PC Menu Key Missing, but not anymore. Topic is solved

[Tusk]

Hello folks,

Not sure if this should go here: or not, seeing all the rules on the other forums: if it's wrong then please move it: ta' very muchly.

BEGIN.
Been poking around the Internet, to get the (Menu Key) back on my shiny new keyboard,
- It doesn’t have one, - never noticed when I bought it: oh’ poo-sticks.
- Now: I can use the SHIFT - F10 combination, but it’s finicky.

Google traps : { AppsKey } : {Shift-F10}

I really want to assign the (Right Alt Key) for the job.

Google traps : { RAlt }

As you might have guessed; I’ve done it with, -- RAlt::AppsKey.
-- And this is the way of a tutorial for a complete newbie, in finding AuotHotKey for the first time ever.

Looked at a lot of programs, nothing worked, nothing would assign the MENU Key on my shiny new keyboard.
Then I saw AutoHotKey mentioned.
- And an example in an article citing it, but using the useless CapsLock Key as the trigger.

As in { CapsLock::AppsKey }

So I found your site and installed the program, but nothing seemed to happen.

- Firstly APK seems to be great from what I’ve read it can do, but as I say after installing it: it does nothing?
(Is this what its supposed to do?)

I do have a working solution to my problem at the end, and don’t need help on it, or do I?

My voyage of discovery begins here …

Looked in the (directory) where the zip file put it, and saw this?



Looks cool, but running Auto(any) *.exe of them, - doesn’t seem to do anything, other than open a help file: the *.chm one above in fact.

So I looked in the Compiler (directory) and found this …



Again: cool, but what does it do?

Now, as I say: all I want to do is get the (Menu Key) back on my nice new clicky: mechanical keyboard, with its clacky cherry blue switches.

Used a Ten-key-Less one before, but now I’m on a Compact with the.

Home.
End.
PgUp.
PgDn. - keys all up the right hand side.

(Writers heaven.)
- Well it would be: if I hadn’t noticed that {Menu Key} omission.

Looked on the web again, also found your assigned keys as in … https://autohotkey.com/docs/misc/Remap.htm

Some good stuff in there, but I was no closer to making that Menu Key happen. More Internet mining and digging, and from it: I then had a working notion of what was to happen.

(Here Be Dragons.)
-- I opened Notepad, put -- RAlt::AppsKey -- in it, no quotes or dashes or anything, just that, and then saved the file as Master.ahk.

I then opened that compiler AHK2Exe.exe, and the input boxes were self explanatory, loaded up Master.ahk in one, and selected the file name I wanted in the lower one.

The compiler then produced an exe file called ( Master.exe. )

Running it, and my ( Alt - Right Key ) now pops up the ( Menu Key ).
- BUT! - It seems that you have to run the file Master.exe file every time your computer starts.

So! -- OK Guys and Girls, -- my question.
- Is this how you use AuotHotKey? - Or have I completely missed the point of it entirely, but if I have: then I have to say that it works regardless.

RGDS: - Many Happy Replies, or maybe not.

- - Told you I was a newbie, but not totally without some brains to work out a niggly little key problem.

[gregster]

Welcome to the forum!
Wow, that was a long first post. But if I understand you correctly, your script (or the compiled exe-version of it) works for you - you remapped a key successfully. That's good!
But i will try to clear a few things up.

You are right, doubleclicking of one of the autohotkey.exe's usually does nothing much (nowadays it shows the help file). That's because it is just an interpreter for ahk-files.

First, you have to write a script (a text file) in an editor and save it with an ahk-extension. If AHK is installed correctly, double-clicking this ahk-file will automatically run it (it will be interpreted by autohotkey.exe). As a default, you should see a small green 'h' icon in your system tray area while the script is running. This script can be closed by right-clicking on this icon and choosing 'exit'. That's probably the most common way to start and stop a script (without creating an exe-file). You could also create a script with a graphical interface - which is, of course, totally unnecessary for a script that simply remaps a key.

But... you can also compile (sort of) your script into an executable - with AHK2Exe. This is what you did. Nothing wrong about that, but usually not necessary. It's just another option, but it wouldn't be faster than the plain ahk-file (but... you could take the exe-file to another computer with no AHK installed and run it) and you would always have to recompile the original text file, if you had to change something in your script.

AHK scripts usually don't change anything permanently on your computer (there are exceptions like writing things to the registry, but never mind). That's why after every reboot of the computer, you will have to run your ahk- and exe-file(s) again.
But of course, you can use the old-fashioned autostart folder of your computer to do that for you. Just place a regular windows shortcut to your ahk- or exe-file there, and you are good to go! (You could also move your file directly to autostart, but that won't be necessary).

I hope that helped a bit. Btw, did you already take a look at our tutorial (https://autohotkey.com/docs/Tutorial.htm) ? I would recommend that to get an overview of the basics. But if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask!

[Tusk]

Hello Gregster,

Helped? - Not half it did!

- And now it all makes sense: Auto Hot Key is an Interpreter Program, but can compile as well like Pascal.
(And many others I might add.)

I'm old enough to remember the Basic Interpreter that was part on all MS-DOS Based PCs in the early eighties, and so blooming as well old: that I actually forgot about the concept of the *.Bat file extension on text files, that we used constantly to run programs before Windows came out in '85'.
(And we all told ourselves that that'll never catch on.)

Kicking myself now, because these days -- we all expect something to happen, and not make it happen as we did then.

Missed this:-

> BTW: did you already take a look at our tutorial (https://autohotkey.com/docs/Tutorial.htm) ? I would recommend that to get an overview of the basics.

Had a good long look at the Tutorial: and yes! - Brilliant (diving in) point to start.

My issue was getting that Menu Key back, (got it), but this program that I've stumbled upon opens up a world of endless possibilities.

Many Thanks Again, - (I'LL BE BACH!) - And I saw the original in '84' - Really feeling old now.

[gregster]

You are welcome!
And you don't have to feel old... we are a pretty diverse (and mostly friendly ) bunch here, at least that is my impression. I think that we have some pretty smart teens and twens here, but also very valued contributors of all ages up to 60 years and a few far beyond (and from many parts of the world, too).
They all bring different (programming) experiences to the table, back to the 60's and 70's. I am myself in my forties and remember well my first programming attempts with Basic on my Amstrad home computer in the mid 80's, and lots of things after that... bat-files, too.
I was just lucky that I found this useful tool already ten years ago - but I am still learning every time I look into this forum. Nowadays you can really do a lot with Autohotkey with all the built-in functions... and if they are not enough, there are some pretty cool additional libraries (AHK and external), too.