AutoHotkey Community

[Da Rossa]

This time (2 in 24, I'm no flooder ) I was thinking about sending a macro by pressing a modificator key, like CTRL, then, with it pressed, we type a hotstring. This could be to perform other actions, not only sending keystroke macros.

Example:
::btw:: = by the way;
{shiftdn}::btw::{shiftup} = BY THE WAY <-- this is already possible

Ctrl+::ff:: (hold Ctrl then type ff) --> Run \...\Firefox.exe <-- not possible yet as far as I know.

Got it?
How do we do that?

[Lexikos]

Here's one way:

[Sakurako]

[Da Rossa]

[Lexikos]

[Lemming]

Sounds like a "detect double-presses of a hotkey" problem; you're checking whether the user pressed ctrl-f twice. The SetTimer documentation has example code for this (scroll to example #3):

http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/SetTimer.htm

As a bonus, you can define the time window (e.g. within 500ms) for the double-press.

[Sakurako]

[Da Rossa]

@ Lexikos:

your first code, this

[Lexikos]

[Da Rossa]

Although I'm still a primary newbie, I realize that using CTRL can be too hassling. what if I chose Shift instead? The intention is: Hold down shift, press some numbers on the numpad and release Shift to run the command, either launching a program, a file, or playing a macro, making something similar to some characters triggered by alt+169 for example. It even would be fancy, like those "alarm codes" you install in your houses for protection, isn't that cool?

However I still have to do some research before asking you further about this subject, I'm not following you.

Thanks anyway!
_________________
AHK is perfect.

[Lexikos]

It's basically the same whatever keys you choose: on trigger-key press, enable the "code" hotkeys. When one is pressed, append the appropriate character to the string. On trigger-key release, do something with the string and disable the "code" hotkeys.

Unfortunately Shift + Numpad has a complication: Windows sends different key-codes for the numpad when you hold Shift. You'll never get +Numpad4, for example, only +NumpadLeft. This makes it slightly more complicated to build the "code" string.

Personally, I think Shift + Numpad is awkward. Numpad0 + Numpad1-9 makes more sense, since it can be used one-handed.

Anyway, this is roughly what I meant earlier (additions in dark red):

[Da Rossa]

Hum, let's say I understood 1% of it
How do I append the hotkeys I'm willing to set to your code?
The other problem is that I simply don't know most basic/fundamental concepts and definitions, aggravated by the fact that English is not my native language... what's, for example, a "hook"? :$
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AHK is perfect.

[Lexikos]

"Hook" may be defined as:
anything that catches; snare; trap.

In the context of AutoHotkey, it refers to the "keyboard hook", which is a feature of the Windows API; it "catches, snares or traps" keystrokes.

In this case, I use #UseHook as an alternative to manually prepending the $ modifier to each hotkey. Either one will force a hotkey to use the "keyboard hook", and as a side-effect prevent Send from triggering the hotkey.

All of the individual pieces of the script I posted are explained in the manual (which is of course written in English...)

[Da Rossa]

Thanks Lexikos...
But I have a better idea: I'm gonna read the entire help file, so that I can have a clue about those things. If there are other texts/articles/subjects that I should read prior to learning the AHK intermediates (I know the beginning of the introduction to basics), please let me know!
_________________
AHK is perfect.