keyPress (associated with java.awt.Robot) line (without being able to compile KeyRelease line) makes MATLAB freeze in macOS Catalina 10.15.7

Hello to all,

First of all, It is not a keyPress/keyRelease issue;

The following code (CODE A) puts MATLAB R2022b in "Busy" mode in macOS Catalina 10.15.7. The crash report is also given below.

FIRST ISSUE:

Is there an alternative method of sending keyboard strokes via MATLAB as in Windows, i.e., Is there some "AppleScript" associated with MATLAB or some "AppleShell"?:

In Windows, one can alternatively use the following to simulate a keyboard hit on letter 'a'

h=actxserver('WScript.Shell');

h.SendKeys('A')

SECOND ISSUE:

When I run "CODE A" given below, It produces '1' in the Command Window and goes into (infinite?) loop without being able to produce '2' in the Command Window.

I have found this solution for MATLAB R2007 :

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/101249-why-does-matlab-crash-when-starting-or-when-using-figure-or-plot-after-i-updated-my-mac-os-java-in-v

But, in my macbook, in MATLAB R2022b's 'bin' folder, I could not recognize a resembling .sh file to modify.

In the macbook terminal, "java -version" produces:

java version "19.0.2" 2023-01-17

Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 19.0.2+7-44)

Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 19.0.2+7-44, mixed mode, sharing)

My system's specs are as the following:

Macbook Pro 13 inch (Mid 2012), Intel i5 Dual Core 2.5 GHz, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3, Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536 MB

Any comments and/or suggestions ? Thank you in advance,

Evrim

%CODE A -This causes infinite loop somewhere in "step 1" and "step 2"

%\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

import java.awt.Robot;

import java.awt.event.*;

import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;

rbt = java.awt.Robot;

1 %step 1

rbt.keyPress(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_A);

2 %step 2

pause(0.1)

3

rbt.keyRelease(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_A)

4

%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Nevertheless, I can control the mouse cursor motion with the following (Code B below works fine):

%CODE B:

%\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

import java.awt.Robot;

import java.awt.event.*;

import java.awt.MouseInfo;

mouse = Robot;

pos=[1000 100]

mouse.mouseMove(pos(1), pos(2)); pause(0.1);

s='3';

eval(['mouse.mousePress(InputEvent.BUTTON' s '_MASK);']); pause(0.1);

eval(['mouse.mouseRelease(InputEvent.BUTTON' s '_MASK);']); pause(0.1);

%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

MATLAB Log File: /Users/macpro/matlab_crash_dump.8953-1

------------------------------------------------

MATLAB Log File

------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Illegal instruction detected at 2023-09-04 14:23:44 +0300

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Configuration:

Crash Decoding : Disabled - No sandbox or build area path

Crash Mode : continue (default)

Default Encoding : UTF-8

Deployed : false

Graphics Driver : Uninitialized hardware

Java Version : Java 1.8.0_202-b08 with Oracle Corporation Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM mixed mode

MATLAB Architecture : maci64

MATLAB Entitlement ID : 1963044

MATLAB Root : /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app

MATLAB Version : 9.13.0.2126072 (R2022b) Update 3

OpenGL : hardware

Operating System : Mac OS Sürüm 10.15.7 (Geliştirme 19H2026)

Process ID : 8953

Processor ID : x86 Family 6 Model 58 Stepping 9, GenuineIntel

Session Key : e0f2a998-aa7f-4355-8462-ab9d9c43507b

Window System : Quartz

Fault Count: 1

Abnormal termination:

Illegal instruction

Current Thread: 'MCR 0 interpreter thread' id 0x70000f5a3000

Register State (from fault):

RAX = 1805164b981f0081 RBX = 000060003317f000

RCX = 0000000000000058 RDX = 00000000ed61206e

RSP = 000070000f59e740 RBP = 000070000f59e750

RSI = 000060003317f680 RDI = 00000000ed411858

R8 = 000000000000007f R9 = 00000000000007fb

R10 = 0000000000003680 R11 = 0000000000000080

R12 = 00006000014f91a0 R13 = 000070000f59eb80

R14 = 000070000f59e858 R15 = 0000000000000000

RIP = 00007fff691488f1 RFL = 0000000000010202

CS = 000000000000002b FS = 0000000000000000 GS = 0000000000000000

Stack Trace (from fault):

[ 0] 0x0000000106c49b94 /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/bin/maci64/libmwfl.dylib+00007060 _ZN10foundation4core4diag15stacktrace_base7captureERKNS1_14thread_contextEm+00000052

[ 1] 0x0000000106c4e05a /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/bin/maci64/libmwfl.dylib+00024666 _ZN10foundation4core4test17terminate_handledERKNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS2_11char_traitsIcEENS2_9allocatorIcEEEE+00006778

[ 2] 0x0000000106c4c2e5 /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/bin/maci64/libmwfl.dylib+00017125 _ZN10foundation4core4diag13terminate_logEPKcPK17__darwin_ucontext+00000149

[ 3] 0x000000010c6a23fc /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/bin/maci64/libmwmcr.dylib+00521212 _Z19mnPrintErrorMessageRKNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEE+00011884

[ 4] 0x000000010c6a0483 /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/bin/maci64/libmwmcr.dylib+00513155 _Z19mnPrintErrorMessageRKNSt3__112basic_stringIcNS_11char_traitsIcEENS_9allocatorIcEEEE+00003827

[ 5] 0x000000010c69dd35 /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/bin/maci64/libmwmcr.dylib+00503093 mnFatalSignalHandler+00000149

[ 6] 0x00007fff6939d5fd /usr/lib/system/libsystem_platform.dylib+00013821 _sigtramp+00000029

[ 7] 0x00007fff90597348 /usr/lib/system/libsystem_c.dylib+658142024 __global_locale+00000000

[ 8] 0x00007fff69148886 /usr/lib/system/libdispatch.dylib+00014470 dispatch_assert_queue+00000122

[ 9] 0x00007fff2ecdadc2 /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox+00204226 islGetInputSourceListWithAdditions+00000119

[ 10] 0x00007fff2ecdd5b8 /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox+00214456 isValidateInputSourceRef+00000090

[ 11] 0x00007fff2ecdd480 /System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/HIToolbox+00214144 TSMGetInputSourceProperty+00000030

[ 12] 0x00007fff5e8c8bf8 /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/SkyLight+02329592 ___ZL24key_translate_initializev_block_invoke+00000178

[ 13] 0x00007fff69147658 /usr/lib/system/libdispatch.dylib+00009816 _dispatch_client_callout+00000008

[ 14] 0x00007fff691487de /usr/lib/system/libdispatch.dylib+00014302 _dispatch_once_callout+00000020

[ 15] 0x00007fff5e8c8b44 /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/SkyLight+02329412 CGSKeyEventTranslate+00000064

[ 16] 0x00007fff5e70e4ed /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/SkyLight+00517357 SLSCreateKeyboardEventWithFlagsAndStateOfLength+00000440

[ 17] 0x00007fff5e6d670e /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SkyLight.framework/Versions/A/SkyLight+00288526 SLSPostKeyboardEvent+00000194

[ 18] 0x00007fff2e37d277 /System/Library/Frameworks/ApplicationServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIServices.framework/Versions/A/HIServices+00143991 AXUIElementPostKeyboardEvent+00000106

[ 19] 0x00000001448408fc /Applications/MATLAB_R2022b.app/sys/java/jre/maci64/jre/lib/libawt_lwawt.dylib+00157948 Java_sun_lwawt_macosx_CRobot_keyEvent+00000070

[ 20] 0x000000012eb55667 <unknown-module>+00000000

[Evrim]

Hello again,

I still do not know how come 'mouse.mousePress...' works fine while 'rbt.keyPress...' causes MATLAB R2022b to crash in my macbook, but, with a little more mining and digging in Google, the following code comes out which serves my purpose: Typing characters in Safari address line:

Instead of erasing my query, going into risk of inflating the number of useless webpages coming up on a Google search, I keep my query with the following hope: I hope sharing this alternative helps you, too

With kind regards,

Evrim

%\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

q=char(39);

system(['osascript -e ' q 'activate application "Safari"' q ])

pause(1)

system(['osascript -e ' q 'tell application "System Events" to keystroke "w" ' q ])

%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The following may also help to simulate "CTRL+SHIFT+r" keyboard stroke:

%\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

q=char(39);

system(['osascript -e ' q 'tell application "System Events" to keystroke "r" using {control down, shift down}' q ])

%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

or, to type capital r (R), using "SHIFT+r":

%\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

q=char(39);

system(['osascript -e ' q 'tell application "System Events" to keystroke "r" using {shift down}' q ])

%///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Thanks to:

https://youtu.be/tysKhdpYorE?si=1UVS-kaiqVQMawZ9

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/437520-on-mac-how-to-use-shell-commands-or-applescript-using-matlab-variables

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/36943/how-do-i-automate-a-key-press-in-applescript

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/63897/can-a-mac-be-programmed-to-simulate-pressing-a-key-at-a-certain-rate-via-softwar