Automate logging in and out of Gmail chat by programmatically simulating clicks on the span elements that represent the chat status in Gmail

When I'm at work, I prefer using Gmail's encrypted chat feature because it logs chats without saving anything to the hard drive. However, when I'm at home, I switch to Pidgin as logging into Gmail chat at home can lead to messages ending up in the wrong place. So, every time I log into Gmail at either location, there's a need to adjust my chat settings accordingly.

I wish there was a way to automate this process based on where I am accessing Gmail from - like disabling chat automatically when I start Firefox at home and enabling it when I start Firefox at work. Is it possible to achieve this using a Greasemonkey script or something similar? Even though Gmail doesn't use conventional links, maybe simulating clicking a specific element could do the trick.

For instance, while logged out:

<span tabindex="0" role="link" action="si" class="az9OKd">Sign into chat</span>

And while logged in, in the drop-down menu:

<div tabindex="-1" id=":1mj" role="menuitem" class="oA" value="si"><div class="uQ c6"/>Sign into chat</div>

<div tabindex="-1" id=":8f" role="menuitem" class="oA" value="sia"><div class="uQ c5"/>Sign into AIM®</div>

<div tabindex="-1" id=":8e" role="menuitem" class="oA" value="so"><div class="uQ df"/>Sign out of chat</div>

At the bottom of the page:

<span id=":im" class="l8 ou" tabindex="0" role="link">turn off chat</span>

<span id=":im" class="l8 ou" tabindex="0" role="link">turn on chat</span>

Does anyone have an idea how to trigger these actions with JavaScript even though they are not traditional links? Perhaps deciphering the meaning behind "so", "si", and "sia" could unlock the ability to directly call these functions.

If not, is there another workaround for managing chat settings based on location?

Answer №1

I frequently use Gmail chat while simultaneously using Adium. Interestingly, when a friend starts a chat with me, I receive their message in both the Gmail window and Adium without any issues related to being logged in from different locations.

Are you experiencing any issues with this feature?

UPDATE: Someone suggested delving into Gmail's complex javascript code to uncover how links are connected to functions, making it unnecessary to simulate a click on the link - instead, you can directly call the relevant javascript function.

Answer №2

Although the original post may be dated, I wanted to share this information for future readers.

To trigger an event programmatically in JavaScript, you can use the following code snippet:

var evt = document.createEvent("MouseEvents");
evt.initMouseEvent("click", true, true, window,
    0, 0, 0, 0, 0, false, false, false, false, 0, null);
YourElement.dispatchEvent(evt);

If you need more details about the dispatchEvent method, you can find a reference at: https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/element.dispatchEvent

Answer №3

Is it possible for people to chat with you even if your chat is not visible?

I don't have many contacts on gchat, so I can't easily test this...

window.addEventListener('load', function() {
  if (unsafeWindow.gmonkey) {
    unsafeWindow.gmonkey.load('1.0', function(gmail) {
      function logOffChat() {
        var leftPane = gmail.getNavPaneElement().childNodes[0];
        var chat = leftPane.childNodes[3];

        chat.id = 'googleChatElement';
        chat.parentNode.removeChild(chat);
      }

      logOffChat();

    });
  }
}, true);

I assume that it will continue running in the background and show you as logged in...

Answer №4

Have you ever considered the option of remotely terminating a Gmail session? This can easily be done by clicking on the link provided at the bottom of your Gmail page:

Last Account Activity: blah blah Details

Answer №5

If you add *chatenabled.mail.google.com* to Adblock's filter list, it will stop Gmail chat from connecting. This simple solution resolved my issue, despite me not being able to navigate the "link".

Answer №6

Perhaps my comprehension is lacking, but have you considered utilizing Selenium to address this issue? It's a powerful framework designed for automating functional testing in web applications.

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