How to Move a Message Box (MsgBox) Window (AutoHotkey Trick)

Sometimes a MsgBox Window Just Pops Up in the Wrong Place—Here’s How to Relocate It

I’ve experienced this problem a couple of times. I use the MsgBox command to display script information at specific spots in a script. If in the modal mode (always-on-top), the pop-up window obscures my view of the window underneath it. I want the MsgBox to open elsewhere on the screen but AutoHotkey MsgBox command does not provide options for placing the window at an alternative location.

The MsgBox command does not allow options for relocating the window on the computer screen.

The WinMove command can relocate the MsgBox window, but only after the window exists.  Since the MsgBox command stops the processing of the current thread, inserting the WinMove command after the MsgBox command doesn’t work. AutoHotkey won’t run the command until after closing the MsgBox window. I need a way to initiate a separate processing thread which relocates the MsgBox window after it comes to life—without closing the MsgBox window.

Beginning Hotstring Tricks for Expanding Acronyms (AutoHotkey Tips)

Hotstring Techniques for Expanding Abbreviations Only When You Need Them, Plus How to Sound British…Sort Of

One benefit I’ve discovered when using my InstantHotstring.ahk script includes quickly checking the effects of the various Hotstring options. Without re-editing and reloading an AutoHotkey script, I can test the assorted options and see how they modify the behavior of each Hotstring. This helps me understand how to solve some Hotstring problems.

Waiting for a Web Page to Load into a Browser (AutoHotkey Tips)

A Look at Techniques for Ensuring a Web Page Fully Loads Before Continuing an AutoHotkey Script

When writing an AutoHotkey script which uses the Web, I rarely open a browser anymore. I either download the source code to a file (URLDownLoadToFile command) or a variable (Example: Download text to a variable technique). That means I don’t need to wait for a Web page to load into a browser—although as expressed earlier similar issues exist.

One of the most common reasons for requiring a fully loaded Web page involves AutoHotkey auto-logon scripts which insert usernames and passwords before continuing. If the page download hesitates, the script outruns the Web process and sends the data to an empty browser window. Most of the Web download problems brought to my attention by AutoHotkey users relate to auto-login scripts.

Checking Your Internet Connection, Plus a Twist on a Secret Windows Feature (AutoHotkey Quick Tips)

If Your AutoHotkey Script Depends Upon Internet Access, Check for an Active Connection Before Continuing, Plus a Surprising Trick for Accessing Hidden Windows Features

I’ve written a number of scripts which access the Internet for data: IPFind.ahk for locating where in the world an IP address resides; RhymeMenu.ahk for popping up a list of rhymes for any selected word; SynonymLookup for replacing boring words (the impetus for this blog); AutoHotkey Quick Reference, both the now-defunct AutoHotkey reference tool and the new AutoHotkey reference tool currently under development require the Internet; and (not by me) the GooglePhraseFix script posted on the AutoHotkey forum by aaston86; plus, any script which attempts to launch a Web page. All of these apps require an Internet connection to work.

AutoHotkey Version 2.0—Should I Wait for It?

As Signs of the Impending Release of AutoHotkey V2.0 Crop Up in the Online Documentation, Questions Arise About Our Legacy Scripts

I start by admitting that I have no special insight into AutoHotkey V2.0. I’ve had no contact with anyone who has the answers. I base all my thoughts on information freely available in the online documentation, forums, and other AutoHotkey sources. You might consider my words rank speculation—although drawn from my years of working with AutoHotkey V1.1. Since I written so many AutoHotkey books, you could even say that I hold a vested interest in the current version of AutoHotkey. In spite of all that, I offer this blog as an aid to current and future AutoHotkey users in their version decisions.

More Windows Program Automation with the WinMenuSelectItem Command…Maybe (AutoHotkey Tip)

A while back I wrote a series of articles on using AutoHotkey for Windows program automation. They appeared in the old ComputorEdge Magazine. I used Windows 10 Paint as the example program demonstrating a number of approaches to program control. I temporarily put the articles in a makeshift PDF for artists and intend to include them in a future book—along with a couple of other unpublished Windows program automation articles.  I extracted some of those columns from the original ComputorEdge issues and combined them into one free PDF download: AutoHotkey for Artist.pdf. The links may be obsolete, but the info is still good!