module. Here's the minimum viable example that can simulate a keyDown() and keyUp() for a keyboard key:

# You must run `pip3 install python3-xlib` to get the Xlib modules.



import os



from Xlib.display import Display

from Xlib import X

from Xlib.ext.xtest import fake_input

import Xlib.XK



_display = Display(os.environ['DISPLAY'])



# Create the keyboard mapping.

KEY_NAMES = ['t', 'n', 'r', ' ', '!', '"', '#', '$', '%', '&', "'", '(',

     ')', '*', '+', ',', '-', '.', '/', '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6', '7',

     '8', '9', ':', ';', '<', '=', '>', '?', '@', '[', '\', ']', '^', '_', '`',

     'a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e','f', 'g', 'h', 'i', 'j', 'k', 'l', 'm', 'n', 'o',

     'p', 'q', 'r', 's', 't', 'u', 'v', 'w', 'x', 'y', 'z', '{', '|', '}', '~',

     'accept', 'add', 'alt', 'altleft', 'altright', 'apps', 'backspace',

     'browserback', 'browserfavorites', 'browserforward', 'browserhome',

     'browserrefresh', 'browsersearch', 'browserstop', 'capslock', 'clear',

     'convert', 'ctrl', 'ctrlleft', 'ctrlright', 'decimal', 'del', 'delete',

     'divide', 'down', 'end', 'enter', 'esc', 'escape', 'execute', 'f1', 'f10',

     'f11', 'f12', 'f13', 'f14', 'f15', 'f16', 'f17', 'f18', 'f19', 'f2', 'f20',

     'f21', 'f22', 'f23', 'f24', 'f3', 'f4', 'f5', 'f6', 'f7', 'f8', 'f9',

     'final', 'fn', 'hanguel', 'hangul', 'hanja', 'help', 'home', 'insert', 'junja',

     'kana', 'kanji', 'launchapp1', 'launchapp2', 'launchmail',

     'launchmediaselect', 'left', 'modechange', 'multiply', 'nexttrack',

     'nonconvert', 'num0', 'num1', 'num2', 'num3', 'num4', 'num5', 'num6',

     'num7', 'num8', 'num9', 'numlock', 'pagedown', 'pageup', 'pause', 'pgdn',

     'pgup', 'playpause', 'prevtrack', 'print', 'printscreen', 'prntscrn',

     'prtsc', 'prtscr', 'return', 'right', 'scrolllock', 'select', 'separator',

     'shift', 'shiftleft', 'shiftright', 'sleep', 'space', 'stop', 'subtract', 'tab',

     'up', 'volumedown', 'volumemute', 'volumeup', 'win', 'winleft', 'winright', 'yen',

     'command', 'option', 'optionleft', 'optionright']



keyboardMapping = dict([(key, None) for key in KEY_NAMES])

keyboardMapping.update({

    'backspace':         _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('BackSpace')),

    'b':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('BackSpace')),

    'tab':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Tab')),

    'enter':             _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Return')),

    'return':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Return')),

    'shift':             _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Shift_L')),

    'ctrl':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Control_L')),

    'alt':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Alt_L')),

    'pause':             _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Pause')),

    'capslock':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Caps_Lock')),

    'esc':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Escape')),

    'escape':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Escape')),

    'pgup':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Page_Up')),

    'pgdn':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Page_Down')),

    'pageup':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Page_Up')),

    'pagedown':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Page_Down')),

    'end':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('End')),

    'home':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Home')),

    'left':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Left')),

    'up':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Up')),

    'right':             _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Right')),

    'down':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Down')),

    'select':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Select')),

    'print':             _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Print')),

    'execute':           _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Execute')),

    'prtsc':             _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Print')),

    'prtscr':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Print')),

    'prntscrn':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Print')),

    'printscreen':       _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Print')),

    'insert':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Insert')),

    'del':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Delete')),

    'delete':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Delete')),

    'help':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Help')),

    'winleft':           _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Super_L')),

    'winright':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Super_R')),

    'apps':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Super_L')),

    'num0':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_0')),

    'num1':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_1')),

    'num2':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_2')),

    'num3':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_3')),

    'num4':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_4')),

    'num5':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_5')),

    'num6':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_6')),

    'num7':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_7')),

    'num8':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_8')),

    'num9':              _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_9')),

    'multiply':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_Multiply')),

    'add':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_Add')),

    'separator':         _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_Separator')),

    'subtract':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_Subtract')),

    'decimal':           _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_Decimal')),

    'divide':            _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('KP_Divide')),

    'f1':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F1')),

    'f2':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F2')),

    'f3':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F3')),

    'f4':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F4')),

    'f5':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F5')),

    'f6':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F6')),

    'f7':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F7')),

    'f8':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F8')),

    'f9':                _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F9')),

    'f10':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F10')),

    'f11':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F11')),

    'f12':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F12')),

    'f13':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F13')),

    'f14':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F14')),

    'f15':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F15')),

    'f16':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F16')),

    'f17':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F17')),

    'f18':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F18')),

    'f19':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F19')),

    'f20':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F20')),

    'f21':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F21')),

    'f22':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F22')),

    'f23':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F23')),

    'f24':               _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('F24')),

    'numlock':           _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Num_Lock')),

    'scrolllock':        _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Scroll_Lock')),

    'shiftleft':         _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Shift_L')),

    'shiftright':        _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Shift_R')),

    'ctrlleft':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Control_L')),

    'ctrlright':         _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Control_R')),

    'altleft':           _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Alt_L')),

    'altright':          _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Alt_R')),

    # These are added because unlike a-zA-Z0-9, the single characters do not have a

    ' ': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('space')),

    'space': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('space')),

    't': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Tab')),

    'n': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Return')),  # for some reason this needs to be cr, not lf

    'r': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Return')),

    'e': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('Escape')),

    '!': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('exclam')),

    '#': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('numbersign')),

    '%': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('percent')),

    '$': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('dollar')),

    '&': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('ampersand')),

    '"': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('quotedbl')),

    "'": _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('apostrophe')),

    '(': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('parenleft')),

    ')': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('parenright')),

    '*': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('asterisk')),

    '=': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('equal')),

    '+': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('plus')),

    ',': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('comma')),

    '-': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('minus')),

    '.': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('period')),

    '/': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('slash')),

    ':': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('colon')),

    ';': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('semicolon')),

    '<': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('less')),

    '>': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('greater')),

    '?': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('question')),

    '@': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('at')),

    '[': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('bracketleft')),

    ']': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('bracketright')),

    '\': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('backslash')),

    '^': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('asciicircum')),

    '_': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('underscore')),

    '`': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('grave')),

    '{': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('braceleft')),

    '|': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('bar')),

    '}': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('braceright')),

    '~': _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym('asciitilde')),

})



for c in """abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ1234567890""":

    keyboardMapping[c] = _display.keysym_to_keycode(Xlib.XK.string_to_keysym(c))







def isShiftCharacter(character):

    """Returns True if the key character is uppercase or shifted."""

    return character.isupper() or character in '~!@#$%^&*()_+{}|:"<>?'





def keyDown(key):

    """Performs a keyboard key press without the release. This will put that

    key in a held down state.



    NOTE: For some reason, this does not seem to cause key repeats like would

    happen if a keyboard key was held down on a text field.



    Args:

      key (str): The key to be pressed down. The valid names are listed in

      pyautogui.KEY_NAMES.



    Returns:

      None

    """

    if key not in keyboardMapping or keyboardMapping[key] is None:

        return



    if type(key) == int:

        fake_input(_display, X.KeyPress, key)

        _display.sync()

        return



    needsShift = isShiftCharacter(key)

    if needsShift:

        fake_input(_display, X.KeyPress, keyboardMapping['shift'])



    fake_input(_display, X.KeyPress, keyboardMapping[key])



    if needsShift:

        fake_input(_display, X.KeyRelease, keyboardMapping['shift'])

    _display.sync()





def keyUp(key):

    """Performs a keyboard key release (without the press down beforehand).



    Args:

      key (str): The key to be released up. The valid names are listed in

      KEY_NAMES.



    Returns:

      None

    """



    """

    Release a given character key. Also works with character keycodes as

    integers, but not keysyms.

    """

    if key not in keyboardMapping or keyboardMapping[key] is None:

        return



    if type(key) == int:

        keycode = key

    else:

        keycode = keyboardMapping[key]



    fake_input(_display, X.KeyRelease, keycode)

    _display.sync()