keyboard 0.11.0

Features

• Global event hook on all keyboards (captures keys regardless of focus).

• Listen and sends keyboard events.

• Works with Windows and Linux (requires sudo), with experimental OS X support (thanks @glitchassassin!).

• Pure Python, no C modules to be compiled.

• Zero dependencies. Trivial to install and deploy, just copy the files.

• Python 2 and 3.

• Complex hotkey support (e.g. Ctrl+Shift+M, Ctrl+Space) with controllable timeout.

• Includes high level API (e.g. record and play, add_abbreviation).

• Maps keys as they actually are in your layout, with full internationalization support (e.g. Ctrl+ç).

• Events automatically captured in separate thread, doesn’t block main program.

• Tested and documented.

• Doesn’t break accented dead keys (I’m looking at you, pyHook).

• Mouse support available via project mouse (pip install mouse).

This program makes no attempt to hide itself, so don’t use it for keyloggers.

Usage

Install the PyPI package:

$ sudo pip install keyboard

or clone the repository (no installation required, source files are sufficient):

$ git clone https://github.com/boppreh/keyboard

Then check the API docs to see what features are available.

Example

import keyboard

keyboard.press_and_release('shift+s, space')

keyboard.write('The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.')

# Press PAGE UP then PAGE DOWN to type "foobar".
keyboard.add_hotkey('page up, page down', lambda: keyboard.write('foobar'))

# Blocks until you press esc.
keyboard.wait('esc')

# Record events until 'esc' is pressed.
recorded = keyboard.record(until='esc')
# Then replay back at three times the speed.
keyboard.play(recorded, speed_factor=3)

# Type @@ then press space to replace with abbreviation.
keyboard.add_abbreviation('@@', 'my.long.email@example.com')
# Block forever.
keyboard.wait()

Known limitations:

• Events generated under Windows don’t report device id (event.device == None). #21

• Linux doesn’t seem to report media keys. #20

• Currently no way to suppress keys (‘catch’ events and block them). #22

• To avoid depending on X the Linux parts reads raw device files (/dev/input/input*) but this requries root.

• Other applications, such as some games, may register hooks that swallow all key events. In this case keyboard will be unable to report events.