Free
AutoHotkey Scripts and Apps for Learning Script Writing and
Generating Ideas
AutoHotkey
Script Download Index
(Click
script or app name to jump
directly to description and download.)
Accents
📅AddDate
(v1,v2)*
AddressBook
Always
on Top & See-Thru AutoCorrect
AutoHotkeyControl
AutoHotkey
Original
AutoHotkey
Quick Reference
Windows
AutoStartToggle
BackupText
🍨CalorieCount
ChangeCase
ChangeVolume
(v1,v2)*
CheckStyles
clipbrd.exe
(Clipboard Viewer)
CopyRef
CPULoad
DateStampConvert
DateMenus
Dictionary
⏳EggTimer
(v1,v2)*
😉EmojiInsert/Menu
FavoritesFolder
FolderOpen
GooglePhraseFix
|
GrandKids
HideWindow
HotstringMenu
HowLongYearsMonthsDays
ImageList
Image2Include
IncrementalSaveText
InstantHotkey
InstantHotstrings
IPFind
Italic
Hotstrings
🍔Jack
Stuffed Cheeseburger
KeyPad
LaunchWindow
(v1,v2)*
LegalTerms
LetterSwap
(v1,v2)*
Magnifier
🖱MousePrecise
MultiPaste
Mute
NoHotkey
🐮NumbersSpeak
OverusedWords
PathCheck
☎PhoneRing
PhraseOMatic
|
🐶PictureSounds
(v1,v2)*
PoeticWords
QuickLinks
QuickPrompt
QuikPlay
RecipeTree
RegExTester
Reminder
RhymeMenu
SaveText
SayWhat
ScreenDimmer
SeeThruWinWheel
SmartGUI
Creator
StateInsert
StripReturns
SynonymLookup
🐴TalkingText
ToDoList
ToDoList
Color
UnHideFiles
WindowList
WindowMove
(v1,v2)*
WindowProbe
WindowRollup
WinToolTipToggle
|

|
* (v1,v2)
indicates both AutoHotkey V1.1 and V2.0 scripts available.For more V2.0
information, see "How to Fool Around with the New
AutoHotkey Version 2.0". Test
the alpha release of AutoHotkey V2.0 without losing all of your V1.1
apps
You'll find
this free apps page preferable for
downloading scripts. In additions to including descriptions for the the
newer scripts, links directly download
files listed in this page. In many cases, you'll find a ZIP file
containing the
files, but occasionally only the AHK file.
I have added links for downloading only the AHK files. Since they only
contain text (AutoHotkey code), they should not set off any
security alarms on your computer.
Some AutoHotkey apps include both a V1.1 script (v1) and the parallel
V2.0 script
(v2). To learn more about the yet-to-be-released AutoHotkey V2.0, see
"A
Peek at the Coming AutoHotkey Version 2.0."
It's a long page so for quicker access to each script by name, use the download
index.
—Jack Dunning |
|
*
* *
AutoHotkey
Script Roundup by Jack Dunning
If you've never heard of
AutoHotkey and wonder what all
the brouhaha is about, here is a short "Introduction
to AutoHotkey" for
newcomers.
One of the best ways to learn how to write scripts is to see how others
do it. Whenever I give an example, I usually offer a practical use for
the snippet. That way people not only learn how the code works, but
they start to see how AutoHotkey will be useful to them. Over the
course of the last few years I've posted AutoHotkey scripts (free to
download and use) which accomplish a variety of different tasks. Some
are as simple as a one-liner which will make any window "always-on-top"
while others (although not complicated) involve time calculations for
the age of grandkids (or anyone) or a barebones music player. The
following are a few of the practical uses found for download:
• Adding dates to any documents (AddDate)
• Instant correction of commonly misspelled English words (AutoCorrect)
If you want to do more with
AutoHotKey AutoCorrect and HotStrings, a series of blogs on "Beginning
AutoHotKey
HotString Techniques" are available at Jack's
AutoHotKey Blog:
• Quick backup of text (BackupText
and IncrementalSaveText)
• Calculating ages (GrandKids)
• Opening hard to find or often used folders (FolderOpen)
• Setting up temporary Hotkey combinations to add text to documents (InstantHotkey)
• Tailored Start pop-up windows and menus as a replacement for the
missing Start Menu in Windows 8 or any other version of Windows (LaunchWindow and QuickLinks)
• A barebones Windows media player for music and video (QuikPlay)
• A reminder app that pops-up for appointments (Reminder)
• A voice app that reads text to you (SayWhat)
• An app for moving and sizing options for the last active window (WindowMove)
• An app for looking up the geographic location of any highlighted IP
address on the Web (IPFind)
• And many more!
I have posted these scripts at the ComputorEdge AutoHotkey download site.
This page is my shot at documenting the purpose of the various
scripts. Previously, anyone that went to the download site for the
first time might be overwhelmed with the number of downloads with no
clue (other than the filenames) as to their function. For that reason
I'm
creating this page which quickly
explains the purpose of each posted script. I will endeavor to keep
this Web page up-to-date, as well as, the same documents on the
download site under the name
"_AutoHotkey_Script_Index" in various formats including TXT, PDF, EPUB
and MOBI (for Amazon Kindle).
Note:
For the convenience of people learning AutoHotkey, most of these
scripts and their associated articles have been updated, organized, and
included in the AutoHotkey e-books available at ComputorEdge E-Books.
These books start at a beginning level and progress in order to
intermediate script writing. A
Beginner's
Guide to AutoHotkey
is for the complete novice with no programming experience. Digging
Deeper
Into AutoHotkey
builds on the concepts and commands introduced in the
beginning book. AutoHotkey
Applications
is an intermediate level book with particular emphasis on the pop-up
window type controls called GUIs (Graphical User Interface) built into
AutoHotkey. (Many of the GUIs are shown as images in this page.) The
most recent e-book is A
Beginner's Guide to Using Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey, Exploring
the Mysteries of RegEx
which is NOT a beginning AutoHotkey book, but a beginning Regular
Expression book for intermediate and above AutoHotkey users.
Other
than possibly sparking ideas, experienced script writers and
programmers should have no problem teaching themselves AutoHotkey from
the excellent online
documentation without any help from these books. (If
you would like a peek into the contents of the books, the Table of Contents
and Indexes
from each of these books is included in the e-book, AutoHotkey
Tricks You Ought to Do with Windows.
Get a FREE
copy in your
preferred format at ComputorEdge
E-Books.) These e-books are also available at Amazon
for the Kindle.
All of these scripts were written for
educational purposes. I don't
consider any of them truly complete and you are free to use any of them
with or without giving me credit (or blame). While there are many
scripts posted, there are even more of my examples which only appear in
the individual columns (and of course the e-books currently available).
For files ending with the AHK extension (e.g. AddDate.ahk)
to run, the main AutoHotkey program needs to be downloaded
and installed. The AHK
files are scripts saved in text files and are safe for downloading and
opening with any text editor. If you want to learn how to use
AutoHotkey, you can use the AHK files as examples. All script
development and most testing is done with AHK files. It is safe to
download any of the files on this download page, but as a rule AHK
files are safe since they only include text.
If warranted, either as a demonstration or a free app for
non-AutoHotkey users, many of the AutoHotkey AHK files have been
compiled into executable (EXE) files which will run on any Windows
computer with or without AutoHotkey installed. This makes the scripts
completely portable. As a rule it can be a bit tricky (and sometimes
dangerous) to download and run EXE files. Since a double-click on a
downloaded EXE file runs directly on any Windows computer, this is a
common way for people with bad intentions to spread malware. However, I
can assure you that I have written and compiled every one of these
files and they are completely safe (99.9%) to download and run.
What I can't guarantee is that our download site will never be hacked,
thus
allowing dangerous EXE files to infect the site (this is a potential
problem for any download site anywhere), I think this type of
security breach is extremely unlikely to happen (although stranger
things have happened). The only way to be truly safe is to download the
AHK file and compile it into an EXE file yourself. Or better yet,
copy-and-paste the code from the books or articles I reference in this
list
directly into your new AHK scripts.
Note: AutoHotkey is an offshoot
of the
free Windows utility language AutoIt. While both are very similar
in features and capability,
there are significant differences in both form and function. For more
information see the Web page "AutoHotkey
Versus AutoIt: A Comparison and Review of the Free Windows
Scripting Languages".
AutoHotkey Script Download Index
(Click script or app name to jump
directly to description and download.)
Accents
📅AddDate (v1,v2)*
AddressBook
Always
on Top & See-Thru
Windows
AutoCorrect
AutoHotkeyControl
AutoHotkey
Original
AutoHotkey Quick Reference
AutoStartToggle
BackupText
🍨CalorieCount
ChangeCase
ChangeVolume
(v1,v2)*
CheckStyles
clipbrd.exe (Clipboard Viewer)
CopyRef
CPULoad
DateStampConvert
DateMenus
Dictionary
⏳EggTimer (v1,v2)*
😉EmojiInsert/Menu
FavoritesFolder
FolderOpen
GooglePhraseFix
|
GrandKids
HideWindow
HotstringMenu
HowLongYearsMonthsDays
ImageList
Image2Include
IncrementalSaveText
InstantHotkey
InstantHotstrings
IPFind
Italic
Hotstrings
🍔Jack
Stuffed Cheeseburger
KeyPad
LaunchWindow
(v1,v2)*
LegalTerms
LetterSwap
(v1,v2)*
Magnifier
🖱MousePrecise
MultiPaste
Mute
NoHotkey
🐮NumbersSpeak
OverusedWords
PathCheck
☎PhoneRing
PhraseOMatic
|
🐶PictureSounds
(v1,v2)*
PoeticWords
QuickLinks
QuickPrompt
QuikPlay
RecipeTree
RegExTester
Reminder
RhymeMenu
SaveText
SayWhat
ScreenDimmer
SeeThruWinWheel
SmartGUI Creator
StateInsert
StripReturns
SynonymLookup
🐴TalkingText
ToDoList
ToDoList Color
UnHideFiles
WindowList
WindowMove
(v1,v2)*
WindowProbe
WindowRollup
WinToolTipToggle
|

|
* (v1,v2)
indicates both AutoHotkey V1.1 and V2.0 scripts available.For more V2.0
information, see "How to Fool Around with the New
AutoHotkey Version 2.0". Test
the alpha release of AutoHotkey V2.0 without losing all of your V1.1
apps
You'll find
this free apps page preferable for
downloading scripts. In additions to including descriptions for the the
newer scripts, links directly download
files listed in this page. In many cases, you'll find a ZIP file
containing the
files, but occasionally only the AHK file.
I have added links for downloading only the AHK files. Since they only
contain text (AutoHotkey code), they should not set off any
security alarms on your computer.
Some AutoHotkey apps include both a V1.1 script (v1) and the parallel
V2.0 script
(v2). To learn more about the yet-to-be-released AutoHotkey V2.0, see
"A
Peek at the Coming AutoHotkey Version 2.0."
It's a long page so for quicker access to each script by name, use the download
index.
—Jack Dunning |
|
ComputorEdge
AutoHotkey Scripts
(Download
Index)
• Accents.zip
containing Accents.ahk
and Accents.exe
This little Accent
app from Skrommel will come
in handy if you work with foreign languages or want them for the few
English words that ask for them. Since these special characters don't
appear on most keyboards Accents makes is much easier to add various
types of squiggles to your documents. (See image at right. The image is
an animated GIF file. Most media will show it in action, but some, such
as the Amazon Kindle e-book, will not.)
Note: While a clever use of the Input command, in its current form Accents.ahk interferes with other
Hotstrings. We've added a Suspend
option to the System Tray icon right-click menu which we recommend when
the app is not needed. Perhaps the use of a Hotkey to temporarily
activate the routine or a pop-up menu would work better without
blocking other active Hotstrings.
(Download
Index)
• AddDate.zip
containing AddDate.ahk
and AddDate.exe
Updated
the MonthCal GUI control to deal with a common AutoHotkey
error and combining with other scripts—included in the book A
Beginner's Guide
to AutoHotkey. Two Hotstrings included in
the AutoHotkey Applications e-book.)
AddDate
is a demonstration script for adding
dates to documents. When loaded, the script uses four different methods
demonstrated with Hotkey combinations:
CTRL+WIN+F1 => The datetime stamp (i.e. 20130628103349)
CTRL+WIN+F2 => The date using the FormatTime command
(FormatTime, TimeString, %A_NOW%, MMMM d, yyyy)
CTRL+WIN+F3 => The date using built in variables (%A_DDD%,
%A_MMM% %A_D%, %A_YYYY%)
CTRL+WIN+D => The MonthCal GUI pop-up
calendar (Gui, Add, MonthCal, vDayPick)
Two Hotstrings:
Anow => Instantly add today's date formatted (September 7, 2013)
Adate => Activate MonthCal GUI pop-up
The
alternative script AddNextWeekday.ahk
creates a series of Hotkeys which insert the next weekday date into any
document or editing field. Use the letter "d" (date) followed by the
abbreviation for the weekday and a format number (e.g. dsun2—all
lowercase letter) as the Hotstring. (Currently only two formats— the
number 1 for "5-20-18" and the number 2 for "Sunday, May 20, 2018".)
Each Hotstring calls the function Weekday() which calculates the next
weekday number, then the date for that day.
New AutoHotkey Version 2.0
example script: AddDate.ahk2
(Download Index)
• AddressBook.zip
containing AddressBook.ahk
and AddressBook.exe Included
in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
This example of a ListView GUI keeps a database of names and addresses.
It initiates e-mail, inserts name and address into documents, and
calculates ages.
A personal address and data book which uses AutoHotkey ListView to
display entries. Right-click on entry to send e-mail, insert the
address in any document, or calculate ages.
(Download
Index)
• Always-On-Top—Plus Window
Transparency
Always_on_Top.zip
contains Always_on_Top.ahk
and Always_on_Top.exe
Included in the book A
Beginner's Guide
to AutoHotkey
Always_on_Top is a one-line script which
toggles any active window always-on-top with the Hotkey combination
CTRL+WIN+F8.
^#F8::WinSet, AlwaysOnTop, toggle, A
See this Beginner's AutoHotkey Tip about always-on-top at
Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
In addition, three additional Hotkeys have been added to the Always_on_Top.ahk script for making
a window transparent.
CTRL+WIN+F9 for semi-transparent
CTRL+WIN+F10 for opaque
CTRL+WIN+F11 for a menu of four levels of opaqueness
See this additional Beginner's AutoHotkey Tip discussing the above
window tranparency Hotkeys at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
(Download
Index)
•
AutoCorrect.zip
contains AutoCorrect.ahk
and AutoCorrect.exe
included in the e-book Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey
This slightly modified AutoCorrect.ahk script is
from the AutoHotkey
Download Web site. It
corrects many commonly misspelled English words instantly in any
Windows program or Web editing page. See "Add AutoCorrection to All
Your Windows PC Programs with AutoHotkey."
(Download
Index)
• AutoHotkey Quick Reference
April 24, 2018
Since the older AutoHotkey Reference script shown in the section below (Deprecated)
no longer works, I've included this first version of the new AutoHotkey
Reference Script which sort of works. It uses a new lookup table to
relate the V1.1 commands to the V2.0 commands. However, I'm only about
halfway through checking the relationships in the INI file. That means,
on occasion, the script generates an unwieldy message box. I'm only
posting it now because I find it better than nothing.
September 7, 2018
The older AutoHotkey Reference script (shown in the Deprecated section below) works
again. The secret index is back. Don't know for how long, but, at least
for now, we have more options.
You will find the script AHKVer2Ref.ahk
and the required INI file AHKVer2Ref.ini
in the ZIP file AHKVer2Ref.zip.
March
27, 2018 — The hidden index no longer works (probably for good).
I'm
currently working on a new QuickRef script which accesses both
AutoHotkey Version 1.1 commands and Version 2.0 functions. When it's
mostly ready, I'll post a workable version of the new script. For now,
without the hidden index, this script is broken.
September
7, 2018
— I don't know exactly when it started up again, but the secret index
for the main v1.1 AutoHotkey site works again. That means the script
below operates again. For anyone who only interested in AutoHotkey
version 1.1, you might find the following scripts preferable and more
complete. (I'm only about halfway through the work on the V1.1 ➡ V2.0
correlation INI file used in the script above.)
Deprecated
(occasionally):
The AutoHotkeyQuickRef.ahk
script uses a hidden index found in the AutoHotkey.com
site which quickly finds and loads pages for commands, functions,
variables, and other AutoHotkey details. (Previous script dated
December 3, 2016)
This old version required the use of an AHKRef.ini
file for formatting search terms to locate built-in AutoHotkey
variables. (The INI file should be placed in the same folder as the AutoHotkeyQuickRef.ahk script
This script downloads the
source code for the page and currently displays the syntax for commands
and functions in a message box or loads pages for recognized variables
and details in the default browser. If not found, a site search for the
term automatically loads. Discussion of this reference tool can be
found at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
(Download
Index)
• AutoHotkey
Orig.zip included in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
This
ZIP file contains the original AutoHotkey download with utilities no
longer available with the current download of AutoHotkey_L—specifically AutoScriptWriter.
(Download
Index)
• AutoHotkeyControl.zip A
control center for starting and stopping various independent
AutoHotkey scripts, plus dropdown menu to use features in each script.
(Included in the AutoHotkey Applications
e-book.)
The
AutoHotkeyControl.ahk
script
file and image files are included in the
ZIP file.
(Download
Index)
• AutoStartToggle.ahk
discussed in "Automatically Launch Apps at Windows Startup."
The AutoStartToggle.ahk
script creates Windows shortcuts in the StartUp folder for files selected
in Windows File Explorer. Select the .exe
or .ahk file in Windows File
Explorer and use the Hotkey combination CTRL+WIN+3 to either add a
shortcut to the target file in the StartUp
folder, or, if it already exists, remove the shortcut from the StartUp folder.
Download
Index)
• BackupText.ahk
included in the
e-book Digging Deeper Into
AutoHotkey
The BackupText script copies selected text to a
text file in the user's Documents folder in a file named SaveEdit.txt.
Each time the CTRL+ALT+B Hotkey combination is used, all the text in
the document or Web editing field is selected, copied to the Windows
Clipboard, then saved to the SaveEdit.txt file.
This is only for quick, temporary backup of current unsaved work. The
old file is overwritten each time the routine is used. To do
incremental
backup for text see IncrementalSaveText.ahk
below.
(Download
Index)
• CalorieCount.zip
containing CalorieCount.ahk
and CalorieCount.exe
Included in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
This AutoHotkey script keeps a daily log of calories consumed. It
includes a special feature for importing specific food calories
directly from the Internet.
(Download
Index)
•
ChangeCase.zip
contains ChangeCase.ahk
and ChangeCase.exe included in the
book Jack's
New Beginner's Guide
to AutoHotkey (2018).
When
loaded the ChangeCase script sets up Hotkey
combinations which change the case of selected (highlighted) text:
CTRL+U => Change selected text to all upper case (StringUpper)
CTRL+L => Change selected text to all lower case (StringLower)
CTRL+SHIFT+U => Change selected text to all words with an
initial capitalized letter (StringUpper with the parameter T)
See the LetterSwap.ahk
script for another AutoHotkey editing trick.
(Download
Index)
• ChangeVolume.ahk
discussed in Chapter Six
of the
book AutoHotkey Hotkey Techniques.
One of Jack's favorites, simply scroll the mouse wheel up or down while
hovering over Windows
Systems Taskbar to adjust Windows' speaker volume. The script uses
conditional directives (#If expression)
to isolate the mouse scroll wheel as a Hotkey.
New AutoHotkey Version 2.0
example script: ChangeVolume.ahk2
(Download
Index)
• CheckStyles.ahk
is a script by djcpal1
which displays selected WS_XXXX and WS_EX_XXXX window styles for any
window under the hovering mouse cursor. Useful for developing an
understanding of how to manipulate an open window with the WinSet AutoHotkey command. See more
about CheckStyles.ahk at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
(Download
Index)
• clipbrd.zip
includes clipbrd.exe which is a handy
Windows Clipboard viewer which was included with older versions of
Windows. This is included for anyone who wants to restore it to their
Windows machine.
While it's easy enough to view text in the Windows Clipboard with an
AutoHotkey MsgBox, images are a little more complex. The ClipBook
Viewer (clipbrd.exe) makes it easy to view images in the clipboard. See
"Peek Inside Windows Clipboard (Beginning AutoHotkey
Tip)" and "Peek Inside Windows Clipboard, Part 2 (Intermediate
AutoHotkey OnClipboardChange Tip)" for more information.
(Download
Index)
• CopyRef.ahk
acts as a reference collection tool for any
research work. Highlight any text on any Web page or in any document,
then copy it
to a blank Notepad window using the CTRL+ALT+C Hotkey combination. If
not already open, the script launches and displays an "Untitled"
Notepad window. After that, whenever executing the Hotkey combination,
the app continues to collect new selected text into the same Notepad
window without activating that window—even if minimized. This saves the
repetitive switching between windows while executing copy-and-paste
routines.
I wrote this script with students in mind for the "Why AutoHotkey
for Students?" blog (now available in the free e-book Why AutoHotkey?),
but, of course, anyone is free to use it. CopyRef.ahk represents a more
robust version of the original SaveText.ahk script used to copy selected text to
ScratchPad by Desi Quintans
(discussed in the e-book Digging Deeper Into
AutoHotkey).
In addition to a number of additional protections, the CopyRef.ahk script uses
the standard AutoHotkey Clipboard routine, plus, the
Control, EditPaste
command for greater speed and reliability. However, for the Control, EditPaste
command to work, it must send text to an EDIT control.
(Download
Index)
• CPULoad.zip
contains CPULoad.ahk
taken
from the CPULoad
AutoHotkey forum topic,
the compiled CPULoad.exe, and
the XGraph.ahk
AutoHotkey graphing utilities for real time data plotting. Posted by
SKAN on the AutoHotkey.com forum, XGraph is a set of
AutoHotkey
tools which enable graphing as demonstrated by CPULoad.exe.
If
you want to make graphs with AutoHotkey, XGraph is one way to do it.
(Another set of graphing tools is BarChart posted by Learning one. I've
played around a little with BarChart and plan to discuss it sometime in
the future.)
I've
included CPULoad here
because it is a quick loading gadget that can be used without any
knowledge of AutoHotkey. I compiled the AutoHotkey script into an
executable file (EXE) which will run on any Windows computer. If you
want to use it without modification, then download CPULoad.zip from the ComputorEdge AutoHotkey
download site.
Extract the file CPULoad.exe and double-click to load
it. (No AutoHotkey required!)
If
you want to tinker with the script, then both CPULoad.ahk and XGraph.ahk (the required #Include file) are found in the same CPULoad.zip file.
(Download
Index)
• DateStampConvert.ahk
discussed
in an upcoming blog converts US and British date formats into the
DateStamp format (yyyymmdd) needed for many AutoHotkey commands and
functions.
This
DateConvert.ahk script
demonstrates the DateConvert()
function which converts and US or British formatted date into the
DateTime Stamp for use in any of the AutoHotkey commands or functions.
The function automatically recognizes four forms of the date:
- US date format using text name of the month first (i.e.
January 23, 2018 or Jan 23, 2018).
- British date format using text name of the month second
(i.e. 23 January 2018 or 23 Jan 2018).
- US numeric date formats with month first and day of the
month more than 12 (i.e. 1/23/2018, 1-23-18, etc.).
- British numeric date formats month second and day of the
month more than 12 (i.e. 23/1/2018, 23-1-18, etc.).
When both the month number and day of the month are 12 or below, the
date format becomes ambiguous. The script asks the user to pick a
format (US or British) to clear up the confusion.
When using DateConvert.ahk in
conjunction with the HowLongYearsMonthsDays.ahk
script, you can select dates in documents and feed them in DateStamp
format directly into the input fields. You must include the two
routines in the same script.
(Download
Index)
• DateMenus.zip
contains DateMenus.ahk
discussed
in Chapter
Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen of Beginning AutoHotkey
Hotstrings.
This AutoHotkey Hotstring example offers three different methods for
insert times and dates into any document. Each uses the word "date"
followed by a different punctuation mark (hyphen -, semicolon ; or close square bracket ]). The variable A_End_Char stores the Hotstring
activating character and launches the appropriate subroutine. When A_End_Char is a hyphen ( - ), the menu shown at right
pops-up. The semicolon ( ; )
launches the MonthCal GUI and
the close square bracket( ] )
pops up the DateTime GUI.date
Tip: Chapter Fifteen includes a technique for tracking the original
active window which helps locate the right window for inserting the
date after
opening a GUI pop-up.
(Download
Index)
•
Dictionary.ahk
included in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
[Sorry, but the Dictionary scripts
seems to no longer work. Something
probably changed on the Dictionary.com page and as far as I know there
is no update. That's the problem with scripts that depend upon
automatically pulling data from Web pages. If anyone takes the time to
fix it, please let me know.]
This general purpose AutoHotkey app is the instant
definitions script posted
at the AutoHotkey Web site by Robert Ryan (rbrtryn). It has several
advantages over the usual Web search for dictionary definitions, but
best of all it's fast. This script accesses Dictionary.com
to look up either a word entered into a pop-up (CTRL+SHIFT+D) or a word
selected (click and hold left mouse button while dragging to highlight
the word) in any window (CTRL+ALT+D) whether a text editor, Web page,
or any other program with select-able text.
(Download
Index)
•
EggTimer.zip
contains EggTimer.ahk
and EggTimer.exe included in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
The
EggTimer app works by opening a window (after loading, press CTRL+F12)
where you set the desired time interval, then click Start (see Figure 1
at left). The time counts down to zero in the edit windows while a
progress bar works it way from left to right. Once the countdown
increments to zero, a bell rings, the computer voice says "Your eggs
are ready!", and a window pops up with the same message. Now you have
the perfect soft boiled egg.
The EggTimer.ahk script
offers examples of the UpDown
incremental change GUI control and moving Progress bar GUI control.
New AutoHotkey Version 2.0
example script: EggTimer.ahk2.
(Download
Index)
• EmojiInsert.ahk
offers a series of over 1000 AutoHotkey Hotstrings which insert emoji
characters into any Windows document or Web page which supports Unicode
UTF-8—which today includes most Windows software and browsers. Emojis
offer a different image in various programs. The following image
displays some of the alternative looks:
Each Hotkey begins with an exclamation point followed by a text string.
All spaces in Hotstrings have been replaced with hyphens which has been
eliminated as a terminating character. See "Add Emoji Characters to Any Windows Document
(AutoHotkey Hotstrings)" for a discussion of these Hotstrings.
The ZIP file EmojiMenu.zip includes both the
Hotstring file EmojiInsert.ahk
and the lookup menu script EmojiMenu.ahk.
Both files are required for the emoji menu to work since it uses the EmojiInsert.ahk file as a database.
Highlight a keywork and activate the Hotkey CRL+ALT+E to pop-up a menu
of emojis in the keyword category:
This menu displays a selection of emojis in the category
"Animals."
The EmojiMenu.ahk script
demonstrates techniques for parsing data sources and placing items in
an action menu. (See "Put Your Emoji Hotstrings in a Pop-up Menu (AutoHotkey
Trick)" for discussion of EmojiMenu.ahk.)
Want the menu items in alphabetical order? See EmojiMenuSort.ahk.
(Download
Index)
• FavoritesFolder.zip
contains FavoritesFolder.ahk
and FavoritesFolder.exe included in the Chapter Two of AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
With FavoriteFolders
(link to original
script) I can use the Hotkey combination CTRL+ALT+E to pop-up a menu of
those same Favorite links in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8,or
Windows 10 when opening/saving a file.
The location of that folder which contains the shortcuts is C:\Users\%A_UserName%\Links.
(The original AHK script uses the middle mouse button for the Hotkey
which didn't work for me. I changed it to CTRL+ALT+E. Plus, the file
could not be compiled since it referenced itself for the list of menu
items. I modified this Easy
Access Folders script to use
the new key combination and the Favorites folder for the pop-up menu.
(Download
Index)
• FolderOpen.ahk
included in the
book A
Beginner's Guide
to AutoHotkey.
When
loaded FolderOpen sets up sample Hotkey
combinations for hard to find or often used folders and an example
AutoHotkey Help window as follows:
CTRL+WIN+S => Open the Startup folder
CTRL+WIN+P => Open the Programs folder
CTRL+WIN+I => Open the My Pictures folder
CTRL+WIN+T => Open the SendTo folder
CTRL+F12 => Open a Help window for these options
(Download
Index)
• GooglePhraseFix.zip
and GooglePhraseFix.ahk
included in the Chapter Nine "Stealing AutoHotkey Scripts" in the free
e-book AutoHotkey
Tricks You Ought To Do With Windows.
This
is a clever little "Autocorrect Anything" script posted on the AutoHotkey
forum by aaston86.
The script I assigned the name GooglePhraseFix.ahk uses
Google search to correct selected phrases by accessing the "Showing
results for/Did you mean:" line in a Google search results page. While
not always consistent, it is amazing how often it works.
(Download
Index)
• GrandKids.ahk
(updated October 2, 2019) represents the most recent version of the
birthday reminder app. This version uses the more versatile age
calculation function found in the HowLongYearsMonthsDays.ahk
script. Plus, it now includes a countdown to the next birthday.
For reference to earlier versions included in the Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey book, see GrandKids
5.ahk, GrandKids
6.ahk, GrandKids
7.ahk and GrandKids.ini.
This
particular script went through some evolution due to the problems
involved with calculating dates and time spans. (In my defense, I saw a
response in the AutoHotkey Forum, from someone who has many more years
experience and much more expertise than I do, make a pretty basic date
calculating mistake by trying to directly subtract date/time stamps.) GrandKids
is an app which reads an INI data file with the birthdays of
grandchildren (or anyone), calculates how old they are, then displays
the information in a pop-up window.
The first two versions (GrandKids
5.ahk and GrandKids 6.ahk)
launch the
pop-up immediately when the GrandKids script loads. They require
reloading from the System Tray to display again. The GrandKids 7.ahk version uses the
Hotkey combination WIN+G to open the pop-up.
Three chapters in the e-book explain the evolution of the script. These
chapters are included as one section of the
e-book Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey.
For the updated and reworked age calculation function, see the HowLongYearsMonthsDays.ahk
script.
(Download
Index)
• HotstringMenu.ahk includes the Hotstring menu function HotstringMenu(TextList) and subroutine HotstringMenuAction. Originally discussed in the book, Beginning AutoHotkey Hotstrings: A Practical Guide for Creative AutoCorrection, Text Expansion and Text Replacement, you can include virtually any replacement text or characters in the pop-up menu Hotstrings.
The
function and subroutine create an action menu of replacement options
when activating the Hotstring. Call the function using the Hotstring Execute Option (X) in the form:
:x*?:b``::HotstringMenu("🦄 | Unicorn &1 ,🐀 | Rat &2,🐁 | Mouse &3 ,🐂 | Ox &4,🐃 | Water Buffalo &5 ,🐄 | Cow &6,❓ | Red &7 ,❔ | White &8")
(The example above uses line continuation techniques to wrap the function into multiple lines.)
In the examples, the Hotstrings use the backtick ` to activate a menu.
(You must escape the backtick ` with another backtick ``.)
The delimiting vertical bar makes possible the addition of descriptive
tags and single-key shortcuts (e.g. &1, &2, &3, …) which
won't appear in the replaced text.
November 22, 2019: The HotstringMenu.ahk script now includes a three-parameter variadic function for using simple and associative arrays and a new subroutine MenuShortcut outputing menus with either numeric or alphabetic single-key shortcuts.
The function also includes and example to how start new menu columns for long menus. See the new variadic function HotstringMenuV(MenuType,Handle,MenuArray*).
For more information, see the following blogs:
HotstringSubMenu.ahk
(Download
Index)
• HideWindow.zip
with HideWindow.ahk included in the chapter on
"Stealing AutoHotkey Scripts" in the e-book AutoHotkey
Tricks You Ought To Do With Windows.
The
AutoHotkey script I call HideWindow.ahk was
found on the AutoHotkey
scripts page.
(I'm not sure who originally wrote it.) This HideWindow app
quickly makes a window disappear, WIN+H ( +H),
and even removes the active Taskbar icon making it almost impossible to
find the hidden window. It's not minimized, but hidden. Great for
hiding inappropriate activities from the boss. The hidden window
continues to run the program (whatever it is) in the background.
Right-click on the AutoHotkey icon in the System Tray and select if
from the menu to bring it back.
(Download
Index)
• HowLongYearsMonthsDays.ahk offers a rewrite of the age calculating
function found in GrandKids.ahk script.
Acting as a demonstration app, two DateTime GUI controls appear in the
pop-up
window.
Select a Start Date and Stop Date, then hit the Calculate
button.
AutoHotkey feeds the two dates into the HowLong(StartDate,StopDate)
function and a pop-up MsgBox
displays the exact number of years,
months, and days from the StartDate to the StopDate.
You can use this function to calculate ages by providing the birthday
in YYYYMMDD format and today's date (A_Now)
as function parameters (HowLong(Birthday,A_Now).
Maybe you want to use it as a countdown for a major event? Or,
possibly, you want to keep track of how much time has elapsed since a
major event (HowLong(Event,A_Now).
As it turns out, I used much of the same code found in the original age
calculating function—just in a different order. It uses a couple more
techniques to make the app a little more robust and user-friendly:
The function
trims both DateTime stamps
removing the time portion. This makes any date comparisons less
susceptible to error.
- The calculation for the previous month uses the AutoHotkey Format() function rather than my original SubStr() function kludge to left pad single digit
months with a zero.
- The #If directive converts the mouse
scroll wheel to Up/Down arrows whenever over an AutoHotkey GUI pop-up
window. This facilitates using the mouse wheel to increment the fields
in the DateTime GUI controls without resorting to the cursor arrows.
- October
10, 2018 — The input variables now swaps when the first date occurs
later than the second date. This allows calculation regardless of the
date order.
Plus, I've added more detailed comments to the script which hopefully
make it easier to understand the logic.
I've posted a discussion of the code at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
When using DateConvert.ahk
in conjunction with the HowLongYearsMonthsDays.ahk
script, you can select dates in documents and feed them in DateStamp
format directly into the input fields. You must include the two
routines in the same script.
(Download
Index)
• ImageList.zip referenced
in the AutoHotkey Applications
e-book.
The
AutoHotkey script ImageList.ahk
and compiled file ImageList.exe display the
embedded
collection of the icons and associated icon numbers in any Windows
file, shown in the image at
left. You might find this tool useful for locating
icons on Windows computers to add to GUIs, Menus, the System Tray.
Updated September 24, 2017: I originally posted the code taken from the
ImageList (IL) functions found in the AutoHotkey
ListView command which only inspects the Shell32.dll file. I've added the FileSelectFile command
to make the target file selectable, plus a double-click of any icon row
copies the file path and name along with the icon number to the Windows
clipboard. With the file path and name, plus the icon number, you can
add images
drawn directly from other icon collections (e.g. EXE and DLL files)
into your AutoHotkey Menus and the Graphical User Interface (GUI)
ListView and Picture controls without creating a separate image file.
If you want to save an icon to an ICO type file, then I recommend the
free Icon Extract Utility
from NirSoft—which also allows the exploration of various types of
Windows files. Both C:\Windows\System32\shell32.dll
and C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll
contain hundreds of different icons.
(Download
Index)

•
Image2Include.ahk
After I posted the MousePrecise.ahk script
on the AutoHotkey Scripts and Functions Forum, @guest3456 taught
me how to embed the
System Tray icon
Mouse2.ico directly into
the .ahk script.
The script does not need an external ICO file to accompany the MousePrecise.ahk script for either
running or compiling. By using this Image2Include.ahk
script to create an image AutoHotkey function, I can embed the image by
inserting
the new function, Create_Mouse2_ico(),
directly into the script or use the #Include
directive to add it at run or
compile time.
(Download
Index)
• IncrementalSaveText.zip
contains IncrementalSaveText.ahk
and IncrementalSaveText.exe Discussed in Chapter Fifteen of
the Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey
e-book.
The
IncrementalSaveText AutoHotkey script saves the
text from any window, including Web pages, by selecting the text,
copying it to the Windows Clipboard, then saving it in a backup text
file with the filename equal to the window title plus the current date
and time in date/time format. The file is saved in the user's
Documents/Backup folder. If the folder doesn't exist, it will be
created. CTRL+WIN+ALT+B initiates the backup procedure once the script
is loaded. (For one-time backup, see BackupText.ahk.)
(Download
Index)
• InstantHotkey.zip
contains InstantHotkey.ahk
and InstantHotkey.exe,
and included in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
The InstantHotkey
script quickly sets up Hotkey
combinations temporarily for adding repeated and/or long lines of text
to any current Windows document or Web editing field. This is handy for
those situations where you know that you will be using a particular
term or set of terms a number of times. The window to set up the Hotkey
opens immediately when the script is loaded. After the combination is
set, it can be changed by right-clicking on the icon in the System Tray
and selecting ShowHotkey. Hovering over the same icon will display the
current Hotkey combination setting.
October 2017—The
new version of the app InstantHotkeyTwoDeep.ahk
allows multiple GUI pop-ups to run in the same script without loading
new instances. This script also adds features to the System Tray icon
right-click menu for both accessing each Instant Hotkey GUI as well as
inserting the text without the need to use a Hotkey combination.
Two-deep refers to the demonstration of how AutoHotkey can track
variable values by saving the name of a variable containing data in
another variable. Evaluate the top variable to get the target variable
name, then evaluate that variable to get the result—two-deep. Plus, the
script includes a trick for tracking Hotkey results by converting
Hotkey combinations into a valid variable for storing data.
The InstantHotkeyLoop.ahk
version of the script replaces the Hotkey variable conversion functions
with a Loop for locating the correct Hotkey insertion text. This
eliminates the problem with invalid characters in variable names.
The
InstantHotkeyArrays.ahk
version of the script replaces the Hotkey variable Loop for locating
the correct Hotkey insertion text with a one-line associative array
variable evaluation which directly links the Hotkey combination to the
insertion text. Use CTRL+F1 to pop-up a list of all current
Instant Hotkeys.
If your security setting makes it difficult to download the EXE file,
the same two files are also located in the InstantHotkey.zip
file for easier downloading.
(Download
Index)
• InstantHotstring.ahk
script for creating and testing Hotstrings on-the-fly—then, save them
for later use. For the previous version without default file loading see InstantHotstring(FastLoad).ahk.
The
InstantHotstring.ahk
script quickly sets up and tests
temporary
Hotstring
combinations for adding repeated and/or long lines of replacement text
to any current Windows document or Web editing field. This comes in
handy for
those situations where you know what text, particular
terms, or set of terms you will use repeatedly in a single session.
Test Hotstrings
The
GUI window includes a GUI Edit
control Hotstring Test Pad
for checking the behavior of any newly set Hotstrings. When
creating new instant Hotstrings, you can check out various options
using the Hotstring Test Pad.
The
Test Pad
in the image at right shows the results of the Hotstring "GUI" which
immediately appends " (Graphical User Interface)" inserting a preceding
space without backspacing to delete the activating Hotstring.
Save Groups of Hotstrings
You can save the Hotstrings to an AutoHotkey *.ahk file of your choice
in the [working directory/]Hotstring/
folder.
You can reload the saved Hotstrings from the any saved .ahk file. When
saving the temporarily Hotstrings, you can choose to create a new file
by adding a new filename, opt to overwrite an existing file, or, by
selecting but not overwriting an existing filename, append more
Hotstrings to that same file.
The InstantHotstring.ahk
script displays newly created Hotstrings to the DropDownList GUI control. When
setting a Hotstring, AutoHotkey immediately activates it and adds it to
the DropDownList. You can
deactivate/activate Hotstrings using the Toggle Hotstring On/Off button.
The
Save Hotstrings button
stores all currently active Hotstrings to a filename of your choice.
The Load Hotstrings button
restores and activates Hotstring code stored in that same (or another)
file. (The Load function
updates rather than duplicates any Hotstrings with the same activation
characters.) The Start Clean
button reloads the script wiping out all of the Hotstrings currently
running in InstantHotstring.ahk.
March 29, 2019 Note: The
original LoadHotstrings
subroutine ran slow for a number of reasons (for discussion in my
AutoHotkey blog). I've rewritten it for speed but include the former
script (InstantHotstring(SlowLoad).ahk)
for review by those reading earlier blogs.
The GUI window for setting up the Hotstrings
opens immediately when the script loads. After closing the Hotstring
window, you can reopen it by right-clicking on the icon in the System
Tray
and selecting Show Instant Hotstrings.
To jump into the middle of my discussion of this script, see my blog "The Coming Instant Hotstring Script
(AutoHotkey App)."
November 13, 2019 Note:
The latest version now loads the default Hotstring file by accessing
the file path and name saved in the Windows Registry. To set the
default, click the Save Hotstrings button for adding the loaded Hotstrings to a file, then opt to set the file as default when prompted.
(Download
Index)
•
IPFind.zip
contains
IPFind.ahk
and IPFind.exe
Discussed in
the e-book A Beginner's Guide
to Using Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey.
March 7, 2019 Update: The original
Web page accessed for world location data stopped working in this
script. We switched to:
https://whatismyipaddress.com/ip/
This Web page works a provides
more information.
The
IPFind app demonstrates how to use Regular Expressions (RegEx)
in
AutoHotkey to find the geographic location of any IP address.
Merely highlight any text which includes IP addresses, then hit the
CTRL+ALT+I Hotkey combination to activate the IP lookup.
First, AutoHotkey extracts
the selected IP (or group of IPs) from any Windows program. Next,
the script looks up each IP on the Web (without using a Web browser),
then
extracts and displays the location(s) as shown in the image on the
left. You'll find these techniques (along with other applications)
using the RegExMatch() and RegExReplace() AutoHotkey functions
discussed in
the e-book A Beginner's Guide
to Using Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey.
The power offered by learning Regular Expressions (RegEx) makes it well
worth the effort. See this "Introduction to Regular Expressions (RegEx) in
AutoHotkey" for more information.
(Download
Index)
 •
Jack
Stuffed Cheeseburger Recipe: CheeseBurgerRecipe.zip
contains
CheeseBurgerRecipe.ahk,
CheeseBurgerRecip.exe,
and the icon file CheeseBurgerIcon.ico.
This
simple recipe script in its original form (CheeseBurgerRecipeOrig.ahk)
uses the drop-through behaviour of Label
subroutine names and the built-in Windows MsgBox
to display the
steps (Ingredients, Preparation, Cooking, and Serving) in successive
pop-up windows. You can select an individual step from the System
Tray icon
right-click menu, then the script "drops through" the remaining steps.
The latest version includes two new recipes: Animal-style Cheeseburger
and Jack Stuffed Cheeseburger (Animal Style). The second new recipe
uses the GoTo
command to draw from the first two recipes to create a third. The
right-click menu gets condensed by adding submenus for the recipe steps.
Demonstrating how AutoHotkey works, the book Beginning Tips for Writing AutoHotkey Scripts
discusses these scripts in detail.
(Download
Index)
• KeyPad.zip
If
you have a Windows laptop computer without a number keypad or want to
use the click of a mouse rather than your fingers to punch numbers,
then you're going to like this one. A person who goes by the forum name sveco has produced a short
AutoHotkey script which places a number
keypad on
a Windows computer screen (see Figure below left). The beauty of this
app is that it never takes the focus away from your working document.
When you click on the keypad, it does not become active and will send
the input to your last active window.
You
can use it with any active window to input numbers or use the cursor
keys. For the right person, this could be just the ticket. The only
issues was that the keypad on a keyboard doesn't necessary sync with
the pop-up, but if you don't have a keyboard numeric keypad, it's no
problem.
You
don't need to know AutoHotkey to use this app. I've compiled it and
posted both the KeyPad.ahk
and the KeyPad.exe files in a ZIP file at the AutoHotkeydownload site.
Download the compressed ZIP file, KeyPad.zip
and extract the EXE file.
Double-click and the app loads. Click the little x in the upper
right-hand corner to close the app.
AutoHotkey
Notes for KeyPad
For
people who are learning AutoHotkey (and you should be learning
AutoHotkey
if you
don't already know it), there are a couple of features of note
in this short script. The fact that the keypad is never active, yet is
clickable has implications for other AutoHotkey scripts acting as
control panels. The controls can innocuously sit on the screen until
they are needed, yet even then they won't interfere with the active
window. Let's look at how it's done. Let's look at how it's done.
The
first line of code needed to produce this effect is:
Gui, +LastFound +AlwaysOnTop +ToolWindow +Border +E0x08000000
With
the exception of +AlwaysOnTop and +E0x08000000 most of these parameters
are cosmetic and can be found in the GUI
Options section of
the online documentation. Naturally, the keypad must be always-on-top
since it would be ridiculous for it to disappear behind other windows
every time another window is clicked.
The
second option +E0x08000000 is a little more cryptic.
This parameter is part of the Extended Window Styles (WS_EX_NOACTIVATE
0x08000000L)
built into Windows. It is called as an option in AutoHotkey GUIs by
placing +E in front of the number. The +E0x08000000 option
calls WS_EX_NOACTIVATE which prevents the window from activating when
the user clicks on it. Yet, the window still intercepts the click.
The
next line of interest is:
Gui, Show, x1350 y87 h260 w215 NoActivate
The NoActivate option prevents the window
from becoming the active window when initially displayed. Between the
two parameters (+E0x08000000 in the Gui command line and NoActivate in the Gui,
Show command line), the windows
is now clickable, always available and never active.
This
little script could easily be made into a Hotkey by adding the Gui,
Show line of code to a Hotkey
combination somewhere after the auto-execute section of the script:
^!k::Gui, Show, x1350 y87 h260 w215 NoActivate
But
you will want to remove the GuiClose: subroutine, otherwise the
script will exit (ExitApp)
anytime you close the window and the Hotkey combination will be
useless. (I added CTRL+ALT+K as a line in the AHK file, but the
semicolon, which turns the line into a comment, must be removed. Don't
forget to comment out the GuiClose label with a semicolon in
front of each line.)
If
you want a transparent keypad, then there are two lines in the code
which merely need to be un-commented (remove the ; before each line).
This
KeyPad app is yet another cool way to use AutoHotkey.
(Download
Index)
• LaunchWindow.zip
contains
LaunchWindow.ahk
and LaunchWindow.exe
discussed in Chapter Nineteen of Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey.
The LaunchWindow script is a demonstration of how
AutoHotkey can be used to build a tailored Start pop-up menu window for
any version of Windows—including Windows 8. LaunchWindow
uses the Hotkey combination CTRL+WIN+L to open the pop-up. To tailor
the contents of LaunchWindow the AHK script needs
to be modified.
New AutoHotkey Version 2.0
example script: LaunchWindow.ahk2.
(Download
Index)
• LegalTerms.ahk uses
LegalInput.ini to
access Latin legal terms. You
can find a discussion of this data table technique in the blog "Input Command Creates Temporary Hotstrings from Data
Table (AutoHotkey INI File Technique)."
If the Input command does not
find a match for the key code, AutoHotkey displays a pop-up menu of
terms starting with the keyed character(s). This AutoHotkey blog discusses how to create this
alternative action.
LegalListView.ahk
uses the ListView GUI control
to display and edit the LegalInput.ini
file. See ListView Blog 1, ListView Blog 2, and ListView Blog 3 for more information.
Stay tuned for more tricks with Latin legal terms.
May 18, 2018—Terminate the Input
command with RETURN to get plain text output from the menu. Use TAB to
insert Latin legal terms into word processors supporting italics. Check
out the blog "More Hotstring Tricks Using the Input Command and a
Data
Table" at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
Bonus:
Discussed in the "Italicize Your Hotstring Replacements with this Input
Command Ploy" blog, the script now includes a Hotstring (at the end
of the file) which inserts the French phrase je ne sais quoi
in italics into particular word processors. This Hotstring demonstrates
how to italicize term(s) by word processor type. If you don't want a
surprise when entering "jq", delete or comment out this Hotstring.
The blog shows how you can add alternative actions to the Input command by changing the
terminating character.
(Download
Index)
• LetterSwap.ahk You
can find a discussion of this routine (plus other
word swapping routines) in "Chapter Nine: AutoHotkey Windows
Clipboard Techniques for Swapping Letters" in the
section "Eliminating the Requirement for Pre-Selected Text"
of the book AutoHotkey Hotkeys: Tips, Tricks,
Techniques, and Best Practices.
The LetterSwap.ahk
script demonstrates of how
AutoHotkey can set up a Hotkey combination to quickly exchange the
position of two characters by placing the cursor between the two
letters and hitting ALT+R.
New AutoHotkey Version 2.0
example script: LetterSwap.ahk2.
(Download
Index)
•
Magnifier.zip
contains Magnifier.ahk
and Magnifier.exe included in the AutoHotkey
Applications e-book.
What distinguishes this cool magnifier
are its features. You
can change the level of magnification by selecting the value in the
upper left-hand corner menu. You can even reduce the size by half. This
screen magnifier has adjustments for magnification, anti-aliasing
(smoothing), and time delay.
(Download
Index)
• MousePrecise.ahk
Discussed in a
series of blogs about Hotkeys at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog and featured in the book AutoHotkey Hotkey Techniques.
For the compiled EXE version which runs with a double-click of the
filename MousePrecise.exe on
any Windows computer with or without AutoHotkey installed, download the
MousePrecise.zip folder and
extract the files.
The MousePrecise.ahk
script
converts the numeric keypad into a micro mover for the mouse cursor—one
pixel at a time.
The GroupAdd command isolates
the Hotkeys' availability to the graphics programs included in the
group. As a summary script, it uses a number of commands and directives
considered best practices for optimizing Hotkeys.
Forced expressions, toggles, and the ternary operator demonstrate how
more power and flexibility can be added to almost any AutoHotkey
command.
Note: I use MousePrecise on a regular basis. It makes difficult mousing
(e.g. exact or irregular crops) easy.

For more details about Hotkeys and AutoHotkey commands, delve
into the techniques explained in AutoHotkey Hotkey Techniques.
(Download
Index)
•
MultiPaste.ahk
discussion starts in the blog "Brute Force Data-Set Copy-and-Paste (AutoHotkey
Clipboard Technique)."
Many
Windows users will find this AutoHotkey script handy for copying
data-sets and breaking them up into its component parts for pasting
into form fields. You can use the app to copy and parse portions of Web
tables, groups of cells in a spreadsheet, single-line street addresses,
and many other pieces of data—then insert those items into individual
fields in another window.
Activate the Input command with the CTRL+ALT+WIN key
combination and press the
number key appearing next to the text to insert the data item into the
selected field or
press the corresponding Hotkey ALT+1 through ALT+2 for direct paste.
After selecting a section of a page (left-click, hold, and drag),
activate the Hotkey combination CTRL+ALT+F to open a MsgBox window displaying the parsed
components. The MsgBox
remains always-on-top while you move to your input screen.
Next,
in the destination window, select the target input field and
press the Hotkey combination CTR:+ALT+WIN+W to activate the AutoHotkey Input
command.
You have five seconds to press one of the number keys (0-9). AutoHotkey
inserts the text located next to the pressed number key in the MsgBox
into the selected field.
This script parses text in the Windows Clipboard based upon the tab (`t) character, new lines (`r and `n), commas in single-line
addresses, plus US and UK postal codes, for placement in the variable
array listed in the MsgBox.
This script works in a wide variety of situations—although some Web
formatting may limit its results.
September 19, 2019 Added temporary Hotkeys (ALT+1 through ALT+0) which
directly paste the corresponding items in the MsgBox. Hotkeys
deactivate after closing the "Multi Paste" MsgBox window.
(Download
Index)
• Mute.zip
contains Mute.ahk
and Mute.exe discussed in Chapter Eight,
"Making the Insert and Caps Lock Key Useful," of the e-book Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey.
The Mute script is a sample script with one line of
code which turns the CAPSLOCK key into an audio mute toggle button.
CapsLock:: SoundSet, +1, , mute
(Download
Index)
•
NoHotkey.zip
contains NoHotkey.ahk
and NoHotkey.exe
discussed in Chapter Thirteen of the e-book A Beginner's Guide to
AutoHotkey.
The NoHotkey script is a sample script with one
line of code which disables the Hotkey combination CTRL+A while
displaying a message box. This prevents accidental selection of all
text which can then get inadvertently wiped out with a single stroke of
a key.
^a::MsgBox,4160,,Control+A Disabled
(Download
Index)
•
NumbersSpeak.zip
contains NumbersSpeak.ahk,
cow-skating.jpg (image
file), and cow-madcow.wav
(audio file).
Discussed in the blog "AutoHotkey Scan Codes, Speech, Sound, and Splash
Images in Children’s Apps."
The NumbersSpeak.ahk
script
uses the SayWhat.ahk
script
found below as a basis for exploring techniques in writing
children's educational software. The script uses the SplashImage and
SoundPlay commands, plus the ComObject function
ComObjCreate("SAPI.SpVoice").Speak().
Press the letter "C" , and the script displays the SplashImage, reads
the words, then spells "cow", followed by the sound of a laughing mad
cow mooing.
While the script is far from complete, it features some of the
AutoHotkey tools available for building cute children's scripts. It is
an apt companion for the educational TalkingText.ahk
script found below which voices the letters of the keyboard. then makes
animal sounds when certain animal names are spelled (e.g. cat, dog,
bear, and more).
(Download
Index)
•
OverusedWords.zip
contains OverusedWords.ahk
and OverusedWords.exe
The OverusedWords
script is a Hotstring app which pops up a menu of replacements for a
list of overused words—as determined by English teachers when grading
papers. While this script is primarily for students, anyone who wants
to
improve their writing may benefit. Chapter Eleven of Beginning AutoHotkey
Hotstrings discusses this script.
(Download
Index)
•
PathCheck.zip
contains PathCheck.ahk
and PathCheck.exe
The PathCheck script is merely a message box which
displays the paths represented by the AutoHotkey variables A_UserName,
A_MyDocuments, and A_AppData
respectively.
(Download
Index)
• PhoneRing.zip
included in Chapter Six of the AutoHotkey Applications
e-book.
This is Ellen's script which combines a graphic file, an audio file,
and the computer voice to display a multimedia message. The ZIP file
includes, PhoneRing.ahk, PhoneRing.exe
(which has the files Phone.jpg
and Windows
Ringin.wav embedded in the single compiled version). Activated
with ALT+P, it is a
demonstration of using a splash image with audio as a message, then
compiling all the files into one executable package which not only runs
on any Windows computer, but cleans up after itself.
PhoneRing.ahk is another example of AutoHotkey techniques which might
enhance children's educational apps.
(Download
Index)
•
PhraseOMatic.zip
A
Cool Little App for Inputting Common Phrases
PhraseOMatic
is an AutoHotkey script which makes it easier to enter key phrases into
any document or text editing field for work and personal use. No more
memorizing Hotstrings or Hotkey combinations. This script is written by
Douglas Abernathy which puts all of your important phrases into a
pop-up menu. (Douglas can be reached at douglasa@wans.net if you
have any questions about PhraseOMatic or unreasonable demands for new
features.) Along with the PhraseOMatic.ahk
and PhraseOMatic.exe
files,
there
is a Readme.txt
file and example phrase files found in PhraseOMatic.zip.
Download the original PhraseOMatic article "A
Cool Little App for Inputting Common Phrases" in PDF format.
(Download
Index)
• Poetry Scripts
(PoeticWords.ahk
and RhymeMenu.ahk)
RhymeMenu.zip
includes both the AHK file and an executable EXE file which runs
without needing AutoHotkey installed.
These two scripts illustrate examples of how AutoHotkey might help
poets in their quest for beautiful words (PoeticWords.ahk) and/or rhymes (RhymeMenu.ahk,
shown at right). The Poetic Words script contains over 500 Hotstrings
for replacing common words with more pretentious counterparts. The
Rhyme Menu app downloads lists from www.rhymer.com,
parses them with Regular Expressions, then inserts the selected option.
Introduced in the "Why AutoHotkey?" series found at Jack's
AutoHotkey Blog, "Why AutoHotkey for Poets?" discusses these
scripts.
(Download
Index)
• Pictures
with Sounds
(PictureSounds.ahk)
The
AutoHotkey script PictureSounds.ahk
demonstrates how to build a database driven app. By accessing an INI
lookup table, the script both generates the Gui, Add, Picture command lines and
links the sound files to each image.
PictureSounds.zip
includes the AHK script, the sample image and sound file, and the INI
lookup table.
When the user clicks on an image, AutoHotkey seeks the name of the
sound file in an INI lookup table, then plays it. The script uses
the image file name as the INI file Key. After loading a series of
images, the script plays a different sound for each image. (It even
plays videos!)
This script illustrate examples of how AutoHotkey can generate
expandable and flexible apps using very little hardcode by creating
the app with the contents form an AutoHotkey INI file. AutoHotkey loads
the images (shown at right) by reading the file names from an INI file,
then, whenever clicking on an image, uses the IniRead command to lookup and play
the associated sound file.
For comparison, the original PictureSoundsOrig.ahk
script hardcodes the Gui, Add,
Picture commands, then connects images with the sound files
using the INI lookup table. For more detailed discussion, see Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
March 23, 2018 An
unexpected revelation led me to using the mysterious Func().Bind() method to attach the
audio filename directly to the GUI
Picture control for use in the AudioPlay()
function (PictureSoundsBind.ahk).
This eliminated the need to access the INI file each time the user
clicks an image. For more information on binding GUI controls with
function data, see this blog on Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
AutoHotkey Version 2.0
parallel example scripts: PictureSounds.ahk2 and PictureSoundsBind.ahk2.
(Download
Index)
• QuickLinks.zip
One
of Jack's favorite AutoHotkey scripts, you'll find explanations of the
original QuickLinks app included in this special Web
page and (in more detail) a section of the e-book Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey. For discussions of recent improvements
in the QuickLinks.ahk script,
see this list of Jack's AutoHotkey Blog.
The QuickLinksscript
sets up a pop-up menu system
with a special QuickLinks folder of your favorite shortcuts whether
programs or Web pages. It may be a suitable replacement for the missing
Start Menu in Windows 8, although I use it regularly in Windows 10 as a
quick way to open working pages on the Web and many programs. For the
main version of QuickLinks,
once loaded, the menu is accessed with the Hotkey combination WIN+Z,
ALT+comma, or CTRL+right mouse click. In
another basic (without latest feature) version, QuickLinksTray,
the menu
structure is added to the System Tray icon right-click menu. The QuickLinks.zip
file now includes QuickLinks.ahk
QuickLinks.exe, QuickLinksTray.ahk,
QuickLinksTray.exe, plus,
a number of other example files including ShortcutAnaliyze.ahk for viewing the
innards of a shortcut (.lnk)
file.
September 26, 2017 Win+Z,
Alt+, (comma), and CTRL+right-click all open the QuickLinks menu. I
personally use XButton1 (left extra mouse button) to activate the menu,
but I needed to override the built-in setting in the software for my
mouse by adding one of the other Hotkey combinations.
This updated version of QuickLinks includes a number of new features.
1. Icons are added to the menu in different ways.
First, you find the function, AddIcon(TopMenu,SubMenu),
for adding icons to the top-level folders and specific shortcuts on the
second level.
Second, specific IfInString
command lines change/insert specific types of icons.
Third, program icons are drawn directly from EXE files.
Fourth, you can manually change shortcut icon (.lnk) in Windows (File) Explorer
which then automatically appear in the menu. This does not work for Web
links (.url).
Caution: If you have previously setup personalized icon statements in
your version of QuickLinks.ahk,
be sure to copy and transfer that icon setting code to this version.
Otherwise, they may be overwritten. (In other words, backup your old
copy of QuickLinks.ahk before
overwriting it.)
2.
QuickLinks now includes the secret Windows Tools (God Mode) link in
the Tools folder for quick access to over 200 Windows settings and
features. This feature automatic renews if deleted. If you don't want
it, then delete the code which adds it.
Note: When editing shortcuts in Windows (File) Explorer, the name of
the special Windows Tools shortcut appears blank in some versions of
Windows. Do not edit or add a different name. That process disables the
shortcut.
3. With the exception of the above Windows Tools folder, QuickLinks
only launches .lnk and .url shortcuts.
4. You can now directly add new links to the menu by selecting a file
in Windows (File) Explorer or the
address bar (URL) of a Web page and selecting Add Links with the appropriate
submenu from your QuickLinks
menu. You may want to later edit the shortcut in Windows (File)
Explorer to change the name and possibly
add a shortcut icon. Select Edit
Quicklinks to open the QuickLinks folder.
May 23, 2018 The most
recent version of QuickLinks implements code generated by Khanh Ngo
which adds another dimension to the app. You can now highlight a file
in Windows File Explorer and open it with a compatible shortcut in your
QuickLinks menu. For example, if you include Windows Notepad in your
QuickLinks menu, selecting any text file and activating that Notepad
menu item loads the file into a Notepad window.
This new capability also allow you to use print parameters to send
files to your printer (e.g. Notepad /P).
Just add the print parameter to the Target field in the Shortcut
Properties window in the appropriate QuickLinks
folder.
Explanations of the original QuickLinks script are included in this special Web page and one part of the e-book Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey.
(Download
Index)
• QuikPlay.zip
contains QuikPlay.ahk
and QuikPlay.exe
included in the AutoHotkey
Applications
e-book.
The QuikPlay
script is a barebones Windows media
player. It operates with either Hotkey combinations or selections from
the right-click menu from the System Tray icon.
Once QuikPlay is loaded these are the Hotkey
combinations and menu selections:
WIN+ALT+P => "Pick What to Play"
WIN+ALT+W => "What's Playing?"
WIN+ALT+N => "Next"
WIN+ALT+S => "Stop Play"
The QuikPlay.zip file was added for downloading
convenience.
(Download
Index)
• QuickPrompt.zip included in the chapter on
"Stealing AutoHotkey Scripts" in the e-book AutoHotkey
Tricks You Ought To Do With Windows"
in the "Quick Command Prompt" section.
This
AutoHotkey script which I call QuickPromp adds
the Command Prompt capability directly to the folder/file path field
(address bar) in Windows Explorer. You no longer need to open the
Command Prompt from the Start Menu or pin a quick launch to the
Taskbar. Wherever you have Windows Explorer open, you can either run
commands as if you were using the Command Prompt or open the window set
to the current folder. The activating key is a slash (/).
I
found the source code for QuickPromp.ahk at this AutoHotkey
forum
post.
This one was written by Rajak and I did not make any modifications. I
merely compiled it into QuickPrompt.exe for
running on any windows computer. Both files can be extracted from QuickPrompt.zip after
downloading from the ComputorEdge
AutoHotkey download site.
(Download
Index)
•
RecipeTree.zip
contains a number of versions of RecipeTree.ahk
which
are included in
the AutoHotkey Applications
e-book.
A six-part series demonstrating an alternative application using the TreeView AutoHotkey GUI
control.
This AutoHotkey script uses a fairly advanced
technique for attaching TreeView branches to GUI Edit control data
fields by saving variable names within variables.
(Download
Index)
•
RegExTester.zip
(RegExTester.ahk)
by Robert
Ryan. When
I started working with Regular Expressions (RegEx) in AutoHotkey, I was
writing tiny AutoHotkey scripts, testing each attempt, then making
changes and testing again…and again. Eventually, I checked the
AutoHotkey Scripts Forum and found this Regular
Expression Tester written
by Robert Ryan in AutoHotkey. It's pretty slick, saves a lot of time,
and offers instant understanding into how any AutoHotkey RegExs work. This RegEx Tester is used extensively
to explain AutoHotkey Regular Expressions in the e-book A Beginner's Guide
to Using Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey. Plus, there are articles at Jack's AutoHotkey Blog highlighting the RegEx
Tester.
(Download
Index)
• Reminder.zip
contains a number of variations of Reminder.ahk
and Reminder.exe
The Reminder
script has gone through many
iterations and has more to come—although I'm not sure when. I use
it to tell me to take out the trash on the right day and other quick
temporary reminders. It is called up with the Hotkey combination
CRTL+WIN+R plus the most recent version has a Set Reminder option in
the System Tray icon right-click menu.
The various versions of the files (some compiled into EXE files) have
been included for people who are reading the related articles. They are
now combined in the Reminder.zip file. The
following is a list of the articles in order in which they deal with
the different versions of the Reminder script:
Explanations of the Appointment Reminder script are incorporated in
more detail in one
section of the e-book Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey and extended in Chapters Thirty-two and
Thirty-three in the e-book AutoHotkey Applications.
I encourage anyone to tailor the script for personal use—possibly
adding a multiple reminder capability and a repetitive reminder
feature. I plan to do that myself when the time is right.
Various versions of the Reminder script can be downloaded in Reminder.zip at the ComputorEdge AutoHotkey download site.
(Download
Index)
• SaveText.ahk
discussed in Part IV "Collect Data in One Pot"
of the e-book Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey.
The SaveText script copies selected text to a
Notepad editing window. If not already open, the script launches a new Untitled - Notepad window. The
CTRL+ALT+S Hotkey combination copies the selected
text from other programs, documents, or Web pages.
The newer CopyRef.ahk
script offers a faster,
more
robust form of SaveText.ahk
while operating in the background with additional protections
using the standard AutoHotkey Clipboard routine.
(Download
Index)
• SayWhat.zip
contains SayWhat.ahk
and SayWhat.exe
included in the AutoHotkey Applications
e-book.
This SayWhat script is a demonstration of how easy
it is to use the text reading capability of Windows with AutoHotkey.
Once the script is loaded a "Speak to Me!" window will open. Type in
any text and click "Talk!" The default Windows voice reads the text out
loud.
(Download
Index)
• ScreenDimmer.zip
containing ScreenDimmer.ahk
and ScreenDimmer.exe is
included in
Chapter Eight of the AutoHotkey Applications
e-book.
Demonstrates
the AutoHotkey Slider control in a GUI which dims the computer screen.
The second section adds an AutoHotkey Statusbar control which can reset
the
screen control, plus a one-click pop-up in the System Tray.
(Download
Index)
•
SeeThruWinWheel.ahk—
The script contains three Hotkey combinations for adjusting the
transparency level of any window: Control & WheelUp, Control &
WheelDown, and Control & LButton. Each uses the mouse in
combination with the CTRL key. Since it's natural to change levels
continuously, it makes sense to use the scroll wheel rather than a
regular Hotkey combination.
Plus, by using the MouseGetPos
command, the target window no longer needs to be the active window.
Merely hovering over the window allows AutoHotkey to grab the windows
name:
MouseGetPos,,, currentWindow
That means you can peek under any window covering another spot on the
screen by increasing the window transparency (decreasing opaqueness)
without clicking on it.
(Download
Index)
•
SmartGUI
Creator — A tool
for quick GUI window code creation.
SmartGUI.zip
contains SmartGUI.exe, calc.ahk, and Manual.htm. The code generation
utility for creating WYSIWYG Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) was
written by Rajat, a prolicfic writer of excellent AutoHotkey
scripts. It can be a tremendous time saver when designing the
layout of your controls. For more information get the article "Writing
AutoHotkey Code Fast with SmartGUI Creator."
(Download
Index)
• StateInsert.zip
(StateInsert.ahk)
The online AutoHotkey documentation for the Input command
includes an excellent example of how it can be used for expanding
abbreviations. Modifying that example creates temporary Hotstrings for
inserting all 50 states plus the District of Columbia into any
documents by typing the two-letter postal code.
(Included in "Chapter
Sixteen: Create Instant Temporary AutoHotkey Hotstrings with the Input
Command"
of
the Beginning AutoHotkey Hotstrings
e-book.)
(Download
Index)
• StripReturns.zip
"A
Short Script for Removing Embedded Misplaced New Line Characters"
This fixes the problem when paragraphs don't wordwrap. (Included in "Chapter
Twenty-eight: Fixing Broken Word Wraps"
of
the AutoHotkey
Applications
e-book.) (StripReturns.ahk
and StripReturns.exe)
(Download
Index)
• SynonymLookup.zip
including SynonymLookup.ahk — I've
completely rewritten this script to create a useful tool for building a
menu of synonyms from a Thesaurus.com
Web page. (See image at right.) After selecting any word in your
document, use the Hotkey
combination CTRL+ALT+L to generate a menu of alternative word options.
Make a menu selection and AutoHotkey inserts the new word in place of
the original selected term.
See "Build Your Own Dream Thesaurus Word Replacement Tool."
April 27, 2018 Update: Did your SynonymLookup app stop working? Thesaurus.com
changed their page format so I changed the Regular Expression in this
latest version. I used the link in the page which needed some
adjustments so you may occasionally see some strange characters. Plus,
you might also get antonyms, but that shouldn't cause too much stress.
You'll need to download the current version if you are using a version
older than this date.
Since the script only downloads the source code for the Web page, it's
fast and easy without any Web ads. Since it draws the menu items from
the Thesaurus.com page, the
script requires an Internet connection to work. Click the first menu
item (e.g. •PAGE, in bold with a bullet) to load the target Web
page in your default
browser.
The original short beginning AutoHotkey script SynonymLookupOrig.ahk
demonstrates how to use the
Windows Clipboard to quickly access reference sites on the Web.
In this case, after hitting the Hotkey combination CTRL+ALT+L, Thesaurus.com
opens in the default browser using the word highlighted in any text to
find synonyms. (Referenced in the blog "Why AutoHotkey for Writers,
Bloggers, and Editors?")
The
ZIP file includes both the new AHK script and the compiled EXE file
which
runs on any Windows PC even without AutoHotkey installed. (SynonymLookup.ahk
and SynonymLookup.exe)
(Download
Index)
•
TalkingText.zip
contains TalkingText.ahk,
TalkingText.exe and the folders audio-alphabet (WAV files for each
letter of the alphabet in a womans' voice) and Sounds (WAV files for sounds of
eight different animals plus a train).
Coming soon! Find a discussion of this recently updated script
in the upcoming living book A Motley
Assortment of AutoHotkey Tips (October 2018).
Hotstrings activate the WAV file for each corresponding letter key and
speak the letters in a womans' voice. Spelling certain animal names
invokes the sound of that animal after a space bar or period is
pressed. This script offers alternative Hotstring approaches to the
children's eductional script NumbersSpeak.ahk
available above.
(Download
Index)
•
ToDoList.zip
contains ToDoList.ahk
and ToDoList.exe included in Chapter Nine and Chapter Ten of
the AutoHotkey
Applications
e-book.
This ToDoList.ahk
script creates a one-column
ListView window which displays text items in a list of tasks. This text
list is saved to a text file (ToDoList.txt) in the
same folder as the script. (That way, if you exit the app or your
computer crashes, you will still have your complete "to-do list"
available the next time you logon.) With a right-click on ListView,
items can be edited or deleted. A closed To Do List window can be
reopened with CTRL+ALT+T or with the right-click menu from the System
Tray icon.
To add new items, enter the text into the editing field at the bottom
of the window and click "Add to list:" on the left side at the bottom
of the window. Select Edit from the right-click menu to put the item
text into the editing field at the bottom. Click Update to save
changes. Click the heading "Items To Do" to reverse the order of the
items. Each item can be checked when completed or deleted with the
right-click menu.
(Download
Index)
• ToDoList
Color.zip Chapter Thirty-six "Adding Color to
ListView Rows" of the AutoHotkey Applications e-book.
This script is a newer version of the ToDoList
script (ToDoList
Color.ahk)
above. It demonstrates how to add color to the
individual ListView rows, then turn each on and off
with the CheckBox.
(Download
Index)
• ToolTipTest.zip
and ToolTipTest2.zip
contain ToolTipTest.ahk
plus ToolTipTest.exe and ToolTipTest2.ahk
plus ToolTipTest2.exe
respectively. Included in the AutoHotkey Applications e-book.
Both the ToolTipTest and ToolTipTest2 scripts are
demonstrations of how to use Windows Tooltips to provide information. ToolTipTest is an example of using
the Tooltip within an AutoHotkey window. ToolTipTest2 provides AutoHotkey
specific information on each window as the cursor hovers over it.
(Download
Index)
• UnHideFiles.ahk
Another contribution from Robert Ryan, this short script makes it
easy
to toggle hidden Windows files
to a faded visible
mode by changing global settings in
the Windows Registry for folders/files with
their Hidden property set.
The defined Hotkeys are:
Ctrl+Alt+H Toggle the show/hide of hidden
files
Ctrl+Alt+E Toggle the show/hide of file
extensions
Ctrl+Alt+S Toggle the show/hide of system
files
You can also change these setting with options in the AutoHotkey
Notification icon right-click menu.
(Download
Index)
• WindowList.ahk
for finding lost windows, included in Chapter Thirteen of the Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey e-book.
The idea for the WindowList script was inspired by
a reader wanting to bring lost (off-screen) windows back in view. This
script makes a dropdown menu of all the open windows (CTRL+WIN+L to
activate after load). The list is filtered to avoid Windows system
windows. When a window is selected from the menu, it is activated and
positioned on top near the upper left-hand corner of the screen.
(Download
Index)
• WindowMove.ahk
included in the e-book Digging
Deeper Into AutoHotkey.
The WindowMove script is a demonstration app
similar to Aero Snap. After activating the Hotkey combination
CTRL+WIN+M, the script creates a
GUI
dropdown list of moving and sizing
options for the last active window. It only moves and resizes that last
active window. To move another window, activate that window and press
the CTRL+WIN+M Hotkey combination again.
For secret Hotkeys which hide and restore the Windows Taskbar, see the
block commented Hotkeys at the end of the file. To test these Hotkeys
remove the block comment marks (/* and */). Be careful! If you forget
how to restore the Taskbar, you might find yourself operating blind (no
Taskbar). For more information, see "Chapter Seven: The Disappearing
Taskbar Trick" in the book Digging Deeper Into
AutoHotkey.
New AutoHotkey Version 2.0
example script: WindowMove.ahk2
(Download
Index)
• WindowProbe.zip
I
put together this quick tool I call WindowProbe.ahk
for
capturing some of the same AutoHotkey information displayed by
Window Spy, but in a different format. WindowProbe
uses a tooltip help pop-up to display vital information as you move the
mouse cursor around the screen (as shown at right).
The Hotkey combination CRL+ +T
(^#T) toggles the tooltip message on and off. Since you may want to
capture this information for use in an AutoHotkey script, the CTRL+F12
key combination saves the codes in the Windows Clipboard. After
capturing in the Clipboard, it can be pasted into any text document or
file in this format:
Unique ID: ahk_id 0x1b051c< Title: WindowProbe.ahk - Notepad Class: ahk_class Notepad Control: Edit1 Active Control: Edit1
(Download
Index)
• WindowRollup.zip
(WindowRollup.ahk)
included in
the chapter on "Stealing
AutoHotkey Scripts" in the e-book AutoHotkey
Tricks You Ought To Do With Windows.
The
WindowRollup script is designed to
semi-minimize active windows making it easier to see what's behind them
and quickly access running programs on the Windows Desktop. The
difference with this WindowRollup app from the
previous HideWindow script is that rather than
hiding or minimizing an open window, it reduces the window size to the
title bar (or close to it)—making it possible to keep a good number of
active windows on the Desktop without them interfering with each other.
The app works as a toggle using the CTRL+Z Hotkey combination. (I
changed the Hotkey from the original +Z
because I was using +Z for my QuickLinks
menu app. I discuss how to make this change in the Hotkeys in the
chapter "A Beginner's Guide to Stealing AutoHotkey Apps." I note that
you may not want to use
CTRL+Z for the Hotkey combination, since it is also the Undo Hotkey in
many programs. This app will block other CTRL+Z functions. It's easy to
change the Hotkey to something else by following the same steps in the
e-book. The app called "Window Shading" was written by
Rajak and the source is available through the AutoHotkey
Scripts Showcase site.
(Download
Index)
• WinToolTipToggle.zip
contains WinToolTipToggle.ahk
and WinToolTipToggle.exe
included in the AutoHotkey
Applications
e-book.
The WinToolTipToggle script is a demonstration of
AutoHotkey changing a Windows Registry entry. In this case, the script
toggles Windows Tooltips, the little labels that appear when you hover
the mouse over a filename or icon. The option appears in a message
window when the script is loaded.
More AutoHotkey Script Snippets
The scripts posted on the the ComputorEdge AutoHotkey download site are
not all of the snippets I've
published. Many only appear in the the e-books. For an extensive
review of the more
involved AutoHotkey scripts shown here see the e-book, AutoHotkey
Applications.
* * *
Get this AutoHotkey overview
e-book, AutoHotkey
Tricks You Ought to Do with Windows!
* * *
The third
edition with more chapters,
tips
and an index to the AutoHotkey commands found in the book is available
in e-book format from Amazon (and other formats—EPUB and PDF— at the
ComputorEdgeBooks Web site linked below). Jack's A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey, Absolutely the Best
Free Windows Utility Software Ever!: Create Power Tools for Windows XP,
Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (preferred, EPUB format for iPad,
Android, and computers; MOBI for Amazon Kindle; and PDF for printing)
offers a gentle approach to learning AutoHotkey. (Also available from Amazon for
the Kindle and Kindle software on other devices.)
Building Power Tools for
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8, AutoHotkey is the
most powerful, flexible, free Windows utility software available.
Anyone can instantly add more of the functions that they want in all of
their Windows programs, whether installed on their computer or while
working on the Web. AutoHotkey has a universality not found in any
other Windows utility—free or paid.
Originally based upon the
series of
articles in ComputorEdge, Jack takes you through his learning
experience as he explores writing simple AutoHotkey scripts for adding
repetitive text in any program or on the Web, running programs with
special Hotkeys or gadgets, manipulating the size and screen location
of windows, making any window always-on-top, copying and moving files,
and much more. Each chapter builds on the previous chapters.
For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of A Beginner's
Guide to AutoHotkey click here!
For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper
for inclusion in a standard notebook of A Beginner's Guide to
AutoHotkey click here!
(Get
the Spanish language version of A
Beginner’s Guide to AutoHotkey—Guía Básica de AutoHotkey—from Amazon.)
* * *
Jack's second
AutoHotkey book, Digging Deeper Into AutoHotkey (preferred, EPUB format for iPad,
Android, and computers; MOBI for Amazon Kindle; and PDF for printing)
is comprised of updated, reorganized and indexed columns from ComputorEdge is now available. Since the columns
were not all written in a linear fashion, the book has been reorganized
and broken up into parts by topic. The book is not for the complete
beginner since it builds on the information in A Beginner's Guide to AutoHotkey. However, if a person is reasonably
computer literate, they could go directly to this book for ideas and
techniques without the first book. (Also available from Amazon for
the Kindle and Kindle software on other devices.)
For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of Digging
Deeper into AutoHotkey click here!
For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper
for inclusion in a standard notebook of Digging Deeper into AutoHotkey
click here!
* * *
Jack's third
AutoHotkey book AutoHotkey Applications (preferred, EPUB format for iPad,
Android, and computers; MOBI for Amazon Kindle; and PDF for printing)
is an intermediate level book of ideas and applications based primarily
on the AutoHotkey GUI command. The book emphasizes practical
applications. The book is not for the complete beginner since it builds
on the information in the other two books. However, if a person is
reasonably computer literate, they could go directly to this book for
ideas and techniques without the other books. There is an extensive
index to the ideas and techniques covered in the back of the book.
(Also available from Amazon for
the Kindle and Kindle software on other devices.)
For an EPUB (iPad, NOOK, etc.) version of AutoHotkey
Applications click here!
For a PDF version for printing on letter size paper
for inclusion in a standard notebook of AutoHotkey Applications click
here!
* * *

As a convenience for people who
don’t want to dig through the Web for individual tips, but would like
to learn some cool AutoHotkey Hotstring tricks, the e-book
Beginning AutoHotkey Hotstrings is now available on the ComputorEdge E-Books site and through Amazon.
If e-books are not your thing, then it might be worth your time to
peruse some of the blogs included in this book and linked at “Beginning AutoHotkey Hotstring Techniques” found
under the “AutoHotkey Topics and Series” tab in the top menu bar. They
just might inspire your next AutoHotkey script.
Beginning
Hotstrings
explores the potential of the basic AutoHotkey Hotstring option and how
they can aid anyone who uses word processors, text editors, or Web
input fields on Windows computers. It's surprising how this one small
area of AutoHotkey can add power to your computer through Hotstring
menus and the enigmatic Input commmand.
* * *
This
Beginner's Guide to
Using Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey
is not a beginning level AutoHotkey book, but an introduction to using
Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey (or most other programming
languages). To get the most from this book you should already have a
basic understanding of AutoHotkey (or another programming language).
Regular Expressions (RegEx) are a powerful way to search and alter
documents without the limitations of most of the standard matching
functions. At first, the use of RegEx can be confusing and mysterious.
This book clears up the confusion with easy analogies for understanding
how RegEx works and examples of practical AutoHotkey applications.
"Regular Expressions in AutoHotkey" will take you to the next level in
AutoHotkey scripting while adding more flexibility and power to your
Windows apps. (This book is also available
at Amazon.com) |