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HomeBackend DevelopmentPython TutorialHow can you detect keyboard input in Python scripts running from the terminal?

How can you detect keyboard input in Python scripts running from the terminal?

Implementing Keyboard Input Detection in Python Scripts from the Terminal

To detect keyboard input from the terminal while your Python script is running, you have several options, each with its advantages and limitations:

Synchronous/Blocking Key Capture

  • Simple input() or raw_input(): Python functions that halt script execution until the user presses Enter, providing the typed text.
<code class="python">typedString = raw_input()</code>
  • Simple blocking keypress capture:
<code class="python">import msvcrt
k=msvcrt.getch()</code>

Asynchronous Key Capture

  • Callback when key is pressed:
<code class="python">import win32api, time
from win32api import STD_INPUT_HANDLE
from win32console import GetStdHandle, KEY_EVENT, ENABLE_LINE_INPUT, ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT, ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT

from keyPress import KeyPress

class CaptureLines():
    def __init__(self):
        self.isCapturingInputLines = False

        self.inputLinesHookCallback = CFUNCTYPE(c_int)(self.inputLinesHook)
        self.pyosInputHookPointer = c_void_p.in_dll(pythonapi, "PyOS_InputHook")
        self.originalPyOsInputHookPointerValue = self.pyosInputHookPointer.value

        self.readHandle = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
        self.readHandle.SetConsoleMode(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT|ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT|ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT)


    def inputLinesHook(self):
        self.readHandle.SetConsoleMode(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT|ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT|ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT)
        inputChars = self.readHandle.ReadConsole(10000000)
        self.readHandle.SetConsoleMode(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT|ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT)

        if inputChars == "\r\n":
            KeyPress("\n")
            return 0

        inputChars = inputChars[:-2]

        inputChars += "\n"

        for c in inputChars:
            KeyPress(c)

        self.inputCallback(inputChars)

        return 0</code>

Polling

  • Simple key capture without blocking:
<code class="python">import win32api, time
from win32api import STD_INPUT_HANDLE
from win32console import GetStdHandle, KEY_EVENT, ENABLE_LINE_INPUT, ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT

class KeyAsyncReader():
    def __init__(self):
        self.readHandle = GetStdHandle(STD_INPUT_HANDLE)
        self.readHandle.SetConsoleMode(ENABLE_LINE_INPUT|ENABLE_ECHO_INPUT|ENABLE_PROCESSED_INPUT)

    def poll(self):
        return self.readHandle.ReadConsoleInput()</code>

Robots

  • Programmatic firing of keyboard events:
<code class="python">import ctypes
from ctypes import wintypes
import time

user32 = ctypes.WinDLL('user32', use_last_error=True)

INPUT_MOUSE    = 0
INPUT_KEYBOARD = 1
INPUT_HARDWARE = 2

KEYEVENTF_EXTENDEDKEY = 0x0001
KEYEVENTF_KEYUP       = 0x0002
KEYEVENTF_UNICODE     = 0x0004
KEYEVENTF_SCANCODE    = 0x0008

MAPVK_VK_TO_VSC = 0

# C struct definitions
wintypes.ULONG_PTR = wintypes.WPARAM

SendInput = ctypes.windll.user32.SendInput

PUL = ctypes.POINTER(ctypes.c_ulong)

class KEYBDINPUT(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = (("wVk",         wintypes.WORD),
                ("wScan",       wintypes.WORD),
                ("dwFlags",     wintypes.DWORD),
                ("time",        wintypes.DWORD),
                ("dwExtraInfo", wintypes.ULONG_PTR))

class MOUSEINPUT(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = (("dx",          wintypes.LONG),
                ("dy",          wintypes.LONG),
                ("mouseData",   wintypes.DWORD),
                ("dwFlags",     wintypes.DWORD),
                ("time",        wintypes.DWORD),
                ("dwExtraInfo", wintypes.ULONG_PTR))

class HARDWAREINPUT(ctypes.Structure):
    _fields_ = (("uMsg",    wintypes.DWORD),
                ("wParamL", wintypes.WORD),
                ("wParamH", wintypes.WORD))

class INPUT(ctypes.Structure):
    class _INPUT(ctypes.Union):
        _fields_ = (("ki", KEYBDINPUT),
                    ("mi", MOUSEINPUT),
                    ("hi", HARDWAREINPUT))
    _anonymous_ = ("_input",)
    _fields_ = (("type",   wintypes.DWORD),
                ("_input", _INPUT))

LPINPUT = ctypes.POINTER(INPUT)

def _check_count(result, func, args):
    if result == 0:
        raise ctypes.WinError(ctypes.get_last_error())
    return args

user32.SendInput.errcheck = _check_count
user32.SendInput.argtypes = (wintypes.UINT, # nInputs
                             LPINPUT,       # pInputs
                             ctypes.c_int)  # cbSize

def KeyDown(unicodeKey):
    key, unikey, uniflag = GetKeyCode(unicodeKey)
    x = INPUT( type=INPUT_KEYBOARD, ki= KEYBDINPUT( key, unikey, uniflag, 0))
    user32.SendInput(1, ctypes.byref(x), ctypes.sizeof(x))

def KeyUp(unicodeKey):
    key, unikey, uniflag = GetKeyCode(unicodeKey)
    extra = ctypes.c_ulong(0)
    x = INPUT( type=INPUT_KEYBOARD, ki= KEYBDINPUT( key, unikey, uniflag | KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0))
    user32.SendInput(1, ctypes.byref(x), ctypes.sizeof(x))

def KeyPress(unicodeKey):
    time.sleep(0.0001)
    KeyDown(unicodeKey)
    time.sleep(0.0001)
    KeyUp(unicodeKey)
    time.sleep(0.0001)


def GetKeyCode(unicodeKey):
    k = unicodeKey
    curKeyCode = 0
    if k == "up": curKeyCode = 0x26
    elif k == "down": curKeyCode = 0x28
    elif k == "left": curKeyCode = 0x25
    elif k == "right": curKeyCode = 0x27
    elif k == "home": curKeyCode = 0x24
    elif k == "end": curKeyCode = 0x23
    elif k == "insert": curKeyCode = 0x2D
    elif k == "pgup": curKeyCode = 0x21
    elif k == "pgdn": curKeyCode = 0x22
    elif k == "delete": curKeyCode = 0x2E
    elif k == "\n": curKeyCode = 0x0D

    if curKeyCode == 0:
        return 0, int(unicodeKey.encode("hex"), 16), KEYEVENTF_UNICODE
    else:
        return curKeyCode, 0, 0</code>

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