sendKeys applies QWERTY-Style on German Keyboard Setting

OS: win10 Language Setting: DEU (German)

Given the following script:

const wd = require("wd");
const serverConfig = {
    host: 'localhost',
    port: 4723,
    path: '/'
};

const driver = wd.promiseChainRemote(serverConfig);

const desiredCapabilities = {
    app: 'C:\\Windows\\System32\\notepad.exe',     
    platformName: 'Windows',
    deviceName: 'windowsPC'
};
   
driver
    .init(desiredCapabilities)
    .elementByClassName("Edit")
    .sendKeys('zora driving a yacht')
    .fin( () => { return driver.quit(); });

Output to Notepad is: yora driving a zacht

If i take a look into the Server-Log the Request is recieved correctly:

==========================================
POST /session/2787FC29-6B61-41AE-B4AF-DE6BC7DFC8C2/element/42.2425972/value HTTP/1.1
Accept: application/json
Connection: keep-alive
Content-Length: 31
Content-Type: application/json; charset=UTF-8
Host: localhost:4723
User-Agent: admc/wd/1.6.2

{"value":["zora driving a yacht"]}
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Length: 63
Content-Type: application/json

{"sessionId":"2787FC29-6B61-41AE-B4AF-DE6BC7DFC8C2","status":0}


==========================================

Possible Workaround: Switching Language/Keyboard in Windows to English and the text is typed to Notepad correctly.

Regards, ap0yuv

[andrisi]

Let’s ask @DHowett kindly 😃 Basically remember that the rest of the world uses non-us keyboards. SendKeys ought to send the charachters we ask for, not translated through they local keyboard.

[shatulsky]

Same behavior with russian keyboard. Sending “QWERTY” keys with Russian Keyboard layout actually type - “ЙЦУКЕН”. So it actually simulate keyboard key pressing with current Keyboard layout instead of just typing actual text. I can by handled by switching keyboard layout right in test but it is not greather solution. Would be greate if it will be fixed by winappdriver devs.