AutoHotkey Community

[MsgBox]

Hello

This script is part of another script that I am working to replace Microsoft's "UnIntelliType Pro" for my Natural MultiMedia Keyboard.
I have used the scan codes for "my keyboard", so I hope that they are the same for all others????
I thought that I would post this part of it hare as it may be of use to someone else....maybe!?

Also, can someone with "more experience than me" (which will be most of you) tell me if my code is tidy and efficient?? ie. is what I have done set out correctly and could it have been written it with less code?
Any comments, idea's, thoughts etc will be very much appreciated.

EDIT - 28/05/06
Thanks to advice from one or two forum members, my code is now 100 lines lighter!!! ...and I'm a bit wiser. Thank you olfen and Laszlo
ADDED:-
Option to turn off/on "How-To" message box.
Option to choose your own editor.
Actions are now saved to a separate file from the script "FKee3Actions.txt" (see below). Good thinking TucknDar

EDIT - 05/06/06
Completely rewrote FKee3 using Laszlo's keypress counting script.
Changed FKee3Actions.txt to FKee3Actions.ahk (I like syntax highlighting)
ADDED:-
MODIFIER KEYS!! Two of them. Allowing a total of 96 actions compared to 24 with the old version.
Script automatically reloads when action file is updated.

Thanks.

[TucknDar]

I like it!!

I find that setting FK3_KeySpeed = 250 gives me enough time without annoying me, but I'll probably lower that more once I get used to FKee3. I can certainly see this script being in my startup-dir.

Great work!

[TucknDar]

a little suggestion, as long as it doesn't delay the script (I'm a ahk-newb, so maybe it doesn't at all ): Maybe the Fkey-actions could be defined in a separate ini-file. If there is an update to the script, I'd probably accidentally overwrite my own definitions

[MsgBox]

Hello TucknDar

I'm glad you like it and thanks for taking the time to post a comment.

[TucknDar]

[olfen]

Hello SlimlinE,
I haven't read your code in entirety, but I think there are some ways to write it more concisely, e.g. using functions and the One True Brace (OTB)-style.

Here's one example (untested):

[Laszlo]

Nice idea! I will add something like this to my main script!

Here is a simplified skeleton of your script, without the actual functions.

[MsgBox]

@ olfen
Thanks very much for taking the time to look over my code. Following your advice I have managed to reduce the size by nearly 100 lines! I must admit that I don't yet fully understand when and how to use functions. The manual says that you should consider using funcions rather than subroutines but ATM I remain virually clueless.

@ Laszlo

[Laszlo]

The HotKey command defines hotkeys dynamically. "HotKey a, label" is the same as "a::GoSub label". In our case, a loop defines all 12 function keys as hotkeys, all with the same action: the Hoty subroutine. In this subroutine the A_ThisHotKey variable tells, what key activated it.

I don't think there is a universal formula for code writing. If I have an idea, I try it out with a simple prototype script, possibly each part separately. If they work, I put the code together, and test it in different situations. After the first few, I try to automate the tests, so I don't have to do that much work after each bug fix (usually I have more bugs than lines).

I had a friend, who thinks about the problem for days, building the code in his head. When he is ready, he writes it down. He does not need comments or indentation, the code is working the first time. (Once it did not. All of the colleagues came together. It was a big event. He looked at the code briefly, and said it was correct, the compiler has a bug. After two days of tests, he was proven right, there was a nasty bug in the compiler.) Anyway, he was a very good programmer, but almost useless for large projects: nobody could extend, modify his perfect code when requirements changed (they always do), not even him, it had to be re-written from scratch.

[corrupt]

[MsgBox]

@ Laszlo

Now that I've had time to study and digest your script, I now fully understand how it works. Thanks for clarifying the hotkey loop, I couldn't get my head round it, but all is clear now!
I've been playing around with it and have found that it is easily adaptable to use modifier keys

[Laszlo]

One loop is enough:

[MsgBox]

[Laszlo]

I meant that if you have Fn hotkeys with modifiers like *, ~ or $, you cannot just send %A_ThisHotKey%. You have to remove these modifiers. If you have some of !#^+, you need to put a brace around the key name following, like

[MsgBox]

Thanks for clarifying.
You confused me because, the only keys that are "sent" are the FKeys with no modifiers and one keypress (default), the rest trigger the subroutines which contain the actions. I now assume that you were referring to my other script which will need some alteration of the hotkeys...if I decide to use modifiers at all. I don't know if you're familiar with my keyboard, but it has an "F-Lock" key that toggles between normal Fkeys and useful?? shortcuts, undo, redo, reply, fwd etc. which I hardly ever use. Actions can be attached to the keys in both states, so maybe adding modifier keys would be overkill. But..., if I did add them, would all the extra code in the actions file affect performance? Atm it contains about 400 lines.
Thanks again for all of your good info, it really is appreciated.