SendKeys Method

[GCuser99]

TinySeleniumVBA V0.1.3 has SendKeys capability in the form of the SetValue function. @ezagdd has proposed changes to SetValue that handles special keyboard keys such as Esc, BackSpace and function keys. The command CMD_SEND_KEYS_TO_ELEMENT will process special keys, but unfortunately only in isolation (one special key per call). For example:

'send key sequence "This is COOKL!" & LEFT_key & LEFT_key & LEFT_key & DELETE_key

WebElement.SetValue "This is COOKL!"
WebElement.SetValue LEFT_key, False
WebElement.SetValue LEFT_key, False
WebElement.SetValue LEFT_key, False
WebElement.SetValue DELETE_key, False

'Prints "This is COOL!" to the immediate window
Debug.Print WebElement.GetValue

But it would be nice to be able to do something like this:

WebElement.SendKeys "This is COOKL!" & Keys.LeftKey & Keys.LeftKey & Keys.LeftKey & Keys.DeleteKey

The following version of SendKeys (based on SetValue), handles the problem more elegantly...

First create a Keyboard class for special keys (which will also come in handy when we tackle Actions later):

'A class to handle special keys for SendKeys and Actions
Private mNullKey As String
Private mCancelKey As String
Private mHelpKey As String
Private mBackspaceKey As String
Private mTabKey As String
Private mClearKey As String
Private mReturnKey As String
Private mEnterKey As String
Private mShiftKey As String
Private mControlKey As String
Private mAltKey As String
Private mPauseKey As String
Private mEscapeKey As String
Private mSpaceKey As String
Private mPage_UpKey As String
Private mPage_DownKey As String
Private mEndKey As String
Private mHomeKey As String
Private mLeftKey As String
Private mUpKey As String
Private mRightKey As String
Private mDownKey As String
Private mInsertKey As String
Private mDeleteKey As String
Private mSemicolonKey As String
Private mEqualsKey As String
Private mNumpad0Key As String
Private mNumpad1Key As String
Private mNumpad2Key As String
Private mNumpad3Key As String
Private mNumpad4Key As String
Private mNumpad5Key As String
Private mNumpad6Key As String
Private mNumpad7Key As String
Private mNumpad8Key As String
Private mNumpad9Key As String
Private mMultiplyKey As String
Private mAddKey As String
Private mSeparatorKey As String
Private mSubtractKey As String
Private mDecimalKey As String
Private mDivideKey As String
Private mF1Key As String
Private mF2Key As String
Private mF3Key As String
Private mF4Key As String
Private mF5Key As String
Private mF6Key As String
Private mF7Key As String
Private mF8Key As String
Private mF9Key As String
Private mF10Key As String
Private mF11Key As String
Private mF12Key As String
Private mMetaKey As String
Private mCommandKey As String

'using Gets to make key values read-only to user
Property Get NullKey() As String
    NullKey = mNullKey
End Property
Property Get CancelKey() As String
    CancelKey = mCancelKey
End Property
Property Get HelpKey() As String
    HelpKey = mHelpKey
End Property
Property Get BackspaceKey() As String
    BackspaceKey = mBackspaceKey
End Property
Property Get TabKey() As String
    TabKey = mTabKey
End Property
Property Get ClearKey() As String
    ClearKey = mClearKey
End Property
Property Get ReturnKey() As String
    ReturnKey = mReturnKey
End Property
Property Get EnterKey() As String
    EnterKey = mEnterKey
End Property
Property Get ShiftKey() As String
    ShiftKey = mShiftKey
End Property
Property Get ControlKey() As String
    ControlKey = mControlKey
End Property
Property Get AltKey() As String
    AltKey = mAltKey
End Property
Property Get PauseKey() As String
    PauseKey = mPauseKey
End Property
Property Get EscapeKey() As String
    EscapeKey = mEscapeKey
End Property
Property Get SpaceKey() As String
    SpaceKey = mSpaceKey
End Property
Property Get Page_UpKey() As String
    Page_UpKey = mPage_UpKey
End Property
Property Get Page_DownKey() As String
    Page_DownKey = mPage_DownKey
End Property
Property Get EndKey() As String
    EndKey = mEndKey
End Property
Property Get HomeKey() As String
    HomeKey = mHomeKey
End Property
Property Get LeftKey() As String
    LeftKey = mLeftKey
End Property
Property Get UpKey() As String
    UpKey = mUpKey
End Property
Property Get RightKey() As String
    RightKey = mRightKey
End Property
Property Get DownKey() As String
    DownKey = mDownKey
End Property
Property Get InsertKey() As String
    InsertKey = mInsertKey
End Property
Property Get DeleteKey() As String
    DeleteKey = mDeleteKey
End Property
Property Get SemicolonKey() As String
    SemicolonKey = mSemicolonKey
End Property
Property Get EqualsKey() As String
    EqualsKey = mEqualsKey
End Property
Property Get Numpad0Key() As String
    Numpad0Key = mNumpad0Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad1Key() As String
    Numpad1Key = mNumpad1Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad2Key() As String
    Numpad2Key = mNumpad2Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad3Key() As String
    Numpad3Key = mNumpad3Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad4Key() As String
    Numpad4Key = mNumpad4Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad5Key() As String
    Numpad5Key = mNumpad5Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad6Key() As String
    Numpad6Key = mNumpad6Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad7Key() As String
    Numpad7Key = mNumpad7Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad8Key() As String
    Numpad8Key = mNumpad8Key
End Property
Property Get Numpad9Key() As String
    Numpad9Key = mNumpad9Key
End Property
Property Get MultiplyKey() As String
    MultiplyKey = mMultiplyKey
End Property
Property Get AddKey() As String
    AddKey = mAddKey
End Property
Property Get SeparatorKey() As String
    SeparatorKey = mSeparatorKey
End Property
Property Get SubtractKey() As String
    SubtractKey = mSubtractKey
End Property
Property Get DecimalKey() As String
    DecimalKey = mDecimalKey
End Property
Property Get DivideKey() As String
    DivideKey = mDivideKey
End Property
Property Get F1Key() As String
    F1Key = mF1Key
End Property
Property Get F2Key() As String
    F2Key = mF2Key
End Property
Property Get F3Key() As String
    F3Key = mF3Key
End Property
Property Get F4Key() As String
    F4Key = mF4Key
End Property
Property Get F5Key() As String
    F5Key = mF5Key
End Property
Property Get F6Key() As String
    F6Key = mF6Key
End Property
Property Get F7Key() As String
    F7Key = mF7Key
End Property
Property Get F8Key() As String
    F8Key = mF8Key
End Property
Property Get F9Key() As String
    F9Key = mF9Key
End Property
Property Get F10Key() As String
    F10Key = mF10Key
End Property
Property Get F11Key() As String
    F11Key = mF11Key
End Property
Property Get F12Key() As String
    F12Key = mF12Key
End Property
Property Get MetaKey() As String
    MetaKey = mMetaKey
End Property
Property Get CommandKey() As String
    CommandKey = mCommandKey
End Property

Private Sub Class_Initialize()
    mNullKey = "\ue000"
    mCancelKey = "\ue001"
    mHelpKey = "\ue002"
    mBackspaceKey = "\ue003"
    mTabKey = "\ue004"
    mClearKey = "\ue005"
    mReturnKey = "\ue006"
    mEnterKey = "\ue007"
    mShiftKey = "\ue008"
    mControlKey = "\ue009"
    mAltKey = "\ue00a"
    mPauseKey = "\ue00b"
    mEscapeKey = "\ue00c"
    mSpaceKey = "\ue00d"
    mPage_UpKey = "\ue00e"
    mPage_DownKey = "\ue00f"
    mEndKey = "\ue010"
    mHomeKey = "\ue011"
    mLeftKey = "\ue012"
    mUpKey = "\ue013"
    mRightKey = "\ue014"
    mDownKey = "\ue015"
    mInsertKey = "\ue016"
    mDeleteKey = "\ue017"
    mSemicolonKey = "\ue018"
    mEqualsKey = "\ue019"
    mNumpad0Key = "\ue01a"
    mNumpad1Key = "\ue01b"
    mNumpad2Key = "\ue01c"
    mNumpad3Key = "\ue01d"
    mNumpad4Key = "\ue01e"
    mNumpad5Key = "\ue01f"
    mNumpad6Key = "\ue020"
    mNumpad7Key = "\ue021"
    mNumpad8Key = "\ue022"
    mNumpad9Key = "\ue023"
    mMultiplyKey = "\ue024"
    mAddKey = "\ue025"
    mSeparatorKey = "\ue026"
    mSubtractKey = "\ue027"
    mDecimalKey = "\ue028"
    mDivideKey = "\ue029"
    mF1Key = "\ue031"
    mF2Key = "\ue032"
    mF3Key = "\ue033"
    mF4Key = "\ue034"
    mF5Key = "\ue035"
    mF6Key = "\ue036"
    mF7Key = "\ue037"
    mF8Key = "\ue038"
    mF9Key = "\ue039"
    mF10Key = "\ue03a"
    mF11Key = "\ue03b"
    mF12Key = "\ue03c"
    mMetaKey = "\ue03d"
    mCommandKey = "\ue03d"
End Sub

Next, Add the following to the WebDriver class:

Please Note: Below I'm using the coding styles that I discuss in The Execute Method Issue and The WebElement ID Issue discussions. But if you love dealing with WebElement ID strings instead, then it would not be difficult to convert the code below back to that style. 🙂

Public Sub SendKeys(element As WebElement, ByVal keys As String, Optional ClearBeforeTyping As Boolean = True, Optional ByVal sessionId As String = vbNullString)
    Dim data As New Dictionary
    
    If sessionId <> vbNullString Then
        data.Add "sessionId", sessionId
    End If
    data.Add "id", element.elementId
    
    If ClearBeforeTyping = True Then Execute CMD_CLEAR_ELEMENT, data
    
    'split key sequence into chunks with special keys (pattern "\ue0*") by themselves
    ReDim chunk(0 To Len(keys) - 1)
    i = -1
    Do Until keys = ""
        ipos = InStr(keys, "\ue0")
        If ipos > 0 Then
            If ipos > 1 Then 'text to left is chunk
                i = i + 1
                chunk(i) = Left(keys, ipos - 1)
            End If
            'now process special key
            i = i + 1
            chunk(i) = Mid(keys, ipos, 6)
            keys = Right(keys, Len(keys) - (ipos + 5))
        Else
            i = i + 1
            chunk(i) = keys
            keys = ""
        End If
    Loop
    
    ReDim Preserve chunk(0 To i)
    
    'initialize param keys
    data.Add "text", ""
    data.Add "value", ""
    
    'loop through and send text chunks to target
    For i = 0 To UBound(chunk)
        If Left(chunk(i), 4) = "\ue0" Then
            ReDim chars(0 To 0)
            chars(0) = chunk(i)
        Else
            ReDim chars(0 To Len(chunk(i)) - 1)
            For j = 0 To Len(chunk(i)) - 1
                chars(j) = Mid(chunk(i), j + 1, 1)
            Next j
        End If
        data("text") = chunk(i)
        data("value") = chars
        Execute CMD_SEND_KEYS_TO_ELEMENT, data
    Next i
    
End Sub

And this to the WebElement class:

Public Sub SendKeys(ByVal keys As String, Optional ByVal ClearBeforeTyping As Boolean = True)
    Driver_.SendKeys Me, keys, ClearBeforeTyping, SessionId_
End Sub

Here is a usage case:

Sub test_sendkeys()
    Dim Driver As New WebDriver
    Dim keys As New KeyBoard
    
    Driver.Chrome
    Driver.OpenBrowser
    
    Driver.Navigate "https://www.google.com/"
    Driver.Wait 1000
    
    Driver.FindElement(by.name, "q").SendKeys "This is COOKL!" & keys.LeftKey & keys.LeftKey & keys.LeftKey & keys.DeleteKey & keys.ReturnKey
    Driver.Wait 2000

    Driver.CloseBrowser
    Driver.Shutdown
End Sub

One additional note: The following changes must be made to the json_Encode function in JSonConverter.bas as suggested by @ezagdd here:

        Case 92
            ' \ -> 92 -> \\
            json_Char = "\\"
            ' 2021/8/13 add ishi
            If VBA.Len(json_Text) = 6 Then
                If VBA.Mid$(json_Text, json_Index, 4) = "\ue0" Then
                    json_Char = "\"         'Special key codes are not escaped.
                End If
            End If
        Case 47