Automate drop-down menu, button clicks using C++

Question

I've an EXE for an application "MyWindow1" which launches a window which has few drop-down menus, few buttons etc..

I don't have the source code for this application "MyWindow1". What I've is just it's EXE & some of it's dependent DLLs which are required for it to launch it's window & do it's functionality.

Now I've another C++ module from which I'm launching this "MyWindow1" application automatically by using "CreateProcess() APIs" & ending it automatically by using "system(taskkill)".

But I even want to automate the drop-down menu selection, few button clicks for the buttons present in this "MyWindow1" application. Is there a way I can automate this even though I don't have the source code for this "MyWindow1" application (may be using MFC)

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 19 '14 at 15:27

3

Use SendInput to simulate keystrokes and mouse movements. Simulating keystrokes is probably the most accurate way to automate menus.

Also, killing the process is not a very clean way to exit it. You can send WM_CLOSE to the main window, or continue automating keystrokes via SendInput to exit properly as a user would.

answered Sep 19 '14 at 15:27

tenfour

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Thank you. Since I don't have the source code for the "MyWindow1" application (which has the drop-down menus, buttons etc..), can you please help me with a sample source code snippet in C++ so as to how to achieve this automation of specific buttons clicks, selecting particular option in drop-down menu. – codeLover Sep 21 '14 at 16:06

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 19 '14 at 15:24

1

It's probably easiest to use something like autohotkey ( http://www.autohotkey.com/ ) and generate the different autohotkey scripts with C++ to be run. Autohotkey also has a user contributed interop library for .Net according to wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AutoHotkey ).

answered Sep 19 '14 at 15:24

Twig

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Thank you. Since I don't have the source code for the "MyWindow1" application (which has the drop-down menus, buttons etc..), can you please help me with a sample source code snippet in C++ so as to how to achieve this automation of specific buttons clicks, selecting particular option in drop-down menu. – codeLover Sep 21 '14 at 16:06

Vasily Ryabov · Answer 3 · 2015-06-10T13:53:40.607

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I'd recommend pywinauto Python package. I use it for MFC applications on regular basis. You will find demo video on the author's web site.

edited Jun 10 '15 at 13:53

answered Sep 22 '14 at 13:11

Vasily Ryabov

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Automate drop-down menu, button clicks using C++

3 Answers3