ControlSend with Slack

[GoGades]

I've been trying to figure out how to use ControlSend to send keystrokes to Slack - I'd like to avoid activating the window if I can (which works fine, btw, with plain ol' Send)

I think the problem is that Slack is one of those annoying Electron-based apps which is just really a webapp in html/js rendered via an embedded chrome instance. I have tried various combinations of the ControlSend invocation, to no avail.

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ControlSend, Chrome_WidgetWin_1, this is a test, Slack
ControlSend, , this is a test, slack.exe
ControlSend, Chrome_WidgetWin_1, this is a test, slack.exe

No matter which way I try - nothing appears in the slack window.

[gregster]

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SetTitleMatchMode 2
ControlSend, Chrome_WidgetWin_1, this is a test, Slack
ControlSend, , this is a test, ahk_exe slack.exe
ControlSend, Chrome_WidgetWin_1, this is a test, ahk_exe slack.exe

I have never used Slack, but I would try SetTitleMatchMode 2; and the prefix ahk_exe if you use the name of the exe-file.
Slack also seems to have all kinds of official API interfaces for automation, which could help in this case (or not)... or be total overkill: https://api.slack.com/ https://api.slack.com/rtm

[GoGades]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, I appreciate it.

I did try both SetTitleMatchMode (both setting to 2 and also Fast/Slow), as well as using the ahk_exe prefix in the WinTitle field - I was using the ControlSend page as reference (those examples work fine) and it omitted ahk_exe in its cmd.exe example.

That being said, no joy, that did not resolve it.

As far as the API goes, I investigated briefly and it would be massive overkill. Also since this is a work slack, I'm 100% sure they would not grant me access to the API (via OAuth). I can barely go to the washroom without some signed form

Thanks again!

[gregster]

Yeah, I see...

But I think I had sometimes success with focusing the control first, when Controlsend alone didn't work. Something like this...

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SetTitleMatchMode 2
ControlFocus, Chrome_WidgetWin_1, ahk_exe slack.exe
ControlSend, Chrome_WidgetWin_1, this is a test, ahk_exe slack.exe

[tmplinshi]

I have tested with Chrome browser, the ControlSend didn't work when Chrome is not activated.

Then I tesed slack webhooks, it worked and very simple.

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curl -k -X POST -H "Content-type: application/json" --data "{'text':'Hello world'}" Your_Webhook_URL

I also tested with Selenium to launch slack, and it worked.

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#Persistent

driver := ComObjCreate("Selenium.ChromeDriver")
driver.setBinary("C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\slack\slack.exe")
driver.Start()
return

F1::driver.SendKeys("test string")

If you get errors from chromedriver.exe, you could try chromedriver v2.33 v2.36.

EDIT: chromedriver v2.33 had issues with element.submit(). v2.36 works.

[GoGades]

Wow, thanks so much for going thru all that trouble!

Unfortunately I can't get webhooks to our corporate slack, and I normally use the slack app (the electron-based wrapper around their site), so selenium is also not an option.

Oh well, regular Send with the window activated works so I guess I'll have to stick with that.

Thanks again for your efforts!

[tmplinshi]

You're welcome. I'm happy to found out that Selenium are able to control Chrome based app.

BTW, I'm confused about what you said. Why Selenium isn't an option for you to use with the slack app? My example code was exactly showing doing that. Inside the code you can see driver.setBinary("C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\slack\slack.exe") which tells Selenium to launch the slack app slack.exe, not the Chrome browser that I think you were thought.

[tmplinshi]

Here is another Selenium example using ObjRegisterActive together, so that other scripts can connect to existing Selenium COM object.

Run below code first:

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#Persistent

driver := ComObjCreate("Selenium.ChromeDriver")
driver.setBinary("C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\slack\slack.exe")
driver.AddArgument("--silent") ; Not working yet. I want to disable console logging from chromedriver.exe, hope someone can help
driver.Start()

ObjRegisterActive(driver, "{527E30C4-2757-4945-9A7D-EAEFC45639CA}")
return

Keep the above script running, then we can connect to the driver from another script:

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driver := ComObjActive("{527E30C4-2757-4945-9A7D-EAEFC45639CA}")

e := driver.FindElementByCss("#msg_input > div.ql-editor")
e.Clear()
e.SendKeys("Message 1")
e.Submit()

Sleep, 500

e.executeScript("this.innerText = arguments[0]", "Message 2")
e.Submit()