Unplug Your Mouse Workflow Automation with AutoHotKey Andrew Weidner Robert Wilson

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, GuiClose: 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, %Keyword1% Sleep, 100 If (Keyword2 <> "") SendInput, `r %Keyword2% 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: Documentation: Forum:

Demonstration ETD_Metadata (rw) SuperPaste (rw) OpenWithPhotoshop (rw) TDNP_Microfilm (aw) NewspaperNotes (aw) DashboardTools (aw)