AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

Old Topics related to the original "AutoGUI" ahk script editor.
hasantr
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

25 Apr 2021, 14:03

Alguimist wrote:
20 Apr 2021, 19:26
@Janusz: thanks for your comments, I appreciate them! ;) Have in mind though that I cannot be of much help in regard to technologies related to accessibility, such as NVDA, as I have no experience with them.

"Debugger is unusable when user switch to the script window which user want to debug".

I assume that by "script window" you are refering to the GUI of the AHK script being debugged. It occurs that you have to set breakpoints in specific locations of interest in the code to properly debug scripts that have a GUI, since the flow of execution is interrupted by the event-driven nature of GUIs, that awaits for user input.

"I have simply removed IF condition with warning. There is no issue". (DPI-scale)

Within one or two weeks, I'm going to release a new version of AutoGUI, now called Adventure, where the GUI designer is not integrated with the text editor anymore. Nevertheless, issues regarding DPI-scale still exist in the GUI designer.

"With no need to add them from context menu". (controls)

I will later provide for AutoGUI to have a keyboard shortcut to move the focus to the "Control Palette", the list of control types, where the initial letter of the control name is an access key to select the list item. Then, by pressing some other key, like Enter or Space, the control will be automatically added to the preview window.
We are looking forward to the new version. :)
Janusz
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

01 May 2021, 10:08

I have a complex plea to The author of Autogui. Sure, it would not be possible to add it to The soon released version. But I Am giving you this question only as a informatic question,.
How complex would be to create standalone special AHK script, which would try to suggest Width, height and other Pixel related values, so even visually impaired coder with no sight at all would be able to create acceptable GUi for sighted audience?
The goal of this special script would be to warn visually impaired programmer, that he is using wrong GUI design strategy. For example, that there is too much controls in The window, or some mathematical routines which would suggest acceptable Pixel values.
Because if I use Autogui GUI designer, when I will add controls and I will not be using The visual perception of my brain, script will very probably not crash. But it can happen, that it will be only usable for screen readers users.
What do you thing, how complex would be design such special mathematical calculations, which would add good Pixel coordinates for every object?

It would not be problem, if I would had to wait several minutes. For example, when I would add controls it would be possible to press special hot key inside GUI designer and special procedure with Pixel coordinates calculations would start. Or it would require too much time and heavy thinkink and it is out of The scope of The opensource and free project?

Thank you for yours opinion, because you are belonging among Autohotkey elite programmers.

Or do you think, that it is not necessary to be so unhappy because of my wrong and ugly GUI, that AUtohotkey itself contain some internal calculations? I have read GUi design article of Autohotkey help and I have read, that Autohotkey itself does some calculations. But I know, that development common sense is also necessary. That I can not add too long textual descriptions to every controls, I can not add too much controls with long description texts, ETC.
Thank you very much for yours programmers opinions and for yours kind debate with Me.
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Alguimist
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

04 May 2021, 00:00

@Janusz:

Please read the following help article section:
https://www.autohotkey.com/docs/commands/Gui.htm#PosSize

It describes the relative coordinate system available in AutoHotkey on what concerns "special mathematical calculations" of the positioning and sizing of controls.
Janusz
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

04 May 2021, 03:54

OH, so very probably, if source code contain
Gui Show
automated calculation occur. So if I understand it well, I should remove automatically proposed default values which GUI designer add to every control, because those values are useful for sighted developers, who can adjust it by using preview GUI designer window. Thank you for yours kind support.
Janusz
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Joined: 18 Dec 2020, 17:47

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

11 May 2021, 06:19

Dear professionally working MR Alguimist ,
Please, where can I monitor when you will release new GUi designer? I have found yours latest Adventure IDE on sourceforge. But really, GUI designer is nomore part of this IDE. Do you plan to really release new version of standalone GUI designer? Or you have found out, that you will rather prowide older GUI designer as A part of Autogui older version?
Because if you will really release new GUI designer with new hot keys support, it will be very probably Tnhe most accessible GUi designer available on The world.
Thank you for yours answer. You are really programmers elite. I know, that you are always doing yours best to release high quality opensource solutions and yours systematic professional work need quite and time.
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Alguimist
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

12 May 2021, 18:32

Janusz wrote:
11 May 2021, 06:19
Do you plan to really release new version of standalone GUI designer?
Hello, Janusz! Once again, thanks for your comments!

The existing functionality of the GUI designer, previously integrated with AutoGUI, was moved to a separate tool which can be found in the following path: "\Adventure\Tools\GUI Designer\Auto-GUI.ahk".
Janusz
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

13 May 2021, 09:17

Oh it is wonderful. I Am verry sorry. I have got lost inside .zip archive structure. Because there is older Autogui without condition block which detect screen DPI. And there is even new Autogui. I have found The control palete. But When I click on some element by using NVDA click simulation, no GUI element have been added automatically. F11 key work, it really switch between main window and preview window. I will experiment with GUi designer to find out how to add controls. Older autogui have allowed me to do that by using right mouse click simulation or real right mouse button when focues resides in A preview window. May be, that you have added new hot keys, but it is not documented inside help sub menu, I will tr y to find it by using AHK studio, because I can automatically find labels inside .ahk source code here. Thank you for yours complex work.
foxdanger
Posts: 83
Joined: 11 Jun 2019, 13:48

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

02 Jun 2021, 17:31

I'm using the AutoGUI as always to work.

Now I'm trying to create a GUI using it's GUI Design Mode.

The problem is:

If I design a window and close the software, when I bring the code back, It's not possible to see the window in design mode anymore.

How can I bring it back?

Second thing is:

There's a way to lock elements in position so I'll not drag them without mean it?
KiddoV
Posts: 13
Joined: 11 May 2020, 20:29

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

22 Jul 2021, 17:11

Hi everyone,
Why is it no <Convert to Executable... > button on the newest version AutoGUI (Adventure IDE v3.0.0)? Is there a short-cut keyboard or something?
kentpachi
Posts: 152
Joined: 15 May 2016, 01:23

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

15 Aug 2021, 06:05

Thank you for this amazing tool,

I hope the author can update it and add more features.
Janusz
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Joined: 18 Dec 2020, 17:47

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

22 Aug 2021, 08:13

I would like to kindly suggest goto next or previous label by using Hotkeys Arrowup+Capslock goto previous label. And Capslock+down arrow key
goto next Label. I Am writing The series of verbal memory based tests.
Every test consists of 40 words or more. There are 6 or 7 tests in every document which I AM redesigning to make Autogui app. And there are many labels inside every main app which consists of The seven subetests. Thank you for yours time. Adventure IDE is amazing. If user would press those hot keys, cursor would move The cursor to The specific label.
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Alguimist
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

24 Aug 2021, 20:58

foxdanger wrote:If I design a window and close the software, when I bring the code back, It's not possible to see the window in design mode anymore.
It's possible. You have to import the saved script.
foxdanger wrote:There's a way to lock elements in position so I'll not drag them without mean it?
Such feature is present in some GUI designers, but I don't think it is really necessary.
KiddoV wrote:Why is it no <Convert to Executable... > button on the newest version AutoGUI (Adventure IDE v3.0.0)? Is there a short-cut keyboard or something?
It's part of the Explorer context menu of AutoHotkey scripts. The Execute button in the toolbar of Adventure has a drop-down segment that provides access to this menu. Nevertheless I'm planning to add some related functionality to the AHK menu such as "Compile and Run" and "Compile with Options".

@kentpachi: Thanks!

@Janusz: Adventure (not to be confused with Auto-GUI) already provides line and text markers for keyboard navigation (Ctrl + PgUp/PgDn, Ctrl + AppsKey). You can use the Find/Replace dialog to match these labels, select all matches at once and mark them. I should also mention that some of the features related to accessibility you requested for Auto-GUI were recently implemented: the F6 key can be used to switch focus between the control palette and the preview window. Select a control in the list with the arrow keys and press the space key to place it beneath the previous control or press Shift + space to place it on the right side.
kentpachi
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Joined: 15 May 2016, 01:23

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

25 Aug 2021, 04:50

is there a save project option? so I can resume it later.

If it doesnt, its probably the major problem of the app right now. I have to clone everything back and it does not restore everything.
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Alguimist
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

26 Aug 2021, 13:14

@kentpachi: I'm for a long time willing to implement project saving in an XML format, particularly relevant now that I'm also planning to implement code generation for other programming languages, but there are higher priorities in the current circumstances.
kentpachi
Posts: 152
Joined: 15 May 2016, 01:23

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

26 Aug 2021, 21:20

Alguimist wrote:
26 Aug 2021, 13:14
@kentpachi: I'm for a long time willing to implement project saving in an XML format, particularly relevant now that I'm also planning to implement code generation for other programming languages, but there are higher priorities in the current circumstances.
i see, i will be waiting for this .xml save project update

thanks for keeping the app always updated.
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kczx3
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

27 Aug 2021, 14:51

You can't even open a "project" in Adventure, can you? It really needs a file browser at that point, imo.
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Alguimist
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Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

01 Sep 2021, 17:32

@kczx3
The concept of "project" exists in Adventure in the form of session + metadata.
Janusz
Posts: 89
Joined: 18 Dec 2020, 17:47

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

26 Sep 2021, 08:14

Dear Alguimist ,
Thank you for accessibility improvements. Really, I can add controls much more easier than before. Very well done and I wish you much programmers and personal achievements. By The way. Autohotkey is more than ideal programming language to construct verbal quizes with focus and keyboard navigation. In combination with add text and add Editbox, it is possible to create really excellently accessible applications. And It is even ossible to create app which can react randomly on many editable fields changes at A time. User can randomly type answer and code can react on The specific Editbox change in time. And app is still very fast.
Janusz
Posts: 89
Joined: 18 Dec 2020, 17:47

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

26 Sep 2021, 15:43

Dear advanced developers here,
I would like to share a little personal experience with you. Because I do not see at all, I do not make a Big imagination about a fact, what The GUI does look like. As A result, I had experienced a little sadness today. I have used Autogui to create 45 editable fields. After every one of those Editboxes, I have created a text control with a short preverb in the Czech language. The user should fill out The end of The preverb. But using text control has not been a very good idea. It is a very positive kind of control in combination with Editbox, because when the screen reader user presses TAB or SHIFT+TAB screen reader reads The content of A text control which resides after every input box. But it is not a very good technique for visually impaired users of the Autogui preview window. Why? Because after approximately 20 controls of 45, it is not possible to activate control properties with a screen reader, because the preview window gets full. To recall control properties window for A corresponding control, I must use special NVDA routine to move mouse pointer to A specific control inside Autogui Preview window. So I would have no issues if I would only create empty Inputboxes without textual content. or without text control after every Input box. Oh, so I will have to code manually by using Clipboard copy and Paste commands. But If I would like to create some controls without longer textual descriptions, I could use GUI designer.
Janusz
Posts: 89
Joined: 18 Dec 2020, 17:47

Re: AutoGUI - Script Editor, GUI Designer, Debugger and Tools

27 Sep 2021, 13:07

I have one polite programmer's question.
When the preview window is active.
How complex would be to incorporate a background focus monitoring routine. So if I press TAB or SHIFT+TAB I could press Shift+F10 to recall the control-related context menu. So for example. If I would add edit box by using Control palette and by using controls list. I could press the SPACE key or SHIFT+Space. when I press the F11 key to activate The preview window. If I press SHIFT+F10 I could recall the control-related context menu. With no need to manipulate with The mouse pointer. Do you think, that it would be done, or it would lead to app instability or random crashes? In other words. When the preview window is active some code would have to monitor the control name under The focus. Autohotkey contains many build-in routines to monitor focus and objects. Could be this programmed in Autohotkey? Even as A separate little script if it would not be possible to integrate it to The Gui designer Preview window directly?
In this case, I could add 50 or more controls with no need to have issues with The fact, that some controls can not fit in to The preview window screen.
Thank you for your opinion.
Sure. Sighted majority send Me with this idea to Space. But because Windows operating system allows the programmer to code even windows that contain more data than it could be visible on The screen, it would not be a problem for Me.

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