Month: January 2017

Tips for Optimizing the Standard AutoHotkey Message Box (MsgBox) Command (AutoHotkey Quick Reference Part Six)

Jack Dunning AutoHotkey, Cool Scripts, Intermediate Level, MsgBox Techniques, Reference, Web Pages, Windows scripting , ,

AutoHotkey MsgBox Tricks for Adding Power and Flexibility to Your Scripts. If You Want a Simple, Quick Way to Display Data and Execute Action, You’ll Love These Techniques!

As I go back to work on the AutoHotkey Quick Reference script (based upon the hidden index in the AutoHotkey Web site), I ponder what enhancements I should add next. I find fourbuttonmsgboxthat I now regularly activate the lookup Hotkey combination which displays AutoHotkey command, function, or variable formats—often just to check syntax. The usefulness of this reference script motivates me to do more with it. Continue reading →

Why AutoHotkey for Poets?

Jack Dunning AutoHotkey, Cool Scripts, Editing Tools, Hotstrings, Reference, Regular Expressions (RegEx), Web Pages, Windows Clipboard, Windows scripting, Windows Utilities , , , ,

Erstwhile Multifarious Poets Optated for Quill and Parchment. Forthwith, AutoHotkey Propounds the Furtherance of Lyrical Ruminations on Windows Computers.

Okay…I’m not a poet. My mind doesn’t work that way. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see how AutoHotkey might be useful to people who craft the English (or any other) language. Even so, I robotpoetryoccasionally enjoy writing a short rhyming couplet. (I know…constructing rhyming poems has become cliché—at least for real poets.)

In this blog, I offer a couple of AutoHotkey scripts for assisting and inspiring(?) budding wordsmiths. The first includes a set of over 500 Hotstrings for inserting “the most beautiful words in the English language.” The second script draws upon the Web to create a pop-up menu of rhymes. Even if you never intend to write a poem, you might find these AutoHotkey techniques interesting and/or useful. Continue reading →

Why AutoHotkey for Engineers and Scientists?

Jack Dunning AutoHotkey, Forcing Expressions, Hotstrings, Intermediate Level, Windows Utilities , ,

While Writing AutoHotkey Scripts Should Be No Problem for Most Engineers and Scientist, Many Might Be Surprised by How Much the Free Language Offers in Windows Tools

I’m not sure how many people with technical backgrounds are familiar with AutoHotkey. My guess is that quite a few have never heard of the free open source robotpicartoonlanguage. Without a personal referral or ubiquitous marketing, free software such as AutoHotkey often goes overlooked for a long period of time. It’s not until individuals realize how much AutoHotkey can do for them that they start to explore the possibilities.

No software package does everything you want. That’s why adding little extras makes any program better. The beauty of AutoHotkey is that in addition to automating individual Windows programs, it can cross boundaries and add more features to any Windows software. Plus, it has the capability to create special pop-up apps for specific usages. The Windows utility building features in AutoHotkey can be especially helpful for anyone working in a technical field. Continue reading →

Why AutoHotkey for Artists and Graphic Designers?

Jack Dunning AutoHotkey, Beginning, Graphic Editing Tools, Mouse Tricks, Windows scripting, Windows Utilities , ,

While Using AutoHotkey with Windows Makes Sense for Most Professions, It’s Not So Obvious for Artists and Graphic Designers

If you work in the graphic arts on computers, then you know that a multitude of programs exists for creating designs and original art pieces. Each one works a little differently with artistcartoonspecific strengths and weaknesses. You may even use a couple of particular software packages for certain projects. Wouldn’t it be nice to own a few tools which work in every one of those programs?

When producing ads and capturing screenshots, even I use a number of disparate apps for designing and finishing the artwork. (I have a preference for the free Paint.Net program.) However, no matter how powerful and feature-filled the software, I always want the tools to do a little more while working in each program. That’s where AutoHotkey comes in. Continue reading →