Kindergarten-level help needed...

[SQLDave]

Quick background: I was recently forced to switch from AutoHotKey to AutoIT. After an initial once-over, it looks like the coding/scripting in AutoIT is more robust and intuitive, so I'm actually looking forward to it. I'm a 35-year IT veteran, mostly in development areas, so the coding/scripting arena is no big deal. 

What I can't yet seem to grasp is... how to "start". Specifically, how to replicate the setup I had in AutoHotKey: I had an AHK script file of hotkey definitions. That file would run at Windows startup, so that no matter what app I was in, if I needed to "type" a given string, I simply hit the hotkey as defined in that script. ("F11" is my user ID because our apps have very short timeouts so I am constantly having to re-enter it).

Simple, right? Well, if someone can fill in the missing info for me, I'll be glad to accept a figurative dope-slap (I might even administer it to myself). (HotKeySet() seems to be a key player in what I want to do, but that's as far as I've gotten)

 

Thanks!

 

[Melba23]

SQLDave,

Welcome to the AutoIt forum.

You are correct that HotKeySet is what you need, so something like this should work:

; Set the HotKeys
HotKeySet("{F11}", "_MyID") ; You need to assign a function to the HotKey
HotKeySet("{ESC}", "_Exit") ; You need some way to get out!

; Now run an infinite loop to keep the script alive
While 1
    Sleep(10) ; Needed to stop the script from frying the CPU
WEnd

Func _MyID()
    Send("my user ID") ; This will be entered at the cursor position
EndFunc

Func _Exit()
    Exit
EndFunc

As to moving over to AutoIt (why did you have to change anyway?), reading the Help file (at least the first few sections - Using AutoIt, Tutorials and the first couple of References) will help you enormously.  You should also look at this excellent tutorial - you will find other tutorials in the Wiki (the link is at the top of the page).

Have fun - you know where we are if you need help.

M23

 

[SQLDave]

Melba (love your toast, by the way),

Thanks for the quick response. I was "afraid" that might be your answer. So, basically, my computer is going to be running that infinite loop all the time? That seems.... I dunno... messy... primitive... not sure what word to use.  The example I saw in the Help area use Sleep(100), but I guess it depends on how responsive I need AutoIT to be , maybe?

I had to abandon AutoHotKey due to corporate rules, and AutoIT was the "approved" macro application.

[Melba23]

SQLDave,

Surely AHK must use a similar ploy to keep a script alive? For interest, I have several AutoIt scripts which run permanently using a Sleep(10) loop and my machine does not seem unduly slowed.

And are you referring to my Toast UDF or just joking?

M23

[InunoTaishou]

I think he meant this. It's some pretty good toast lol

Edited April 3, 2017 by InunoTaishou

[Jfish]

@Melba23 - maybe time to rename that UDF.  May I suggest "MelbaToast,au3"?    I have seen your Toast.udf a million times - but all those potential sound bytes were hiding in plain sight.  I apologize if that is only amusing to me ... on cold meds at the moment.   

[mLipok]

This is indeed "an interesting" convergence coincidence..
But you know what ? 
As so far I have never seen Melba Snacks.au3 UDF

 

Edited April 4, 2017 by mLipok