AutoIt – programming kept simple

AutoIt is programming language. Also often called scripting language.

Why the difference in terms? Truth is AutoIt is extremely easy programming language. Easy enough that plenty of AutoIt programmers are not even considered programmers. :) Just treat that "scripting" as "programming light".

Lots of people are interested in software, but very few are interested in programming – making software. AutoIt is not really language to make software, it’s language to solve problems.

Have a problem to solve? :)

Originally AutoIt was language to automate software installs. Instead of launching setup and clicking lots of boring buttons and making lots of boring choices you could make small AutoIt script and install program with single click on that.

As with any thing that is too good to keep too simple it started to grow and evolve so there is already version 3 at moment. Still actively developed by the way.

Here comes down-to-earth example.

I have colleague that sits in the same room and likes loud and annoying music. I can be loud and annoying myself, so I am fine with it… Until he leaves for one or two hours leaving music on. I can go and turn that music off.. Then Murphy’s law kicks in, colleague briefly returns for something he forgot, takes it, turns music back on and leaves. This can go on for whole day. :)

Try googling "software to deal with annoying music"… And you thought google knows everything.

It took me like few minutes to search AutoIt help file, copy-paste, edit a bit… And I had script that allows me to mute colleagues PC with simple clicking shortcut on my desktop.

That’s what AutoIt is perfect for – solving small problems fast. Without having to learn giant and complex programming languages.

What I like most – there are very few basics and you don’t have to know everything. You just open help file and look for function that does what you need.

I doubt plenty of readers are going to run for download, so this post is kinda introductory. I am using AutoIt a lot so if I happen to post or just slip in some useful code I want link with explanations nearby.

Traditional "hello world" program in AutoIt looks like this:

Not too scary, right? :)

Home page http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/
Download page http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/downloads.shtml
Forums http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php