Control another application using C#

Question

I need to control other application by simulating mouse movement and keyboard input. How do I accomplish this in C#? Is it even possible?

Looks like a duplicate of stackoverflow.com/questions/412598/…. I found that by searching stackoverflow.com/search?q=Control+another+application — John Saunders
– John Saunders, Commented Jul 16, 2009 at 4:25
However accepted answer for this question is different than the accepted answer for the duplicate (both provide a reasonable solution). — Eric J.
– Eric J., Commented May 20, 2011 at 19:46

Uwe Keim · Accepted Answer · 2018-02-08 22:39:24Z

47

Have you looked at ~~White~~ TestStack?

Sample code:

Application application = Application.Launch("foo.exe");
Window window = application.GetWindow("bar", InitializeOption.NoCache);

Button button = window.Get<Button>("save");
button.Click();

I don't think it can get better than that. The library is created by ThoughtWorks.

edited Feb 8, 2018 at 22:39

Uwe Keim

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answered Jul 16, 2009 at 1:34

SolutionYogi

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4 Comments

SolutionYogi Over a year ago

I was trying to browse White project's documentation and it started giving errors! BTW, 'White' will give you OO approach to control Windows based applications.

Pontus Magnusson Over a year ago

I'm trying to access Spotify (A music program) and click the play button, but it seems to be completely graphical because I can't find any handles or anything with spy++. How would I do this?

Twenty Over a year ago

@PontusMagnusson did you managed it somehow? I am having the same issue as you.

Pontus Magnusson Over a year ago

@Twenty I did, but unfortunately I dont have the code anymore. I believe I queued windows events to control the different elements of the application. Today I think I'd use the Spotify API tho.

Sam Harwell · Accepted Answer · 2009-07-16 01:34:03Z

4

See "To send a keystroke to a different application" on this page:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms171548.aspx

answered Jul 16, 2009 at 1:34

Sam Harwell

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Comments

Yuriy Faktorovich · Accepted Answer · 2009-07-16 01:36:18Z

You can use p/invoke, I stole the following code for mouse clicks in random spots on a button with a known handle:

    [Flags]
    public enum MouseEventFlags
    {
        LEFTDOWN = 0x00000002,
        LEFTUP = 0x00000004,
        MIDDLEDOWN = 0x00000020,
        MIDDLEUP = 0x00000040,
        MOVE = 0x00000001,
        ABSOLUTE = 0x00008000,
        RIGHTDOWN = 0x00000008,
        RIGHTUP = 0x00000010
    }

    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    public struct Rectangle
    {
        public int X;
        public int Y;
        public int Width;
        public int Height;
    }

    private static void Click(IntPtr Handle)
    {
        lock (typeof(MouseAction))
        {
            Rectangle buttonDesign;

            GetWindowRect(Handle, out buttonDesign);
            Random r = new Random();

            int curX = 10 + buttonDesign.X + r.Next(100 - 20);
            int curY = 10 + buttonDesign.Y + r.Next(60 - 20);

            SetCursorPos(curX, curY);
            //Mouse Right Down and Mouse Right Up
            mouse_event((uint)MouseEventFlags.LEFTDOWN, curX, curY, 0, 0);
            mouse_event((uint)MouseEventFlags.LEFTUP, curX, curY, 0, 0);  
        }
    }

    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    static extern bool SetCursorPos(int X, int Y);

    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    private static extern void mouse_event(
        long dwFlags, long dx, long dy, long cButtons, long dwExtraInfo);

    [DllImport("user32.dll")]
    static extern bool GetWindowRect(IntPtr hWnd, out Rectangle rect);

Matthieu · Accepted Answer · 2011-09-29 13:50:49Z

2

you can use AutoIT, it's freeware, and it has a dll version that you can import into C# (DllImport). It allows you to click on controls, write strings to edit boxes, make combobox selections etc on another application from C#.

edited Sep 29, 2011 at 13:50

Matthieu

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answered Jan 14, 2011 at 16:24

xavier

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Comments

abhilash · Accepted Answer · 2009-07-16 01:36:14Z

1

Use the SendMessage Native Win32 API. DllImport this method from the User32.dll. You can use this API to send both keyboard & mouse messages

answered Jul 16, 2009 at 1:36

abhilash

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Comments

jsls · Accepted Answer · 2016-06-09 10:17:27Z

I tried to do the same: to use the mouse i used this class

(you need to add using System.Runtime.InteropServices;)

public class MouseClick1    //public is important here**
    {
        [DllImport("user32.dll", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
        public static extern void mouse_event(uint dwFlags, uint dx, uint dy, uint cButtons, uint dwExtraInfo);


        private const int MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN = 0x02;
        private const int MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP = 0x04;
        private const int MOUSEEVENTF_RIGHTDOWN = 0x08;
        private const int MOUSEEVENTF_RIGHTUP = 0x10;


        public int CoordX { get; set; }    
        public int CoordY { get; set; }

                public void Click1()
        {

            Cursor.Position = new Point(CoordX, CoordY);

            mouse_event(MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN, 0, 0, 0, 0);
            mouse_event(MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP, 0, 0, 0, 0);

        }

    }

and after on your form1 (presuming the name is form1) you can

 public partial class form1 : Form
    {

 MouseClick1 button1 = new MouseClick1();
 MouseClick1 button2 = new MouseClick1();

[...]

    public void Simulate_button1and2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {

       button1.CoordX = 1652;   //random coordinates
       button1.CoordY = 225;
       button2.CoordX = 1650;
       button2.CoordY = 250;

       button1.Click1();
       button1.Click2();

} }

To have the coordinates on your pointer, I use a timer and a label:

 private void timer1_Tick(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Coord.Text = Cursor.Position.X.ToString() + " : " + Cursor.Position.Y.ToString();  //Premet d'avoir les coord en direct

        }

Work fine with me.

In your code button1.Click2(); should be button2.Click1();.

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