I want to automate desktop activities in Windows environment using Python. How it can be done? Some examples will also be helpful.
By desktop activities, I mean actions such as taking control over mouse and keyboard, access active windows properties, double-click on an icon on the desktop, minimize and maximize windows, enter data to an input popup window through keyboard, etc.
You can use PyAutoGUI which provide a cross-platform Python way to perform GUI automation.
Here is a simple code to move the mouse to the middle of the screen:
import pyautogui
screenWidth, screenHeight = pyautogui.size()
pyautogui.moveTo(screenWidth / 2, screenHeight / 2)
Related question: Controlling mouse with Python.
Example:
pyautogui.typewrite('Hello world!') # prints out "Hello world!" instantly
pyautogui.typewrite('Hello world!', interval=0.25) # prints out "Hello world!" with a quarter second delay after each character
It provides JavaScript-style message boxes.
And other.
For other suggestions, check: Python GUI automation library for simulating user interaction in apps.
Take a look at BotCity Framework, an open-source RPA framework.
It's just python (no intermediary code, no jython, etc).
The example below executes SAP and logs in:
from botcity.core import DesktopBot
from botcity.maestro import AlertType, AutomationTaskFinishStatus, Column
class Bot(DesktopBot):
def action(self, execution):
self.execute("saplogon.exe")
# #{image:"login"}
if not self.find( "user", matching=0.97, waiting_time=10000):
self.not_found("user")
self.click_relative(172, 5)
self.paste(user)
self.tab()
self.paste(pass)
self.enter()
if __name__ == '__main__':
Bot.main()
As Sikuli, you have a tool to crop elements and have visual clues about the interface and UI elements. But in this case, it's a tool for editing .py files (not intermediary code) so you can use any python lib in your automation.
You can try ClointFusion
It's again a Python based RPA platform which internally makes use of PyAutoGUI among other packages.
It has a friendly Browser based Drag & Drop BOT Builder: DOST
You can find more than 100 easy to use functions:
Disclaimer: I'm one of developers of ClointFusion