In Firefox, Is it Possible to Initiate the the "Paste and Go" MenuItem via a Windows Message?

[Zohar]

Hi all

 

Imagine this scenario:

Firefox is running and is the active window,

the clipboard has a URL that we wish the browser to navigate to,

and now we need Firefox to initiate the "Paste and Go" MenuItem - which will do that.

 

Instead of sending a RightClick, and then moving with the Arrow Keys to appropriate MenuItem, and then simulating en [Enter],

maybe there's a way to spare this part, and initiate that MenuItem via a Windows Message?

 

I tried using Spy++ to find such a message, but couldn't.

There are 2 possibilities here:

1) There isn't such a Windows Message that is Sent for that MenuItem

2) There is a Windows Message that is Sent for that MenuItem, but I am just not finding it

 

Can anyone please try and see if he gets any success with that?

 

If this is not possible,

might there be another way which I could make Firefox navigate to a URL (which is in the Clipboard, or in a Variable),

other than the above mentioned way, and without installing a plugin?

 

Thank you

Edited April 9 by Zohar

[ioa747]

WinActivate("[CLASS:MozillaWindowClass]")
WinWaitActive("[CLASS:MozillaWindowClass]", "", 3)

Send("{F6}")    ; Navigate using F6
Sleep(100)      ; Small delay to ensure the address bar is focused
Send("^v")      ; Ctrl + V to paste
Send("{ENTER}") ; Go

 

[Zohar]

Thank you ioa747

That's actually what I currently use
(or to be more accurate, I use Ctrl-L instead of F6, since it's more reliable)
Yet this way is problematic:
If the page is slow, it affects the time it takes the F6/Ctrl-L focus to happen.

That's why I wish to use the "Paste and Go" menuItem,
but hopefully, without opening it and selecting the MenuItem,
and instead, activating it via a SendMessage()..
(if one exists.. and that's where I need help)

 

 

[KaFu]

This opens a new tab in a running FireFox instance for me.

ShellExecute(@ProgramFilesDir & '\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe', 'https://www.google.com/search?q=AutoIt', '', 'open')

 

[Nine]

An approach based on UIAutomation :

expandcollapse popup

; From Nine
#include <Constants.au3>
#include "CUIAutomation2.au3"

Opt("MustDeclareVars", True)

Global Const $SELFLAG_TAKEFOCUS = 1

ClipPut("www.google.com") ;  for testing purposes

Example()

Func Example()
  If Not ClipGet() Then Return SetError(1) ; clip empty

  Local $oUIAutomation = ObjCreateInterface($sCLSID_CUIAutomation, $sIID_IUIAutomation, $dtagIUIAutomation)

  Local $pDesktop, $pCondition, $pChrome, $pBarView, $pAddress, $sText, $pPathValue
  $oUIAutomation.GetRootElement($pDesktop)
  Local $oDesktop = ObjCreateInterface($pDesktop, $sIID_IUIAutomationElement, $dtagIUIAutomationElement)

  $oUIAutomation.CreatePropertyCondition($UIA_ClassNamePropertyId, "Chrome_WidgetWin_1", $pCondition)
  $oDesktop.FindFirst($TreeScope_Descendants, $pCondition, $pChrome)
  Local $oChrome = ObjCreateInterface($pChrome, $sIID_IUIAutomationElement, $dtagIUIAutomationElement)
  If Not IsObj($oChrome) Then Return SetError(2) ; chrome not started

  $oUIAutomation.CreatePropertyCondition($UIA_ClassNamePropertyId, "LocationBarView", $pCondition)
  $oChrome.FindFirst($TreeScope_Descendants, $pCondition, $pBarView)
  Local $oBarView = ObjCreateInterface($pBarView, $sIID_IUIAutomationElement, $dtagIUIAutomationElement)

  $oUIAutomation.CreatePropertyCondition($UIA_ControlTypePropertyId, $UIA_EditControlTypeId, $pCondition)
  $oBarView.FindFirst($TreeScope_Descendants, $pCondition, $pAddress)
  Local $oAddress = ObjCreateInterface($pAddress, $sIID_IUIAutomationElement, $dtagIUIAutomationElement)

  $oAddress.GetCurrentPropertyValue($UIA_ValueValuePropertyId, $sText)
  ConsoleWrite("Current Address = " & $sText & @CRLF)

  $oAddress.GetCurrentPattern($UIA_LegacyIAccessiblePatternId, $pPathValue)
  Local $oPathValue = ObjCreateInterface($pPathValue, $sIID_IUIAutomationLegacyIAccessiblePattern, $dtagIUIAutomationLegacyIAccessiblePattern)
  $oPathValue.SetValue(ClipGet())
  $oPathValue.Select($SELFLAG_TAKEFOCUS)

  WinActivate("[CLASS:Chrome_WidgetWin_1]")
  WinWaitActive("[CLASS:Chrome_WidgetWin_1]")
  Sleep(500)
  Send("{ENTER}")
EndFunc   ;==>Example

 

[Zohar]

KaFu:

Thank you very much.

I indeed considered using the Command Line,
but knew that it will open a new tab each time, and for that reason didn't go that way.

I need to re-use the existing tab..

Nine:

Thank you for this solution.

Does UIAutomation require any addon to be installed on Firefox, for communicating with the browser?

[Nine]

22 minutes ago, Zohar said:

Does UIAutomation require any addon to be installed on Firefox, for communicating with the browser?

Nope, you just need this UDF.

[Zohar]

Thank you very much Nine.

Do you know how this UDF makes Firefox navigate to a URL?
After all, If we use AutoIt Window Info Tool on Firefox,
we cannot see any controls, since Firefox is using some custom drawing library of their own..

[Nine]

Have you tried it ?  Or you are too skinny ? Should be same.  OFC there is no Win32 controls, that's why I suggested UIAutomation.

[Zohar]

What does it mean "too skinny"?