Autohotkey Is So Useful
Autohotkey is mind bogglingly useful! Autohotkey is a free, open source Windows program that lets you do simple and complicated scripting with keyboard commands. I’ve been using it since about 2001. I use it a zillion times a day. I couldn’t imagine not having it.
Some things you can do with it:
– Have a second copy-paste clipboard
– Do a “paste” and strip out the formatting
– type often used strings like addresses, phone numbers, and email signatures with just a few strokes.
– make a window on your computer to be always on top of the other windows
– start a favorite program (Chrome, Word, Calc, whatever) with a single keystroke
– Type today’s date with a single keystroke
I’ve set it up to do about 50 commands. If you want to do things on the computer faster and easier, you might want to use it too. Just download Autohotkey and put some of the scripts I have below in your setting file. There’s a bunch of ways to do that, here is a tutorial.
Here is my settings file. Just look at the first line of each script to see what it does.
^!v:: ;Ctrl-Alt-v to paste text only; the formatted version remains in clipboard
; This script replaces Puretext.exe (https://stevemiller.net/puretext/) that I used from about 2000-2018
OriginalClipboardContents = %ClipBoardAll%
ClipBoard = %ClipBoard% ; Convert to text
Send ^v
Sleep 400 ; Don't change clipboard while it is being pasted
ClipBoard := OriginalClipboardContents ; Restore original clipboard contents
OriginalClipboardContents = ; Free memory
Return
; Want a SECOND clipboard to copy-paste from? Here it is! copy = Ctrl-Alt-n paste = Ctrl-Alt-m
; copy selected text to AutohotkeyClipboard
^!n:: ;Ctrl-Alt-n copy selected text to AutohotkeyClipboard
OriginalClipboardContents = %ClipBoardAll%
Send ^c
AutohotkeyClipBoard = %ClipBoard% ; Convert to text-only
ClipBoard := OriginalClipboardContents ; Restore original clipboard contents
OriginalClipboardContents = ; Free memory
Return
; paste from AutohotkeyClipboard
^!m:: ;Ctrl-Alt-m to paste from memory
Send %AutohotkeyClipBoard%
Return
; type "..sig" and my signature appears
:o:..sig::Thanks,{enter}Lee Sonko, OTR/L{enter}Occupational Therapist
; hit ctrl-space to make the current window always on top. From http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials/keep-window-always-on-top/5213/
^SPACE:: Winset, Alwaysontop, , A
; I use this next one a zillion times a day!!
^!d:: ; Start Chrome with Ctrl-Alt-d
IfWinExist, New Tab - Google Chrome ; If there is already a blank window, bring it to front.
{
WinActivate, New Tab - Google Chrome
ControlFocus, Chrome_OmniboxView1
}
else
{
Run, chrome
; Run, "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
; WinWaitActive, New Tab - Google Chrome, , 3 ; wait for for Chrome to open
;if ErrorLevel ; if Chrome doesn't open within the timeframe, throw an error on the desktop
; {
; ; MsgBox, Chrome WinWait timed out.
; TrayTip, Autohotkey, Chrome WinWait timed out, 5
; WinActivate, New Tab - Google Chrome ; activate the chrome window
; return
; }
Loop 10 ; Let's try pulling it up 10 times (Loop 10) waiting .2 seconds (sleep 200) to check and pull it up
{
Sleep, 200 ; maybe this will help guarantee that it catches????????
; SoundPlay *-1
IfWinExist, New Tab - Google Chrome ; If there is already a blank window, bring it to front.
{
WinActivate, New Tab - Google Chrome
ControlFocus, Chrome_OmniboxView1
}
}
}
return
; I have a lot of ".." codes. Just type ".. and whatever" and the text appears.
; First example: type "..9" and my zip code appears.
:o:..9::90028
:o:..ot::occupational therapist
:o:..4::415-my-phone-number
:o:..b::Berkeley
:o:..bc::Berkeley, CA
:o:..s::San Francisco
:o:..c:: California
; This script opens my favorite text editor. If it's already open, it pulls it to the front. I use this a zillion times a day
; I made it Ctrl-Alt-e because it used to start Editpad... My fingers remember the "e" better than the "s". Change it to whatever you like.
^!e:: ; Run SublimeText++ with Ctrl-Alt-e
IfWinExist, sublime_text.exe
WinActivate
else
Run, "C:\Program Files\Sublime Text 3\sublime_text.exe"
return
; Start up my favorite calculator
^!c:: ; Run Calc with Ctrl-Alt-c
IfWinExist, Moffsoft FreeCalc
WinActivate
else
Run, "C:\Program Files (x86)\Moffsoft FreeCalc\MoffFreeCalc.exe"
return
^!t:: ; Run Truecrypt with Ctrl-Alt-t
IfWinExist, TrueCrypt
WinActivate
else
; Run, "C:\Truecrypt.tc"
Run, "C:\Truecrypt.exe"
return
^!k:: ; Open Truecrypt k: with Ctrl-Alt-k
SetTitleMatchMode, 2 ; allow partial matches for WinExist
If WinExist("K:\","Namespace Tree Control") or WinExist("&crumb=location:K%3A")
{
WinActivate
ControlFocus, DirectUIHWND1
}
else
{
Run, explorer K:\
ControlFocus, DirectUIHWND1
}
return
:o:..address::Lee Sonko{enter}1304 Albina Ave Apt 2{enter}Berkeley, CA 94706{enter}
:0:..80::123456789012345678901234567890123456 >40< 3456789012345678901234567890123456 >80{enter}
:o:..-::{enter}--------------------------------------------------{up}
:o:..=::=================================================={Right}
; Here's some old school message quoting. I don't use this often. Try "..<" when you are at the top of some text you want to do message quoting to.
:o:.<::{Home}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}>{Right 76}{ctrl left}{Enter}
; More message quoting. Try "..>" then hit enter, then type a number from 1 to 99 and hit enter again
:o:.>:: ; Perform message quoting... Give it 1-99 and it'll quote that many lines.
Input,variable,L2,{Enter}
SetKeyDelay 0
BlockInput,on
Send {Home}
Loop, %variable%
{
Send >{Right 78}{ctrldown}{left}{ctrlup}{Enter}
}
BlockInput,off
:o:.p::-------- Page Break -------------{enter}
:o:.ms::-------- Original Message -------------{enter}
:o:.me::-------- End of Original Message ------{enter}
:o:.ss::---- Start of Snippet ----{home}{down}
:o:.se::---- End of Snippet ----{enter}
; type "..d" and watch the date magically appear with a line after it
:o:..d:: ; current date
FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,, M-d-yy ; It will look like 9-1-17
SetKeyDelay 0 ; This sets the keystrokes below to be sent faster than the default.
Send %CurrentDateTime%
Send {space}{enter}--------------------------------------------------{up}
return
:o:..date:: ; This hotstring replaces "]d" with the current date and time.
FormatTime, CurrentDateTime,, M/d/yyyy h:mm tt ; It will look like 9/1/2005 3:53 PM
SetKeyDelay 0 ; This sets the keystrokes below to be sent faster than the default.
Send %CurrentDateTime%
return
