application automation software/tool

Question

I am looking for an automation software which should be configurable to handle any other software for repetitive tasks on Windows. Push button x if ... Does anybody know such a software. If not would it be possible to program such a robot in python? Are there existing python-modules for this?

• S.Lott: What's wrong with PowerShell? technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptcenter/powershell.aspx Why aren't you using this?
• fardjad: If you are looking for an automator, Take a look at AutoIt. It has been designed to do what you want.
• S.Lott: @user366121: Are you saying you never heard of Powershell?
• Eli Bendersky: If I understand your question correctly, I'd use AutoHotkey for this, not Python
• MattH: @user366121: To what ends? May be easier for someone to point you in the right direction if you mentioned the kind of thing you wanted achieve. Nice name by the way, catchy.

Answer 1

PowerShell. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_PowerShell

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/scriptcenter/powershell.aspx

would it be possible to program such a robot in python?

The answer to all "is it possible" question is always "Yes." As long as the question doesn't involve time travel, anti-gravity or perpetual motion, the answer to all "is it possible" questions is "yes".

Are there existing python-modules for this?

The answer to this is always "Yes." There are modules for this kind of thing.

Perhaps you have other questions, more specific and useful?

• Eli Bendersky: A side question - for someone knowledgeable in Python, what does PS add for Windows scripting?
• S.Lott: @Eli Bendersky: I don't get the question. What does PS add? Add to what? I'll guess that you're asking how PS is superior to Python? The answer is that the question is Windows-specific, and the questioner did not use Google, so the simplest possible answer is the only thing that's appropriate. For people who can't use Google, the all-singing-all-dancing-all-Microsoft answer is about the only one that will work.
• Eli Bendersky: @S.Lott: I'll try to reprhase - suppose Bob is a good Python programmer, and knows how to use Python for Windows programming as well. In your opinion, will Bob benefit from learning PS too? Can he then do something with PS that would be much harder to achieve using Python alone?
• S.Lott: @Eli Bendersky: "Bob is a good Python programmer" doesn't really need PowerShell, AFAIK. If Bob is in Windows-only world, however, PowerShell may provide more access to Windows API's. There's no firm distinction between "shell" scripting and "binary code". However, reliance on internal API's seems to be a distinction that's important. A shell script which depends on internal API's seems like using the wrong tool for the job. At some point, C# should be introduced. Python+C# is every bit as good as PowerShell.
• Eli Bendersky: @S.Lott: when you say "internal APIs" do you mean APIs not exposed publicly in Win32 API (which Python can access via win32api)?

Answer 2

AutoIt was created especially for that. If you want to go specifically with Python, you could give PyWinAuto a go. I think the latest version is on SourceForge.