user648852's idea at least for me works great for OS X, here is the code to do it:
#!/usr/bin/env python
import time
from Quartz.CoreGraphics import CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent
from Quartz.CoreGraphics import CGEventPost
# Python releases things automatically, using CFRelease will result in a scary error
#from Quartz.CoreGraphics import CFRelease
from Quartz.CoreGraphics import kCGHIDEventTap
# From http://stackoverflow.com/questions/281133/controlling-the-mouse-from-python-in-os-x
# and from https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Carbon/Reference/QuartzEventServicesRef/index.html#//apple_ref/c/func/CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent
def KeyDown(k):
keyCode, shiftKey = toKeyCode(k)
time.sleep(0.0001)
if shiftKey:
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, 0x38, True))
time.sleep(0.0001)
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, keyCode, True))
time.sleep(0.0001)
if shiftKey:
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, 0x38, False))
time.sleep(0.0001)
def KeyUp(k):
keyCode, shiftKey = toKeyCode(k)
time.sleep(0.0001)
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, keyCode, False))
time.sleep(0.0001)
def KeyPress(k):
keyCode, shiftKey = toKeyCode(k)
time.sleep(0.0001)
if shiftKey:
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, 0x38, True))
time.sleep(0.0001)
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, keyCode, True))
time.sleep(0.0001)
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, keyCode, False))
time.sleep(0.0001)
if shiftKey:
CGEventPost(kCGHIDEventTap, CGEventCreateKeyboardEvent(None, 0x38, False))
time.sleep(0.0001)
# From http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3202629/where-can-i-find-a-list-of-mac-virtual-key-codes
def toKeyCode(c):
shiftKey = False
# Letter
if c.isalpha():
if not c.islower():
shiftKey = True
c = c.lower()
if c in shiftChars:
shiftKey = True
c = shiftChars[c]
if c in keyCodeMap:
keyCode = keyCodeMap[c]
else:
keyCode = ord(c)
return keyCode, shiftKey
shiftChars = {
'~': '`',
'!': '1',
'@': '2',
'#': '3',
'$': '4',
'%': '5',
'^': '6',
'&': '7',
'*': '8',
'(': '9',
')': '0',
'_': '-',
'+': '=',
'{': '[',
'}': ']',
'|': '\\',
':': ';',
'"': '\'',
'<': ',',
'>': '.',
'?': '/'
}
keyCodeMap = {
'a' : 0x00,
's' : 0x01,
'd' : 0x02,
'f' : 0x03,
'h' : 0x04,
'g' : 0x05,
'z' : 0x06,
'x' : 0x07,
'c' : 0x08,
'v' : 0x09,
'b' : 0x0B,
'q' : 0x0C,
'w' : 0x0D,
'e' : 0x0E,
'r' : 0x0F,
'y' : 0x10,
't' : 0x11,
'1' : 0x12,
'2' : 0x13,
'3' : 0x14,
'4' : 0x15,
'6' : 0x16,
'5' : 0x17,
'=' : 0x18,
'9' : 0x19,
'7' : 0x1A,
'-' : 0x1B,
'8' : 0x1C,
'0' : 0x1D,
']' : 0x1E,
'o' : 0x1F,
'u' : 0x20,
'[' : 0x21,
'i' : 0x22,
'p' : 0x23,
'l' : 0x25,
'j' : 0x26,
'\'' : 0x27,
'k' : 0x28,
';' : 0x29,
'\\' : 0x2A,
',' : 0x2B,
'/' : 0x2C,
'n' : 0x2D,
'm' : 0x2E,
'.' : 0x2F,
'`' : 0x32,
'k.' : 0x41,
'k*' : 0x43,
'k+' : 0x45,
'kclear' : 0x47,
'k/' : 0x4B,
'k\n' : 0x4C,
'k-' : 0x4E,
'k=' : 0x51,
'k0' : 0x52,
'k1' : 0x53,
'k2' : 0x54,
'k3' : 0x55,
'k4' : 0x56,
'k5' : 0x57,
'k6' : 0x58,
'k7' : 0x59,
'k8' : 0x5B,
'k9' : 0x5C,
# keycodes for keys that are independent of keyboard layout
'\n' : 0x24,
'\t' : 0x30,
' ' : 0x31,
'del' : 0x33,
'delete' : 0x33,
'esc' : 0x35,
'escape' : 0x35,
'cmd' : 0x37,
'command' : 0x37,
'shift' : 0x38,
'caps lock' : 0x39,
'option' : 0x3A,
'ctrl' : 0x3B,
'control' : 0x3B,
'right shift' : 0x3C,
'rshift' : 0x3C,
'right option' : 0x3D,
'roption' : 0x3D,
'right control' : 0x3E,
'rcontrol' : 0x3E,
'fun' : 0x3F,
'function' : 0x3F,
'f17' : 0x40,
'volume up' : 0x48,
'volume down' : 0x49,
'mute' : 0x4A,
'f18' : 0x4F,
'f19' : 0x50,
'f20' : 0x5A,
'f5' : 0x60,
'f6' : 0x61,
'f7' : 0x62,
'f3' : 0x63,
'f8' : 0x64,
'f9' : 0x65,
'f11' : 0x67,
'f13' : 0x69,
'f16' : 0x6A,
'f14' : 0x6B,
'f10' : 0x6D,
'f12' : 0x6F,
'f15' : 0x71,
'help' : 0x72,
'home' : 0x73,
'pgup' : 0x74,
'page up' : 0x74,
'forward delete' : 0x75,
'f4' : 0x76,
'end' : 0x77,
'f2' : 0x78,
'page down' : 0x79,
'pgdn' : 0x79,
'f1' : 0x7A,
'left' : 0x7B,
'right' : 0x7C,
'down' : 0x7D,
'up' : 0x7E
}