Using Java Robots class to locate things on a screen

Question

I was wondering if it was possible to locate files or programs with this class. I know that there are ways to use mouse coordinates or simple find an application and run it but that's not what I want to do.

And an example to be more clear is: Let's say I have Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari on my desktop and I shuffle them around all over. How can I get my mouse to find the browser that I'm looking for without simply using a 'run application' command?

I hope that clarifies it! Thanks for your help =)

Answer 1

The simplest way is to record the pixels that makeup something you want to find and look for it pixel by pixel (you can compare the current screenshot to an image stored in a file). To execute this:

Take a screenshot of the icon you are looking for and save it to a file (just save the icon) (not .jpg, since this is not lossless, probably just .bmp).