Generating Mouse-Keyboard combination events in python

Question

I want to be able to do a combination of keypresses and mouseclicks simultaneously, as in for example Control+LeftClick

At the moment I am able to do Control and then a left click with the following code:

import win32com, win32api, win32con
def CopyBox( x, y):
    time.sleep(.2)
    wsh = win32com.client.Dispatch("WScript.Shell")
    wsh.SendKeys("^")
    win32api.SetCursorPos((x,y))
    win32api.mouse_event(win32con.MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN, x, y, 0, 0)
    win32api.mouse_event(win32con.MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP, x, y, 0, 0)

What this does is press control on the keyboard, then it clicks. I need it to keep the controll pressed longer and return while it's still pressed to continue running the code. Is there a maybe lower level way of saying press the key and then later in the code tell it to lift up the key such as like what the mouse is doing?

chjortlund · Accepted Answer · 2018-03-09 15:49:47Z

3

to press control:

win32api.keybd_event(win32con.VK_CONTROL, 0, win32con.KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY, 0)

to release it:

win32api.keybd_event(win32con.VK_CONTROL, 0, win32con.KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY | win32con.KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0)

so your code will look like this:

import win32api, win32con
def CopyBox(x, y):
    time.sleep(.2)
    win32api.keybd_event(win32con.VK_CONTROL, 0, win32con.KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY, 0)
    win32api.SetCursorPos((x,y))
    win32api.mouse_event(win32con.MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTDOWN, x, y, 0, 0)
    win32api.mouse_event(win32con.MOUSEEVENTF_LEFTUP, x, y, 0, 0)
    win32api.keybd_event(win32con.VK_CONTROL, 0, win32con.KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0)

edited Mar 9, 2018 at 15:49

chjortlund

4,0852 gold badges35 silver badges32 bronze badges

answered Apr 24, 2010 at 0:03

lunixbochs

22.5k2 gold badges41 silver badges48 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

4 Comments

user202459 Over a year ago

The pressing of the control works perfectly, the releasing of it not so much. After the code is run the ctrl key is kept pressed until log-off or restart

user202459 Over a year ago

Can you verify that it works for you and is not just a problem on my machine?

user202459 Over a year ago

Seems like the extendedkey thing (Whatever that is) is what caused the problem, it's working perfectly now. Thanks for you answer!

chjortlund Over a year ago

When using the EXTENDEDKEY, you need to provide that as a flag when you want to release the press like: win32api.keybd_event(win32con.VK_CONTROL, 0, win32con.KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY | win32con.KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0), I have suggested an edit of the answer.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Generating Mouse-Keyboard combination events in python

1 Answer 1

4 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

4 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related