sendkeys.md

Spreadsheet-to-Keystrokes Script

This script is designed to automate the process of inputting data from a spreadsheet into a program that only allows input one field at a time. By reading an exported file and simulating keystrokes, the script inputs each cell value into the corresponding field in the program.

The script is simple and easy to use, with no complicated setup or configuration required. All you need to do is prepare the data in a tab-delimited text file, open the order entry system, and drag and drop the file onto the script, then select the first field in the program. The script will wait three seconds then automatically input the data for you.

Prerequisites

We are assuming you are running Microsoft Windows with VBScript (it comes standard). If this is inaccurate, a python example is also provided.

Assumptions

We are assuming that you can press tab to move to the next field, and that pressing enter will move to the next line.

Usage

1. Open your spreadsheet program with the data formatted in the same order as the fields.
2. Export the data as a text file. For example, in Microsoft Excel, Go to File -> Save As, and select text file. You do not want a string delimiter, and you want Tab delimited export.
3. Place the script on your desktop with the csv file.
4. Run the script by dragging the data-text file on to the sendkeys.vbs file (or python for non-windows environments).
5. The script pauses for three seconds, use this time to select the first field in the program.
6. Watch as it inputs the spreadsheet data into the program.

Exporting the file will give you 1 tab per cell. So move the cells over to correctly give you the number of tabs.

sendkeys.py

import time
import sys
import pyautogui

time.sleep(3)

file_name = sys.argv[1]

with open(file_name, 'r') as f:
    contents = f.read()

pyautogui.typewrite(contents)

sendkeys.vbs

Dim WshShell, file_name, fso, ts, contents

WScript.Sleep 3000

file_name = WScript.Arguments(0)

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set ts = fso.OpenTextFile(file_name)
contents = ts.ReadAll
ts.Close

Set WshShell = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.SendKeys contents

For linux:

#!/bin/bash
sleep 3
while IFS= read -r line; do
    xdotool type --delay 50 "$line"
    xdotool key Return
done < "${1}"

For MacOS (requires permissions):

-- Pause for three seconds to allow time to switch to the correct application
delay 3

-- Get the path to the dropped file
on open dropped_items
    set file_path to (POSIX path of dropped_items)
end open

-- Read the contents of the file
set file_data to read file_path as «class utf8»

-- Send the data to the system
tell application "System Events"
    keystroke file_data
end tell

---

If without the right permissions:

1. Click on the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen and select "System Preferences".
2. Click on "Security & Privacy".
3. Select the "Privacy" tab.
4. Scroll down to "Accessibility" in the left-hand column and click on it.
5. Click the lock icon in the bottom left corner of the window to make changes.
6. Enter your administrator password when prompted.
7. Check the box next to the application you want to allow to control your computer using System Events (in this case, it would be your AppleScript editor or the "Script Editor" application).
8. If the application you want to allow doesn't appear in the list, click the "+" button at the bottom of the window and select it from the Applications folder.
9. Once you've made your selection, close the window and the changes should take effect immediately.
Note that if you're using macOS Catalina or later, you may need to grant full disk access instead of just accessibility access, depending on the specific use case.

-- Get the path to the dropped file
on open dropped_items
    set file_path to (POSIX path of dropped_items)
    -- Pause for three seconds to allow time to switch to the correct application
    delay 3
    --display dialog file_path buttons {"Ok"}
    --delay 3
    tell application "System Events"
        -- Read the contents of the file
        set file_data to read file_path as «class utf8»
        
        -- Split the data into rows
        set row_data to paragraphs of file_data
        
        -- Remove the header row if present
        if item 1 of row_data contains tab then
            set row_data to items 2 thru -1 of row_data
        end if
        
        -- Loop through the rows and send keystrokes to the system
        repeat with this_row in row_data
            -- Split the row into individual fields
            set field_data to words of this_row
            
            -- Enter each field using the "keystroke" command
            repeat with this_field in field_data
                keystroke this_field
                keystroke tab
            end repeat
            
            -- Press "return" to submit the data
            keystroke return
            
        end repeat
    end tell
end open

This works when given proper authority.
The old code was probably fine in in Applescript 10 years ago. Give or take; but needed some minor changes to work in modern Applescript.

https://gist.github.com/tatarize/37f664e0240bc1548ad3a43c7acc2021

For the updated version:

{wait 500}$1{tab}$2{enter}$3{tab}{tab}$6{tab}{tab}{tab}{tab}{tab}{tab}

Should be the needed filename/ordering, assuming the final part needs 6 tabs.