AutoHotkey Tricks You Ought To Do With Windows

by Jack Dunning

Overview

Use AutoHotkey software to automate your Windows PC. It's Free!

If You Do Nothing Else with Autohotkey, These Tips Are a Must for Windows Computers

For Windows PCs, AutoHotkey is the most powerful, flexible, free 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.

Find in "AutoHotkey Tricks" a number of simple Windows scripting techniques that anyone can use to instantly improve their Windows experience. Plus, if you're looking for more AutoHotkey information, the Table of Contents and Indexes for Jack's other AutoHotkey books are included in this free book.

Chapter One: Add Tailored Signatures to All E-mail and Documents
“If you do nothing else, use AutoHotkey to put your signature in every document, blog, and e-mail.”
Add your formatted signature (with e-mail and Web site) to any document, Web page response, or e-mail with easy one-line AutoHotkey scripts. Plus, instantly enter your e-mail address anywhere (no matter how long it is).

Chapter Two: Use AutoHotkey to Instantly Insert Your E-Mail Address into Web Forms
“If you do nothing else, shorten your e-mail address to a simple hotkey or hotstring.”
It can be a pain to type long, convoluted e-mail addresses. Use AutoHotkey to instantly add yours and maybe your password too.

Chapter Three: Use AutoHotkey to Instantly Turn Hard-to-Type Jargon into Hotstrings
“If you do nothing else, use AutoHotkey to instantly turn hard-to-type jargon into hotstrings.”
Most people use specialized vocabulary in their occupation. Use short hotstrings to add those terms to any document easy without spelling or type hassles.

Chapter Four: Adding Currencies, Special Symbols, and Fractions
“If you do nothing else, use AutoHotkey to add the special characters you want to your keyboard.”
While there are other ways to add foreign currency symbols and special characters to your documents, files, and Web edits, nothing is easier than AutoHotkey.

Chapter Five: Searching Web Sites Made Easy
“Make searching your favorite Web site easy with AutoHotkey.”
Anyone can put this simple AutoHotkey script to good use for quickly searching their favorite Web site.

Chapter Six: Hotkeys to Save Right-clicks
“Using the same right-click menu repeatedly? Protect from Carpal Tunnel with this AutoHotkey tip.”
If you have a right-click menu that you use over and over again, then you can save time and repetitive finger actions by setting up an AutoHotkey hotkey to get the job done.

Chapter Seven: Quickly Open Favorite Folders
“If you do nothing else, use AutoHotkey to quickly open your most used folders in Windows Explorer.”
This is a cool trick. Do you find that you are opening the same Windows folders innumerable times during the day? Set up a hotkey combination with AutoHotkey to instantly open each of those most used favorites. Plus, you can put those key actions in a quick pop-up menu.

Chapter Eight: Using Extra Mouse Buttons and the Wasted Insert Key
“If you do nothing else, use AutoHotkey to power extra mouse buttons and vestigial keys like insert.”
Tips on how to use AutoHotkey to take advantage of extra mouse buttons, and the annoying Insert and CapsLock keys, plus, for the hardcore AutoHotkey user, a more advanced technique for adding color to AutoHotkey ListView rows.

Chapter Nine: A Beginner's Guide to Stealing AutoHotkey Apps
“There are hundreds of free AutoHotkey apps available for the taking.”
You don't need to know very much about AutoHotkey to take advantage of the many free scripts available for a wide variety of uses on your Windows computer.

Chapter Ten: AutoHotkey Versus AutoIt
“Choosing a Windows scripting program for automating your computer activities.”
Both scripting languages are from the same roots, but which one is right for you?

Product Details

BN ID:	2940154142479
Publisher:	Jack Dunning
Publication date:	04/22/2017
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

May 15, 2016 Four years ago I wrote my first AutoHotkey article as part of a Windows column for ComputorEdge Magazine. I was first introduced to AutoHotkey by a ComputorEdge reader. The more I dug into the scripting language, the more I realized how much it could help almost any Windows user with very little effort. My path became one of studying the online AutoHotkey documentation, searching AutoHotkey forums for ideas and techniques, testing various ways to write the code, then chronicling my insights in what eventually became a number of (mostly) beginning books. I’m not a professional programmer, although I have written applications for running a Web site and converting those Web pages to e-books. Therefore, my books do not come from the point of view of an expert, but rather someone who’s learning how to write an AutoHotkey script from scratch. That means I ran into the same missteps and foibles in those columns that many beginners tend to encounter. As I learn what seem to be best practices, I pass them on—although it’s taken years to reach some of those inflection points. At times, I look back and wonder what I would have written if I knew then what I know now. There is a tremendous temptation to go back and reexamine my previous efforts in an attempt to add my latest epiphanies. While I have added many tips, the problem with that idea is the introduction of some of my recent insights—rather than clarifying—would probably cause more confusion for the noobie. They tend to be more advanced techniques. There are a number of mostly beginner AutoHotkey pages available through ComputorEdge.com. I will continue to add to those pages and update them. One of the most important is “Free AutoHotkey Scripts and Apps for Learning Script Writing and Generating Ideas” which doubles as the AutoHotkey scripts download page. This is a collection of free AutoHotkey scripts I’ve made available to any AutoHotkey user. The scripts can be downloaded at the ComputorEdge download site. I wrote most of these short script and have included descriptions and how-tos in my AutoHotkey e-books which are available at both ComputorEdge E-Books.