Utilities for finding x/y screen coordinates

Question

I have an application that needs the user to enter the x and y location of a couple of items on the screen. [Yes, this is crap and I'll replace it, but for now...]

On Mac OS X, I'm using Snapz Pro X. When I choose to take a snap of a selection, the interface displays the mouse cursor location. This is OK for my personal use, but I can't ask users to buy a $69 program for this function.

I thought I had a solution with the built-in program "Grab", but it reports the coordinates from the bottom left, and I need it from the top left.

I don't have access to Windows; not sure what to use there. I've not even been able to come up with good search terms since mouse and coordinates and x/y are so common. Ideas are welcome there. Extra credit: same x/y finder for Linux. A Java program would be OK too, since the main application is in Java.

Answer 1

Point Position (for Windows) is a simple tool that lets you pick the coordinates for any point on your screen (using X,Y axis). Simply point one of the four corner arrows at the spot on your screen that you want to define and click the button to display the X/Y coordinates.

Point Position is freeware.

Answer 2

For Macintosh, use the built-in screen capture function. Press Command-Shift-4 to take a picture of part of the screen. The cursor switches to a crosshairs cursor that includes the x/y screen coordinates. Press ESC to cancel the operation

Answer 3

I was led to this page through a query of my own. I had a further search around and found xev (on Linux and Mac OS X.)

Here's the Mac OS X documentation: http://developer.apple.com/Mac/library/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/xev.1.html

The Bash commands

$ root=`xwininfo -root | grep xwininfo | sed 's/.*0x/0x/; s/ .*//'`

$ xev -id $root

provided me with the information required. :)

Answer 4

For Windows you can use Point Position :

The way to use the application is very simple:

• Move the window by putting your mouse cursor in the cross which is in the middle of it, and point one of the four corner arrows into the place of the screen you want to define.
• Then push the button corresponding to the pointing arrow.
• The text entries will take the color of the button, and they will show you the exact pointing position.

Answer 5

For Java, you can use the PointerInfo class, introduced in Java 1.5.

import java.awt.MouseInfo;
import java.awt.Point;

public class Portia {
     public static void main(String args[]) throws InterruptedException {
    	Thread.sleep(10000);  // some time for user to position mouse
    	Point spot = MouseInfo.getPointerInfo().getLocation();
    	System.out.println(
    			String.valueOf(spot.getX())
    			+","+
    			String.valueOf(spot.getY()));
     }
}

Answer 6

Quix App is a browser bookmarklet: cross-platform, no installation, no plug-ins.

Drag the bookmarklet to your bookmarks toolbar. Click. Enter the command ruler, and you get a nice cross-hairs cursor to work with, and an informative pop-up with all the coordinates.