AutoHotkey Community

[BengalTigger]

I like shortcut keys, but have difficulty remembering the various shortcuts available in each software package (or which package doesn't use standard shortcuts). Using AutoHotKey presented the same problem for me, that I had to find unused key combinations and remember them.

I finally discovered that auto-replace can act like a hotkey. Now instead of shortcut key combinations I setup autoreplace strings.

Advantages:
--You are not limited by preexisting shortcuts, or by unusable key combinations.
--No key combinations that have to be held down together. Hotstrings are typed in sequence just as you would normally type any word.
--Hotstrings are easier to remember because you select the meaningful text that invokes them.

I prefix my hotstrings with my initials to keep them unique from strings used while typing normally. Plus, it allows me to use shorter hotstrings. For example, 'gr' probably wouldn't be unique enough to invoke google reader as it would invoke it every time you typed a word with 'gr' in it (grandmas great gravy), but 'xyzgr' is likely unique enough, and since I don't have trouble remembering my initials, it is easy enough to remember that xyzgr invokes google reader.

Examples: (I substituted xyz as my initials):

; open default browser and navigate to google rss reader
:*:xyzgr::
Run, http://www.google.com/reader
return

; Open my documents folder in windows explorer
:*:xyzmd::
Run, "C:\Documents and Settings\xyz account\My Documents"
return

[TylerK]

I like to do the same, only I choose the strings based on where the keys are physically located on the keyboard. For example: