AutoHotkey Community

jballi · Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Texas, USA

Everyone has one or more short-timer programs. You know the type. You open the program (usually a utility), you get it to do stuff (1 or 2 minutes at the most), and then to get it out of the way, you close it.

Many releases ago, IrfanView included a simple but effective option for closing the application quickly: the Escape key. For many IrfanView users like myself, the Escape key is a perfect way to quickly close the application. I primarily use the program to view 1 or 2 images and then hit the Escape key to get it out way.

Anywho, I use a couple of drag-and-drop utilities that can only be closed with context menu or with a key-combination. As I was grumbling as to how much a pain-in-the-butt is was to close these boogers, I thought, "Why not close these with the Escape key just like IrfanView?" Then as I was coding for those guys, I thought, "Hey! There are probably a bunch of other programs that can be closed this way!"

There are 2 steps to the process. The first step is to define the group. Here's an example:

baby-luck · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 15

hi,

have you been running this for a while now? how is it working out?

i am wondering because i have just finished a gesture script for Windows Explorer with various functions (using the same gesture definitions as Opera, which if daily use for a couple of day goes well, I'll put up here also)

it has also been obvious that several of the gestures could apply other programs, exactly as you mention and with the same considerations.

so, yeh, has it been useful for you?

SanskritFritz · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 283 Location: Hungary, Budapest

2jballi
If you are interested, here is a more complicated approach, where you can decide if a program has to be closed or minimized on Esc:
http://www.ghisler.ch/wiki/index.php/AutoHotkey:_Close_or_minimize_windows
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Is there another word for synonym?

jballi · Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Texas, USA

emisjerry · Guest

Since the normal Escape has its own functionality, could I press Escape twice to close the window. Using this method, i can ignore the group or file to identify which need to be closed.

Is there any way to press a key twice? ~Esc & Esc:: cannot work....

SanskritFritz · Joined: 17 Feb 2005 Posts: 283 Location: Hungary, Budapest

You have to set up a timer on the first Esc. Then if the second Esc is within the allotted time, you take appropriate action. See an example for this technique in the EasyWindowDrag_(KDE) script, where there is a double Alt keypress handled.
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emisjerry · Guest

It seems cannor work. Here is what i've tried:
(Pess Ctrl twice)

jballi · Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Texas, USA

ParanoidX · Joined: 16 Dec 2005 Posts: 149 Location: Australia

this is part of my admin.ahk script

jack · Joined: 04 Sep 2004 Posts: 77 Location: UK

Moderator! · Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 25

corrupt · Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 2436

Out of curiosity... was something wrong with using alt + F4 (if your keyboard has function keys...)? Wink

Moderator! · Joined: 24 May 2006 Posts: 25

jballi · Joined: 01 Oct 2005 Posts: 385 Location: Texas, USA

It's taken me a while, but I've changed my position on using SendMessage 0x112,0xF060 to close a window, at least for this mini-app when the list of applications/windows to be Escape-closed may change from day to day. It has become my opinion that the SendMessage 0x112,0xF060 command many times asks too politely to close the window/application. When asked, a defiant application may respond (if it could talk), "Well, if you're going to ask politely, then NO!".

When a application/window is added to the $EscapeToClose group, closing the application/window using the Escape key becomes stuck in the psyche. If an application doesn't close when you hit the Escape key, you keep hitting the Escape key until it closes or until you give up. If you're still frustrated, a short detour to the garage to find a hammer might be a short-term solution...

The good 'ole WinClose command is probably more appropriate for this mini-app. It is a lot more forceful than the SendMessage 0x112,0xF060 statement and under most circumstances, it's the equivalent of clicking on the Close button on the title bar.

I've updated the 1st post to reflect this micro-change in philosophy. Your comments and opinions are welcome.

badmojo · Joined: 11 Nov 2005 Posts: 150

jballi:
i've been trying to construct a script akin to yours here.

but since i realize that you had started earlier than me, i was wondering you have a working script available that can be used in daily environment. especially, when dealing with apps that use Escape intrinsically. i'm still tinkering but the results are not that good..