open-source alternative to keystarter

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Stamimail
Posts: 77
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 08:48

open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by Stamimail » 29 Aug 2018, 09:43

I looked for a program that behaves like On-Screen Keyboard (osk.exe).
But instead of keyboard with keys that sends keystrokes, I want a toolbar buttons that sends text, or even better, that launch scripts.
An on-top toolbar that the user can add/remove buttons, and edit the button sendtext/script.

The closet program I've found is keystarter.
but it's not open-source, and limited.
keystarter is a 5 days in every week freeware that you can use. (Saturday and Monday only with license)
guest3456
Posts: 3454
Joined: 09 Oct 2013, 10:31

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by guest3456 » 29 Aug 2018, 22:06

why not build this yourself in AHK. seems pretty basic?

Guest

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by Guest » 30 Aug 2018, 07:20

I would second guest3456's suggestion and roll your own in AutoHotkey.

Just to note there is an app similar to AutoHotkey which does already work with a floating toolbar and buttons, also freeware, called powerpro which you can find here http://powerpro.cresadu.com/ (as with AutoHotkey downloads and/or visiting the website might upset your AntiVirus and/or show browser warnings) - you can even skin the toolbar - some examples here http://powerpro.cresadu.com/xsamplebar.htm
SOTE
Posts: 1426
Joined: 15 Jun 2015, 06:21

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by SOTE » 26 Sep 2018, 08:21

Stamimail wrote:I looked for a program that behaves like On-Screen Keyboard (osk.exe).
But instead of keyboard with keys that sends keystrokes, I want a toolbar buttons that sends text, or even better, that launch scripts.
An on-top toolbar that the user can add/remove buttons, and edit the button sendtext/script.

The closet program I've found is keystarter.
but it's not open-source, and limited.
keystarter is a 5 days in every week freeware that you can use. (Saturday and Monday only with license)
There used to be an AHK On-Screen Keyboard program, called interestingly enough, AHKOSK. Maybe somebody might want to make a newer version, though the older version is quite usable. Link to old forum post- https://autohotkey.com/board/topic/1689 ... -keyboard/
Though the link to the old site is broken, the application still exists. Wayback Machine to the rescue. Here is the Wayback Machine link to the program.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140225062 ... source.zip
or you can search for it yourself on Wayback using the original broken link. http://www.gelbraensoftware.com/forum_s ... source.zip

The AHK help document also gives an example of an On-Screen Keyboard- https://autohotkey.com/docs/scripts/Key ... Screen.htm
Stamimail
Posts: 77
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 08:48

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by Stamimail » 27 Sep 2018, 02:25

guest3456 wrote:why not build this yourself in AHK. seems pretty basic?
in short, 2 problems:
1. no skills yet.
2. no time.
I wanted for weeks to test PowerPro, but unfortunately I can't find the time for testing it.
guest3456
Posts: 3454
Joined: 09 Oct 2013, 10:31

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by guest3456 » 28 Sep 2018, 11:13

Stamimail wrote:
guest3456 wrote:why not build this yourself in AHK. seems pretty basic?
in short, 2 problems:
1. no skills yet.
2. no time.
check out Radial Menu in AHK:

https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=12078

Stamimail
Posts: 77
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 08:48

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by Stamimail » 08 Oct 2018, 15:45

2018-10-08
I tried PowerPro.
It looks like a very powerful tool.
Unfortunately, it requires time learning, and it's not open-source as AutoHotkey.
For the goal I was testing the app, I can't solve easily my problem. I think it will require customizations of many many steps from the first configuration, and still it won't be perfect.
Thanks.
SOTE
Posts: 1426
Joined: 15 Jun 2015, 06:21

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by SOTE » 08 Oct 2018, 17:40

Stamimail wrote:2018-10-08
I tried PowerPro.
It looks like a very powerful tool.
Unfortunately, it requires time learning, and it's not open-source as AutoHotkey.
For the goal I was testing the app, I can't solve easily my problem. I think it will require customizations of many many steps from the first configuration, and still it won't be perfect.
Thanks.
PowerPro seems to be a lot like ShortKeeper (https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic ... 60&t=47407). However, ShortKeeper uses AutoHotkey to perform all of it's "magic", and seems to have the advantage of helping a person to eventually learn how to use AutoHotkey for doing more.
Stamimail
Posts: 77
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 08:48

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by Stamimail » 09 Oct 2018, 08:55

ShortKeeper looks good as a Keyboard Shortcut Manager.
But I can't find the floating ButtonsBar feature like in PowerPro and keystarter.

What I'm looking for is a top-most floating ButtonsBar, where you can paste any text (formatted?) into a button, and then when you press this button, it paste this text to the ActiveWindow. This is the start.
list-nli

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by list-nli » 09 Oct 2018, 09:10

@Stamimail perhaps have a look at Lintalist https://autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3378 - it doesn't have a floating toolbar but does have search Gui you can bring up if you can't remember the hotkey or hotstring so you can search for something - it supports formatted text via HTML, MarkDown and RTF files or just Images - and other "plugins" to ask user input, insert date, choose an option from a list etc. It pastes the result in the ActiveWindow.
Stamimail
Posts: 77
Joined: 06 Nov 2014, 08:48

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by Stamimail » 09 Oct 2018, 15:23

@list-nli
thanks. tested. I left a feedback in github.
SOTE
Posts: 1426
Joined: 15 Jun 2015, 06:21

Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by SOTE » 10 Oct 2018, 02:20

Stamimail wrote:ShortKeeper looks good as a Keyboard Shortcut Manager.
But I can't find the floating ButtonsBar feature like in PowerPro and keystarter.

What I'm looking for is a top-most floating ButtonsBar, where you can paste any text (formatted?) into a button, and then when you press this button, it paste this text to the ActiveWindow. This is the start.
Happen to stumble over another similar tool called Buttoncommander, that makes use of toolbars as well. http://www.buttoncommander.com/

Note- Interestingly, both ShortKeeper and Buttoncommander use AutoHotkey to do the work, but the GUI appears built with Free Pascal (maybe with Lazarus, which is a free cross-platform IDE). I find that as something to take note of, as their GUIs could have been just as easily built entirely in AutoHotkey. But I digress...

Edit- Another related solution, which is all AutoHotkey (including the GUIs), is FastKeys. https://www.fastkeysautomation.com/
list
Posts: 221
Joined: 26 Mar 2014, 14:03
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Re: open-source alternative to keystarter

Post by list » 04 Nov 2018, 04:19

This seems to be what you want isn't it? (Written in AU3)
http://www.dcmembers.com/ath/download/winbuttons/
Screenshots http://www.donationcoder.com/forum/inde ... #msg240037 (links from that forum post don't work as it is now the winbuttons link above)
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