CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascriptwindows-10acrobatacrobat-sdknitro-pro
shellter
shellter

Reputation: 37298

Javascript to emit Windows-Key H from Acrobat Pro Text Field?

I'm helping a friend with less experience than my own /-;.

Using Windows 10 and Acrobat-Pro V10 (rolling release).

We would like to use Acrobat-Pro (or Nitro-Pro) Text Field's "Run Javascript" on "Mouse Enter" so that the action is as if the "Windows-Key H" keyboard combination is emitted in a way that it will launch the Windows Dictation Subsystem when a user clicks into a Text Field box.

So please note, this is a Javascript code inside of Acrobat-Pro. I'm not sure what manages the execution environment for the Javascript; the App, or does it "talk" with the underlying OS (Windows 10+ in this use case).

Currently, A user can click into a Text Field in Acrobat Pro and manually press the Windows-Key H combination and the dictation system is available.

We would like to go beyond that, so the user only needs to click in the Text Field box, and the dictation service starts.

Here is how far I have gotten in my research

Edit

Added a Text Field to a blank document. Right-Clicked and Selected Properties. Selected the Actions tag. Selected Trigger = 'Mouse Enter and Action = 'Run a Javascript. Pasted the below code. Note, Also tried Mouse Up, per the Apress book "Enhancing Adobe Acrobat Forms With Javascript"

    function simulateKeyPress(key, modifiers) {
        const event = new KeyboardEvent('keydown', {
            key: key,
            ctrlKey: modifiers.includes('Control'),
            shiftKey: modifiers.includes('Shift'),
            altKey: modifiers.includes('Alt'),
            metaKey: modifiers.includes('Meta')
        });
        window.dispatchEvent(event);
    }

    function simulateWindowsKeyH() {
        simulateKeyPress('h', ['Meta']);
    }

    // Simulate the "Windows-key H" combination
    simulateWindowsKeyH();

I also found a much simpler version

    var keyCombo =  "[H";
    console.log(keyCombo);

(Edit) which would be my preferred solution and resonates with the technology I'm familar with.

(Both of these codes snips were provided by an AI system, which seemed to "understand" the question).

I tried it with, and without <script> and curly brace wrappers, but to no output or error messages.

In all testing cases, I am not getting any feedback from Windows or Acrobat-Pro, especially disappointing when using the 'Execute' button in the JavaScript Editor, which I assume is to allow for in-line development and testing of code.

Extra thoughts:

A. I have tried wrapping the complete code set with curly braces, i.e. { ... code set .... }

B. From a separate credible source, I am assuming I don't need <script> ... </script> wrapping tags. Correct?

C. Is there some logging system I can look at for error messages?

Any advice, comments etc are welcome.

Thanks

Upvotes: 0

Views: 186

Answers (1)

loremus
loremus

Reputation: 285

As @eliezer-berlin already mentioned, JavaScript can't really dispatch physical keypresses outside of browsers or other sandboxed environments (Acrobat, for example!). The script is isolated from the rest of the system, preventing it from performing actions that could affect the operating system (or other applications). This is crucial for security, as scripts should not perform any unauthorized actions.

For understanding KeyboardEvent objects better, I would highly recommend exploring the MDN Web Docs, or looking for examples of how it simulates key events online.

Does it mean it's over, and nothing can be done...? In your case, I don't think so. You might want to look at this related question. Exploring alternative methods for enabling speech dictation using JS, instead of opening the Windows Dictation Subsystem directly, could provide you with some viable solutions. Unfortunately I can't help you further with that. Best of luck!

Upvotes: 1

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