Hints to use `xvkbd -text`

xvkbd and xbindkeys

It appears many users of xvkbd use it with xbindkeys, mainly to use extra buttons on their multi-button mouse.

Here is a hypothetical example of the $HOME/.xbindkeysrc file.

  # button 9 without modifiers -> Control+Alt+Left
  "xvkbd -no-jump-pointer -text '\C\A\[Left]'"
    m:0x0 + b:9

  # button 8 without modifiers -> Control+Alt+Right
  "xvkbd -no-jump-pointer -text '\C\A\[Right]'"
    m:0x0 + b:8

  # Cotnrol + button 9 -> Left on the root window
  "xvkbd -window root -text '\[Left]'"
    Control + b:9

  # Cotnrol + button 8 -> Right on the root window
  "xvkbd -window root -text '\[Right]'"
    Control + b:8

  # Shift + Control + button 3 -> click button 1, then Meta+Q
  "xvkbd -text '\m1\Mq'"
    Shift + Control + b:3 + Release

  # Shift + button 4, 5, 6 or 7 -> move mouse pointer
  "xvkbd -window root -text '\x+50'"
    Shift + b:7
  "xvkbd -window root -text '\x-50'"
    Shift + b:6
  "xvkbd -window root -text '\y+50'"
    Shift + b:5
  "xvkbd -window root -text '\y-50'"
    Shift + b:4

Maybe you need to use -xsendevent option, too.

For information how to setup xbindkeys and for more examples, search the Internet with keyword xvkbd xbindkeys.

`xvkbd -text` vs. `xvkbd -file`

When sequence of keys is to be read from a file rather than the command line, we can use xvkbd -file instead of xvkbd -text.

However, you can't use xvkbd -file if you wish to use escape sequences, such as \A and \[Right] for example, in the text.

In such case, maybe you can use xvkbd -text with shell backquoting instead:

  xvkbd -text `cat filename`

Exotic characters

Because xvkbd can simulate only the key strokes, neither xvkbd -text nor xvkbd -file can be used to input some exotic characters, such as Japanese Kanjis.

In such case, maybe you can put the text in the clipboard by, for example, using xclip, and then use xvkbd to trigger the paste action:

  echo something-to-be-pasted | xclip -in -selection clipboard;
  xvkbd -text '\Cv'

Current date

You can use $(date) with xvkbd to insert current date/time:

  xvkbd -no-jump-pointer -text $(date +%Y-%m-%d)

If you wish, you can use this with xbindkeys desribed above.

If the string contains exotic characters, maybe you need to use it with a trick above.

Why I can't use \ sequence in -text?

A common cause of the problem is that \ (and maybe also some other special characters) was not escaped and hence processed by the shell.

For example,

  xvkbd -text \C\A\[Left]

wouldn't work, and you need to write

  xvkbd -text '\C\A\[Left]'

  xvkbd -text \\C\\A\[Left\]

instead.

by Tom Sato, 2010-01-24