Keyboard methods

Type text and press keys programmatically

Overview

OpenSteer provides methods for keyboard input beyond the standard input() method. These allow you to press individual keys and type text character-by-character.

Methods

pressKey()

Press a keyboard key. Useful for special keys like Enter, Tab, Escape, arrow keys, etc.

await opensteer.pressKey(key: string): Promise<void>

key · string · required

The key to press. Can be a character or special key name like 'Enter', 'Tab', 'Escape', 'ArrowDown', etc.

Examples

Press Enter key

await opensteer.pressKey('Enter')

Navigate with arrow keys

await opensteer.pressKey('ArrowDown')
await opensteer.pressKey('ArrowDown')
await opensteer.pressKey('Enter')

Press Escape to close dialog

await opensteer.pressKey('Escape')

Common special keys

await opensteer.pressKey('Tab')
await opensteer.pressKey('Backspace')
await opensteer.pressKey('Delete')
await opensteer.pressKey('Home')
await opensteer.pressKey('End')
await opensteer.pressKey('PageUp')
await opensteer.pressKey('PageDown')

type()

Type text character-by-character into the currently focused element. Unlike input(), this doesn’t target a specific element.

await opensteer.type(text: string): Promise<void>

text · string · required

The text to type

Examples

Type into focused element

// Focus an element first
await opensteer.click({ description: 'search box' })

// Then type
await opensteer.type('OpenSteer browser automation')

Type and submit

await opensteer.click({ description: 'email input' })
await opensteer.type('[e-mail]')
await opensteer.pressKey('Tab')
await opensteer.type('password123')
await opensteer.pressKey('Enter')

Comparison: type() vs input()

Feature	type()	input()
Element targeting	Uses currently focused element	Targets specific element
Clearing	Does not clear existing text	Clears by default (clear: true)
Speed	Character-by-character (slower)	Direct value assignment (faster)
Use case	Keyboard simulation, autocomplete	Form filling, replacing values

Use input() for most form filling scenarios. Use type() when you need to simulate real keyboard input or trigger autocomplete/search suggestions.

Related methods

• input() - Fill text into specific elements
• click() - Click elements to focus them
• pressKey() on Playwright - See Playwright docs for all supported key names