How to Send Keys from my VB5 App to another App's open Web Page

[DexterRose]

My user will open the desired Web Page(www.TD-Digital.com) for testing purposes
My user will then "Restore" my App which is running minimized in the task bar, then Click a button in my app that will send keys to the open Web page.

I have tried two different methods to accomplish this and neither works.
The first Scripting method, crashes with an error 424 on the "Set MyShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
" line.

The second method runs but the keys do not appear in the Web page.
What am I doing wrong on both cases?

Const KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN As Long = 0
Const KEYEVENTF_KEYUP As Long = 2
Const VK_SHIFT As Long = 16
Const VK_TAB = &H9

Private Response, WinTitle As String, WinClass As String, WinHwnd As Long
Private ReturnValue, nVK As Long
'****

Private Declare Function VkKeyScan Lib "user32" Alias "VkKeyScanA" (ByVal _
   cChar As Byte) As Integer

Private Declare Sub keybd_event Lib "user32" (ByVal bVk As Byte, ByVal _
   bScan As Byte, ByVal dwFlags As Long, ByVal dwExtraInfo As Long)

Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" _
            (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long

Private Declare Function SetActiveWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long
'***************************************


Private Sub Form_Load()
Left = (Screen.Width - Width) / 2
Top = ((Screen.Height - Height) / 2)
End Sub
'***********************************************


Private Sub cmdTransfer_Click()
Dim MyShell
Me.Hide

Set MyShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
MyShell.AppActivate "Richmond Times Dispatch - Windows Internet Explorer provided by CenturyLink"
MyShell.SendKeys "Tom", wait
MyShell.SendKeys "{Tab}", wait
MyShell.SendKeys "Smith", wait
GoTo ExitProc


WinHwnd = FindWindow(vbNullString, "Richmond Times Dispatch - Windows internet Explorer provided by CenturyLink")

If WinHwnd > 0 Then
    'AppActivate WinTitle
    ReturnValue = SetActiveWindow(WinHwnd)
Else
    MsgBox "Window not found - Reenter"
    GoTo ExitProc
End If

sName = "Smith"
Call SendAKey(sName)

keybd_event VK_TAB, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
keybd_event VK_TAB, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0

sName = "Man"
Call SendAKey(sName)


ExitProc:
ReturnValue = Shell("C:\Program Files\DeiTransferData\DeiTransferData.exe", 0)
End
End Sub
'*********************************************

Private Sub SendAKey(name)
Dim Start As Integer, NameLen As Integer, sKey As String
Start = 1
NameLen = Len(name)

If NameLen > 0 Then
    Do While Start <= NameLen
        sKey = Mid(name, Start, 1)
        nVK = VkKeyScan(Asc(sKey)) And &HFF
        ' Capitalize all letters
        If sKey Like "[a-z]" Or sKey Like "[A-Z]" Then
            keybd_event VK_SHIFT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
            keybd_event nVK, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
            keybd_event VK_SHIFT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0
        ' DON'T Capitalize these
        ElseIf sKey = "," Or sKey = "." Or sKey = "'" Or sKey = "-" _
            Or sKey Like "[1-9]" Then
            keybd_event nVK, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
        ' Capitalize Shift Number Keys
        ElseIf UCase(sKey) = sKey Then
            keybd_event VK_SHIFT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
            keybd_event nVK, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
            keybd_event VK_SHIFT, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0
        Else
            keybd_event nVK, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYDOWN, 0
        End If
        
        keybd_event nVK, 0, KEYEVENTF_KEYUP, 0
    
        Start = Start + 1
    Loop
Else
    MsgBox "Enter some Valid input", vbExclamation
End If
End Sub

[DataMiser]

Have you tried the simple built in SendKeys ...

[DexterRose]

I believe you have to first make the web page active and then send the keys. The reason I can't actually use SendKeys for real is that they don't work for Vista.

[jmsrickland]

What do you mean by another app's open web page? Is the other app using WebBrowser to show a Web Page.
That should have nothing to do with sending keys to the other app.

[DexterRose]

The other app is a 3rd party web site my Customer uses in addition to my pgm.

[jmsrickland]

Maybe you should not use the term "other app's" open web page. It's a web page from a web site or a personal computer that is running an HTTP server.

So what I fail to understand is why do you want to send keys (that only works for apps on the same machine and I think although not positive that the apps have to be Windows applications). To my knowledge you cannot send keys to an app on another computer (your customer in this case). If your customer is running a web site then are you trying to send data to the app itself or the web page it is running? I'm not clear on this.

[DexterRose]

My Customer is using one computer where my app resides.

He displays the 3rd party web page on this computer and then he restores my app from the task bar, clicks the button on my app which is supposed to populate fields with data from my pgm into fields on the 3rd partyweb page.

[Max187Boucher]

so you need to write to a webpage? If so, SendKeys is not your option. I would use the Webpage's Document to write to it's fields.

[Bobbles]

I haven't studied your code YET, however sometimes a 'focus' problem can be solved by just hiding your app.
EG Your program is running (minimized into Taskbar)
User has 'focus' (it is active) on a web page.
User maximizes (or whatever) your app from the Taskbar, and clicks your button.
What your code should do, is immediately hide itself (not sure if minimizing is enough to lose 'focus').
With a bit of luck the 'focus will be back on the web page, when your code sends the keys.
(Some DoEvents may be required in your code)
That should work if user has XP. As I recall Win7 does not return 'focus'
There are also API ways to force 'focus' back to where we want it.

Rob
PS Don't tell me that Sendkeys does not work in Vista, or "I will get involved" (as I joke to my friends)

[DexterRose]

Solved my own problem, but I had to do it with VB2012 code shown below.

Imports System
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.Security.Permissions

<PermissionSet(SecurityAction.Demand, Name:="FullTrust")> _
Public Class FormXfer
    Public Sub New()
        InitializeComponent()
    End Sub
    '*************************************************************************

    Private Sub FormXfer_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Me.CenterToParent()
    End Sub
    '*****************************************************************************

    Private Sub ButtonXfer_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles ButtonXfer.Click
        Dim Response
        Try
            Beep()
            Response = MsgBox("Have you Clicked the first Input Field?", vbYesNo + vbExclamation)
            If Response = vbYes Then
                Me.WindowState = FormWindowState.Minimized
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("John", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("{TAB}", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("Paul", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("{TAB}", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("Jones", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("{TAB}", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("April", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("{TAB}", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("15", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("{TAB}", True)
                My.Computer.Keyboard.SendKeys("1980", True)
            Else
                Beep()
                MsgBox("Click the first Input field now")
            End If
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox("Error in ""TransferData Form"" : " + ex.Message)
        End Try
    End Sub
End Class
''**********************************************************************************

[Bobbles]

I was going to give you a hard time for not upgrading from VB5 to VB6 (as VB6 has better ADO interaction, and a couple of other small but great improvements).
I am glad I didn't, as I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life, if I thought I was the one that drove you to VB.NOT

[Max187Boucher]

I would stay away from the Sendkeys, is a user clicks anywhere else it wont work.
Since i cannot login, here is an example of how to login. (not tested, since i cannot log in)

Private Sub Command1_Click()
Dim IE_Window As Object
  
  Set IE_Window = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
    
    With IE_Window
      .Silent = True
      .Navigate "http://richmondtimesdispatch.va.ee.newsmemory.com/eebrowser/frame/check.7370/init/default.php?pSetup=richmondtimesdispatch&notEmpty=/eeLayout/richmondtimesdispatch/images/zzz_howto.htm&type="
      .Visible = True
    End With
    
    Do While IE_Window.Busy Or IE_Window.readystate <> 4
      DoEvents
    Loop

    With IE_Window.document.getElementById("pageId").contentWindow.document.Login
      .Username.Value = "John" 'Username Here"
      .Password.Value = "Doe" 'Password Here"
      .childNodes.Item(3).childNodes.Item(1).childNodes.Item(10).childNodes.Item(3).childNodes.Item(0).Click "Click Login"
    End With
    
End Sub