Hotstrings.ahk, application for learning / managing of hotstrings

[Silvayn]

Just a feedback reply...

New tooltips work great. They seem more reliable and usable.

Small bug: Event configuration / Triggerstring tips / Tooltip position (caret/cursor)
- your app isn't remembering my choice, or the setting is valid only for a short time, eg. I select caret, but the tooltip will appear next to cursor

And I also have a possible idea to think over/implement - grid cards.
This is how I handle them now:
*‖p24a‖MSI‖En‖84¦8A¦34¦07¦60¦10¦4F¦49‖GRID Karta (A)
*‖p24b‖MSI‖En‖AE¦33¦8E¦2F¦EB¦B2¦F2¦98‖GRID Karta (B)
*‖p24c‖MSI‖En‖06¦73¦DE¦7D¦77¦7E¦44¦61‖GRID Karta (C)
*‖p24d‖MSI‖En‖99¦27¦27¦02¦61¦3F¦CF¦40‖GRID Karta (D)

So, 4 hotstrings for every letter column, to show me number rows. If a grid card could be managed via a single hotstring to show a table? I bet you were looking for something to waste your time on Nice New Year!

[mslonik]

@Silvayn

New tooltips work great. They seem more reliable and usable.

Thank you for your kind words.

Small bug: Event configuration / Triggerstring tips / Tooltip position (caret/cursor)
- your app isn't remembering my choice, or the setting is valid only for a short time, eg. I select caret, but the tooltip will appear next to cursor

Nope, this isn't a bug. Some applications bring information to AutoHotkey specific variables (A_CaretX & A_CaretY) about position of a caret and some do not do that. Example of application which does that: Notepad++. Example of application which doesn't: Signal (communicator / messenger). So algorithm works currently in a way that even if user's decision is "caret" and those variables (A_CaretX & A_CaretY) are not available (empty) then menu is displayed nearby mouse "cursor". By the way, together with release 3.6.3 the code was simplified and is now working smoother.

And I also have a possible idea to think over/implement - grid cards.
This is how I handle them now:
*‖p24a‖MSI‖En‖84¦8A¦34¦07¦60¦10¦4F¦49‖GRID Karta (A)
*‖p24b‖MSI‖En‖AE¦33¦8E¦2F¦EB¦B2¦F2¦98‖GRID Karta (B)
*‖p24c‖MSI‖En‖06¦73¦DE¦7D¦77¦7E¦44¦61‖GRID Karta (C)
*‖p24d‖MSI‖En‖99¦27¦27¦02¦61¦3F¦CF¦40‖GRID Karta (D)

I don't understand what you would like to get. Please:

1. Open "feature request" on GitHub and not on this forum.
2. Show me required output.
3. Show me required input.

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[greg4b]

I'd like to manipulate the csv file from the library with Excel / LibreCalc (build up Names / e-mails library)

But ... after editing the csv files are not recognised anymore by hotstring V 3.6.5

2022-03-03_21-35-06_Hotstrings_Error.jpg (24.69 KiB) Viewed 2079 times

2022-03-03_21-34-58_Hotstrings.exe.jpg (19.73 KiB) Viewed 2079 times

Please, advice how to use excel for hotstrings accepting edited csv-files.

Thank, you

[mslonik]

Hi @greg4b,

Thank you for your reporting. It shouldn't happen: you should get warning "".

Required encoding: UTF-8 with BOM. Application will exit now.

Please send me your Test.csv file. I'll examine it by myself.

The rule of a thumb: all files should be UTF-8 with BOM (Byte Order Mark).

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[greg4b]

Thanks @mslonik for your reply.

Find attached mentioned file test.csv

Thanks again,

Gregor

[mslonik]

@greg4b
Thank you for the provided file. I've checked it. Thanks to the updated input routine this kind of inconsistency in file coding (e.g. UTF-8 but without BOM) is now catched, reported to user and application just exits.

Your **test.csv** uses as separation character just comma. For **Hotstrings** library files the separator character is "‖". Advice from my side: use as a template any existing library file and just edit it.

If you wish to use updated version: on GitHub there are two branches: stable and development. You can give a go to development version: if commit message says "stable" there is a good chance it will work upon downloading. If reported unstable: it can even not run at all. You've been warned. Next stable release ~3 weeks from now.

[gya]

@mslonik
Hello,

I am happy to use your "HotStrings.ahk" and I have no problem with it but I don't understand why you delivered "HotStrings.exe" with the "#Warn" directive.
For me, an AHK user, I deleted it but for someone who has not installed "AHK" it is unusable:
-
"Warning: This variable has not been assigned a value.
Specifically: f_100msRun (a global variable)
Line#
---> 1659: if (f_100msRun)
For more details, read the documentation for #Warn."
-
How to remove this message without being able to recompile the "HotStrings.ahk" ?

Thanking you for this valuable utility, Sincerely.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

[mslonik]

Hello @gya,

Sorry for my late reply. Thank you for reporting.

Today I've released v.3.6.12. Please check it out and download or even update from your current version. This release contains numerous bug fixes. I hope yours is fixed too.

Next, please note that this thread is not dedicated to problem solving, but more about news / features of Hotstrings application. To get support I encourage you to enlist to GitHub issues.

Good luck with Hotstrings application!

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[gya]

Hello @gya,
... I hope yours is fixed too.

@msloni Hello,
No, the "#Warm" directive is still in the new executable ("Hotstrings.exe") delivered with "Hotstings_Fixed bug, f_100msRun (a global variable)"

Kind regards.

[mslonik]

@gya

What is your goal: get rid of warning message related to

"Warning: This variable has not been assigned a value.
Specifically: f_100msRun (a global variable)"

or to get executable which is free of #Warn directive?

If the first, you have it already, I guess. If the latter, you can compile the source Hotstrings easily without #Warn directive by yourself, isn't it?

My approach: if you wish to continue this discussion, please log-in to GitHub; I've followed your suggestion and altered the source code accordingly.

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[DIRKn]

Hi,
I want to install it on WINDOWS11 but I get some trouble.
The biggest problem is at the end:

grafik.png (113.96 KiB) Viewed 786 times

Is there any solution?
Regards, DIRK

[mslonik]

Hi DIRK, welcome to this forum. The easiest solution which comes to my mind: open this .csv file in Notepad++ text editor and change file encoding (Format-> Encoding). Save the file and copy to Libraries folder.

Let us know how you’ve encounter this problem? Have you downloaded .csv file from GitHub? How exactly?

[gya]

@mslonik
Hello,
I had exactly the same problem (see DIRK, 30 Nov 2023, 18:45) when I updated with "HotstringsInstaller.exe".
It was very annoying
Re-encoding was useless. So I deleted the "Libraries" folder that was at the root of the program (duplicated) with a version at its old location.
Now the libraries can be found, as before, here: "C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Roaming\Hotstrings\Libraries"...
And I checked the "Config.ini" file !!!
Now everything is in order.

PS. Please excuse me, but I had to use a translator to write a simple text in French, readable and understandable in English... I hope.

[mslonik]

@gya

Thank you for informing me about this issue. Please help me to reproduce this problem. What exactly have you done?
You used "HotstringInstaller.exe", which actually changes default location of libraries from "Roaming" to "Local" and installs new "Config.ini". And what happened next?

By the way today I'll release new updated version which will propose remedy to encoding issue.

Sorry for any inconvenience.

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[mslonik]

@gya, @DIRKn

Please check the newest release, 3.6.21. Sorry for any inconvenience.

It's a pity you didn't answer to my questions.

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[gya]

It's difficult in a simple sentence.
v.3.6.1.9
I downloaded it,
I unzipped it into a new folder
I ran "installer.exe" leaving my libraries in place ... and it was impossible to run "hotstrings.ahk" and "hotstrings.exe" as DIRK described very well.
Currently there's still a problem, which is that it indicates an empty folder when asked to locate the "config.ini" folder, but it displays it in the default editor.

v.3.6.2.1
I've downloaded,
I unzipped into a new folder
I ran "hotstrings.ahk", leaving my libraries in place ... and it was impossible to run "hotstrings.ahk".
As you can see from the screenshot, the message is wrong because this folder doesn't exist!
I didn't dare run "installer.exe" because I don't trust it any more and I'm going back to v.3.6.1.9

[mslonik]

Thank you for reporting. Yes, now I see what is wrong and was able to reproduce it. I'll try to provide a new version tomorrow.

In the meantime:
1. You can always just copy (Ctrl + C) any Windows message to clipboard. Can be handy to provide it in text format.
2. Installer always installs (and overwrites) files in the location: c:\Users\<user>\Documents\AppData\Local\Hotstrings.
3. My mistake, I didn't take care to let run EXE / AHK and create config.ini in the same folder from where EXE / AHK is located.

Kind regards, mslonik ()

[DIRKn]

Hi mslonik,
sorry for my late response, but the notification of replies will not work.

As additional info: I did not use the HotstringInstaller.exe because it is not useable. The reason are viruses in the EXE file.
So first time I installed the new AHK 2.0 version. Then I started the hotstrings.ahk. This caused the problem, that the older version 1.x is automatically installed by the hotstrings installation. And then both AHK versions has been installed.
Started by zero, everything deinstalled and AHK 1 manually installed an then the hotstrings.ahk again. The result is my post before.

Two additional questions:
1. when AHK 2 is supported?
2. why the virus problem in the install file?

regards,
Dirk

[mslonik]

I released, yesterday night, version 3.6.22. Hopefully it solves all issues related to installation. Also this morning I updated ReadMe ← installation options.

Thank you again for reporting your issues. Now I better understand how do you use Hotstrings.

@gya

I didn't dare run "installer.exe" because I don't trust it anymore, and I'm going back to v.3.6.1.9

That's a pity. I fixed many annoying bugs over last releases. I strongly recommend you to update and use the installer as well.

@DIRKn

I did not use the HotstringInstaller.exe because it is not useable. The reason are viruses in the EXE file.

There are no viruses. Please look here, this forum.

1. when AHK 2 is supported?

Not even planned at this moment. You're welcomed to help as this is open-source project.

2. why the virus problem in the install file?

Already answered, see above.

[DIRKn]

@mslonik
I belive your answer that there is no virus in it. The Problem is, that the virus scanner apps are blocking the run. And when you are working in an Windows Domain set up it is not possibe to disable the scan prog.
TIA