AutoHotkey Community

/*
A list of items to hash, might be read from a file or somewhere else

   fruit => apple
   string+-with.,illegalvarnamechars => banana
   vegetable => carrot
*/

;create a unique valid var name for the key
;the []'s are just to make it look like a hash/array lookup

key := Hash("fruit")
items[%key%] = apple
key := Hash("text+-with.,illegalchars")
items[%key%] = banana
key := Hash("vegetable")
items[%key%] = carrot

;find the item

key := Hash("text+-with.,illegalchars")
value := items[%key%]
msgbox %value%

return

; generate uniq ids
; this function returns a reversible representation of a string that
; obeys ahk's rules for variable names

Hash(k)
{
   loop, parse, k,
   {
      a := Asc(A_LoopField)
      hashed_key = %hashed_key%$%a%
   }
   return %hashed_key%
}