Automate the selection of dropdown boxes

#1

Question: automate drop-down box selections

If a form contains a text section and then a series of 5 drop-down boxes [separated by tabs] and the user wants to always select the same answer in each of the 5 drop downs, how could the user automate the task?

Example:
Describe the environment: [user fills-in unique text here in this text box and wants to automate the rest]

What is the age group? [drop-down has 4 possibilities user wants to always select #3]

What is the pain level? [drop-down has 7 possibilities user wants to always select #6]

What is the weather? [drop-down has 3 possibilities user wants to always select #1]

What is the intervention? [drop-down has 6 possibilities user wants to always select #5]

#2

Hi, and welcome to the forum! :slight_smile:

Quick clarification: are these drop downs in a Text Blaze form or are they on the website you are inserting into?

#3

@Scott

Many thanks for a great product and kind reply! I am a former AHK opensource user (used AHK for years, years ago). Now, I really enjoy the Text Blaze un-complex feel.

Having learned to do some of the AHK scripts, I originally wanted to return to AHK. I discovered AHK does not play well in chrome and the companies that hire me use webforms which are more geared towards chrome/android users.

So, I'm a non-programmer and I use TB to automate the filling-in of very long website Forms. I fill-in webforms EVERY day. It is an ugly - dreadful -- task.

The webforms have many "Sections." The "Sections" of the Forms frequently have a series of:
drop-downs (where the user picks one of the answers);
buttons (where the user picks on of the buttons);
text boxes (where the user enters texts. I copy-past, but could randomized text to make it appear less like copy-pasted each time).

There are certain times (frequently) when all of the items in the Sections are always the same answers. For example, in one Form I complete a Section where all the numbers are fill-ins and almost always the same numbers, I wrote and use this very simplistic script in Text Blaze most days of the week:

Shortcut: /v

100{key:tab}60{key:tab}100{key:tab}96{key:tab}28{key:tab}12{key:tab}90{key:tab}10{key:tab}180{key:tab}90{key:tab}90{key:tab}60{key:tab}250{key:tab}60{key:tab}300{key:tab}60

I've intended to feel a little pain in the learning of Text Blaze in order to make life easier. Procrastination has been my nemesis. B Strong

#4

@scott --I was long winded!
TB is used in various webforms which are created by a certain number of companies that hire me to complete the forms.

#5

So if the drop downs are on the webpage itself, you may be able to {key:tab} to it then use {key:downarrow} and {key:uparrow} to select the desired values.

The {key:uparrow} and {key:downarrow} will work in some dropdown menus.

#6

@scott it is indeed hit-or-miss.
When using downarrow and you want to select the third drop-down item, how is it written:

{key:downarrow3}
or
{key:downarrow, downarrow, downarrow}
or
{key:downarrow}{key:downarrow}{key:downarrow}

#7

The last one is the only correct one of the three.

{key:downarrow}{key:downarrow}{key:downarrow}

I would recommend using this though. It's much clearer as you get larger number of repetitions.

{repeat: 3}{key: downarrow}{endrepeat}

#8

Thanks

#9

@scott
By chance, is there a user guide specific to the textblaze web form commands related to automatically selecting and navigating through a series of:

radio buttons;
check boxes;
drop-down options;

#10

@B_Strong - I don't think there can be a generic guide for something like that. As Scott said, TB simply emulates what's supposed to happen when the key is pressed. Different websites might behave differently, and on some sites the feature might not even work.

I'm afraid it's really a question of experimenting and finding out what works on the different sites.

#11

Thanks... I was hoping for a Chrome equivalent of opensource AutoHotKey (AHK) which works like a charm, except in chrome. None found. Among paid versions TextBlaze jumps out because the workspace is so clean. I am in need of reliability similar to AHK --free would be great-- but must work in Chrome. AM I wasting my time?

#12

To be honest, Text Blaze was never intended to be an AHK. The keypress emulation we offer is in support of Text Blaze's intended function — text expansion.

Additionally, I recommend you exercise caution when using AHKs. Most are perfectly safe, but I suspect some might use malicious scripts. So do be careful.

#13

@cedric_Debono Im no longer using AHK they are chrome unfriendly. I must have consumed too much lead-based paint as a kid because learning AHK felt like an exercise of interpreting hieroglyphics from a dead language. Admittedly, Im asking TB to do the "unintended" for my desired purpose. I'll continue to use TB until other clearly better chrome app for GUI exists. At this time, I do not see any.

#14

Of course, if you're trying to do something with Text Blaze, we're always here to help. Chances are, you can do most of what you need with TB's key emulation, and I know @scott takes security extremely seriously, so you can work with full peace of mind. :slight_smile:

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