System and method for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface

1. A workstation comprising a system for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface, said system comprising:

a Java language operating environment comprising a java.awt.Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events;

an event queue to which said events are sent from said user interface; and

a RobotCreator tool for receiving said events as those events are submitted to said event queue, wherein said RobotCreator tool converts said events into robot commands using said java.awt.Robot class;

wherein said robot commands ten form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

2. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein said event queue comprises a postEvent method for receiving said events and submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool.

3. The workstation of claim 2 , wherein said postEvent method is a modified version of a standard postEvent method that is part of a java.awt.EventQueue class.

4. The workstation of claim 2 , wherein said postEvent method comprises a proxy postEvent method for submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool and passing said events to a standard postEvent method.

5. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface.

6. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein said user interface is a component of an application.

7. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein said user interface is a component of an applet.

8. The workstation of claim 2 , wherein said postEvent method comprises an intercept mechanism for submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool which is external to said postEvent method.

9. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein said RobotCreator tool further comprises:

an event recorder for receiving events submitted to said event queue; and

means for receiving a record of events from said event recorder and convening said received events into robot commands.

10. The workstation of claim 1 , wherein said RobotCreator further comprises an insertion algorithm, wherein said insertion algorithm is configured to search for a point in an application or applet at which said robot commands or a call to said robot commands is to be inserted.

11. A method of generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface in a Java language operating environment comprising a robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events, said method comprising:

receiving said events with a RobotCreator tool as those events are submitted to an event queue; and

converting said events into robot commands using said robot class with said RobotCreator tool;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving said events and submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool with a postEvent method of said event queue.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising modifying a standard postEvent method that is part of a java.awt.EventQueue class to intercept said events and submit those events to said RobotCreator tool.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising providing a proxy postEvent method for submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool and passing said events to a standard postEvent method.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said user interface is a graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising making said user entry events into said user interface which is a component of an application.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising making said user entry events into said user interface which is a component of an applet.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

intercepting said events with an intercept mechanism in said postEvent method; and

submitting said events to said RobotCreator tool which is external to said postEvent method.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein said converting said events further comprises receiving events submitted to said event queue with an event recorder of said RobotCreator tool; and

converting said received events into robot commands with said RobotCreator tool.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising searching for a point in an application or applet at which said robot commands or a call to said robot commands is to be inserted.

21. A method of generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface in a Java language operating environment comprising a java.awt.Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events, said method comprising:

intercepting said events as those events are submitted to an event queue; and

converting said events into robot commands using said java.awt.Robot class;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein:

said intercepting is performed by a postEvent method of said event queue; and

said converting said events is performed with a RobotCreator tool.

23. A software tool, stored on a medium for storing software, said tool, when executed in a Java language operating environment comprising a java.awt.Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events, causing generation of a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface by:

receiving said events as those events are submitted to an event queue; and

converting said events into robot commands using said java.awt.Robot class;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

24. A workstation comprising a system for generating a set of robot commands based on user entry events in a user interface, said system comprising:

an operating environment comprising a Robot class that provides robot commands that correspond to particular user input events;

a RobotCreator tool for intercepting said events as those events are submitted to an event queue and for converting said events into robot commands using said Robot class;

wherein said robot commands then form a macro which can substitute for user input events made using said user interface during execution of an application.

25. The workstation of claim 11 , further comprising generating said robot commands using a java.awt.Robot class.