How can I write a Perl script to automatically take screenshots?

Question

I want a platform independent utility to take screenshots (not just within the browser).
The utility would be able to take screenshots after fixed intervals of time and be easily configurable by the user in terms of
- time between successive shots,
- the format the shots are stored,
- till when (time, event) should the script run, etc
Since I need platform independence, I think Perl is a good choice.

a. Before I start out, I want to know whether a similar thing already exists, so I can start from there?

Searching CPAN gives me these two relevant results :
1. Imager-Screenshot-0.009
2. Imager-Search-1.00
From those pages, the first one looks easier.

b. Which one of these Perl modules should I use?

What is the scope of your user-configurability? Should they be given the ability to choose the image format the screenshot is saved in? Perhaps what they want to take the screenshot of (whole screen vs active window)? — Zaid, Sep 13 '10 at 09:39
@Zaid: I am thinking - [time between successive shots, image format, where the images are stored]. Right now, I do not need window based snapshots. — Lazer, Sep 13 '10 at 09:45
@brian: so, there is no similar existing utility that you know of? — Lazer, Sep 13 '10 at 10:26
The way to find out is to try the solutions that are out there and sees what happens. That's how the people who would know the answer found out. — brian d foy, Sep 13 '10 at 13:21

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Sep 13 '10 at 11:33

Taking a look at the sources of both, Imager::Search isn't much more than a wrapper to Imager::Screenshot.

Here's the constructor:

sub new {
    my $class  = shift;
    my @params = ();
    @params = @{shift()} if _ARRAY0($_[0]);
    my $image = Imager::Screenshot::screenshot( @params );
    unless ( _INSTANCE($image, 'Imager') ) {
        Carp::croak('Failed to capture screenshot');
    }

    # Hand off to the parent class
    return $class->SUPER::new( image => $image, @_ );
}

Given that Imager::Search does not really extend Imager::Screenshot much more, I'd say you're looking at two modules that are essentially the same.

How can I write a Perl script to automatically take screenshots?

1 Answers1