Unplug Your Mouse Workflow Automation

with AutoHotKey

Andrew Weidner

Robert Wilson

Mice make simple things easy and complex things impossible.

Mice make simple things easy and complex things impossible.

Mice are useful and fun, but they tend to slow down repetitive file management tasks.

Do things faster with your keyboard.

Keyboard Optimization: why type fifty-two keys when you can do the same thing with two?

(Ctrl + 4)

Overview

• Keyboard Shortcuts

• AutoHotkey Scripts

• Tools & References

• Demonstration

Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Explorer

Tab = cycle fields (add Shift to reverse)

Alt + Tab = application switcher

Enter = open selected file/folder

Backspace = return to parent folder

Alt + F + M = rename selected file/folder (also F2)

Alt + F + W + F = create a new folder

Home/End = go to first/last file

Keyboard Shortcuts

ACDSee Viewer

Page Down = next image

Page Up = previous image

(NumPad) * = fit image to window

(NumPad) + = zoom in

(NumPad) - = zoom out

Arrow Keys = move around the image

Home/End = go to first/last image

Keyboard Shortcuts

Mozilla Firefox

Ctrl + T = open new tab

Ctrl + Tab = cycle tabs (add Shift to reverse)

Alt + Left = go to previous page (also Backspace)

Ctrl + L = focus on address bar

Tab = cycle links (add Shift to reverse)

Arrow Keys = scroll through the page

Ctrl + B = show/hide bookmarks sidebar

AutoHotkey Scripts

Simple: another Enter key

; plain text file with .AHK extension

; comments begin with a semicolon

; define the hotkey: Alt + a

!a::

; define the action

Send, {Enter}

AutoHotkey Scripts

Simple: type some text

; hotkey: Ctrl + 1

^1::

; use the ` symbol before a literal comma

; `n inserts a new line, `t inserts a tab

Send, Sincerely`,`n`t

AutoHotkey Scripts

Complex: create a folder

; hotkey: Win + k

#k::

Send, {AltDown}f{AltUp}

Sleep, 200

Send, w

Sleep, 200

Send, f

AutoHotkey Scripts

Complex: rename a file

; hotkey: Ctrl + Alt + r

^!r::

Send, {F2}

Sleep, 200

Send, {Home}

Sleep, 200

Send, 2013

AutoHotkey Scripts

Complex: paste a file in multiple folders

Pause::Pause ; pause script with the Pause key

!v:: Send, {CtrlDown}v{CtrlUp} sleep, 400 Loop { Send, {Backspace} Sleep, 1400 Send, {Down} Sleep, 400 Send, {Enter} Sleep, 800 Send, {CtrlDown}v{CtrlUp} Sleep, 400

}

AutoHotkey Scripts

Complex: open with Photoshop

NumpadDot & NumpadEnter:: ClipMem = %Clipboard% ; save current clipboard value clipboard = Send, ^c ; copy the file name ClipWait

; insert the file name at the end of the Photoshop Run command Run, C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS5 (64 Bit)\Photoshop.exe %clipboard% clipboard = %ClipMem% ; restore the original clipboard value Return

AutoHotkey Scripts

Application: ETD_Metadata

Finds keywords in author-provided metadata

and enters them in an XML file.

ETD Metadata: Part 1

#Home:: DefinedAddress = DefinedKeywords = KeywordMeta = Clipboard = SendInput, {F4}{ControlDown}a{ControlUp} sleep, 200 Send ^c ClipWait Sleep, 100 DefinedAddress = %clipboard% SetWorkingDir, %DefinedAddress% Run, Wordpad.exe index.docx WinWaitActive, index

Open author-provided metadata

Declare blank variables for future use

Copy file path

Assign file path to variable

Open index.docx file in Wordpad

ETD Metadata: Part 2

Keywords: Sleep, 100 clipboard = SendInput, {CtrlDown}f{CtrlUp} WinWaitActive, Find Sleep, 100 SendInput, Keywords Sleep, 100 SendInput, {Enter}{Esc} Sleep, 100 SendInput, {Tab} Send ^c ClipWait DefinedKeywords = %clipboard%

Function title

Open Find dialog

Type ‘Keywords’

Copy text

Store text in variable for later use

Find Keywords

ETD Metadata: Part 3

/* Comma + space occurrences in DefinedKeywords variable are replaced

with Tab so keywords are sent to appropriate fields later */

StringReplace, DefinedKeywords, DefinedKeywords, `,%A_Space%, %a_tab%, all

; create window for keyword input, separated into individual variables

KeywordWindow:

Gui, 30:+AlwaysOnTop

Gui, 30:Add, Text, x6 y6 w100, Keyword1:

Gui, 30:Add, Edit, x6 y+5 w100 vKeyword1

Gui, 30:Add, Text, x6 y6 w100, Keyword2:

Gui, 30:Add, Edit, x6 y+5 w100 vKeyword2

; code repeats to Keyword10

Create GUI for Keyword Input

ETD Metadata: Part 4

; submit each field as a defined variable: Keyword1-10

Gui, 30:Add, Button, x6 default, OK

Gui, 30:Show,, Keywords

Sleep, 100

WinActivate, Keywords

SendInput, %DefinedKeywords%

Sleep, 100

30GuiClose:

30ButtonOK:

Gui, 30:Submit

Send Keywords

Create OK Button

Send formatted keywords

Close Window

ETD Metadata: Part 5

IfExist, C:\Program Files\jEdit\jedit.exe

Run, C:\Program Files\jEdit\jedit.exe metadata.xml

Else

Run, C:\Program Files\jEdit\jedit.bat metadata.xml

WinWait, jEdit

Sleep, 1000

SendInput, ^{Home}

Sleep, 200

Send, {ControlDown}f{ControlUp}

Sleep, 200

Open Metadata XML File Open metadata.xml in jEdit (.exe or .bat)

Wait for jEdit to load the file

Move to top of file

Open Search window

Wait for Search window to open

Search for ‘#Keywordmeta’

Close Search window ‘#Keywordmeta’ is highlighted

ETD Metadata: Part 6

Prepare for Keyword Entry WinWait, Search And Replace,

IfWinNotActive, Search And Replace, , WinActivate, Search And Replace,

WinWaitActive, Search And Replace,

SendInput, {#}{ShiftDown}k{ShiftUp}eywordmeta{Enter}

Sleep, 200

SendInput, {Esc}

Types ‘#Keywordmeta’

ETD Metadata: Part 7

If (Keyword1 <> "")

SendInput, <subject qualifier="KWD">%Keyword1%</subject>

Sleep, 100

If (Keyword2 <> "")

SendInput, `r<subject qualifier="KWD">%Keyword2%</subject>

Sleep, 100

; code repeats to Keyword10

Enter Keywords Send keywords stored in

variables (IF they exist!)

Tools & References

• AutoHotkey Recorder: produces script code

• Mobile AutoHotkey: use on any Windows system

• AutoIt Window Spy: screen coordinates & title info

• Website: www.autohotkey.com

• Documentation: www.autohotkey.com/docs

• Forum: www.autohotkey.com/board

Demonstration

• ETD_Metadata (rw)

• SuperPaste (rw)

• OpenWithPhotoshop (rw)

• TDNP_Microfilm (aw)

• NewspaperNotes (aw)

• DashboardTools (aw)