43 replies to this topic

[Frankie]

If you have ideas for tutorials please suggest them here. I'll try to maintain a list of all request posts here.

In your request include:


An example realistic, but somewhat simple, scenario
Topics that should be covered, commands used, and other restrictions
Any code, links, or other research that will aid in making the tutorial

I do video tutorials, so I'll look here when I have the time to make one.

Thanks for the help,
Frankie
aboutscript youtube channel

Requests so far:

Silent Installs (Run installer in hidden mode)
Running command-line programs (MySQL)
Working with CSV/Excel
How to use DLL calls to Windows API
How to use ActiveX with AHK_L
ControlClick
AutoHotkey_Dll (MultiThreading)

Completed Requests:

Getting data from internet
GDI+ Basics
Objects
Debugging a script

[ironcates]

Hey Frankie,

Thanks for doing these. It's a big help.

One thing I've been working on is a macro to write a fraction in Microsoft word using the equation editor quickly. It doesn't always work (especially the first try) and I'm wondering if it's possible to make it work more effective. It also has trouble when I use operators for the values in the fraction like "(x+4)". It's in Word 2010 so you may not be able to use the same code. I use a Click in there because I couldn't find a way to pick the Fraction Button in Word with a keystroke. I'm sure there's probably many other improvements you could make on my code.

#IfWinExist ahk_class OpusApp
^q::  							; hotkey makes it easy to write a fraction in Word 2010
Gui, 26:Add, Text,, Top Expression
Gui, 26:Add, Edit, vTopExpression
Gui, 26:Add, Text,, Bottom Expression
Gui, 26:Add, Edit, vBottomExpression
Gui, 26:Add, Button, gButtonPressed5, OK
Gui, 26:Show
Sleepvar := 100
return


ButtonPressed5:
Gui, Submit
SendInput, {Alt}
Sleep %Sleepvar%
Sendinput, n
sleep %Sleepvar%
Sendinput, e
sleep %Sleepvar%
sendinput, i
sleep %Sleepvar%
Click 815, 95
Sleep %Sleepvar%
SendInput, {Tab}
Sleep %Sleepvar%
SendInput, {Enter}
Sleep %Sleepvar%
SendInput, {Left}
Sleep %Sleepvar%
SendInput, {Up}
Sleep %Sleepvar%
Send, %TopExpression%
Sleep %Sleepvar%
SendInput, {Down}
Sleep %Sleepvar%
Send, %BottomExpression%
Sleep %Sleepvar%
SendInput, {Right 10}
Gui, Destroy
return
#IfWinExist

[vahju]

I would like to see some basic, intermediate, and advance examples of creating a gui by using just notepad and or with some of the tools coders have posted in this form. Maybe take a concept from basic stage (displaying and accepting data) and have it morph into something cool.

Another tutorial would be to explain objects. I am struggling with the concept and think if we had some newb tutorials and examples it would help.

Lastly how to affect Internet Explorer with ahk. I work with a few web apps at work that must be run in IE and have a lot of repetitive typing, mouse movement, and clicking.

[Frankie]

Hi vahju,

I've made some tutorials about similar topics to your requests, could you specify what still needs to be covered?

I would like to see some basic, intermediate, and advance examples of creating a gui by using just notepad and or with some of the tools coders have posted in this form. Maybe take a concept from basic stage (displaying and accepting data) and have it morph into something cool.

I have two GUI tutorials so far. The first one is from the 'core' AutoHotkey tutorials.
- <!-- m --><!-- m -->

The second is a intermediate tutorials with gLables and other fun stuff.
- <!-- m --><!-- m -->

What do you mean by "creating a gui by using just notepad and or with some of the tools coders have posted in this form"?

Another tutorial would be to explain objects. I am struggling with the concept and think if we had some newb tutorials and examples it would help.

I think I'll do something like that soon

Lastly how to affect Internet Explorer with ahk. I work with a few web apps at work that must be run in IE and have a lot of repetitive typing, mouse movement, and clicking.

I have a three-part COM with IE series. What could I add?
- <!-- m -->http://youtu.be/lr4AVCS6y0g<!-- m -->
- <!-- m -->http://youtu.be/9uoh6cPyJi8<!-- m -->
- <!-- m -->http://youtu.be/daU4SPgZ404<!-- m -->

Thanks a lot,
Frankie

[abeonis]

Hi Frankie,

We were in contact on your blog and I follow your YouTube channel regularly.
Since then, I have made good progress learning AHK_L with the help of the examples we can find here and the wonderful responsiveness of the AHK community answering actively when I need help.

However, in order to go where I want to be, I´ll need to start learning very soon 3 topics that seem extremely abstract to me especially when reading some of the related posts here (I am not a developer). So, ordered in function of my priorities:

1. How to connect an AHK_L script to a dabase (MySQL?)
2. How to use ActiveX with AHK_L
3. How to use DLL calls to Windows API

I am afraid that self learning, in my case, will not be enough or very time consuming. So ... hope you are interested in creating a step by step guide

Thanks anyway for your tutorials so far.

[Frankie]

Another tutorial would be to explain objects. I am struggling with the concept and think if we had some newb tutorials and examples it would help.

So, I made a video about objects. I just need to make a follow-up about using classes. It probably won't be a slideshow, but rather a video tutorial showing how to create Apple objects and interact with them.

1. How to connect an AHK_L script to a dabase (MySQL?)

I've never tried anything like that. I think you could create a GUI to control a MySQL database, and have it run queries via the command line. I might make a video about that.

2. How to use ActiveX with AHK_L

Can you give an example? The only thing I can think of is embeding a Internet Explorer control in a GUI. Anything else?

3. How to use DLL calls to Windows API

That sounds do-able. Another channel has two tutorials about DLL calls (part one and two).

[abeonis]

Frankie,

I want to write a tool that collects, through multiple forms (AHK), a lot of information to realize the diagnostic of small businesses. Part of this information comes from the web (go to different sites, extract data with ActiveX), other data from csv files generated by other tools or simply from MS Excel. All this information is put in a database, one per customer (Monthly average of 10 active customers). The Tool produces the diagnostic report (MS Word + Excel)

At this stage, the tool knows business current situation. Business owner plays with the tool, do what if scenarios, defines his/her business objectives: The tool knows where he/she wants to go.

The database contains as well 500 different possible actions in different areas (Pre-Sales, Sales, Post Sales).

Then, to show the way, the tool extract their data from the database, analyze it, and identifies possible actions from the DB. The tool creates a 3 months action plan (MS Word + Excel).

The DB keeps track of key performance indicators generated weekly or monthly. The tool show the difference between forecasted situation and actual situation and finally fine tune the action plan accordingly.

[Frankie]

At this stage, the tool knows business current situation. Business owner plays with the tool, do what if scenarios, defines his/her business objectives: The tool knows where he/she wants to go.

This sounds a little out of scope of tutorials, and to be honest, past anything I could do in thousands of hours of work. Things like working with CSV files, getting information off the internet, and running command line applications are bite-sized actions, and all things I could do over a period of tutorials. The examples probably won't be exactly what you're doing, but rather something more general, so that everyone can benefit from them.

Thanks for the ideas, please keep them coming.

[abeonis]

Hey Frankie, take it easy, I don´t ask you to write the code for me or become a business strategist. :lol: I Just wanted to give you the TOP picture.

From there, we can identify some tasks where your help is welcome to provide examples.

Case1:
1. Install a light SQL and connect it to AHK_L
2. Create a GUI with edit controls to enter the name of the company, name of the owner, last year revenues, etc.
3. Extract data from the GUI (text)
4. Create a company profile in the DB with this information
5. Be able to retrieve this info from the DB and fill in again the GUI fields.

Case2:
I create a big amount of txt files with my current script. Instead of putting them in a directory, the script should be able to put file contents in the DB and retrieve them on demand.

Case3:
Instead of asking "Have you done this? Y/N"
ask "To which extent have you done this?" and let the people answer with a nice slider from 0% to 100%

Case4:
Ask for some keywords in a GUI,
Connect automatically to Google Keyword Analysis tool,
Do a search for this keywords, (How to fill in Keyword tool field? How to ask to run the analysis?
Create the CSV file (Keyword tool button)
Put the CSV file into Excel and do some filtering/sorting (How to run Standard excel commands?)

Case5:
My program will work in english, french and spanish (msgbox text, windows title, forms, etc.) . How to manage this? I heard some rumors about .mo and .po files or simply using .ini file? how we write our scripts to control everything? Any available example?

etc.

I bet my shirt that a lot of people, not anymore beginners but not yet advanced users like me, need these kind of skills

Need more cases?

[Frankie]

abeonis, I took some of the ideas from your request and added them to the list. I just made them a bit more generalized so they would help others as well. Thanks for the help.

Great video!

I am curious about making AutoHotKey calls to function like ImageSearch, and then to get the values from that call (ex: ErrorLevel1, ErrorLevel2 and the FoundX and FoundY integers if the image was found).

You mention in the video you have some experience with this, and some of the caveats to this and said you were to do another video with this - did you ever make this video and if so can you link it? If not, can you share where to reference how to get these values? Thanks.

This was a YouTube comment, that I'm re-posting here for convenience.

[capbat]

Hi All
I guess for starter some examples (better ones that are sometimes included in the documentation)
on Gui All Controls example Text, Tab, Buttons, etc etc.

Tks.

Bat

[vahju]

Sorry for not responding sooner Frankie but been busy.

Similar to what capbat mentioned about tab controls in addition would like to get some directions on how to place controls on GUIs. Where you have some text then a field for input or selection. You might have several rows of these types of text and input fields on one tab and different set of controls on another. I read in the documentation about rows and columns and using the ys parameter and I am slowly working through that.

Below is just an example but not something I would actually use.
Tab 1 asks for info
First name: editfield
Last name: editfield
City: dropdownlist
State: dropdownlist
button to save
Tab 2 asks for more info
Phone number: edifield
Address: editfield
Favorite color: dropdownlist
button to save

I am not good at making GUIs so any videos would be appreciated. I know there are some fan made tools out there so if there is one you recommend or maybe use over others maybe show how to create the GUI using that as well.