open a string in notepad at runtime in python

Question

I have a string called 's' and I want to open it in notepad at runtime without saving it in/as a file. Is there any way to achieve this in python?

Answer 1

No. Notepad does not read data from stdin, so passing it a file or OS-level file-like is the only way for it to display text.

Answer 2

There is an example here.

#### Script to try to write something down in notepad
 import win32api
 import win32gui
 import win32con
 import time

 import subprocess
 #start notepad.exe asynchronously
 subprocess.Popen('Notepad.exe')


 # get the window handle of the blank, minimized notepad window
 hwnd = win32gui.FindWindowEx(0, 0, 0, "Untitled - Notepad")

 # print it just for kicks
 print hwnd

 win32gui.ShowWindow(hwnd, win32con.SW_SHOWNORMAL)
 #this restores the proper window, so we know we have correct handle

 #just to give it a little pause
 time.sleep(2)

 print "trying to post message"

 #try to send it a return key
 win32api.SendMessage(hwnd, win32con.WM_KEYDOWN, win32con.VK_RETURN, 0)
 win32api.SendMessage(hwnd, win32con.WM_KEYUP, win32con.VK_RETURN, 0)

 #the above generates absolutely no effect on the notepad window.
 #same effect no matter what vk code i use (e.g. 65 for A, VK_SPACE for space, etc)

 #### end of script

Answer 3

Notepad has no facilities for doing such from an external source. Short of hooking into the Windows windowing API, finding the text area, and populating it yourself.

Answer 4

Hi, May I suggest you to use AutoIt3 facilities (http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/tutorials/notepad/notepad.htm "AutoIt Notepad Tutorial")

AutoIt3 is a Windows scripting language to control quite anything in Windows. It provide a COM API so you can make integrate it in your Python script

from win32com.client import Dispatch
AutoIt = Dispatch("AutoItX3.Control")
AutoIt.Run('Notepad.exe')
AutoIt.WinWaitActive("Untitled - Notepad")
AutoIt.Send("This is some text.")

It may be also possible to use AutoHotKey (the fully GPL version of AutoIt)