Windows autocorrect- Auto-replace text in any Windows program with a Hotstring from AutoHotKey


HotStrings / Text Expansion

windows autocorrect

Windows Autocorrect– Auto-replace an abbreviation with full text in any windows program

Years ago I realized I was frequently typing the same thing over and over. For a while I used autocorrect in Microsoft Word which was helpful but had limitations (one huge one is that it only worked in Word). AutoHotKey is a free scripting program that allows you to do an amazing amount of things; one of which is how to use Hotstrings to autocorrect text in any windows program via Hotstrings.

If you want to learn more about HotStrings, check out our Udemy course on HotStrings here

I have hundreds of Hotstrings which allow me to type a few letters and have them, automatically, replaced with the full word, sentence, paragraph, etc.   Below is a simple example where I want to type my main website domain.  Instead of typing the entire thing out I just type tac. which is quickly replaced with  https://the-automator.com

The second example is one where I want to have line-breaks inserted (This is my template when starting a new AutoHotKey script.)  I simply type tst.  and the following “magically” appears in its place via windows autocorrect.

The below video outlines how I use hotstrings to reduce the amount of mundane work that I have to do.  It is amazing how much time you can save once you get used to using them!  Remember your Hotstrings (windows autocorrect) will work in any Windows program!  Did I mention it was free?  What more could you ask for?AutoHotkey Merchandise-White Stress ball

Windows autocorrect is just one of many amazing things you can do with AutoHotKey however hotstrings is a great, easy, way to start down the path of automation and efficiency!

Automate Unicode character encoding for HTML

Unicode character encoding

Group of coworkers seated around a table in a bright office, talking together with a green reusable water bottle in front of themOur CMS does not support Unicode text thus when we need to search-replace for characters like the ™ and © symbols. This takes a fair amount of time and is easy to miss so I wrote a script in AutoHotKey to automatically handle the Unicode character encoding.

Now I can highlight the word and click a button and  Whamo!  Instant replacement with HTML equivalents!  No more trying to scan text and find illegal characters.

A black AutoHotkey branded water bottle on a desk beside a laptop, with a person reading a newspaper in the backgroundUnicode character encoding

Here is the AutoHotKey code I use.  My code first grabs the highlighted text and copies it to the clipboard, where it manipulates it, then sends it back to the active program I was working in. No more need for Unicode character encoding!

Web Scraping with AutoHotKey 106- Web Scraping multiple pages

Web Scraping multiple pages

Group of coworkers seated around a table in a bright office, talking together with a green reusable water bottle in front of them Web Scraping multiple pages

Example of how to Web Scraping multiple pages with some simple URL manipulation.  This is where being able to make sure you’ve loaded a page fully, scrape it, then navigate to the next is critical.  Looking for patterns in the URL will help you understand how you’ll be able to navigate to the next page.

A copy of the AutoHotKey syntax writer can be found here.  Remember patience is a virtue and Happy Scraping!

Clear AutoHotkey water bottle with green lid and band, showing impact resistance, BPA free, fade resistant, and durability claims