bug? Hotstring using just a colon

[Altouch]

:*:`;::abc It works.

:*:`:::abc It does not works.

Mod edit: Added title

[Delta Pythagorean]

For a single character hotstring, you can use a hotkey instead, like so:

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:::
MsgBox, Colon
Return

`;::
MsgBox, SemiColon
Return

Both work respective to what was pressed (individual key or shift modifier).

[Helgef]

Although commas, percent signs, and single-colons within hotstring definitions do not need to be escaped, backticks and those semicolons having a space or tab to their left require it.

You can use the hotstring function, hotstring(":*::", "abc").

Cheers.

[joefiesta]

@helgef :\
I don't get it. I don't see what explains why

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:*:`::: this fails

and

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:*::::  this fails too

both fail. I see using the HOSTRING function as just a workaround.

[jeeswg]

Just FYI, by writing a function like this, you can define a hotstring anywhere in a script, versus being forced to define it in the auto-execute section.

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MyHotstring()
{
	static vDummy := MyHotstring()
	Hotstring(":*::", "abc")
}

[Helgef]

@joefiesta, it means that the attempt to escape the single colon is futile. As for,

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:*::::  this fails too

This has two possible interpretations, either it is a hotstring which is missing its abbreviation, with the replacement text : this fails too, or the abbreviation is a single colon with the replacement text this fails too. Clearly the first interpretation is made, although the second one is probably preferable. With the hotstring function there is no ambiguity (since the trailing :: are omitted).

@jeeswg,

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MyHotstring()
{
	static Dummy := Hotstring(":*::", "abc")
}

Cheers.

[Helgef]

In v2, you can escape a single colon, hence, :*:`:::abc is replacing a single : with abc. This cannot happen in v1, because in v1, the backtick (`) in :*:`:::abc is escaping the following double colon, see escape sequences. So in v1, you can do :*:`::::abc to have :: be replaced by abc, in v2 that will replace : with :abc.

Cheers.

[jeeswg]

Thanks Helgef.

So, here are 2 examples, a one-liner and a multi-liner.

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MyHotstrings1()
{
	static vDummy := Hotstring(":*::", "abc")
}

MyHotstrings2()
{
	static vDummy := MyHotstrings2()
	Hotkey, IfWinActive, ahk_class Notepad
	Hotstring(":*:abc-", "Notepad")
	Hotkey, IfWinActive, ahk_class WordPadClass
	Hotstring(":*:abc-", "WordPad")
	Hotkey, IfWinActive
	Hotstring(":*:abc-", "other")
}