_SCREENPRINT

The _SCREENPRINT statement simulates typing text into a Windows focused program.

Syntax

_SCREENPRINT text$

Description

• Keyword not supported in Linux or macOS versions
• text$ is the text to be typed into a focused program's text entry area, one character at a time.
• Set the focus to a desktop program by using the _SCREENIMAGE handle as the _SOURCE. Use the image to map the desired area.
• _SCREENCLICK can also be used to set the focus to a program's text entry area on the desktop.
• Note: If the focus is not set correctly, the text may be printed to the QB64 IDE, if open, or not printed at all.
• Ctrl + letter key shortcuts can be simulated using the appropriate ASCII Control character codes 1 to 26 shown below:

CTRL + A = CHR$(1) ☺ StartHeader (SOH) CTRL + B = CHR$(2) ☻ StartText (STX) CTRL + C = CHR$(3) ♥ EndText (ETX) CTRL + D = CHR$(4) ♦ EndOfTransmit (EOT) CTRL + E = CHR$(5) ♣ Enquiry (ENQ) CTRL + F = CHR$(6) ♠ Acknowledge (ACK) CTRL + G = CHR$(7) • BEEP (BEL) CTRL + H = CHR$(8) ◘ [Backspace] (BS) CTRL + I = CHR$(9) ○ Horiz.Tab [Tab] CTRL + J = CHR$(10) ◙ LineFeed(printer) (LF) CTRL + K = CHR$(11) ♂ Vert. Tab (VT) CTRL + L = CHR$(12) ♀ FormFeed(printer) (FF) CTRL + M = CHR$(13) ♪ [Enter] (CR) CTRL + N = CHR$(14) ♫ ShiftOut (SO) CTRL + O = CHR$(15) ☼ ShiftIn (SI) CTRL + P = CHR$(16) ► DataLinkEscape (DLE) CTRL + Q = CHR$(17) ◄ DevControl1 (DC1) CTRL + R = CHR$(18) ↕ DeviceControl2 (DC2) CTRL + S = CHR$(19) ‼ DevControl3 (DC3) CTRL + T = CHR$(20) ¶ DeviceControl4 (DC4) CTRL + U = CHR$(21) § NegativeACK (NAK) CTRL + V = CHR$(22) ▬ Synchronous Idle (SYN) CTRL + W = CHR$(23) ↨ EndTXBlock (ETB) CTRL + X = CHR$(24) ↑ Cancel (CAN) CTRL + Y = CHR$(25) ↓ EndMedium (EM) CTRL + Z = CHR$(26) → End Of File(SUB) (EOF)

Examples

Example: Printing text into a Windows text editor (Notepad) and copying to the clipboard. May not work on all systems.

DEFLNG A-Z SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(640, 480, 32) PRINT "OPENing and MAXIMIZING Notepad in 5 seconds..."; : _DELAY 5 SHELL _DONTWAIT "START /MAX NotePad.exe" 'opens Notepad file "untitled.txt" 'detect notepad open and maximized 'condition: 80% or more of the screen is white DO 'read the desktop screen image for maximized window s = _SCREENIMAGE _SOURCE s z = 0 FOR y = 0 TO _HEIGHT(s) - 1 'scan for large white area FOR x = 0 TO _WIDTH(s) - 1 c = POINT(x, y) IF c = _RGB32(255, 255, 255) THEN z = z + 1 NEXT NEXT IF z / (_HEIGHT(s) * _WIDTH(s)) > 0.8 THEN EXIT DO 'when 80% of screen is white _FREEIMAGE s 'free desktop image _LIMIT 1 'scans 1 loop per second PRINT "."; LOOP PRINT PRINT "NOTEPAD detected as OPEN and MAXIMIZED" _SCREENPRINT "HELLO WORLD" SLEEP 2 _SCREENPRINT CHR$(8) + CHR$(8) + CHR$(8) + CHR$(8) + CHR$(8) 'backspace 5 characters SLEEP 3 _SCREENPRINT "QB64!" SLEEP 2 _SCREENPRINT CHR$(1) 'CTRL + A select all SLEEP 2 _SCREENPRINT CHR$(3) 'CTRL + C copy to clipboard SLEEP 2 PRINT CLIPBOARD$ _CLIPBOARD$ = "QB64 ROCKS!" SLEEP 2 _SCREENPRINT CHR$(22) 'CTRL + V paste from clipboard END

Code by Galleon

Explanation: If the Windows shortcuts are set up properly, printing ASCII Control characters acts like the user selected the control + letter combinations to Select all (CHR$(1)), Copy (CHR$(3)) and Paste (CHR$(22)) the text with the Windows Clipboard. If the editor program's CTRL key combinations are different, use the matching letter ASCII code from A = 1 to Z = 26 in the text editor.

See also

• Featured in our "Keyword of the Day" series
• _SCREENIMAGE, _SCREENCLICK
• _SCREENMOVE, _SCREENX, _SCREENY
• ASCII

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