Automatically read copied text from keyboard shortcuts

[Ambidexter2017]

Hi All, 

Need some help in writing a python script. Currently am using windows, below is the problem description 

If i select a text and copy it using CTRL+C and then use some keyboard short cut say ctrl+alt+1 then the selected text has to be automatically pasted to some specific column in an excel sheet, similarly if i use ctrl+alt+2 then the text has to be pasted to some other column in an excel sheet. 

How can i achieve this?

How can i write a py script to read the copied text and automatically paste it to specific column in excel sheet upon using a keyboard shortcut?

Thanks and Regards
Ambi

[wavic]

Hello!
See Xerox and Pyperclip modules. There is also clipboard but it uses Pyperclip

[Ambidexter2017]

Hi Wavic,

Thanks for the reply... i will check those modules, But how do i get the context of the copied text using control+C from windows to python context ? Do you have any sample script snippets or ideas ?

[wavic]

Well, I've opened Pyperclip github page and copied some text to the clipboard. In Python is simple:

>>> import pyperclip
>>> from_clipboard = pyperclip.paste()
>>> print(from_clipboard)
Pyperclip is a cross-platform Python module for copy and paste clipboard functions. It works with Python 2 and 3.

The same is for the other modules. See their webpages for more info. In Windows first install pywin32 module
Hm! Xerox requires pywin32. For Pyperclip it's not needed

[Ambidexter2017]

Okie, Thanks a lot Wavic, i will work on this !

[Ambidexter2017]

Hi wavic,

I installed pyperclip and am able to read the clipboard contents to my script and print it. Also i have integrated the other part to write it to file. But some how am not able to integrate these. I mean to say

Now after i get the clipboard contents, the python script should be running in background to read keyboard events such as CTRL+ALT+1. Now when it detects this key combination is pressed it has to further proceed to paste those contents to a file. How do i do that? Am unable to install Tkinter module. Also i tried to work with msvrt module but somehow unable to achieve that. Can you give your suggestions?

Thanks and Regards,
Narendra

[wavic]

Hm! You got me... I do not use Windows at all.

See this On SO. You have to use nested if statement to check for ctrl then alt then 1 key before to proceed with the clipboard and writing its content to a file.

Or you can use a different approach. Write the simple script to get the clipboard contend and add/write it to a file. Just that. And when you need it run it with a key combination by your choice. It will do its job then will exit until the next time you need it.

[Ambidexter2017]

I tried using pyhook module, am able to handle the key press for single keys, but key combination am trying to work it out.

[wavic]

Show the code. And the errors if there is any

[Ambidexter2017]

Below is the code snippet, 
But its not fruitful :( !!, even if i press ctrl+c its going to else block


[python]
def OnKeyboardEvent(event):

   if event.Key.lower() in ['lwin', 'tab', 'lmenu', 'lcontrol']:
       print "Control or win or tab or alt is pressed"
       if event.Ascii == 99:
           print "control+c is pressed"
           exit()
   else:
       print 'MessageName:',event.MessageName
       print 'Ascii:', repr(event.Ascii), repr(chr(event.Ascii))
       print 'Key:', repr(event.Key)
       print 'KeyID:', repr(event.KeyID)
       print 'ScanCode:', repr(event.ScanCode)
       print '---'
       print "The pressed key does not match Control+c"

hm = pyHook.HookManager()
hm.KeyDown = OnKeyboardEvent
hm.HookKeyboard()
pythoncom.PumpMessages ()
</python>