Java interprocess communication

[Jon Cade]

Hullo there.

I am fairly new to java and have a few questions about interprocess communication (i think it's called interprocess communication)...

Is it possible for a java application to trigger gui event's in another java application without modification to the affected application? Basically i am wondering if there is a java equlivant to the windows SendMessage() function that can be sent from one application to another.

As an extension to this problem, is it possible to enumerate the components of a java gui (from another java application), and aquire the porperties of each component? Kind of like a java version of the windows Spy++ program that comes with Visual Studio.

My long term goal is to write a universal Spy++ like program that works with windows components and java components alike.

Thanks for ready,
Jon

[Ernest Friedman-Hill]

Hi,

Welcome to JavaRanch!

Perhaps, with some exceedingly hairy use of the debugger API, this might be possible, but I don't think so. You could attach to the process easily enough, and walk around in the GUI components, but I'm not sure you could send any events that way. In any event, it's not for the faint of heart!

[Jon Cade]

Thanks for the reply

I've had a bit of a look into the debugger route, and i think it will work for aquiring the information about each component.

I believe you are right about sending events. I may have to end up with a rather crude program that actually moves the pointer and performs a click on the window to trigger gui events.

Cheers for the insight,
Jon