AutoHotkey Standard Library Functions
With the blessing of the AHK community, I'd like to help administer a centralized location for StdLib functions. I'm thinking Autohotkey.net would be the perfect place for function storage. In order to effectively organize and document a task such as this, a set of standards needs to be implemented for submitted functions.
StdLib Function Standards Suggestions
1. If a script for stdlib inclusion contains multiple functions, any functions that would only be called from within that script could have the prefix private_ or scriptname_. This will ensure that more complex scripts with backend functions won't interfere with functions contained in other StdLib scripts. Just a thought.
Steps for Function Submission to the StdLib
1. Identify strong candidate scripts and functions for the stdlib in this thread
2. The author or a volunteer should document each candidate.
3. Someone other than the author should perform some type of quality-assurance review of that item's function(s). This includes basic testing, but more importantly a review of the design to see that the syntax is efficient, user-friendly, and as future-proof as possible. This is because script-breaking changes made to the stdlib items after they're released could/would cause a lot of problems for users.
I'll be more than happy to help with testing and the like to the best of my abilities, but I'll be honest, some things slung around in this forum are just WAY over my head.
Todo:
Determine the best way to standardize the documentation process. We could create a link in the wiki with documentation for each function submitted for the stdlib. I personally tend to think that this would be a tedious process and might be asking too much from the stdlib function authors. Another possibility ( maybe easier ) would be to document each function inside of the code and use a tool ( such as
Natural Docs ) to format the comments in each file into a nice organized html file. If all are willing to accept this as a documentation standard, I would be more than happy to keep the documentation file up to date and in an easily accessible place.
This simple sample function below demonstrates proper documentation as outlined using
Natural Docs. Again, this is just a suggestion, I would definitely like some feedback on everyone's preferred documentation practices.
The original script that I have adapted for the standard library was originally referenced
here.
Code:
; Function: AutoReload
; Automatically reload a changed script
;
; Parameters:
; switch - Switch to turn AutoReload on or off. Defaults to "on"
; time - Determines how often (in milliseconds) the function will check to see if the script has changed.
; Defaults to 1000 milliseconds .
;
; Examples:
; AutoReload() - turns AutoReload on
; AutoReload("off") - turns AutoReload off
;
AutoReload(switch="on", time=1000) {
SetTimer, AutoReloadScriptIfChanged, %time%
SetTimer, AutoReloadScriptIfChanged, %switch%
Return %switch%
AutoReloadScriptIfChanged:
{
FileGetAttrib, FileAttribs, %A_ScriptFullPath%
IfInString, FileAttribs, A
{
FileSetAttrib, -A, %A_ScriptFullPath%
TrayTip, Reloading Script..., %A_ScriptName%, , 1
Sleep, 500
Reload
TrayTip
}
Return
}
}
Since this function is simple enough and has worked in all of my testing, I'd like to officially suggest AutoReload as the first function ( referenced in this thread anyway ) to be submitted to the StdLib. Hey, you gotta start somewhere.
Questions/Comments/Suggestions about stdlib candidates, documentation practices, and function organization and storage for easy access are required in order to expand this wonderful feature of Autohotkey.
Thanks,
thefunnyman
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program (Natural Docs), because I use AHK in a 512MB USB flash drive and I normally got 3 MB 
of free space. For my submissions I would use a documentation style like AHK's helpfile.
, but I want to make the documentation myself.