Help in AutoIt v3.3.14.2

[Libo]

I have just installed  AutoIt v3.3.14.2 and the complete SciTE editor. In SciTE editor, I click "Help" then "Help F1": nothing turns up. If I click "Help" and then "SciTE Help", I get an "incomplete" help list. For example, there is no "Tutorial" or things like _IE..... 

I watched some AutoIt tutorials in Youtube, they used older versions of AutoIt, for example, v3.3.8. 

Anyone knows how do I get "help" in SciTE?

Actually, I am trying to find out how to open a file and read the data in the file. How do I do these?

Many thanks!

Libo

[alien4u]

AutoIt Help does not open if you don't save the current SciTE4 you are working on.
For example you open SciTE Script Editor and start a new script, write anything and save that script, once is saved then you can open the Help.

Look like a "bug" on the Editor.

Another way is to manually open it from the Start Menu you will have a Shortcut to: "C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\AutoIt.chm" This is the Help File.

You should look for FileRead()

Happy Coding.

Kind Regards
Alien

[JohnOne]

you need scite4autoit

[Jos]

5 minutes ago, alien4u said:

Look like a "bug" on the Editor.

Why would you think this? SciTE is a generic editor for multiple languages, so it requires a filename with an extension to determine which Lexer and commands to load. The F1/Help is one of those commands which is language specific, hence you need to save the file first one time to give it the correct file extension.

Jos 

[Jos]

7 minutes ago, JohnOne said:

you need scite4autoit

Assume you mean the Full SciTE4AutoIt3 installer with that statement? 
F1/help will also work in the lite version that comes with the AutoIt3 installer.

Jos

[alien4u]

Hi @Jos sorry, my bad I did not see it in that way you are right.

Anyways could be nice to make SciTE have a configuration check box on instalation maybe? So users and mostly newcomers could specify that they will only use AutoIt?

I mean to make F1 work even if you don't save anything, for newcomers is kind of frustrating if they press F1 and nothing happen.

Kind Regards
Alien.

[Jos]

I've already made the AU3lexer the default lexer, but there is no option in SciTE to default to an Extension and thus loading the AutoIt3 defaults.
I know I did have a look at this in the past and didn't find any option in the properties files to configure this.
Also am trying not to make too many changes other than really necessary to the main SciTE source code maintained by Neil Hodgson, to make the version upgrade process reasonable clean.

EDIT: It also doesn't make sense not to save the file first or else most commands won't do anything as they require a input source file like Tidy/Au3check/au3stripper/Run  etc.

Jos

Edited April 6, 2016 by Jos

[kcvinu]

@Jos, 

I have felt so many times that scite needs atleast these two features

1. To run a script without saving it.

         Reasons

        a.  When somebody asks a help in this forum with some code and you want to help them. But you                       need to run the code once to know what is the result. 

         b. When you browsing through the forum, you will see a code snippet and you want to learn what                    that code does. But you need to run the code once to know what is the result. But saving is a                        time consuming task

2. If the first feature is available, then one might need the help file when he\ she run the code without                saving it.

Note : This is just my wish. If it is not possible  or it will cause a huge developing time, then please forgive me and ignore this post.

 

Edited April 6, 2016 by kcvinu

[AutoBert]

You don't need to run the code, after saving you can click F1 and you get help for selected function (where Input Cursor over)

[Jos]

13 minutes ago, kcvinu said:

@Jos, 

I have felt so many times that scite needs atleast these two features

Nice that you would like these features, but then you also have to explain how they would work without first saving the source to a file?
p.s. the Help function I could Imagine to work when I really want to make that happen, but all other commands that require shelling a program?

Jos 

[alien4u]

Hi @kcvinu I hope you got @Jos point because he is right you always need to save in order to be able to run something.

The fact is if there is an Editor who allow you to run without save is just a trick, the Editor will eventually save to a temporal file and then run.
SciTE could read what is wrote on the window without saving it to a file but in the exactly moment you try to run that code the temporal file will come or will be needed so is the same if you save it first and is also better because that make you SAVE your work or code.

Kind Regards
Alien.

[kcvinu]

@alien4u , If that is a trick, then i  just wish that trick in scite too. Because, it is very very helpful.

 

[alien4u]

1 hour ago, kcvinu said:

@alien4u , If that is a trick, then i  just wish that trick in scite too. Because, it is very very helpful.

 

But this trick could arise another problems like no proper way to work with @Scriptdir for example and maybe other I dont think or realize right now.

Kind Regards
Alien.

[BrewManNH]

It's not helpful, because it's not actually doing what you suggested.

It's saving the file, then running the temporary file, how is that any different than just saving the file and running it from the editor, other than the fact it's using a temporary file?

What I do is use a throwaway file for all my snippet tests, this way I always have a file name to open and insert the code into, and it always saves to the same file. This way I don't have to create a new file every time.

[kcvinu]

I think a default saving location and auto incremented numerical file names will do the job. This is the scenario

1. You can choose a new temp script from file menu.

2. That script file automatically saved in a pre defined folder with a pre defined file name like this "Temp_File_##_dd_mm_yyyy"

So we can easily test a snippet without go for a file save. 

Edited April 6, 2016 by kcvinu

[Jos]

Somehow this feels very cluegy or is it just me?
Ctrl+S is way easier and no need to do a saveas later.

Jos

[kcvinu]

No - It's a difficult task. Ctrl + S will open a save window. I then need to choose a folder. Then i need to type the file name. But a default folder and auto file name will make life easier

 

[Jos]

You have to eventually anyway when you want to give the script its final name&location, so what is the difference?

by the way: the default folder when you press new file, is the folder of the current file.

Jos

Edited April 6, 2016 by Jos

[kcvinu]

Sometimes i will read files from include directory for learning new stuff. For that i  will open Include dir and double click on any file. It will open the Scite window. So the next new file's location will be Include dir. But i don't  have any permission to save in that dir. So i need to choose another one. 

[Jos]

3 minutes ago, kcvinu said:

Sometimes

This kind of sums it up, doesn't it?  Your request feels very much as something that you need and not really something of greater use to many.
So, why don't you write a nice LUA function or AutoIt3script that operates SciTE through ot director interface, which does exactly what you like it to do. Then attach a shortcut to it and you are in business.

Jos

Edited April 6, 2016 by Jos