Automating other applications

[Yatsec]

I'm new here so please excuse me if not following all the rules - planning to learn fast

I'm looking for any programming environment that will simplify application automation activities. What I mean by that is that I need to write my own program/script to run 3rd party application and mimic user actions like key-pressing, screen touching etc. Reading pixel colors from the screen is also very desired. Anyone familiar with AtoIt or AutoHotKey Windows scripting languages probably knows what I'm asking for.
Does the Basic4android have any support for this type of automation? Any references to doc pages will be highly appreciated.

Thanks,
--Yatsec

 

[agraham]

Does the Basic4android have any support for this type of automation?

It's not so much that Basic4android does not lend itself to this sort of application but the design of Android itself does not. Android has a very different model to Windows for running and communiucating across applications. This model is primarily aimed at security so applications cannot directly start and run other applications nor can one application control another by simulated key strokes.

 

[Yatsec]

Thank you Agraham. Just starting my journey with android and it's good to learn the basics.

I'm supposed to create a validation environment and that requires running 3rd party applications. I thought that I'm lucky when I found this Basic4android rapid development environment, but it looks like I'm going to need some more advanced system hooks to build any sort of automation.

This forum seems to be very helpful. I hope I will still be able to use Basics4android but must learn a lot more about the system itself.

Thanks again and regards,
--Yatsec

 

[agraham]

I'm supposed to create a validation environment and that requires running 3rd party applications.

Hmm! You are going to have problems doing that under Android I fear. You can't just execute an arbitrary third-party application under Android. Android applications can inter-work but it is a two-way process that requires co-operation by both applications and the interactions are strictly bounded for security reasons. Applications run in their own sandboxes in Android. I'd do some rapid reading up on the Android architecture before you commit to anything like that.

 

[susu]

@Yatsec: You can try AutomateIt, I think it can do what you want.
https://market.android.com/details?id=AutomateIt.mainPackage