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Python can be used for almost anything. Using Python, we can develop backends for web applications, backends for mobile applications, and APIs using free and open source frameworks such as Djangoand Flask.

In addition, Python programs also use powerful libraries such as Keras, NumPy, Tensorflowand PyTorchto create efficient machine learning models, which use Matplotlibto draw various graphs and more.

In this article, we will see such use cases of Python. We will learn how to simulate or control the keyboard using Python.

We'll discuss two open source Python libraries, keyboardand PyAutoGUI, that let us control the keyboard using a Python script.

keyboardUse the library to simulate keyboard in Python

keyboardThe library is an open source library for controlling your keyboard.

This library can listen to and send keyboard events, use hotkeys, support internationalization, and mouseprovide mouse support with the help of the library, which can be downloaded using pip install mouseor pip3 install mouse.

To install keyboardthe library, use pipone of the following two commands.

pip install keyboard
pip3 install keyboard

Let us understand how to use this library to control the keyboard. See the following Python code for a simple example of typing some text.

import keyboard

keyboard.write("Python is an amazing programming language.")
keyboard.press_and_release("enter")
keyboard.press_and_release("shift+p")
keyboard.press_and_release("y")
keyboard.press_and_release("t")
keyboard.press_and_release("h")
keyboard.press_and_release("o")
keyboard.press_and_release("n")

Output:

Python is an amazing programming language.
Python

Before running the above code, take note of your text cursor or caret. The above text in the output box will be automatically entered there.

write()The function takes input as any string passed as an argument to this function. This function sends artificial keyboard events to the operating system followed by further typing at the caret.

If no character is available on the keyboard, an explicit Unicode character is typed. press_and_release()The function sends an operating system event to execute the hotkey and type the character passed as a parameter.

PyAutoGUIUse the library to simulate keyboard in Python

PyAutoGUIThe library allows us to write Python scripts to control the keyboard and mouse.

The library can move the mouse cursor and click on windows and applications, send key events to type characters and execute hotkeys, take screenshots, move, resize, minimize, maximize and position applications on the screen, show alert messages, and more.

To install this library, use either of the following commands.

pip install pyautogui
pip3 install pyautogui

We can use PyAutoGUIthe library for our use case. See the following code.

import pyautogui

pyautogui.write("Python is an amazing programming language.")

Output:

Python is an amazing programming language.

As we can see, write()the function passes the character type of the string as a parameter at the caret. This function only works on single character keys like letters and numbers.

This means we cannot press Shift, Ctrl, Command, Alt,Option< 等键/kbd>、F1 和 F3。我们可以使用 keyDown() 和 keyUp() 方法来按下这些键。

keyDown()Method presses a key and keeps it held down. keyUp()Method releases a held key.

See the following Python code for an example. Don't forget to note the position of the text cursor or caret.

import pyautogui

pyautogui.keyDown("shift")
pyautogui.press("a")
pyautogui.press("b")
pyautogui.press("c")
pyautogui.keyUp("shift")
pyautogui.press("x")
pyautogui.press("y")
pyautogui.press("z")
pyautogui.keyDown("shift")
pyautogui.press("a")
pyautogui.keyUp("shift")
pyautogui.keyDown("shift")
pyautogui.press("b")
pyautogui.keyUp("shift")
pyautogui.keyDown("shift")
pyautogui.press("c")
pyautogui.keyUp("shift")

Output:

ABCxyzABC

To press keys like Shift+ , we can also use the method. This function will press whatever key is passed as a string.Fpress()

Behind the scenes, this function is just a wrapper around keyDown()the and keyUp()methods.