cliclick

cliclick executes actions via a series of commands passed as arguments. Each command follows a specific syntax:

[command_identifier]:[arguments]

• Command Identifier: A string representing the action (e.g., c for click, m for move).
• Arguments: Usually coordinates (x,y) or keys, separated from the identifier by a colon.

Coordinate Syntax

When a command requires coordinates, you can use:

• Absolute values: x,y (e.g., c:123,456)
• Relative values: Prefix with + or - (e.g., m:+50,-10 moves the mouse 50px right and 10px up).
• Current position: Use . as a shorthand for the current mouse position (e.g., c:. is equivalent to c:+0,+0).
• Absolute negative values: For displays arranged to the left of the main display, prefix the number with = (e.g., c:100,=-200).

cliclick emulates typing by simulating physical key presses (regular keys, or combinations with Shift and/or Alt), making it independent of the current keyboard layout.

For characters that require multiple keystrokes (like "dead" keys or combining characters), cliclick uses specific sequences. For example, on a German keyboard, to type é, it can simulate a combining acute accent (Unicode U+0301) followed by e.

If a character is not working, it is likely because the specific keyboard layout's mapping is incomplete in the source code.

If cliclick cannot type a character you need, you can extend its support by modifying the source code.

Note: Do not edit README-Characters.md manually, as it is auto-generated from the source code.

To add support:

1. Locate the method getReplacementMapForKeyboardLayoutNamed: in KeycodeInformer.m.
2. Add the necessary logic to map the desired characters to their respective key sequences for the target layout.
3. Rebuild the project to update the character maps.

To install cliclick without building from source, it is strongly recommended to use Homebrew. cliclick is also available on MacPorts, though MacPorts may not always provide the most recent version.

Important: Accessibility Permissions After installation, you must grant your terminal emulator (e.g., Terminal, iTerm) permission to control the computer.

Navigate to: System Preferences ➔ Security ➔ Accessibility and ensure your terminal application is enabled. If permissions are missing, cliclick will execute but no actions will occur (a warning will be written to stderr in version 5.1+).

Use these commands to control the mouse cursor:

Example: Dragging the mouse

cliclick dd:100,100 dm:200,200 du:200,200