node-key-sender

node-key-sender

Use this lib to send keyboard events to the operational system.

It uses a jar file (Java), so Java Run Time is required on the operational system you are running your node project.

Main features

• Send raw keyboard key codes to the operational system;
• Send one key;
• Send multiple keys pressed one after the other;
• Send multiple keys pressed together (combination);
• Delay between keys;
• Delay for each pressed key or each combination;
• Possibility to map key codes;
• Multi platform (it will work in all operation systems that Java can run);
• It will send the key to the current focused application in the operational system.

Installation

Install it using npm:

npm install --save-dev node-key-sender

The command above will install and add the lib into your "package.json" file.

How it works

Each key in your keyboard is mapped with a key code. Although a physical keyboard key may have printed above its surface more than one key (for example ':' and ';'), both generate the same key code. So, do not confuse key codes with ASCII or UNICODE values, they are different things.

To make it clear, lets see an example: In american keyboard, the 16 value is the key code for Shift and the 59 value is the key code for the key ":;". So, in this scenario, to send ':' to the operational system, you should use key code 56. To send ';' you should send 16 + 56 as a combination (pressed together).

In languages that have accents (for example: portuguese and spanish), usually more than one key must be pressed one after another to make the letter with an accent. So 'õ' is the result of sending '~' and 'o'.

While you can send the key codes as numbers, the lib also have labels mapped for most of the keys. So, for key A you may send 'a' or 65. For Shift key you may send 'shift' or 16.

It is possible to change this mapping to convert accents automatically (if you are using a keyboard that supports it). Later in this doc I show how to do that.

Note that key codes may vary according to your running physical keyboard model, keyboard driver and operational system.

Usage

Sending one key:

var ks = require('key-sender');
ks.sendKey('a');

Send multiple keys one after the other:

var ks = require('key-sender');
ks.sendKeys(['a', 'b', 'c']);

Send combination (pressed at the same time):

var ks = require('key-sender');
ks.sendCombination(['control', 'shift', 'v']);

Mapping accents:

var accentsMap = {
    'ã': '@514 a',
    'ẽ': '@514 e',
    'ĩ': '@514 i',
    'õ': '@514 o',
    'ũ': '@514 u',
    'Ã': '@514 A',
    'Ẽ': '@514 E',
    'Ĩ': '@514 I',
    'Õ': '@514 O',
    'Ũ': '@514 U',
    'â': 'shift-@514 a',
    'ê': 'shift-@514 e',
    'î': 'shift-@514 i',
    'ô': 'shift-@514 o',
    'û': 'shift-@514 u',
    'Â': 'shift-@514 A',
    'Ê': 'shift-@514 E',
    'Î': 'shift-@514 I',
    'Ô': 'shift-@514 O',
    'Û': 'shift-@514 U',
    'à': 'shift-@192 a',
    'è': 'shift-@192 e',
    'ì': 'shift-@192 i',
    'ò': 'shift-@192 o',
    'ù': 'shift-@192 u',
    'À': 'shift-@192 A',
    'È': 'shift-@192 E',
    'Ì': 'shift-@192 I',
    'Ò': 'shift-@192 O',
    'Ù': 'shift-@192 U',
    'á': '@192 a',
    'é': '@192 e',
    'í': '@192 i',
    'ó': '@192 o',
    'ú': '@192 u',
    'Á': '@192 A',
    'É': '@192 E',
    'Í': '@192 I',
    'Ó': '@192 O',
    'Ú': '@192 U',
    'ç': '@192 c',
    'Ç': '@192 C',
    'ä': 'shift-@54 a',
    'ë': 'shift-@54 e',
    'ï': 'shift-@54 i',
    'ö': 'shift-@54 o',
    'ü': 'shift-@54 u',
    'Ä': 'shift-@54 A',
    'Ë': 'shift-@54 E',
    'Ï': 'shift-@54 I',
    'Ö': 'shift-@54 O',
    'Ü': 'shift-@54 O'
};

var ks = require('key-sender');
ks.aggregateKeyboardLayout(accentsMap);
ks.sendText("Héllõ Wíth Áçcents");

List of key codes

We recommend you search for key codes in the Java java.awt.event.KeyEvent class doc. The key codes are the constants starting with "VK_". To use it with this lib, just take out these three letters and you can use the rest of the constant name. For example, VK_SHIFT constant you use "shift". VK_A constant you use 'a'. The constant numerical value can also be used with an "@" in the beginning. So "@16" for VK_SHIFT and "@65" for VK_A.

Use this website to get an idea of what key code is bound to each key of your current keyboard: https://www.w3.org/2002/09/tests/keys.html.

Below, the list of key codes:

Keyboard key	Label key code	Numerical key code
Enter	"enter"	"@10"
Backspace	"back_space"	"@8"
Tab	"tab"	"@9"
Shift	"shift"	"@16"
Control	"control"	"@17"
Alt	"alt"	"@18"
Pause	"pause"	"@19"
Caps Lock	"caps_lock"	"@20"
Esc	"escape"	"@27"
Space	"space"	"@32"
Page Up	"page_up"	"@33"
Page Down	"page_down"	"@34"
End	"end"	"@35"
Home	"home"	"@36"
Left	"left"	"@37"
Up	"up"	"@38"
Right	"right"	"@39"
Down	"down"	"@40"
Comma	"comma"	"@44"
Minus	"minus"	"@45"
Period	"period"	"@46"
Slash	"slash"	"@47"
0	"0"	"@48"
1	"1"	"@49"
2	"2"	"@50"
3	"3"	"@51"
4	"4"	"@52"
5	"5"	"@53"
6	"6"	"@54"
7	"7"	"@55"
8	"8"	"@56"
9	"9"	"@57"
Semicolon	"semicolon"	"@59"
Equals	"equals"	"@61"
A	"a"	"@65"
B	"b"	"@66"
C	"c"	"@67"
D	"d"	"@68"
E	"e"	"@69"
F	"f"	"@70"
G	"g"	"@71"
H	"h"	"@72"
I	"i"	"@73"
J	"j"	"@74"
K	"k"	"@75"
L	"l"	"@76"
M	"m"	"@77"
N	"n"	"@78"
O	"o"	"@79"
P	"p"	"@80"
Q	"q"	"@81"
R	"r"	"@82"
S	"s"	"@83"
T	"t"	"@84"
U	"u"	"@85"
V	"v"	"@86"
W	"w"	"@87"
X	"x"	"@88"
Y	"y"	"@89"
Z	"z"	"@90"
Open bracket	"open_bracket"	"@91"
Numpad 0	"numpad0"	"@96"
Numpad 1	"numpad1"	"@97"
Numpad 2	"numpad2"	"@98"
Numpad 3	"numpad3"	"@99"
Numpad 4	"numpad4"	"@100"
Numpad 5	"numpad5"	"@101"
Numpad 6	"numpad6"	"@102"
Numpad 7	"numpad7"	"@103"
Numpad 8	"numpad8"	"@104"
Numpad 9	"numpad9"	"@105"
Multiply	"multiply"	"@106"
Add	"add"	"@107"
Subtract	"subtract"	"@109"
Decimal	"decimal"	"@110"
Divide	"divide"	"@111"
Delete	"delete"	"@127"
Num Lock	"num_lock"	"@144"
Scroll Lock	"scroll_lock"	"@145"
F1	"f1"	"@112"
F2	"f2"	"@113"
F3	"f3"	"@114"
F4	"f4"	"@115"
F5	"f5"	"@116"
F6	"f6"	"@117"
F7	"f7"	"@118"
F8	"f8"	"@119"
F9	"f9"	"@120"
F10	"f10"	"@121"
F11	"f11"	"@122"
F12	"f12"	"@123"
F13	"f13"	"@61440"
F14	"f14"	"@61441"
F15	"f15"	"@61442"
F16	"f16"	"@61443"
F17	"f17"	"@61444"
F18	"f18"	"@61445"
F19	"f19"	"@61446"
F20	"f20"	"@61447"
F21	"f21"	"@61448"
F22	"f22"	"@61449"
F23	"f23"	"@61450"
F24	"f24"	"@61451"
Print Screen	"print_screen"	"@154"
Insert	"insert"	"@155"
Help	"help"	"@156"
Meta	"meta"	"@157"
Block Quote	"block_quote"	"@192"
Quote	"quote"	"@222"
Numeric Key Pad Up	"kp_up"	"@224"
Numeric Key Pad Down	"kp_down"	"@225"
Numeric Key Pad Left	"kp_left"	"@226"
Numeric Key Pad Right	"kp_right"	"@227"
Grave accent	"dead_grave"	"@128"
Acute accent	"dead_acute"	"@129"
Circumflex accent	"dead_circumflex"	"@130"
Tilde accent	"dead_tilde"	"@131"
Macron accent	"dead_macron"	"@132"
Breve accent	"dead_breve"	"@133"
Above dot accent	"dead_abovedot"	"@134"
Diaeresis accent	"dead_diaeresis"	"@135"
Abovering accent	"dead_abovering"	"@136"
Double acute accent	"dead_doubleacute"	"@137"
Caron accent	"dead_caron"	"@138"
Cedilla accent	"dead_cedilla"	"@139"
Ogonek accent	"dead_ogonek"	"@140"
Iota accent	"dead_iota"	"@141"
Voiced sound accent	"dead_voiced_sound"	"@142"
Semi voiced sound accent	"dead_semivoiced_sound"	"@143"
Ampersand	"ampersand"	"@150"
Asterisk	"asterisk"	"@151"
Double quote	"quotedbl"	"@152"
Less	"less"	"@153"
Greater	"greater"	"@160"
Brace left	"braceleft"	"@161"
Brace right	"braceright"	"@162"
At	"at"	"@512"
Colon	"colon"	"@513"
Circumflex	"circumflex"	"@514"
Dollar	"dollar"	"@515"
Euro Sign	"euro_sign"	"@516"
Exclamation Mark	"exclamation_mark"	"@517"
Inverted exclamation mark	"inverted_exclamation_mark"	"@518"
Left parenthesis	"left_parenthesis"	"@519"
Right parenthesis	"right_parenthesis"	"@522"
Number sign	"number_sign"	"@520"
Plus	"plus"	"@521"
Underscore	"underscore"	"@523"
Windows	"windows"	"@524"
Context menu	"context_menu"	"@525"
Japanese PC 106 henkan	"convert"	"@28"
Japanese PC 106 muhenkan	"nonconvert"	"@29"
Japanese PC 106 eisu	"alphanumeric"	"@240"
Japanese PC 106 katakana	"katakana"	"@241"
Japanese PC 106 hiragana	"hiragana"	"@242"
Japanese PC 106 zenkaku	"full_width"	"@243"
Japanese PC 106 hankaku	"half_width"	"@244"
Japanese PC 106 rouman-ji	"roman_characters"	"@245"
Japanese PC 106 zenkouho	"all_candidates"	"@256"
Japanese PC 106 maekouho	"previous_candidate"	"@257"
Japanese PC 106 kanji bangou	"code_input"	"@258"
Japanese PC 106 kana lock	"kana_lock"	"@262"
Japanese PC 106 nihongo	"input_method_on_off"	"@263"
Japanese Solaris kakutei	"accept"	"@30"
Japanese Solaris kana lock	"kana"	"@21"
Japanese kanji	"kanji"	"@25"
Japanese Macintosh katakana	"japanese_katakana"	"@259"
Japanese Macintosh hiragana	"japanese_hiragana"	"@260"
Japanese Macintosh rouman-ji	"japanese_roman"	"@261"
Sun cut	"cut"	"@65489"
Sun copy	"copy"	"@65485"
Sun paste	"paste"	"@65487"
Sun undo	"undo"	"@65483"
Sun again	"again"	"@65481"
Sun find	"find"	"@65488"
Sun props	"props"	"@65482"
Sun stop	"stop"	"@65480"
Compose	"compose"	"@65312"
Alt GR	"alt_graph"	"@65406"

Note that this is an incomplete list and that the key code may vary according to your physical keyboard, keyboard driver and operational system.