AutoIt [L1 ] is a simple tool that can simulate key presses, mouse movements and window commands (maximize, minimize, wait for, etc.) in order to automate any Windows-based task (or even windowed DOS tasks).
Download just the DLL at http://www.hiddensoft.com/cgi-bin/countdown.pl?AutoIt/AutoItDLL.zip
'Nother example of why it's handy to have AutoIt around: suppose you've launched a program that puts itself in the background. Rather than use Win32 calls to bring it to the foreground and make it active, you can
exec AutoIt focus.aut '+self.filename' -$TheApplication
where focus.aut has contents
WinShow,%1%,
WinActivate,%1%,Michael Jacobson 09/2002 ~ Ffidl wrapper code of the AutoIt DLL.
load ffidl05.dll ;# load the ffidl package
set DLL AutoItDLL.dll ;# save instead of retypeing this name in for each function
# This dll needs to be in the path or system directory (so it is found by ffidl)
# below are all the public interfaces to AutoIt
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_BlockInput {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_BlockInput]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_ClipGet {pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_ClipGet]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_ClipPut {pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_ClipPut]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_DetectHiddenText {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_DetectHiddenText]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_IfWinActive {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_IfWinActive]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_IfWinExist {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_IfWinExist]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_Init {} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_Init]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_IniDelete {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_IniDelete]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_IniRead {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_IniRead]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_IniWrite {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_IniWrite]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_LeftClick {int int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_LeftClick]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_LeftClickDrag {int int int int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_LeftClickDrag]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_MouseMove {int int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_MouseMove]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_MouseGetPosX {} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_MouseGetPosX]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_MouseGetPosY {} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_MouseGetPosY]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_RightClick {int int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_RightClick]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_RightClickDrag {int int int int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_RightClickDrag]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_Send {pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_Send]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_SetCapslockState {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_SetCapslockState]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_SetKeyDelay {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_SetKeyDelay]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_SetStoreCapslockMode {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_SetStoreCapslockMode]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_SetTitleMatchMode {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_SetTitleMatchMode]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_SetWinDelay {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_SetWinDelay]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_Shutdown {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_Shutdown]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_Sleep {int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_Sleep]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinWait {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinWait]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinWaitActive {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinWaitActive]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinWaitNotActive {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinWaitNotActive]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinWaitClose {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinWaitClose]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinHide {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinHide]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinRestore {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinRestore]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinMinimize {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinMinimize]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinMaximize {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinMaximize]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinMinimizeAll {} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinMinimizeAll]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinActivate {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinActivate]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinClose {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinClose]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinMove {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 int int int int} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinMove]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinSetTitle {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinSetTitle]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinGetActiveTitle {pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinGetActiveTitle]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinShow {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinShow]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinKill {pointer-utf8 pointer-utf8} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinKill]
ffidl::callout AUTOIT_WinMinimizeAllUndo {} int [ffidl::symbol $DLL AUTOIT_WinMinimizeAllUndo]
# to use any of these fucntion in Tcl just use the assign Tcl proc name (after callout)
# example below will minize all the windows on the screen ;-)
AUTOIT_WinMinimizeAllThose familiar with AutoIt might want to take a peek at PowerPro [L2 ], which also features countless ways to automate stuff in Windows.
VI 2003-11-10 : A related simpler tool is cwind and the latest 1.4 version includes mouse events. I've used it a lot and really like it.
Another Tcl extension that includes pretty much all the above functionsis TWAPI.