AHK News 2025-09-04 Why Not Ready Yet Is Killing Your Projects

AutoHotkey Newsletter

Howdy %Name%,

A lot of people spend a crazy amount of time working on their scripts and never sharing them with anyone.

They convince themselves their script will be enormously popular and keep waiting for it to be “perfect“.

If you’re one of these people the following should be printed out and hung on your wall

Version One is infinitely better than Version None

I like the saying so much I just ordered a new sign!

Metal sign with red top reading Version None in white and white bottom reading Version One in green, with mounting holes at top and bottom

And, did you know, that being first, in the mind of customers, is far more important than being best!

So start moving forward and get some feedback TODAY❗

Now on with the show…

Learn how to Master VSCode Make the switch to v2 Intro to AutoHotkey Intermediate AutoHotkey Intermediate ObjectsGUIs are Easy w/AutoHotkey Access all our Courses; Quit when you want

quickerFixer


Tips & Tricks: Learn to Program in AHK v2

In this AHK Hero extract Isaias and I built a new class for handling processes.

We live-coded how to suspend, resume, and toggle processes using PIDs.

We also touched on why classes beat functions, how AI helps spark ideas, and the possibility of turning this into a tool for everyone.  Check it out in this video.

Learning To Program in AHK v2 – Amazing lesson from an AHK Hero Extract
Learning To Program in AHK v2 - Amazing lesson from an AHK Hero Extract


Using AI to Rename Files

In this video, I show how I’m using AI to make renaming files effortless. I walk through a tool that handles the messy parts and explain how AI makes automation and data processing a lot easier!

Smart File Renamer- AI Is my SuperPower!
Smart File Renamer- AI Is my SuperPower!


Streamlining Reporting Errors to AI

We’ve made a few changes to Error Catcher since I recorded this video however it still gives you the “gist” of it.   The more I use AI to write code, the more helpful scripts like this become!

Simplify Reporting Errors to AI
Simplify Reporting Errors to AI


Creating Bookmarks in VS Code

This AHK Hero Extract Isaias shows us how easy it is to add bookmarks in VS Code.  If you’re new to VS code, our Intro to VS Code course is a great place to get you going!

Adding Bookmarks in your VS code Map for Easy Navigation – AHK Hero Extract
Adding Bookmarks in your VS code Map for Easy Navigation - AHK Hero Extract

Don’t forget it, like all our courses, come with a Double Your Money Back Guarantee!

200% Money Back Guarantee badge with a yellow and green starburst seal for AHK courses


Improving People’s Lives: Story #61

My son, Jon, started college last month and, to earn spending money, is working with us.

To start off he’s learning how to edit our videos (and has been doing a great job!).

Unfortunately, I need to be there while editing the ‘What We Automated with AHK’ videos, since Jon isn’t yet familiar with all the tools I mention.

It got me to re-think how we could streamline that process!

Thankfully we came up with a new approach which should, automatically, add the URLs to the screen  during recording thus I will not have to be there during editing.  


What we’re reading


AI / Chat GPT-3 News / Usage


⚡️Productivity tips:  Do what is hard!

Don’t wait for inspiration; Take Action❗

Napoleon Hill: Do What Is Hard
Napolean Hill: Do What Is Hard


A spot of Humor:

Harrison Ford tells another great joke

Harrison Ford Tells The 2nd GREATEST Joke of All Time!
Harrison Ford Tells The 2nd GREATEST Joke of All Time!


What we utomated this week with AutoHotkey #100

In our 100th video, Isaias and I looked back at how we’ve been using AutoHotkey to solve client problems, build powerful tools, and cut down on errors in everyday work.

We showed how we tackle tricky UI automation and non-standard controls, and talked about connecting with external systems like Stripe to streamline invoicing and payments.

We also walked through tools we’ve created—like the Clipboard Formatter, Time tracking scripts, and the Effortless Video Reducer—that all came from real needs and have grown through testing and feedback.

Hitting this milestone gave us a chance to celebrate what we’ve built, highlight the importance of community input, and share our excitement about future automation projects, especially where AI and machine learning can push things even further.

What we Automated with AutoHotKey #100
What we Automated with AutoHotKey #100


Clients say…

Thanks to Joe Glines and all his guests, I am now able to automate boring tasks, “if only my mower could respond to AutoHotkey”. — Claude Paga


Cartoon superhero mascot in green costume beside the bold text AHK Hero on a yellow background AHK Hero

Consider joining the AHK Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc.    Currently we have over 457 hours of recordings teaching AutoHotkey that is exclusive to AHK Hero members❗

You can watch 1 hour a day for a year and not repeat content! That’s a lot of AHK Learning!

During this Friday’s call we’re planning to discuss:

They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and a 3 hours a week where we help people with their AHK issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to AutoHotkey.)


️ Quotable quotes

  • Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe, It Can Achieve — Napoleon Hill
  • Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe; We can create it for you! — Joe Glines
  • In God We Trust; (All others must provide data)

AHK Newsletter⏩SHARE WITH A FRIEND⏩

Do you know someone that would benefit from learning useful automation tips like the gems in today’s issue?  Take a second and forward this newsletter and bask in the glow of their undying gratitude.  Was this email forwarded to you?

Sign up for this Newsletter here.  We never share your email with anyone.  Ever!


The-Automator

Joe, Isaias, Irfan and staff


P.S. The intro is super important!  If you’d like some professional feedback on your script, you know how to reach us!

 

AHK News 2025-08-14 – Why Your Code Explanations Might Be Too Nerdy

AutoHotkey Newsletter

Howdy %Name%,

I was working with a client who’s an “old school” programmer.

He said something like

I’ll put it in my “primary system buffer for data exchange“

and it gave me a good laugh. I replied better known as “the clipboard”

Of course he knew he was talking to other “geeks” and that we’d understand his comment but there are a lot of programmers out there that don’t know their audience.

It’s one thing I watch for in the AHK Hero call

Isaias usually explains things at a very “simple” level where virtually anyone can understand however sometimes I’ll bring up a simple analogy to help explain the concept he is teaching.

I also make sure I listen carefully during our client calls and make sure things are explained to the clients at their level.

If you’re ever needing help deciphering techno-babble, remember we’re available…

Now on with the show…

Learn how to Master VSCode Make the switch to v2 Intro to AutoHotkey Intermediate AutoHotkey Intermediate ObjectsGUIs are Easy w/AutoHotkey Access all our Courses; Quit when you want

If a CEO can run a company, raise 3 kids, cheat on his wife, make it to a Coldplay concert, you've got time to learn AutoHotkey


Learning how to Optimize Your Code

During one of last week’s AHK Hero calls we ended up spending the entire hour discussing some great tips for speeding up your code!

I extracted the entire call and you can level-up your coding skills by watching it here

Optimizing your Code – Level up today❗
Optimizing your Code - Level up today❗


Lessons Working with #Includes

A hero member had a few questions regarding using #includes.

We discussed the flow of your code in this AHK Hero Extract.

Lessons Working with Includes in AHK v2 – AHK hero Extract
Lessons Working with Includes in AHK v2 - AHK hero Extract

If you’re new to Functions / #Includes you should check out our Intro to AHK course


New Functionality coming in AHK v2.1 (Currently in Alpha stage)

Isaias had created a new script for me but it had some “issues” when I went to launch it.

When he went to help me he realized he’d leveraged a new functionality that is available in the alpha version of v2.1 but not in the current released version (v2.0.)

We recorded a video showing the new functionality.

If you want to learn more about what is coming in v2.1 you can check out this video.

One New Functionality in AutoHotkey v2.1
One New Functionality in AutoHotkey v2.1

Deeper dive into v2.1

If you care to learn more about what is coming in v2.1 I used NotebookLM to explain the ideas & benefits here

New Features available in AutoHotkey v2.1 (Currently Alpha)
New Features available in AutoHotkey v2.1 (Currently Alpha)


Improving People’s Lives: Story #58

We’ve created a class for working with OpenRouter and now our client can simply choose a different model (instead of having to change the class he’s using for accessing the models.

This is a huge game changer❗


What we’re reading


AI / Chat GPT-3 News / Usage


⚡️Productivity tips:  Recording in Zoom

Toggle Zoom Local recording with Alt+R

Toggle Zoom Cloud recording with Alt+C


A spot of Humor:   Hilarious❗

Life after Death by Powerpoint (Clean)
Life after Death by Powerpoint (Clean)


What we utomated this week with AutoHotkey #97

In this video, I walk through a bunch of cool AutoHotkey projects I’ve been working on—both for clients and my own needs.

From tools that cut down on errors, speed up workflows, and automate the boring stuff, to fun little personal scripts (like warning my son when it’s bedtime ).

I share real-world examples of how powerful and versatile AutoHotkey can be.

You’ll get a peek at tools like my Error Capture, Simple File Renamer, and even a macro recorder—all designed to make your life easier.

What we automated with AutoHotKey #97
What we automated with AutoHotKey #97


Clients say…

Again, thank you for all the support you give us. — Stephanie Holland


Cartoon superhero mascot in green costume beside the bold text AHK Hero on a yellow background AHK Hero

Consider joining the AHK Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc.    Currently we have over 448 hours of recordings teaching AutoHotkey that is exclusive to AHK Hero members❗

You can watch 1 hour a day for a year and not repeat content! That’s a lot of AHK Learning!

During this Friday’s call we’re planning to discuss:

  • Help AHK Hero Members with their Questions & Code
  • Update to Clipster– wait for clipboard format
    • Need to fix the file copy and RTF
  • Broadcasting messages to all Windows (hidden and visible)
  • ClickTracker / Macro recorder
  • Win32Control Helper Class
  • Losing “New Lines” when Copying & Pasting
  • Keeping track of times during AHK Hero calls
  • Demo OpenRouter Class

They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and a 3 hours a week where we help people with their AHK issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to AutoHotkey.)


️ Quotable quotes

  • A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve , not by the desire to beat others — Ayn Rand
  • There are many tools out there for systematizing your marketing. Sadly there are not very many for systematizing your process — Joe Glines
  • If you think education is expensive, try ignorance — Derek Bok

AHK Newsletter⏩SHARE WITH A FRIEND⏩

Do you know someone that would benefit from learning useful automation tips like the gems in today’s issue?  Take a second and forward this newsletter and bask in the glow of their undying gratitude.  Was this email forwarded to you?

Sign up for this Newsletter here.  We never share your email with anyone.  Ever!


The-Automator

Joe, Isaias, Irfan, and staff


P.S. Being able to explain the problem & solution to our clients, at their level, is something I’ve always taken pride in.

If you’re struggling understanding how to automate your task, schedule a call today.

AHK News 2025-07-24 ✅ Why Checklists Matter MORE Than the Task Itself! (AutoHotkey Tips)

AutoHotkey Newsletter

Howdy %Name%,

Ever notice how even the most experienced pilots still go through a checklist before takeoff? I mean, these folks have thousands of hours in the air, yet they don’t just wing it (pun totally intended ). Nope—they sit there, side by side, reading out loud each step like it’s their first flight. And you know what? That’s exactly what I want from them.

Sure, if something crazy happens mid-flight, I hope they’ve got mad skills like Captain Sully. But for every other moment? I want structure. Routine. Predictability. Not creativity. Not improvisation.

And it’s the same thing when I release our AutoHotkey scripts.

We’ve all been there—rushing to start a project, forgetting a step (or three), and then spending more time troubleshooting than doing the actual work. That’s why I use a launch checklist for my scripts. Just like pilots, we need that mental “pre-flight” to make sure everything’s ready to go.

To make your AutoHotkey flights (a.k.a. script launches) smooth and uneventful, I shared our time-tested 41 point AutoHotkey Pre-Release checklist
BTW- if you have your own checklist, you might use our Checklist tool to keep track of your tasks.

Trust me—once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

Now on with the show…

Learn how to Master VSCode Make the switch to v2 Intro to AutoHotkey Intermediate AutoHotkey Intermediate ObjectsGUIs are Easy w/AutoHotkey Access all our Courses; Quit when you want

itWorked


VS Code Extensions for AHK v1 and v2

In this AHK Hero Extract, Isaias walks through some of the best VS Code extensions for both AutoHotkey v1 and v2.

AutoHotkey v2 has been the official version for over 2 years now so I hope you are not still using it to developing new projects with it (especially since it is deprecated and not expecting any updates).

Remember, we have 3 hours of calls a week in the AHK Hero club!

VSCode extensions for AutoHotkey v1 and v2
VSCode extensions for AutoHotkey v1 and v2


Quickly Record Your Desktop

Being able to join on Zoom and “share your screen” is pretty-much the norm these days however, sometimes, the other person isn’t available or you don’t have access to the Internet.

That’s where simply recording your desktop is a great alternative❗

Our ffmpeg driven tool, Quick Desktop Record, makes that super-simple!   Check it out in this video.

Easily Record your Primary Desktop with this great AHK V2 Script
Easily Record your Primary Desktop with this great AHK V2 Script


Ever wonder why your script is slow❓

During an AHK hero call Dale, a long-term AHK hero member, asked about figuring out why a given script is slow.

We walk through some of the simple ways to identify these problems in this video

Troubleshooting a Slow Script – AHK Hero Extract
Troubleshooting a Slow Script - AHK Hero Extract


Improving People’s Lives: Story #57

Steve, an AHK Hero Member, asked about using Excel to compare rows between files.

Specifically he wanted to identify any rows that are in one file but not in another.

They have highly educated people doing this manually and he knew there was a better way…

I created a simple tool that streamlines the process.  This will greatly reduce human mistakes, take a fraction of the time, and let them focus on analyzing instead of doing the “grunt work”


What we’re reading


AI / Chat GPT-3 News / Usage


⚡️Productivity tips:  Zoom

  • Alt+F1 – Switch to Speaker view
  • Alt+F2 – Switch to Gallery view

A spot of Humor:  I’m not the Assman!

Cosmo Kramer – The ASSMAN (Seinfeld)
Cosmo Kramer - The ASSMAN (Seinfeld)


What we utomated this week with AutoHotkey #94

This week’s episode was shorter than usual.  We had 168 AutoHotkey files that we worked on but the majority was client work.  I did show a cool Error Logging script that helps pushing runtime errors into your favorite AI tool.  You can check out the video here.


Client’s say…

I’m astonished at what we’ve done! — Michael N. (Radiologist)


Cartoon superhero mascot in green costume beside the bold text AHK Hero on a yellow background AHK Hero

Consider joining the AHK Hero club! Members receive 25% off courses, consultations, tutoring, done for you project work, etc.    Currently we have over 439 hours of recordings teaching AutoHotkey that is exclusive to AHK Hero members❗

During this Friday’s call we’re planning to discuss:

  • Help AHK Hero Members with their Questions & Code
  • Finish Suspender Class
  • Update to Clipster– wait for clipboard format
    • Need to fix the file copy and RTF
  • Debug configuration – Switching between scripts in VS Code
  • Hotkey Loop & msgbox issue
  • Making a non-Editable field, editable
  • Aggregating Time (hours, minutes, seconds)

They also have access to exclusive & pre-released content and a 3 hours a week where we help people with their AHK issues (the Saturday calls are geared towards people new to AutoHotkey.)


️ Quotable quotes

  • Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe; We can create it for you! — Joe Glines
  • Hire people that are over-performing in crappy jobs — Dan Kennedy
  • Failure is not the opposite of success; It’s a part of it!

AHK Newsletter⏩SHARE WITH A FRIEND⏩

Do you know someone that would benefit from learning useful automation tips like the gems in today’s issue?  Take a second and forward this newsletter and bask in the glow of their undying gratitude.  Was this email forwarded to you?

Sign up for this Newsletter here.  We never share your email with anyone.  Ever!


The-Automator

Joe, Isaias, Irfan, Denilson and staff


P.S. If you’re overwhelmed going through your checklist, reply to this email and we’ll plan a call to see how we can help!