autotext / hotstrings / textexpander

[remin]

I switched almost all my scripts from autohotkey to autoit a year ago and I don't regret it

I still have an active autohotkey script with all my autotext phrases

p.e.

#If (A_ComputerName = "PCNAME")
:?*:\\me::myname@domain.com

etc

Is there a no way to switch them also to autoit?

Edited July 4, 2014 by remin

[Melba23]

remin,

I though we had already discussed this in >your post in this thread and my subsequent reply?

M23

[remin]

remin,

I though we had already discussed this in >your post in this thread and my subsequent reply?

M23

 

Hi Melba,

I was not sure if I wrote about this and couldn't find it.

Maybe we can delete this thread and go on in the other thread?

(btw I still haven't resolved this autotext thing)

Remin

[Melba23]

remin,

Now we are here let us stay here.

What problems are you having with the 2 solutions I offered in the other thread:

 

- 1. Use a variable to contain the expanded text:

; Declare the content
$sEM = "myname@domain.com"

; And use it like this
$url = $sEM & "\section\item.html"

$url will then hold myname@domain.comsectionitem.html

-2. Use the Abbrev manager in SciTE4AutoIt3 to create an abbreviation which you can expand as you type. Look under the <Help - SciTE Help - SciTE4AutoIt3 - User Abbreviations> and <Help - SciTE Help - Extra Utilities - Abbrev Manager> to learn more. If you do not have the full SciTE4AutoIt3 package I highly recommend that you download it from here - you get lots of helpful utilities to help you code in AutoIt.

M23

P.S. When you reply, please use the "Reply to this topic" button at the top of the thread or the "Reply to this topic" editor at the bottom rather than the "Quote" button - I know what I wrote and it just pads the thread unnecessarily.

[remin]

I wish all moderators in other forums were so nice as you are.

Thanks for answering.

$url will then hold myname@domain.com\section\item.html

I don't know what to do with a variable like this

What I want to do is writing p.e. "!me" which has te expand to "myname@domain.com"

Last year I installed SciTE, looked in the help file, these abbreviations are only for the SciTe editor isn't it?

[Melba23]

remin,

Gosh, thanks.

So you want to expand text in other apps? Then take a look at Manadar's HotStrings UDF.

M23

[remin]

Yes! Thank you Melba that is what I want.

Do you know if it is possible to give an argument to the function to avoid to create a function for every hostring?

p.e.

HotStringSet("\\btw", example(1))
HotStringSet("\\ty", example(2))

Func example()
    Send("{BACKSPACE "activation_stringlength"}")
    Send("By the way") ;Send argument 1
    Send("Thank you") ;Send argument 2
EndFunc

[Melba23]

remin,

I have never used the function so I cannot really comment - perhaps you would be better posting in the HotStrings thread itself.

M23

[remin]

Did so but I suppose there is no one there in the hotstring thread

Edited July 8, 2014 by remin

[Melba23]

remin,

It is Manadar's UDF - so you will have to wait until he is on-line. Just wait patiently until he pops in. Remember this is not a 24/7 support forum - those who answer are only here because they like helping others and have some time to spare. And also bear in mind that what is important to you is not necessarily so to others.

M23

[remin]

Yes I know.  I was only kidding.

I thought Manadar was on holiday

[jvanegmond]

Hi remin,

This wasn't possible. However, it is now. Please get the latest hotstring UDF from my github and try this:

#include "hotstring.au3"

HotStringSet("\\btw", "example")
HotStringSet("\\hi", "example")

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func example($hotstring)
    ConsoleWrite("example because of trigger: " & $hotstring & @CRLF)
EndFunc

Gr,

Mana

[remin]

Thanks Manadar

This works great. Now I can put all hotstrings in one function:

#include <HotString.au3>

HotStringSet("\\hi", example)
HotStringSet("\\btw", example)

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func example($hotstring)     
 local $lengte = StringLen($hotstring)  
     Send("{BACKSPACE " & $lengte & "}")
  If $hotstring = "\\hi"  then
    Send("hello")
  EndIf
  If $hotstring = "\\btw"  then
    Send("by the way")
  EndIf
EndFunc

Have you thought to add also the expanded text in HotStringSet?

Like this:

#include <HotString.au3>

Dim $arguments[2]
$arguments[0] = "hello"
$arguments[1] = "by the way"

HotStringSet("\\hi", example($arguments[0]))
HotStringSet("\\btw", example($arguments[1]))

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func example($hotstring,$arguments)     
 local $lengte = StringLen($hotstring)  
   Send("{BACKSPACE " & $lengte & "}")
   Send($arguments)
EndFunc

This makes the if/endif hotstring control unnecessary.

Edited July 16, 2014 by remin

[jvanegmond]

Nice job! I'm glad you like it.

 

The reason for doing it this way is to keep the functionality of this new feature similar to AutoIt's @HotKeyPressed macro. So when a programmer realizes HotKeySet won't be enough, he can replace HotKeySet with HotStringSet and use the first parameter of the function instead of @HotKeyPressed.

 

HotKeySet("a", "hotKeyCallback")
HotKeySet("b", "hotKeyCallback")

While 1
Sleep(500)
WEnd

Func hotKeyCallback()
Switch @HotKeyPressed
Case "a"
; Do 1
Case "b"
; Do 2
EndSwitch
EndFunc

Becomes

#include "HotStrings.au3"

HotStringSet("abc", "hotKeyCallback")
HotStringSet("def", "hotKeyCallback")

While 1
Sleep(500)
WEnd

Func hotKeyCallback($HotKeyPressed)
Switch $HotKeyPressed
Case "abc"
; Do 1
Case "def"
; Do 2
EndSwitch
EndFunc

With only minor changes.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Manadar

[remin]

This would still be possible but maybe the if/endif code is easier:

#include <HotString.au3>

Dim $arguments[2][2]
$arguments[0][0] = "\\btw"
$arguments[0][1] = "by the way"
$arguments[1][0] = "\\hi"
$arguments[1][1] = "hello"

HotStringSet("\\hi", example)
HotStringSet("\\btw", example)

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func example($hotstring)     
  local $lengte = StringLen($hotstring)  
  Send("{BACKSPACE " & $lengte & "}")

  For $i = 0 To UBound($arguments) - 1
   if $arguments[$i][0] = $hotstring then
     send($arguments[$i][1])
   endif
  Next
EndFunc

[remin]

Happy to replace now all my previous Autohotkey hotstrings to autoit

HotStringSet works great.

The only difference I noted is that the Autohotkey hotstrings expander is much faster comparing to the Autoit HotStringSet (maybe because they don't use the send command?)

and that it takes a bit more CPU during the text expanding in Autoit (5-6%), comparing to Autohotkey (0,5-1%)

But it is not a great problem.

Now I can use all my scripts in autoit.

[Melba23]

remin,

It looks as if the AHK implementation is in its core code, while HotStrings is a UDF, so it is hardly surprising that there is a speed and CPU load difference.

M23

[jvanegmond]

Ah, actually, what surprised me the most. It's not the HotString UDF that is taking up any CPU at all, but rather Send that is taking up quite a bit (which is how I assume you tested it).

A quick test I made based on remin's example is this which takes up no (0%) cpu on my machine.

 

#include <HotString.au3>

HotStringSet("\\btw", "example")
HotStringSet("\\hi", "example")

HotStringSet("exit", "_exit")

While 1
    Sleep(100)
WEnd

Func example($a)
    ConsoleWrite($a & @CRLF)
EndFunc   ;==>example

Func _exit()
    Exit
EndFunc

Edited July 16, 2014 by Manadar

[jvanegmond]

remin,

try playing with options SendKeyDelay and SendKeyDownDelay. This cut my CPU time in half and rather obviously made the typing insanely quick. Your mileage may vary.

Opt("SendKeyDelay", 0)
Opt("SendKeyDownDelay", 1)

WinActivate("Untitled - Notepad")
WinWaitActive("Untitled - Notepad")

Send("I think Halo is a pretty cool guy. Eh kills aleins and doesnt afraid of anything.")
Send("I think Halo is a pretty cool guy. Eh kills aleins and doesnt afraid of anything.")
Send("I think Halo is a pretty cool guy. Eh kills aleins and doesnt afraid of anything.")

[remin]

ConsoleWrite() doesn't seem to work on my pc.

Nothing happens.

What did I wrong?

Edited July 16, 2014 by remin