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Overview

The keys module provides classes and utilities for handling keyboard input and generating CDP-compatible key events. It supports ASCII characters, special keys, modifier combinations, emojis, and grapheme clusters.

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KeyEvents

Key events handling class for processing keyboard input and converting to CDP format.

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Constructor

KeyEvents(key, modifiers=KeyModifiers.Default)
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key
Union[str, SpecialKeys]
required
The key to be processed (single character string or SpecialKeys enum)
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modifiers
Union[KeyModifiers, int]
default:"KeyModifiers.Default"
Modifier keys to be applied (can be combined with bitwise OR)

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Methods

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to_cdp_events

Convert the key event to CDP format. 
to_cdp_events(key_press_event, override_modifiers=None)
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key_press_event
KeyPressEvent
required
The type of key press event to generate. Currently supported are DOWN_AND_UP and CHAR
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override_modifiers
Optional[Union[KeyModifiers, int]]
default:"None"
Optional modifiers to override the current ones
Returns: List[KeyEvents.Payload] - List of dictionaries containing CDP payload Example: 
# Send a simple key press
key_event = KeyEvents('a')
payloads = key_event.to_cdp_events(KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

# Send key with modifier
key_event = KeyEvents('c', KeyModifiers.Ctrl)
payloads = key_event.to_cdp_events(KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

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from_text

Create KeyEvents payloads from a text string, automatically handling special characters and graphemes. 
KeyEvents.from_text(text, ascii_keypress)
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text
str
required
The text to convert to key events
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ascii_keypress
KeyPressEvent
required
The key press event to use for ASCII characters
Returns: List[KeyEvents.Payload] - List of KeyEvents.Payload objects ready for CDP Example: 
# Convert text to key events
payloads = KeyEvents.from_text("Hello World!", KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

# Works with emojis and special characters
payloads = KeyEvents.from_text("Hello 👋", KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

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from_mixed_input

Create KeyEvents payloads from a mixed sequence of strings, special keys, and key+modifier combinations. 
KeyEvents.from_mixed_input(input_sequence, ascii_keypress=KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)
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input_sequence
List[Union[str, SpecialKeys, Tuple[Union[str, SpecialKeys], KeyModifiers]]]
required
List containing:
  • str: Regular text (will be processed character by character)
  • SpecialKeys: Special keys (will use DOWN_AND_UP)
  • Tuple[key, modifiers]: Key with modifiers (will use DOWN_AND_UP)
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ascii_keypress
KeyPressEvent
default:"KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP"
The key press event to use for ASCII characters
Returns: List[KeyEvents.Payload] - List of KeyEvents.Payload objects ready for CDP Example: 
from zendriver.core.keys import KeyEvents, SpecialKeys, KeyModifiers, KeyPressEvent

# Mix text, special keys, and shortcuts
payloads = KeyEvents.from_mixed_input([
    "Hello ",
    SpecialKeys.ENTER,
    "World",
    SpecialKeys.ARROW_DOWN,
    ("a", KeyModifiers.Ctrl),  # Ctrl+A
    ("c", KeyModifiers.Ctrl),  # Ctrl+C
], ascii_keypress=KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

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is_english_alphabet

Check if a character is an English alphabet letter (A-Z, a-z). 
KeyEvents.is_english_alphabet(char)
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char
str
required
The character to check
Returns: bool - True if the character is an English alphabet letter, False otherwise

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KeyModifiers

Enumeration of keyboard modifiers used in key events. For multiple modifiers, use bitwise OR to combine them.

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Values

  • Default (0) - No modifiers
  • Alt (1) - Alt key
  • Ctrl (2) - Control key
  • Meta (4) - Meta/Command key
  • Shift (8) - Shift key

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Example

from zendriver.core.keys import KeyModifiers

# Single modifier
modifiers = KeyModifiers.Ctrl

# Multiple modifiers
modifiers = KeyModifiers.Alt | KeyModifiers.Shift

# All modifiers
modifiers = KeyModifiers.Ctrl | KeyModifiers.Alt | KeyModifiers.Shift

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SpecialKeys

Enumeration of special keys with their corresponding names and key codes.

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Values

  • SPACE - Space key
  • ENTER - Enter key
  • TAB - Tab key
  • BACKSPACE - Backspace key
  • ESCAPE - Escape key
  • DELETE - Delete key
  • ARROW_LEFT - Left arrow key
  • ARROW_UP - Up arrow key
  • ARROW_RIGHT - Right arrow key
  • ARROW_DOWN - Down arrow key
  • SHIFT - Shift key (internal use only)
  • ALT - Alt key (internal use only)
  • CTRL - Control key (internal use only)
  • META - Meta key (internal use only)

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Example

from zendriver.core.keys import KeyEvents, SpecialKeys, KeyPressEvent

# Use special keys
enter_event = KeyEvents(SpecialKeys.ENTER)
payloads = enter_event.to_cdp_events(KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

# Arrow navigation
arrow_event = KeyEvents(SpecialKeys.ARROW_DOWN)
payloads = arrow_event.to_cdp_events(KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

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KeyPressEvent

Enumeration of different types of key press events.

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Values

  • KEY_DOWN - Key down event (not supported by itself)
  • KEY_UP - Key up event (not supported by itself)
  • RAW_KEY_DOWN - Raw key down event (not supported by itself)
  • CHAR - Directly sends ASCII character to the element. Cannot send non-ASCII characters and commands (Ctrl+A, etc.)
  • DOWN_AND_UP - Way to give both key down and up events in one go for non-ASCII characters (not standard implementation)

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Example

from zendriver.core.keys import KeyEvents, KeyPressEvent

# Use DOWN_AND_UP for standard key presses
key_event = KeyEvents('a')
payloads = key_event.to_cdp_events(KeyPressEvent.DOWN_AND_UP)

# Use CHAR for simple ASCII input (faster)
key_event = KeyEvents('x')
payloads = key_event.to_cdp_events(KeyPressEvent.CHAR)

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Complete example

import asyncio
from zendriver import Browser
from zendriver.core.keys import KeyEvents, SpecialKeys, KeyModifiers, KeyPressEvent

async def main():
    browser = Browser()
    tab = await browser.start()
    await tab.get('https://example.com')
    
    # Find an input field
    input_field = await tab.select('input[type="text"]')
    await input_field.click()
    
    # Type text with mixed input
    payloads = KeyEvents.from_mixed_input([
        "Hello, World!",
        SpecialKeys.ENTER,
        "This is a test.",
        SpecialKeys.TAB,
        ("a", KeyModifiers.Ctrl),  # Select all
        ("c", KeyModifiers.Ctrl),  # Copy
    ])
    
    # Send the key events
    for payload in payloads:
        await tab.send(cdp.input_.dispatch_key_event(**payload))
    
    await browser.close()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    asyncio.run(main())

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