Send virtual key events to a specifc process/PID ?

[alphastrata]

Describe your Question
Want to send key events to a specific process/PID/Window.

Describe your Goal
Use reddit on one monitor while my bot sends virtual key-presses to another window of my choosing.

Environment (please complete the following information):

• Windows 10
• Rust Version = latest.
• Library Version = latest.

[pentamassiv]

I do not know how that would be possible. At least for Linux Wayland I don't think it would work because none of the protocols seem to allow choosing the window. If anyone knows how this could be achieved, please let me know.

[pythoneer]

It might be possible under Windows (not sure, my memory of the windows api fades over the years :P) and i am also quite sure its not possible under Linux. This also opens the question how do we proceed with things that are not possible on all supported platforms.

[pentamassiv]

Under Linux X11 it seems to be possible. At least the xdotools man page says:

KEYBOARD COMMANDS
       key [options] keystroke [keystroke ...]
           Options:

           --window window
               Send keystrokes to a specific window id. You can use "WINDOW STACK"
               references like "%1" and "%@" here. If there is a window stack, then "%1"
               is the default, otherwise the current window is used.

And it includes a few examples:

Examples:
            # Activate google-chrome when you move the mouse to the bottom-left corner:
            xdotool behave_screen_edge bottom-left \
              search --class google-chrome windowactivate

            # Go to the next workspace (right). Known to work in GNOME (metacity and compiz)
            xdotool behave_screen_edge --delay 500 bottom-right key XF86Forward

            # Activate firefox and do a web search in a new tab for text in your clipboard
            xdotool behave_screen_edge --delay 1000 top-left \
                search --classname Navigator \

[pentamassiv]

I am not familiar with Windows, but I found this:
https://github.com/eHonnef/afk-clicker/blob/master/windows/Main.py
It looks like it is possible with Windows as well.

[pentamassiv]

It also looks like it is possible with macOS. There is post_to_pid, so we should be able to send the events to a specific process/window.