Paste as keystrokes (macOS)

keystroke the clipboard extended.workflow

# Why?
# To paste text into windows that normally don't allow it or have access to the clipboard.
# Examples: Virtual machines that do not yet have tools installed, websites that hijack paste
#
# Extended vs Simple?
# * Includes an initial delay to allow you to change active windows
# * Adds small delay between keypresses for slower responding windows like SSH sessions
# * Better handling of numbers
# * VMWare bug fix
#
# Setup
# Apple Shortcuts app
#
# MAKE SURE YOUR CAPSLOCK IS OFF

on run
    tell application "System Events"
        delay 2 # DELAY BEFORE BEGINNING KEYPRESSES IN SECONDS
        repeat with char in (the clipboard)
            set cID to id of char

            if ((cID ≥ 48) and (cID ≤ 57)) then
                # Converts numbers to ANSI_# characters rather than ANSI_Keypad# characters
                # https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/227940
                key code {item (cID - 47) of {29, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 22, 26, 28, 25}}
            else if (cID = 46) then
                # Fix VMware Fusion period bug
                # https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/331574
                key code 47
            else
                keystroke char
            end if

            delay 0.5 # DELAY BETWEEEN EACH KEYPRESS IN SECONDS
        end repeat
    end tell
end run

keystroke the clipboard simple.workflow

on run
    tell application "System Events"
        keystroke (the clipboard)
    end tell
end run

@Dream-Cypher Are you sure key code cID is what you meant? cID is the ascii character code, and key code uses a different scheme.

Some old references to the bug, nothing official posted from VMware

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/322008/cannot-print-period-from-simple-applescript-to-vmware-fusion-virtual-machi

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/142986/applescript-keystroke-ignoring-numbers

Are you sure key code cID is what you meant? cID is the ascii character code, and key code uses a different scheme.

Nope... good catch! I entered the wrong line when I posted the comment. I did have "keystroke char" in my local copy.

Thanks,
Dave

TYSM!! worked for me!

With VMWare Fusion, I also had issues with grave, tilde, and pipe (was being received as keyCodes 193, Shift+193, and Shift+255, respectively):

else if (cID = 96) then
    # Fix grave (`)
    key code 50
else if (cID = 126) then
    # Fix tilde (~)
    key code 50 using {shift down}
else if (cID = 124) then
    # Fix pipe (|)
    key code 42 using {shift down}

👍

The equals '=' key doesn't work on Parallels desktop. Any idea on how to fix it ?

@SHREYAS-KS-CS104 if you load https://w3c.github.io/uievents/tools/key-event-viewer.html inside parallels, and then use this to type equals, what keyDown events do you see?

Any chance one of you could develop a Mac app to paste clipboard as keystrokes entry? I use this daily where text windows don’t allow pasting and it’s critical for my daily work but lately I’ve been getting error messages at times trying in Chrome and Safari. If this stops working entirely it would be a severe blow to my daily work so I would gladly pay for a reliable and easily installed app.

please help!!

Any chance one of you could develop a Mac app to paste clipboard as keystrokes entry? I use this daily where text windows don’t allow pasting and it’s critical for my daily work but lately I’ve been getting error messages at times trying in Chrome and Safari. If this stops working entirely it would be a severe blow to my daily work so I would gladly pay for a reliable and easily installed app.

please help!!

I found a Golang script, with a little modification:

package main

import (
	"github.com/GuoFlight/gkeybd"
	"golang.design/x/clipboard"
)

func main() {
	err := clipboard.Init()
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	content := string(clipboard.Read(clipboard.FmtText))
	err = gkeybd.TypeStr(content)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
}

and after compiling it, with iCanHazShortcut, I can finally bind the paste key to the keyboard, it works like a charm.

Warning: need to change #import <Foundation/Foundation.h> in vendor/github.com/micmonay/keybd_event/keybd_darwin.go to #import <Cocoa/Cocoa.h> in macOS when compiling.

@PeetMcK @markmcjr

Not sure if the regular Scripts Menu Privacy settings were different in Big Sur. I can however confirm that the following works on my 12.3.1 box (as an FYI, it is supervised in MDM, just in case that has an affect on this that I'm unaware of).

1. ...
...
5. In Script Editor Preferences ensure ...
6. In SystemPreferences -> Security & Privacy -> Accessibility add ...
...

I think think this way of embedding into MacOS menu has more merit than via "Quick Action" method. In the latter case you have to give any app that initiates the Quick Action permissions to control the computer, which is inconvenient and security threat. In the way mentioned by PeetKcK you only have to perform one time a few actions for only one Apple Supplied MacOS App.

Thanks @sscotth for creating this script and others for making it more user-friendly !