AutoHotkey Community

[jonny]

Something I'd like to see is an enitre new functionality: scripts within scripts. What I mean is something like there's one universal parent script, which can contain any number of child scripts. (Am I using the right terminology here? Or is it master and slave in this case?) Each child script would be entirely self-contained and modular, unable to reach below into the parent script or to other child scripts. The parent script, in contrast, can affect all scripts, and can assign commands, menu items, hotkeys, etc. to suspend, edit, reload, and exit the child scripts. It would also be nice to have a default "Master control" gui. The parent script would be the only one with an icon in the system tray. Also, the parent script should have full script functionality, except for functions like ExitApp or Suspend that would have adverse effects.

The reason I mention this is that it would be endlessly useful to those of us with multiple scripts that like to integrate them for efficiency. This "parent" script would allow non-persistent scripts, separation of scripts, and the ability to still be able to pass commands like suspend, exit, etc.

[Chris]

That is interesting but it would probably a lot of code to implement. If anyone else has wished for such a feature, please post your comments here.

Until something like it gets done, you may know that some of it can already be done, albeit in a more clumsy way:

; To hide the icons for child scripts:
#NoTrayIcon

; To have parent close a child script:
DetectHiddenWindows, on
SetTitleMatchMode, 2
WinClose, MyScript.ahk - AutoHotkey

; To have parent suspend the hotkeys of a child:
DetectHiddenWindows, on
SetTitleMatchMode, 2
PostMessage, 0x111, 65305,,,MyScript.ahk - AutoHotkey

; To have a parent script close all children and optionally itself:

[Guest]

As with all things that I post before thinking about, this one has already been mostly done. Heh. Okay. I've got two approaches now, utilizing only existing code. The first includes it all in one script, and the second makes one master script control other scripts that are running.

This first one isn't very flexible at all, but it does put it all in one script. It also allows for the transformation of scripts, kind of like what you can do with XML using XSL.

[Chris]

I don't think I would use it personally since I tend to put anything I use regularly into one big script. But I can see why this is something that might appeal to gamers or anyone who likes to have different sets of hotkeys depending on the type of task at hand.

Thanks for sharing it the initial version. Hopefully others will reply here if they have an interest.

[jonny]

I forgot to mention, that script works with compiled scripts too. As long as all the basic scripting functions (reload, exit) will work with the script, it can be controlled.

[Titan]

The idea of scripts within scrips is a real good idea, it will make bigger tasks more easy to work with.

[Guest]

Very interesting concept. I like it.

[BoBo]

@ Guest
Which concept ? Not to use a nick ?

[jonny]

BoBo: speed-flamer extraordinaire

[Simpleton]

What I do is #include all of my scripts into a master script. Each scripts has:
mk_PluginNumber++
mk_Plugin%mk_PluginNumber% = processkiller
processkiller_Title = Process Killer
along with some other configuration stuff, plus the actual script. The main script handles all of the actual hotkeys, along with changing (using a dialog box), disable/enable, and loading/saving the hotkeys to the registry.

Now its a lot more flexible, allows you to specify certain labels to call when it loads or saves, when a hotkey is changed, etc...

Anyways a similar approach could be taken to your second script.

[Titan]

Scripts within scripts could be done with fileappend and dynamic commands

[FREAKKK]

you could use include.. but then the problem would be that if you decided to compile your 'master' script.. all the included scripts at the time would be compiled during compilation (therefore you wouldn't be able to edit them (does that evan make sense? ))
a workaround that i did was to compile autohotkey.exe in w/ the master script (via ifnotexist fileinstall...). then i set it up in my master script:
run, autohotkey.exe "%FILENAME%", , , %PIDVAR%"

the pid variables store all your pids of 'child' scripts, so your onexit just would Process, Close, %PROGNAME1%-- and then ifexist filedelete autohotkey.exe

now w/ the super-dooper gui features that autohotkey has-- it would be pretty easy to make your gui to help manage wich files to run/hotkeys/hotstrings.. or whatever

i've made an awesome little convient tool that i use at work to 1.) help prevent carpal tunnel & 2.) set me up in an environment that i can whip up quick little scripts on the fly (help me get stuff done quicker..)