windows-control

What This Skill Does

The windows-control skill provides comprehensive automation capabilities for the Windows operating system. It allows an AI agent to interact with the Windows desktop in a manner indistinguishable from a human user. This includes precise control over the mouse and keyboard, enabling the agent to navigate applications, fill out forms, click buttons, and execute commands. Beyond basic input, the skill offers advanced features like taking screenshots, capturing window text, and managing application windows (minimizing, maximizing, focusing, closing). It also introduces powerful text-based interaction, allowing the agent to click elements by their visible text (e.g., 'Save' button) and robustly find or wait for specific text or window appearances. UI element inspection provides structured data about interactive components within applications. This skill is designed to automate repetitive tasks, streamline workflows, and enable complex interactions with any Windows application.

Installation

To install the windows-control skill, use the following command:

clawhub install openclaw/skills/skills/spliff7777/windows-control

This command will download and set up the skill and its dependencies, making its functionalities available to your AI agent.

Use Cases

The windows-control skill is incredibly versatile and can be applied to a wide range of automation scenarios:

• Automated Data Entry: Fill out forms in desktop applications or web pages accessed via a browser controlled by the agent.
• Software Testing: Automate user interactions for testing new software builds.
• Routine Tasks: Perform repetitive tasks like opening specific applications, saving files, or generating reports.
• System Administration: Manage windows, launch applications, and execute system commands.
• Workflow Automation: Bridge gaps between applications that do not have direct API integrations by simulating user actions.
• Accessibility: Assist users with complex desktop interactions.
• Content Creation: Automate the process of taking screenshots or capturing specific UI elements.

Example Prompts

1. "Take a screenshot of my entire screen and save it to a base64 encoded string."
2. "Open Notepad, type 'This is an automated message.', and then press Ctrl+S to save the file as 'automated_note.txt'."
3. "Find the 'Login' button within the 'My Application' window and click it."

Tips & Limitations

• Coordinates vs. Text: While coordinate-based actions (like click.py 500 300) are precise, using text-based actions (click_text.py) is generally more robust as it doesn't rely on fixed screen positions that might change due to resolution differences or window resizing. read_window.py and read_ui_elements.py are excellent for gathering information to drive these text-based actions.
• Window Titles: Ensure you use the exact window title when specifying a target application for window management or text reading functions. The list_windows.py script can help identify correct titles.
• UI Automation: The read_window.py and read_ui_elements.py scripts leverage Windows UI Automation, which is generally faster and more reliable than OCR-based methods, especially for applications that support it.
• Focus: For actions to succeed, the target window often needs to be active or in the foreground. Use focus_window.py when necessary.
• Error Handling: Implement robust error handling in your prompts. Use wait_for_text.py and wait_for_window.py to handle asynchronous operations or slow application responses.
• Security: Be mindful when granting control over your desktop. Ensure the AI agent's actions are predictable and secure, especially when dealing with sensitive applications or data.
• Compatibility: The skill relies on native Windows APIs and UI Automation. It may have limitations with applications that heavily rely on custom rendering (e.g., some games, very old applications, or specific graphics-intensive software) where UI elements might not be properly exposed.
• Speed: While designed for efficiency, complex sequences of actions or slow applications can still take time to execute.