interacting with gui-based programs

[Mike Meyer]

bronzesink77 at hotmail.com (Jeff) writes:

> I'd like to use Python to automate my interactions with graphical user
> interfaces, such as those of Mozilla and Kazaa (running with Wine). Is
> this possible? Are there libraries that can help with this kind of
> thing?

This is one of the places where Windows beats Unix hands down. Windows
uses an interprocess communications mechanism to provide scripting,
which means you can control applications from any language that can do
IP, and can control multiple applications from one script. Unix tends
to provide scripting by embedding an interpreter in the application,
which means you can only use that language (ignoring GUILE for now),
and only control one application at a time.

Unix has the technology to do things the better way - for instnace, I
used CORBA - but until application vendors pick up on it, it won't do
you much good. You can read my white paper on the subject, including
examination of a CORBA-scriptable window manager, at <URL:
http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/scripting/ >.

        <mike
-- 
Mike Meyer <mwm at mired.org>			http://www.mired.org/home/mwm/
Independent WWW/Perforce/FreeBSD/Unix consultant, email for more information.