AutoIt and Millennium: “Smart” Scripting

AutoIt and Millennium: “Smart” Scripting
Harvey E. Hahn Manager – Technical Services Department Arlington Heights Memorial Library Arlington Heights, Illinois © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Purpose This presentation is not about writing scripts in general!
Although AutoIt can be used for telnet scripting, this presentation will deal only with Millennium © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Purpose This presentation is about using your existing programming knowledge and skills plus new tools to write scripts that help accomplish Millennium tasks You will not learn detailed knowledge about AutoIt, but you will learn helpful patterns, tips, and techniques to use in your scripts for Millennium © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

What is a script? One or more groups of instructions
that perform a sequence of window actions, often entering, modifying, and/or deleting data, imitating what a person would perform © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

What is “dumb” scripting?
Sends text, keystrokes, and mouse clicks to one or more windows “blindly” Does not (and cannot) “react” to what is happening on the screen Millennium keystroke “macros” are simple examples of this © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

What is “smart” scripting?
“Aware” of which window is currently displayed Can “react” appropriately to screen behavior Sends text, keystrokes, and mouse clicks to one or more windows “intelligently” Can “read” textual data from the screen and act upon it in some way © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Why use scripts? Result : Increased efficiency Increased productivity
Computer can do what it’s good at Speed Repetition People can do what they’re good at Judgment / Decision making Result : Increased efficiency Increased productivity © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Product comparison Cost GUI capabilities
AutoIt, VBScript, and Expect are free OCLC Macro Language is freely available to OCLC customers only Macro Express costs $40 per computer GUI capabilities AutoIt and Macro Express do windows VBScript, Expect , and OML do not © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Why choose AutoIt? Programming language with similarities to Visual Basic Scripts can work with Windows, not just telnet FREE! © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Where to get it? AutoIt v3 Home Page
SciTE (Scintilla-based Text Editor) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Installation tip Although Edit the script is the “recommended” SciTE doubleclick option, do NOT choose it! Instead, let the default option remain as Run the script © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

SciTE Customizable full-screen text editor specially adapted for AutoIt Author pronounces name as “shkyt” Syntax highlighting (color-coded) Full help for AutoIt commands Integrated window information utility Scripts can be compiled to .exe files © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

SciTE—Syntax highlighting
© b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

SciTE—AutoIt help © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

SciTE—Window info utility
1 2 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

SciTE—Window info utility

SciTE—Compiled files 2 1 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Why both AutoIt and SciTE?
Use SciTE to write AutoIt scripts Use AutoIt to follow script instructions SCRIPT ( SciTE ) AutoIt Actions © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Testing (or running) scripts
1 2 or F5 key © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Other helpful tools FRHED (FRee Hex EDitor)

FRHED © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Some programming basics
Function Performs an action Returns a value: number, text, success (true/false) Syntax conversions How common commands look in AutoIt © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Some programming basics Syntax conversions
Visual Basic / OML 'remark Dim abc As ... abc = ... Dim WinSize(2)... AutoIt ;remark Dim $abc $abc = ... Dim $WinSize[2] © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Visual Basic / OML Function Fname(…) Fname = value End Function Sub name(…) End Sub AutoIt Func Fname(…) Return $value EndFunc Func name(…) [no return value] © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Visual Basic / OML AppActivate SendKeys [OML: Receive] [no equivalent] AutoIt WinActivate * Send WinWaitActive * Sleep * similar function, not identical © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Visual Basic / OML Len Left[$] Mid[$] Right[$] AutoIt StringLen StringLeft StringMid StringRight © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Visual Basic / OML LTrim[$] RTrim[$] Trim[$] UCase[$] LCase[$] AutoIt [no equivalent] StringUpper StringLower © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Visual Basic / OML Clipboard.GetText Clipboard.PutText AutoIt ClipGet ClipPut © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

What’s next? Typing keystrokes Window coordinates
Clicking buttons / tabs / icons “Where am I?” Getting data from windows © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes Syntax Examples
Send( “<one or more keystrokes>” ) Send( $variablename ) Examples Send( “ ” ) ;enter item barcode Send( $Barcode ) Send( “!y” ) ;Alt-y = choose the “Yes” button Send( "+{TAB 4}” ) ;presses Shift-Tab 4 times Send( “^c” ) ;Ctrl-c = copy data to clipboard Any scripting language can do this in Millennium © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes Known issue with Microsoft Windows:
A script can send keystrokes faster than Windows can process them Programmers need to insert delays after Send commands to permit Windows to catch up The delay value should be at least 2/10ths of a second, possibly more This isn’t a problem with a human typist, but a computer “typist” is much faster © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes Syntax Examples Sleep( <1000ths of a second> )
Sleep( 200 ) ;pause 2/10ths of a second Sleep( 5000 ) ;wait 5 seconds © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes For the Send command to work successfully, the Sleep command needs to be paired with it: Send( “John{ENTER}” ) Sleep( 200 ) Send( “Smith{ENTER}” ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes More efficient approach: Func Type( $Text )
Send( $Text ) Sleep(400) ;add pause after sending text EndFunc . . . Type( “John{ENTER}” ) Type( “Smith{ENTER}” ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes Millennium scripting tip:
Always first try using a keyboard shortcut (before trying mouse clicks) because it’s the easiest and most reliable technique © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes Millennium keyboard equivalents:
# – function keys # – general shortcut keys # – window controls and associated shortcut keys © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Typing keystrokes Millennium keyboard equivalents

Discussion demo © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates The screen is the entire desktop
A window is placed somewhere on the screen A Millennium window usually covers the entire screen © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates Coordinates are zero-based from the upper left corner of a window or screen Coordinates inside of a window stay the same, regardless of where a window is located on the screen © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates 98 79 98 79 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates Millennium scripting tip: Syntax NOTE:
A window must be maximized for consistent coordinates Syntax WinSetState( $WinName, ) NOTE: This command will even maximize windows which have no maximize button! © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates Millennium scripting tip:
The screen resolution affects coordinates! Always indicate your screen resolution in the script preliminaries—this helps others when using or adapting your script © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window coordinates © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Clicking buttons/tabs/icons
Syntax MouseClick( $button, $x, $y, $clicks, $speed ) Example MouseClick( "left", 400, 300, 1, 0 ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

More efficient approach: Func ClickAt( $x, $y ) MouseClick( "left", $x, $y, 1, 0 ) Sleep(400) ;add pause after clicking mouse EndFunc . . . ClickAt( 400, 300 ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Clicking depends on the desired coordinates of the mouse pointer on a screen or window Coordinates may be relative to: a given window the full screen © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Window-based coordinates © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Screen-based coordinates © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

By default, mouse coordinates are screen-based, not window-based Yet, to keep coordinates inside of a window stable, they should always be relative to that window (not to the screen) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

To resolve this seeming contradiction, offsets are needed from the screen edges to a window’s upper left corner (“origin”) Syntax to change this (not recommended) AutoItSetOption( “MouseCoordMode”, $mode ) 0 = window-based = screen-based (default) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Y offset X offset © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Match coordinate references to the type of justification being used Add offsets to left edge for left-justified text, tabs, icons, etc. Subtract offsets from right edge for right-justified text, tabs, icons, etc. © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Example 1 (useful for full-size windows) ;dimensions of window ( 0=width, 1=height ) Dim $WinSize[2] . . . ;maximize the Millennium window... WinSetState( "Millennium", ) ;...and get its dimensions $WinSize = WinGetClientSize("Millennium") ;click "Put FTS" button (referenced from right edge) ClickAt( $WinSize[0]-30, 70 ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

1 2 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

1 2 3 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Example 2 (useful for smaller subwindows) ;aspects of window ( 0=X-pos, 1=Y-pos, 2=width, 3=height ) Dim $WinSize[4] . . . ;get full size of window $WinSize = WinGetPos("Millennium control bar") $WinX = $WinSize[0] $WinY = $WinSize[1] $WinWidth = $WinSize[2] $WinHeight = $WinSize[3] © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Getting the title of the active window Why?
Identify various windows (login, processing, get info from user, etc.) Syntax $title = WinGetTitle( "" ) $fulltitle = WinGetTitle( $partialtitle ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Waiting for a window Why?
Script must wait until a given window is “ready for action” Script might need to check for possible appearance of an “optional” window This is one of the most important aspects of GUI scripting! © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Waiting for a window Syntax (waiting to become active)
WinWaitActive( $title ) $success = WinWaitActive( $title, "", $maxsecs ) If WinWaitActive( $title, “”, $maxsecs ) > 0 Then… Opposite syntax (waiting to become not active) WinWaitNotActive( $title ) etc. © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Getting pixel colors of text, background, or images (“worst case” scenario) Syntax (default = screen coordinates) $hexcolor = Hex( PixelGetColor( $x, $y ), 6 ) 0 = black FFFFFF = white RRGGBB © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Distinguish windows with same titles “C” “D”

“Where am I?” Using patterns of pixels to identify characters on the screen is why it is so important to maximize windows and thus stabilize coordinates Coordinates being “off” by 1 or 2 pixels can make all the difference in the world! © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Using a 4-pixel pattern, the difference between “o” and “c” might be a single pixel (the opening of the “c”) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” 1 2 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” 3 4 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Pixel 1 4 2 3 © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

“Where am I?” Example $BCol = "FFFFFF" ;background color (white)
; check selected pixels for the character "c" (checkin record type) $Pxl1 = Hex( PixelGetColor( 11, 314 ), 6 ) $Pxl2 = Hex( PixelGetColor( 13, 317 ), 6 ) $Pxl3 = Hex( PixelGetColor( 11, 320 ), 6 ) $Pxl4 = Hex( PixelGetColor( 9, 317 ), 6 ) If $Pxl1<>$BCol And $Pxl2=$BCol And $Pxl3<>$BCol And $Pxl4<>$BCol Then $IsCheckinRec = $TRUE Else $IsCheckinRec = $FALSE ; this is NOT a checkin record EndIf © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Getting data from windows
“Reading” data off the screen is often the most difficult and challenging task when writing scripts to automate Millennium © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Selecting (highlighting) text Syntax ; use standard “select all” command (Ctrl-a): Send( “^a” ) Sleep(400) ; ; or use self-written function: Type( $Ctl & “a” ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Using the clipboard Syntax $text = ClipGet() ;get data from clipboard ClipPut( $text ) ;put data onto clipboard Note: It is standard practice to clear the clipboard before copying any data to it © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Example Func GetHighlightedData() ClipPut( "“ ) ; always clear the clipboard first! Type( $Ctl & “c“ ) ; copy highlighted data to the clipboard Type( $Ctl & “c“ ) ; duplicate needed for reliability (why??) $HighlightedData = ClipGet() ; put data into a variable Return $HighlightedData EndFunc . . . Type( $Ctl & “a” ) ; select (highlight) all editable text $text = GetHighlightedData() © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Tables Algorithm Choose a row, using Home, End, Up, or Down or Rapidly type a row number or Click a row in the table Copy the auto-highlighted data into a string Parse the string, looking for specific data © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

check for this text © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Dropdown lists Elements in these lists cannot be “read” by AutoIt Identifiable elements There is known data that can be used to distinguish and choose elements in the list Unidentifiable elements No data in the elements in the list can be used to distinguish or choose any of the elements © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Dropdown lists Identifiable elements “If the list item has a bold letter preceding it, you can select the list item by pressing the letter.” (Manual # ) Algorithm Choose the list (usually an Alt-key combination) Send( “c” ) or Send( “i” ) or Send( $choice ) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Dropdown lists Unidentifiable elements Its ordinal position in the list is the only way to refer to an element Algorithm Choose the list (usually an Alt-key combination) “Hard code” the list choices into the script Based on the desired choice, use Home, End, and the Up and Down arrows to move the highlight to the corresponding list element Send( “{ENTER}” ) to choose that element © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Fixed-field tables and variable fields (screen editor variations) Algorithm Click anywhere within the table or record Select all of the data (Ctrl-a) Copy the data into a string Parse the string, looking for specific data © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

hex 0d 0a = CRLF (end of line)
Getting item data hex 09 = TAB (not spaces) hex 0d 0a = CRLF (end of line) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

Getting bib data hex 09 = TAB (not spaces)

Getting bib data hex 0d 0a = CRLF (end of line)
hex 7c = subfield_delimiter (pipe) hex 09 = TAB (not spaces) © b y H a r v e y E . H a h n

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