wrtype

A Rust implementation of wtype - xdotool type for Wayland.

Features

• Text Input: Type unicode characters
• Modifier Keys: Press/release modifiers (shift, capslock, ctrl, logo, win, alt, altgr)
• Named Keys: Press/release named keys using XKB key names
• Delays: Configurable delays between keystrokes and sleep commands
• Stdin Support: Read text from stdin for piped input

Usage

# Type unicode characters
wrtype ∇⋅∇ψ = ρ

# Press Ctrl+C
wrtype -M ctrl c -m ctrl

# Delay between keystrokes
wrtype foo -d 120 bar

# Read from stdin with delay
echo "everything" | wrtype --stdin -d 12

# Press and release the Left key
wrtype -P left -p left

# Hold the Right key for 1000ms
wrtype -P right -s 1000 -p right

Building

Using Nix (Recommended)

nix develop
cargo build --release

Using Cargo

Ensure you have the following system dependencies:

• libxkbcommon-dev
• wayland-dev
• wayland-protocols

cargo build --release

Options

• -M <MOD>: Press modifier (shift, capslock, ctrl, logo, win, alt, altgr)
• -m <MOD>: Release modifier
• -P <KEY>: Press key
• -p <KEY>: Release key
• -k <KEY>: Type (press and release) key
• -d <TIME>: Sleep for TIME milliseconds between keystrokes
• -s <TIME>: Sleep for TIME milliseconds before interpreting following options
• --stdin: Read text from stdin

Architecture

The implementation consists of several modules:

• Command Line Interface: Uses clap for argument parsing
• Wayland Protocol: Implements virtual keyboard protocol using wayland-client
• Keymap Generation: Dynamic XKB keymap generation for unicode support
• Command Execution: Sequentially executes typing commands with proper timing

Library Usage

wrtype can be used as a Rust library for programmatic text input and automation:

use wrtype::{WrtypeClient, Modifier};

fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
    let mut client = WrtypeClient::new()?;
    
    // Type text
    client.type_text("Hello, Wayland!")?;
    
    // Send keyboard shortcuts
    client.send_shortcut(&[Modifier::Ctrl], "c")?;
    
    Ok(())
}

Add to your Cargo.toml:

[dependencies]
wrtype = { git = "https://github.com/conneroisu/wrtype" }

Examples

The examples/ directory contains comprehensive examples showing different use cases:

Quick Start

# Run the interactive example runner
./run-examples.sh all

# Or run specific examples
./run-examples.sh basic      # Basic text typing
./run-examples.sh shortcuts  # Keyboard shortcuts
./run-examples.sh stdin      # Stdin processing
./run-examples.sh advanced   # Complex sequences

Using just (if available)

# Quick start guide
just quick-start

# Run specific examples
just example-basic
just example-shortcuts
just examples-all

# Development commands
just build
just test
just dev

Available Examples

1. Basic Typing (basic_typing.rs) - Simple text input with Unicode support
2. Shortcuts (shortcuts.rs) - Common keyboard shortcuts and combinations
3. Stdin Processing (stdin_processing.rs) - Reading and processing piped input
4. Advanced Sequences (advanced_sequences.rs) - Complex automation workflows

Run any example with:

cargo run --example basic_typing
# or using nix
nix develop -c cargo run --example basic_typing

Compatibility

wrtype is compatible with the original C implementation of wtype and supports the same command-line interface and functionality.