Throwing/Simulating KeyStrokes programatically

plusminus · by **plusminus** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 6:13 pm

What you learn: You will learn how simulate KeyStrokes/KeyEvents on an Android-Device.
Difficulty: 1.5 of 5

Questions/Problems: Simply post below...

What it will look like:

Before & After hitting the Button:

Description: The IWindowManager provides easy access to a function that simulates KeyEvents. It is called IWindowManager.injectKeyEvent(...). To simulate a complete KeyStroke, we have to simulate a KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN AND KeyEvent.ACTION_UP on the specific KeyCode.
In this tutorial we will simulate a KeyStroke to the Menu-Button, to make the Menu popup.

And this is how it works:

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Using java Syntax Highlighting

package org.anddev.android.simualtekeys;
 
import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.os.DeadObjectException;
import android.os.ServiceManager;
import android.view.IWindowManager;
import android.view.KeyEvent;
import android.view.Menu;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
 
public class SimualteKeyInput extends Activity {
 
        /* The WindowManager capable of injecting keyStrokes. */
        final IWindowManager windowManager = IWindowManager.Stub
                        .asInterface(ServiceManager.getService("window"));
 
        /** Called when the activity is first created. */
        @Override
        public void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
                super.onCreate(icicle);
                setContentView(R.layout.main);
                
                /* Make the button do the menu-popup. */
                this.findViewById(R.id.cmd_simulate_key).setOnClickListener(
                                new OnClickListener() {
                                        @Override
                                        public void onClick(View arg0) {
                                                /* Start the key-simulation in a thread
                                                 * so we do not block the GUI. */
                                                new Thread(new Runnable() {
                                                        public void run() {
                                                                /* Simulate a KeyStroke to the menu-button. */
                                                                simulateKeystroke(KeyEvent.KEYCODE_SOFT_LEFT);
                                                        }
                                                }).start(); /* And start the Thread. */
                                        }
                                });
        }
        
        /** Create a dummy-menu. */
        @Override
        public boolean onCreateOptionsMenu(Menu menu) {
                boolean supRetVal = super.onCreateOptionsMenu(menu);
                menu.add(0, 0, "Awesome it works =)");
                return supRetVal;
        }
 
        /** Wrapper-function taking a KeyCode.
         * A complete KeyStroke is DOWN and UP Action on a key! */
        private void simulateKeystroke(int KeyCode) {
                doInjectKeyEvent(new KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN, KeyCode));
                doInjectKeyEvent(new KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_UP, KeyCode));
        }
 
        /** This function actually handles the KeyStroke-Injection. */
        private void doInjectKeyEvent(KeyEvent kEvent) {
                try {
                        /* Inject the KeyEvent to the Window-Manager. */
                        windowManager.injectKeyEvent(kEvent.isDown(), kEvent.getKeyCode(),
                                        kEvent.getRepeatCount(), kEvent.getDownTime(), kEvent
                                                        .getEventTime(), true);
                } catch (DeadObjectException e) {
                        e.printStackTrace();
                }
        }
}
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Using xml Syntax Highlighting

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<Button  id="@+id/cmd_simulate_key"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent" 
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" 
    android:text="Simulate Menu Key Press"
    />
</LinearLayout>
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That's it

If anything is still unclear, feel free to ask

Regards,
plusminus

cabernet1976 · by **cabernet1976** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:32 am

Hi plusminus,
You resume tutorials beforehand

Cool

plusminus · by **plusminus** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 10:46 am

cabernet1976 wrote:Hi plusminus,
You resume tutorials beforehand
Cool

Just some small tuts.
First of four tests was good so I could take a short break :lol:

Regards,
plusminus

pgmglv · by **pgmglv** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 2:29 am

I inject KeyEvent and try to catch it in javascript with keydown, keyup, keypress event handlers. But I get the event back in onUnhandledKeyEvent. I also tried webview.dispatchKeyEvent with the same result.
Would be grateful for any pointers.

NithinG · by **NithinG** » Tue May 06, 2008 3:01 pm

Thanks a lot plusminus

It helped me a lot..
But i am having some doubts. Insead of this Key event i tried to use mouse (Motion event). So we need to create an instance of that. So Can you give an idea about the arguments which are passing on that.

Thanks and regards,

NithinG

renegade · by **renegade** » Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:01 pm

Ok, nice work plusminus...
Well, I'm wonder now how to simulate KeyPress event, and send it to some running application.
I try to create on-screen keyboard...

Any ideas?
Regards!!

plusminus · by **plusminus** » Sun Jun 15, 2008 3:22 pm

renegade wrote:Ok, nice work plusminus...
Well, I'm wonder now how to simulate KeyPress event, and send it to some running application.
I try to create on-screen keyboard...

Any ideas?
Regards!!

Hm sorry, no real idea, as the actual app looses focus

Google hast to create a system-wide SW-keyboard or every device will have a HW-Keyboard!

Regards,
plusminus

saahil · by **saahil** » Sun Aug 24, 2008 7:45 pm

hello plusminus,
this is the third tutorial i've taken after i updated my sdk to 0.9beta, and none of the tutorials have worked the way they are supposed to

. i think its because of the sdk update itself that some functions are depricated. anyway, for this tutorial, i m getting the following errors, plz help me :?:

Code: Select all: this.findViewById(R.id.cmd_simulate_key).setOnClickListener( R.id cannot be resolved

Code: Select all: windowManager.injectKeyEvent(kEvent.isDown(), kEvent.getKeyCode(), kEvent.getRepeatCount(), kEvent.getDownTime(), kEvent .getEventTime(), true); The method injectKeyEvent(KeyEvent, boolean) in the type IWindowManager is not applicable for the arguments (boolean, int, int, long, long, boolean) The method isDown() from the type KeyEvent is deprecated

Txorl · by **Txorl** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:48 pm

Does anybody know if there is a way to Simulating KeyStrokes programatically with the new SDk 1.0 ?

My_Name_Is_Neo · by **My_Name_Is_Neo** » Sun Oct 19, 2008 3:54 am

[Bump]
Anyone knows how to do this on new SDK 1.0

Bratag · by **Bratag** » Mon Oct 20, 2008 10:16 pm

I would also like to know that. Why the hell they did away with this I do not know. The more I get into SDK 1.0 the more I hate it.

amitonrise · by **amitonrise** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 7:23 am

how to inject KeyStroke in a BraoadCAst REceiver

mosquitofs · by **mosquitofs** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:51 pm

I'm not sure but can it be possible that this class import android.os.ServiceManager; is not avaible anymore on the newest sdk?

MrSnowflake · by **MrSnowflake** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:06 pm

amitonrise wrote:how to inject KeyStroke in a BraoadCAst REceiver

You can't and why would you? A BroadcastReceiver is a object which doesn't need user input.

mosquitofs wrote:I'm not sure but can it be possible that this class import android.os.ServiceManager; is not avaible anymore on the newest sdk?

Yup, they removed it some time ago.

mosquitofs · by **mosquitofs** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 5:17 pm

I found a way to start an button on a very easy method... I just Overrided the method onKeyDown and return false

and then did for example this:

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Using java Syntax Highlighting

                KeyEvent kev = new KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN, KeyEvent.KEYCODE_6);
 
                onKeyDown(KeyEvent.KEYCODE_6, kev);     
 
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this would write a 6 ... but my problem is I need to send a KeyEvent which "presses" Endbutton

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Using java Syntax Highlighting

                KeyEvent kev = new KeyEvent(KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN, KeyEvent.KEYCODE_ENDCALL);
 
                onKeyDown(KeyEvent.KEYCODE_ENDCALL, kev);
 
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but this is not working because you have no controle of the end button... but I really need this ^^ or do you know which application/method will be started by pressing the ENDCALL Button?