X Window System event scripting

Event scripting lets software generate keypresses, mouse movements and clicks, and thus control and test other software.

We could use it for activity testing, documentation generation, and perhaps demos.

Software

• xmacro

http://download.sarine.nl/xmacro/Description.html

http://download.sarine.nl/xmacro/xmacro-0.4.5.tar.gz

Example use:

http://ikester.blogspot.com/2007/01/im-huge-fan-of-autohotkey.html

Simple.

• xautomation

http://hoopajoo.net/projects/xautomation.html

http://hoopajoo.net/static/projects/xautomation-0.98.tar.gz

Example use:

http://syn.theti.ca/articles/2006/10/25/tuxpaint-gui-testing-with-xautomation

http://syn.theti.ca/articles/2006/12/17/xautomation-visually-grepping-for-gui-elements

Being actively developed. Some ability to scrape the screen to find things in non-predictable locations (visgrep).

• xnee

http://www.sandklef.com/xnee/

ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/xnee/xnee-3.02.tar.gz

Example use:

http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6660

Maybe more complex to use?

None of them have Fedora rpms (Ubuntu has all three) (as of 2007-11-12). xmacro compiled fairly easily on an xo. All on fc6.

Possible uses

Run what, where?

• Run on xo. Eg, for demos.
• Run on host, pointing into xo's X. Eg, for hardware testing.
• Run on host, pointing into remote X (ie, Xephyr), which a real or emulated xo is using as its DISPLAY.

Testing stories:

• One emulator per language, running remote X in Xephyr, being driven to generate screen shots, and do basic regression testing of activities.

See also

• http://linuxbrit.co.uk/scrot/ Screen capture tool.
• http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/xvkbd/ Virtual keyboard. Not sure how relevant this is. But might be combined with http://projects.o-hand.com/xoo/ to create a "virtual xo"? :)