_Hotkey() --> Hotkeyset() abbreviation with error checking.

[Exit]

Hotkeyset() without error checking is very common. Even help file examples omit it sometimes.
I've written code to set, check and process  hotkeys in one function.
See this example:

_HotKey("{ESC}") ; hotkey to exit script.
_HotKey("{F1}") ; hotkey to show AutoIt help.
_HotKey("{F2}") ; hotkey with missing CASE code.
_HotKey("#") ; invalid hotkey
_HotKey("{F12}") ; F12 is reserved to the system.

While Sleep(100) ; here should be your application.
WEnd ; meanwhile, here is a dummy loop.

Func _HotKey($hotkey = "")
    Switch @HotKeyPressed
        Case "{ESC}"
            Exit MsgBox(64 + 262144, Default, "Exit", 1)
        Case "{F1}"
            ShellExecute("http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions/HotKeySet.htm")
        Case Else
            If Not IsDeclared("hotkey") Then Return MsgBox(16 + 262144, Default, "No CASE statement defined for hotkey " & @HotKeyPressed)
            If HotKeySet($hotkey, "_Hotkey") = 0 Then Return MsgBox(16 + 262144, Default, "Hotkey " & $hotkey & " invalid or set by another application.")
    EndSwitch
EndFunc   ;==>_HotKey

For ease of use, I've written an abbreviation script:

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#include <StringConstants.au3>
#include <MsgBoxConstants.au3>
While Sleep(100)
    If Not WinClose("[REGEXPTITLE:au3UserAbbrev.properties|au3.keywords.user.abbreviations.properties]") Then ExitLoop
WEnd
ShellExecute("NotePad.exe", @LocalAppDataDir & "\AutoIt v3\SciTE\au3UserAbbrev.properties", "", "", @SW_SHOW)
ShellExecute("NotePad.exe", @LocalAppDataDir & "\AutoIt v3\SciTE\au3.keywords.user.abbreviations.properties", "", "", @SW_SHOW)
$WinHandle1 = (WinWait("[REGEXPTITLE:au3UserAbbrev.properties]", "", 5) ? (WinActivate("[LAST]") ? WinWaitActive("[LAST]") : 0) : SetError(1, 0, 0))
$WinHandle2 = (WinWait("[REGEXPTITLE:au3.keywords.user.abbreviations.properties]", "", 5) ? (WinActivate("[LAST]") ? WinWaitActive("[LAST]") : 0) : SetError(1, 0, 0))
$Text1 = ControlGetText($WinHandle1, "", "Edit1")
$Text2 = ControlGetText($WinHandle2, "", "Edit1")
$Abbrev = @CRLF & 'hk=\n' & _
        '_HotKey("{ESC}")\n' & _
        '_HotKey("{|}")\n' & _
        'Func _HotKey($hotkey = "")\n' & _
        '   Switch @HotKeyPressed\n' & _
        '       Case "{ESC}"\n' & _
        '           Exit MsgBox(64 + 262144, Default, "Exit", 1)\n' & _
        '       Case "{???}"\n' & _
        '           Beep()\n' & _
        '       Case Else\n' & _
        '           If Not IsDeclared("hotkey") Then Return MsgBox(16 + 262144, Default, "No CASE statement defined for hotkey " & @HotKeyPressed)\n' & _
        '           If HotKeySet($hotkey, "_Hotkey") = 0 Then Return MsgBox(16 + 262144, Default, "Hotkey " & $hotkey & " invalid or set by another application.")\n' & _
        '   EndSwitch\n' & _
        'EndFunc   ;==>_HotKey\n\n' & _
        'While Sleep(100)     ; here should be your application.\n' & _
        'WEnd                 ; meanwhile, here is a dummy loop.\n' & _
        '\n' & @CRLF & @CRLF

If Not (StringInStr($Text1, $Abbrev)) Then
    $Text1 = StringStripWS($Text1, $STR_STRIPTRAILING)
    ControlSetText($WinHandle1, "", "Edit1", $Text1 & @CRLF & $Abbrev & @CRLF)
    ControlSend($WinHandle1, "", "", "^s")
EndIf
If Not (StringInStr($Text2, " hk ")) Then
    $Text2 = StringStripWS($Text2, $STR_STRIPTRAILING)
    ControlSetText($WinHandle2, "", "Edit1", $Text2 & " hk ")
    ControlSend($WinHandle2, "", "", "^s")
EndIf
$aPos = WinGetPos($WinHandle1)
WinActivate($WinHandle1)
WinMove($WinHandle1, "", $aPos[0], $aPos[1] + 100)
MsgBox($MB_ICONINFORMATION + $MB_TOPMOST, " ", "Abbreviation  ""hk ""  is installed. ", 0)
WinMove($WinHandle1, "", $aPos[0], $aPos[1])
WinClose($WinHandle1)
WinClose($WinHandle2)

Just run this script and restart the SciTE editor.

Enter "hk " (without quotes). Please note the blank after hk .

A skeleton code appears with the cursor at the convenient location.
Enter your hotkey code and place a corresponding case statement some lines below.

Enjoy.

[careca]

Good job!