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Mellagon
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 10
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 Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:20 pm Post subject: Killswitch - how to stop my macros from eating my computer. |
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I have a macro that takes orders from the store website and enters them into our database without human interaction. Works like a charm and saves us hours and hours a day.
Until yesterday, when it got loose. It switched to the wrong window (whoops, my bad) and kept write on entering data. Yikes. Big mess.
What I'm trying to make (unsucessfully) is a killswitch that ends a hotkey immediately when pressed.
I have tried the following:
| Code: | #z::exitapp
#s::goto startmyprogram
startmyprogram:
;rest of code here |
The issue is that when the data is being inputed, the keystrokes being generated by the macro are overriding my attempts to hit #Z
I have tried making an external program that simply kills the AutoHotKey process, but it ran into the same error.
Suggestions? |
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Rhys
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 761
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:51 pm Post subject: |
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If the PC is not being used by humans while that script is running, do this:
Esc::ExitApp
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Mellagon
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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Turning it into a single keystroke seems to solve part of the problem, but..
The problem is defining a hotkey early on makes the entire script into a hotkey script - i.e. I have to define a hotkey that launches the rest of the script.
Is there any way to define this 'killswitch' hotkey, and then proceed with the script without waiting for the 'start' hotkey to be pressed?
Here's what I have now.
| Code: | msgbox Hit CTRL + WIN + S to start.
esc::exitapp
^#s::goto startitup
startitup: |
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TheIrishThug
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 419
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| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| I believe that hotkeys are initialized immediately regardless of where they are located in the script. Also, there is a Hotkey command. |
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[VxE]
Joined: 07 Oct 2006
Posts: 3254
Location: Simi Valley, CA
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| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Mellagon wrote: | | Is there any way to define this 'killswitch' hotkey, and then proceed with the script without waiting for the 'start' hotkey to be pressed? |
| Code: | ;.... some code....
Goto KeepExecutingAfterThisHotkey
; a hotkey
esc::exitapp
;...any other hotkeys you want to specify...
KeepExecutingAfterThisHotkey:
;.... more code to be executed....... |
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infogulch
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 649
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 3:35 am Post subject: |
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You're talking about the Auto-execute section.
look here:
http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Scripts.htm
Hotkeys you put in any part of the script will work anywhere, excluding any ifwin's, so maybe what you're looking for is:
| Code: | #IfWinAcitve ;<this blanks any previous ifwin's.
Esc::ExitApp ;notice, this might not work right if you have multiple scripts running with this same hotkey |
Put it at the very bottom of the script.
Hope that helps! 
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orbik
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 35
Location: Espoo, Finland
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:54 am Post subject: |
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If you use SendMode Input, any key presses while a send command is doing its work are postponed until the send is done. I don't know if using sendplay or sendevent changes this. What you might consider is using a loop to send smaller chunks of text at a time so that other hotkeys get a chance to intervene.
But honestly I also don't think AutoHotkey is a good solution for automatically sending data to a database, since the data is sent by simulating keystrokes. A better method would be to write data to buffers and notify the target application when a buffer is full. |
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Rhys
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 761
Location: Florida
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:39 am Post subject: |
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| orbik wrote: | | But honestly I also don't think AutoHotkey is a good solution for automatically sending data to a database, since the data is sent by simulating keystrokes. A better method would be to write data to buffers and notify the target application when a buffer is full. |
I agree that relying on AHK to send data to a DB this way isn't a good practice - If you're using an Access DB, it would be much more reliable to append entries to a csv file that is linked as a table in that DB and have a query that runs once a day/hour/whenever that appends all of the data in that table and then clears the table*.
If you're really sure you want to stick with simulated keystrokes to do it, controlsend will give you more reliability. Just my 2c.
*I think access can modify a linked csv table, but if not, you could have the script do it.
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infogulch
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 649
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:13 pm Post subject: |
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Try "Critical, Off". Like this:
| Code: | ;auto-exec (very top):
Startup() ;call function named starup
;Next:
Startup() ;Function starts here
{
Ciritical, Off
;all the rest of your code......
} ;And ends here
Esc::ExitApp
[somekey]::Startup() ;Restart your script instead of exiting it.
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I haven't tested it. I'll post an example later. (or I won't if it didn't work:P)
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infogulch
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 649
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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I tested it. This works:
| Code: | Startup()
Startup()
{
Critical, Off
loop
{
ToolTip Test Iteration #%A_Index%
Sleep 300
}
}
Esc::ExitApp
^!r::Reload |
Reload works better than calling the function again, as recalling it only works once.
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orbik
Joined: 09 Apr 2008
Posts: 35
Location: Espoo, Finland
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| Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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| infogulch wrote: | | I tested it. This works: |
While that may work, it doesn't directly answer OP's problem:
| Mellagon wrote: | | The issue is that when the data is being inputed, the keystrokes being generated by the macro are overriding my attempts to hit #Z |
I believe he wants to interrupt a Send command that sends a large number of key presses on a single call. |
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infogulch
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
Posts: 649
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| Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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Sure it will fix his problem, Mellagon will just have to pare down the send a little bit, depending on how instant he wants it to quit.
For example a:
| Code: | | SendInput abcdefghijklmnopqustuvwxyz_ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ_0123456789_ |
Would have to be split up a little depending on how much he is willing to have it mess up in case of an emergency.
Maybe like this:
| Code: | Send abcdefghijklmnopqustuvwxyz
Send _ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Send _0123456789_ |
Same results, with a space in between to let a cancel come in.
Now in testing, that may work in theory, but as the help file points out: "using "Critical Off" will not result in an immediate interruption of the current thread. Instead, an average of 5 milliseconds will pass before an interruption occurs. This makes it more than 99.999% likely that at least one line after "Critical Off" will execute before an interruption"
(Critical help page is HERE)
So, instead, as that help file pointed out, use "Sleep -1" for it to "force interruptions to occur immediately."
Like this tested sample I made:
| Code: | Esc::ExitApp
^!r::Reload
^!h::Startup()
Startup()
{
Critical, Off
loop 10
{
SendInput abcdefghijklmnopqustuvwxyz
Sleep -1
SendInput _ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
Sleep -1
SendInput _0123456789_
Sleep -1
}
} |
It instantanously stops before the next SendInput when you press Esc. (Sleep help page is HERE)
I noticed that with this little script, sendinput seemed faster than just send. (it probably says that in help somewhere) I also noticed that one key works better for interrupting than a keystroke, try the reload while it's running, for example.
Now, if you wanted to interrupt a send anyway, I don't think that's possible in the same script, but you might be able to have a completely different script force the first to exit with a hotkey, but I believe that the current command has to finish before another can be acitvated.
Note: I knew nothing of critical and sleep -1 before I posted on this thread. I got it all from the help file. It refrences itself very well. Refrence it yourself, read it, reread it, use it!
Hope I helped.
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Mellagon
Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 10
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| Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks everyone - the solution I am using for now is a simple one. A single-key interrupt seems to do the trick. I'll likely try some of the other solutions later.
| Code: | msgbox Hit CTRL + WIN + S to start.
esc::exitapp
^#s::goto startitup |
Quick note on using AHK to input data - you'd be surprised how many companies pay someone to manually input order data from one system into another. AHK is an excellent 'middle-techincal' solution. |
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