Launch macOS shortkeys in Processing on visual button - lua

Question

In Processing, I'm building a simple buttons interface. And the idea is that when you click on a button in the sketch. A text snippet from a different macOS application will launch a text snippet box.
At the moment, this text snippet box will be launched if I type a word in an email. So let's say I type (sample-a) in the email, and this will open a text snippet box that I have set up with this application.
But I want to trigger (sample-a) on a button click in Processing and not have to type this word in the email.
I searched the internet and looked at io.popen, os.execute and launch. But I wondered what the best way is to trigger a macOS "word" from Processing on a button click? Maybe do something with an echo command?
I hope someone can give me some tips or have an example code to create this function?
*added updated code:
// Import library for textfields
import g4p_controls.*;
GTextField txf1;
String sample;
boolean background = true;
// Button setup
final int btnX = 100;
final int btnY = 100;
final int btnW = 200;
final int btnH = 200;
public void setup() {
size(400, 600);
background(209, 209, 209);
// Button
rect(btnX, btnY, btnW, btnH);
// Textfield setup
txf1 = new GTextField(this, 100, 400, 200, 20);
}
public void draw() {
if (keyPressed && key == ENTER) {
}
}
public void handleTextEvents(GEditableTextControl textcontrol, GEvent event) {
if (txf1 == textcontrol && event == GEvent.ENTERED) {
sample = txf1.getText();
}
}
// Button trigger
void mousePressed() {
if (mouseX >= btnX && mouseX <= btnX + btnW && mouseY >= btnY && mouseY <= btnY + btnH) {
println("button clicked");
exec("open", "/Applications/TextExpander.app");
txf1.setText("sample");
}
}
New code for button interface with ControlP5 and Robot Class
import controlP5.*;
import java.awt.AWTException;
import java.awt.Robot;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
boolean background = true;
// Robot function
Robot robot;
String keyString="template-1";
Robot1 robot1;
String keyString="template-2";
ControlP5 gui;
void setup() {
size(1440, 900);
gui = new ControlP5(this);
//Add a Button
gui.addButton("Template 1")
.setPosition(50, 50)
.setSize(100, 100)
.setValue(0)
.activateBy(ControlP5.RELEASE);
;
gui.addButton("Template 2")
.setPosition(200, 50)
.setSize(100, 100)
.setValue(0)
.activateBy(ControlP5.RELEASE);
;
// Robot function
try {
robot = new Robot();
robot1 = new Robot1();
}
catch (AWTException ex) {
System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
}
frameRate(1);
// Robot function
}
public void Template1(int value) {
println("Template 1 Button pressed");
sendKeys(robot, keyString);
}
public void Template2(int value) {
println("Template 2 Button pressed");
sendKeys(robot1, keyString);
}
public void controlEvent(ControlEvent theEvent) {
}
// Robot function for Template 1
void sendKeys(Robot robot, String keys) {
for (char c : keys.toCharArray()) {
int keyCode = KeyEvent.getExtendedKeyCodeForChar(c);
if (KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED == keyCode) {
throw new RuntimeException(
"Key code not found for character '" + c + "'");
}
robot.keyPress(keyCode);
robot.delay(100);
robot.keyRelease(keyCode);
robot.delay(100);
noLoop();
}
}
// Robot function for Template 2
void sendKeys(Robot1 robot1, String keys) {
for (char c : keys.toCharArray()) {
int keyCode = KeyEvent.getExtendedKeyCodeForChar(c);
if (KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED == keyCode) {
throw new RuntimeException(
"Key code not found for character '" + c + "'");
}
robot1.keyPress(keyCode);
robot1.delay(100);
robot1.keyRelease(keyCode);
robot1.delay(100);
noLoop();
}
}
void draw() {
}

Answer 1

Here is your source code as posted in the comments:
boolean background = true;
void setup() {
size(400, 400);
}
void draw() {
rect(100, 100, 200, 200);
}
boolean isMouseOver(int x, int y, int w, int h) {
if (mouseX >= x && mouseX <= x + w && mouseY >= y && mouseY <= y + h) {
return true;
}
return false;
}
void mousePressed() {
// if (isMouseOver(width/2, height/2, 100, 100) == true){
if (isMouseOver(100, 100, 200, 200) == true) {
println("button clicked");
// Process proc = I'm doing more research on this exec("open", "/Applications/TextExpander.app");
// name of the TextExpander abbreviation / shortcut = "(sample-a)"
// code that fire the word "(sample-a)" so that a TextExpander snippet will popup
}
}
As written there is a problem with mousePressed(); it will only pick up a button click toward the bottom of the button. Clicks at the top do nothing. That's due to an error in the line if(isMouseOver()== true) because the parameters are incorrect; they should be the same as the parameters that you used to create the rect initially, ie (100,100,200,200).
Alternate revision which shortens the code by obviating the function isMouseOver(). Rectangle coordinates are made constants so that if you want to change the size of the button later you only will have to change the parameter once instead of finding multiple occurrences in your code. Your initial version will certainly work as is, but I am only showing you a possible way to improve it. As you continue to experiment we can edit this post to reflect changes. Keep on experimenting and you should hopefully achieve your goal.
boolean background = true;
final int btnX = 100;
final int btnY = 100;
final int btnW = 200;
final int btnH = 200;
void setup() {
size(400, 400);
rect(btnX, btnY, btnW, btnH);
}
void draw() {
}
void mousePressed() {
if (mouseX >= btnX && mouseX <= btnX + btnW && mouseY >= btnY && mouseY <= btnY + btnH) {
println("button clicked");
// Process proc = I'm doing more research on this exec("open", "/Applications/TextExpander.app");
// name of the TextExpander abbreviation / shortcut = "(sample-a)"
// code that fire the word "(sample-a)" so that a TextExpander snippet will popup
}
}
Robot revision:
You don't need two robots; one will suffice. Likewise you don't need two sendKeys() function. Use one robot and send it a different string depending on which button is pressed. Whatever name is used for the button, that string is also used to called a corresponding function and the two must match precisely. That is, if you title the button 'template_1' then the function needs to be 'template_1()' also.
import controlP5.*;
import java.awt.AWTException;
import java.awt.Robot;
import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
Robot robot;
ControlP5 gui;
String keyString = "template-1";
String keyString2 = "template-2";
void setup() {
size(350, 250);
gui = new ControlP5(this);
// Function that's called must match the button title.
gui.addButton("Template_1")
.setPosition(50, 50)
.setSize(100, 100)
.activateBy(ControlP5.RELEASE);
;
gui.addButton("Template_2")
.setPosition(200, 50)
.setSize(100, 100)
.activateBy(ControlP5.RELEASE);
;
try {
robot = new Robot();
} catch (AWTException ex) {
System.out.println(ex.getMessage());
}
}
void Template_1() {
println("Template 1 Button pressed");
sendKeys(keyString);
}
void Template_2() {
println("Template 2 Button pressed");
sendKeys(keyString2);
}
public void controlEvent(ControlEvent evnt) {
println(evnt);
}
void sendKeys(String keys) {
println("sendKeys fired.");
delay(3000); // Give user some time to set cursor
for (char c : keys.toCharArray()) {
println(c);
int keyCode = KeyEvent.getExtendedKeyCodeForChar(c);
if (KeyEvent.CHAR_UNDEFINED == keyCode) {
throw new RuntimeException(
"Key code not found for character '" + c + "'");
}
robot.keyPress(keyCode);
robot.delay(100);
robot.keyRelease(keyCode);
robot.delay(100);
}
}
void draw() {
}