Send Keystrokes plugin for Data Loggers

Latest version: 5.0.1 build 1126. November 28, 2025.

The Send Keystrokes data export plugin extends our data loggers with a flexible way to send parsed data as keyboard input to any Windows application. Instead of writing data to a file or database, this module converts selected parser variables to keystrokes and sends them to a configured or focused window. This approach is useful when you need to feed existing software that only accepts keyboard input and cannot be modified or integrated through an API.

The plugin can send multiple parser variables in a single operation and allows you to define key sequences before and after each variable. You can target a specific window by capturing it with the mouse pointer or send data to the currently focused window and its active edit field. This gives you control over how data from your logger is entered into legacy enterprise systems, measurement software, ERP forms, laboratory systems, and many other Windows applications.

The plugin is designed for technical professionals who work with serial devices, network devices, or industrial controllers and need to pass measurements or event data into existing Windows applications. Typical use cases include automatically typing measurement values into a laboratory information system, entering barcode data into a warehouse management screen, or sending meter readings into a spreadsheet that must be operated by keyboard only.

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How the Send keystrokes plugin works

The plugin operates on parser variables produced by one of the data logger parsers. A parser variable is a named field that holds a value extracted from incoming data, for example, a temperature, barcode, or identifier. In the plugin configuration, each item references one parser variable and defines how its value will be converted to keystrokes. The plugin interprets the value as a string of characters and sends each character as a simulated key press to the target application.

For each item, you can optionally define keystrokes to send before and after the main content. For example, you may send a Tab key after the value to move focus to the next field or send Enter after the value to submit a form. You can also enable an option to clear the target control before sending the new data. This is convenient when working with fields that may still contain old values.

Target window selection is handled through a capture process. You select an item, click the "Get window" button, and then move your mouse cursor over the desktop. Candidate windows are highlighted with a red frame. When you press the Ctrl key and click, the plugin captures the window and shows its details in the "Window info" area. This information is then used to address keystrokes to that window whenever this item is processed. If you prefer not to bind to a specific window, you can enable the Send to the focused window option. In that case the plugin always sends keystrokes to whichever window and edit field is currently active in the foreground.

Practical example with Advanced Serial Data Logger

Consider a scenario where Advanced Serial Data Logger reads measurements from a serial scale. The scale sends data in lines like:

WT=15.23kg,ID=BOX-001

You configure a parser in Advanced Serial Data Logger to extract the following variables:

DATE_TIME_STAMP = "2025-01-02 08:00:00"
WEIGHT          = "15.23"
ITEM_ID         = "BOX-001"

Your warehouse management system is a Windows desktop application that only accepts input through its own user interface. To automate data entry into a goods receipt form, you create two items in the Send keystrokes plugin.

Item 1: Sends ITEM_ID. For "Send after" you configure a Tab key to move to the weight field after typing the item code. Clear a target control before sending data is set to true. The target window is captured from the warehouse application's main window using the "Get window" button.

Item 2: Sends WEIGHT. Send after is Enter to store the record.

When the logger receives serial data, it parses the data and triggers the Send keystrokes plugin. The plugin interacts with the selected warehouse application window and sends keystrokes:

BOX-001[TAB]15.23[TAB][ENTER]

To the operator, it appears as if the data was entered manually, but the entire process is automated and consistent.

Key features

Send values of multiple parser variables as keystrokes to any Windows application.
Define custom key sequences before and after each variable for navigation and confirmation.
Select a specific target window or send to the current focused window and edit field.
Optionally clear the target control before sending new data to avoid mixing old and new values.
Built-in test allows you to verify configuration with a safe sample string.

Brief summary about the plugin

The Send Keystrokes plugin offers a practical way to connect our data loggers with existing Windows applications that accept only keyboard input. By converting parsed variables into controlled keystroke sequences, it enables automation without modifying legacy systems.