Wildcard with xdotool


 
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Operating Systems Linux Ubuntu Wildcard with xdotool
# 8  
Old 03-05-2019
Code:
andy@7_~/Downloads$ xdotool selectwindow
16777957

Code:
andy@7_~/Downloads$ xdotool search --name "Error"
16777957

# 9  
Old 03-05-2019
Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
...
When I do my best, but am criticized, I start to wonder if someone is really tried to help me or just complain.
Let me try to relieve pressure a bit in this discussion. Nobody in here is criticized nor berated for no reason. Nobody is "just complain"ing. Asking for details is usually done for narrowing down open questions, targeting for a solution. Looking at the history of these fora, and esp. Don Cragun's contributions, you can see that helping requestors is THE MAIN FOCUS in here: data driven, solutions oriented.
In a recent post you complained being reminded of your >100 posts. The reason for the reminder is the expectation that with >100 posts someone knows WHAT to supply and how to supply it for maximum efficiency on both ends.

Quote:
I have provided ALL the info that I think pertains to this help request.
Very good objective. Still - please allow for clarifying questions.

Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
The commands produce simple numbers as shown in my post.
Brilliant. Why not EXPLICITLY show those numbers AND their relation to the problem?


Quote:
I would think you would test my xdotools command to learn how it works. Maybe I should not have assumed that?
Yes, you are right, you shouldn't have. The best way to help has been proven to be asking questions and giving more or less generic hints leading the requestor in the right direction to find a solution on his/her own. Don't expect people in here to install more or less exotic tools to do your work for you.


Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
The window id for the particular popup window is different each time, so this scripts often does not work.
Is there a way I could use a wildcard ?
Strongly discouraged. You almost certainly will target a wrong window, not every time, but over time.

Quote:
This gives me the correct window id.
Code:
xdotool search --name "Error" > Window_IDs.txt

You had a very similar, valid solution in your other thread which you dismissed. Difficult to understand






Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
You did not pay very good attention to my post.
How do you know?

Quote:
-- The window id for the particular popup window is different each time ...
Which I would regard as a "usual behaviour".

Quote:
So your 2 question are not relevant.
Is that judgement up to you? Who wants help with a problem?
This User Gave Thanks to RudiC For This Post:
# 10  
Old 03-05-2019
Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
Code:
andy@7_~/Downloads$ xdotool selectwindow
16777957

Code:
andy@7_~/Downloads$ xdotool search --name "Error"
16777957

Great. Now we know that two commands that you thought would provide you the window ID you wanted both return a single number AND even more encouraging, they both return the same number.

So, if you execute the commands:
Code:
windowID=$(xdotool selectwindow)
xdotool key --window $windowID alt+F4

does that do what you're trying to do?

Are there reasons why xdotool selectwindow might fail? If so, how would it react when it fails? And, if it fails does that mean that no window is running and you don't need to issue the second command???
This User Gave Thanks to Don Cragun For This Post:
# 11  
Old 03-05-2019
xdotool selectwindow activates a moveable box that you then position over the window to gets it id.

So it won't work in a script.

This is what happens if there is no window opened named No Window.

Code:
xdotool search --name "No Window"
andy@7_~/Downloads$

This User Gave Thanks to drew77 For This Post:
# 12  
Old 03-05-2019
Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
xdotool selectwindow activates a moveable box that you then position over the window to gets it id.

So it won't work in a script.
OK, but how would that work at all in a script? If it doesn't work in a script at all then what is the point of trying to use it in a script? Or is it working differently in a script? Maybe by displaying a list of window IDs? And, if yes, will the output look like this:

Code:
xdotool selectwindow
16777957
16777958
16777959
16777960

or, rather, like this:

Code:
xdotool selectwindow
16777957 16777958 16777959 16777960

or completely different from that? That, btw., was the background of Don Craguns request to show the output. To answer all these (and maybe some additional) questions by providing a sample. I count 7 question marks i used above (two of them implied) - all of them unnecessary if you would have trusted Don to know what he does and treating his request as legitimate.

Quote:
Originally Posted by drew77
This is what happens if there is no window opened named No Window.

Code:
xdotool search --name "No Window"
andy@7_~/Downloads$

OK, please repeat this command for a non-existing window and add echo $? - in other words, please tell us the return code. If there is a non-zero return code in case no window is found (and a zero return code if there is a window found) logic could be based upon that.

I hope this helps.

bakunin
# 13  
Old 03-05-2019
xdotool search works like this:

Code:
xdotool search --name "title-string"
16777957

The output is one ore more numbers(one per line), each representing a window-id or nothing if no window is found with the wanted specification. So one can use the solution presented with slight changes:

Code:
windowID=$(xdotool search --name "title-string")
xdotool key --window $windowID alt+F4

If necessary check if the number of results is what is expected.(Exact 1 result?)

Consult the manpage for xdotool for important and further details: Linux Manpages Online - man.cx manual pages

Last edited by stomp; 03-05-2019 at 01:01 PM..
This User Gave Thanks to stomp For This Post:
# 14  
Old 03-05-2019
Quote:
Originally Posted by bakunin
OK, but how would that work at all in a script? If it doesn't work in a script at all then what is the point of trying to use it in a script? Or is it working differently in a script? Maybe by displaying a list of window IDs? And, if yes, will the output look like this:

Code:
xdotool selectwindow
16777957
16777958
16777959
16777960

or, rather, like this:

Code:
xdotool selectwindow
16777957 16777958 16777959 16777960

or completely different from that? That, btw., was the background of Don Craguns request to show the output. To answer all these (and maybe some additional) questions by providing a sample. I count 7 question marks i used above (two of them implied) - all of them unnecessary if you would have trusted Don to know what he does and treating his request as legitimate.



OK, please repeat this command for a non-existing window and add echo $? - in other words, please tell us the return code. If there is a non-zero return code in case no window is found (and a zero return code if there is a window found) logic could be based upon that.

I hope this helps.


I remember than once, the xdotool command with Return did work.



andy@7_~/Downloads$ echo $?
1



bakunin
--- Post updated at 11:20 AM ---

Since, the below mostly does not work, I think I am out of options.


I found another key tool, but I get a lot of errors when I try to compile it.


Code:
winid=$(xdotool search --name "Error")
#
xdotool key --window "${winid}" Return

I accept that I will have to enter my Enter key each time.
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