Report Help File Issues Here

[Valik]

That's not the double. This is the double:

Found here.

[AZJIO]

StringRegExp

Add a line

See also <a href="../tutorials/regexp/regexp.htm">page</a> in section "Tutorials", on which you can run the script to test regular expressions.

[GEOSoft]

remember that the help files have to be friendly for the new users. information overload (as defined by valik) is seldom friendly to new users.

over-complicating examples could lead to the help file no longer being the great tool that it has been in the past.

Edited February 10, 2012 by GEOSoft

[AZJIO]

GEOSoft

I have only offered. I wouldn't like to argue. It not seemed to me overloaded, as commands identical. And it even can interest the beginner to try all commands.

RunWait

Example()
Func Example()
RunWait(@ComSpec & ' /c reg.exe -h>"'&@DesktopDir&'Help_Registry.txt"', '', @SW_HIDE)
    ; Run Notepad and wait for the Notepad process to close.
    Local $iReturn = RunWait('notepad.exe "'&@DesktopDir&'Help_Registry.txt"')
    ; Display the return code of the Notepad process.
    MsgBox(4096, "", "The return code from Notepad was: " & $iReturn)
FileDelete(@DesktopDir&'Help_Registry.txt')
EndFunc   ;==>Example

[Valik]

It not seemed to me overloaded, as commands identical.

To us, yes, we know the commands are fundamentally the same. To a new user? No, they don't understand that yet. You don't teach that by giving them five different examples of how to use the same function. It will appear different and they will not focus on what they need to. Where-as if they see 10 different examples provided by 10 different functions they will begin to see a pattern emerge and learn on their own that all the calls are identical.

Even the simple example above is mixing in a lot of things:

• String concatenation.
• Passing command line parameters to a program.
• Using the command interpreter to redirect STDIO to a file.
• Deleting a file which should not be present at all in an example for RunWait().

You also demonstrate bad practice. You use the path to the text file in three separate places but you don't declare a variable (preferably Const) to eliminate magic-strings.

Some examples are inevitably more complex than others but care needs taken not to introduce too many concepts at once. Stuff like using variables and constants instead of magic values is fine because it doesn't impair understanding. Using a lot of unrelated concepts can obfuscate what the example is meant to demonstrate, though.

The example we have for RunWait() does what it needs to do. It shows in clear and simple to understand terms that the function will run a program and wait for it to close. Because it's trivial it also shows how to capture the return value and how to display that value. The extra lessons do not occlude the primary lesson of how to use RunWait().

[GEOSoft]

azjio

although it was your example that brought the thought to the forefront; my post wasn't aimed directly at you. it was a general statement for everyone to consider.

think of it this way: if you were teaching math, would you teach addition then subtraction followed by multiplication and division before using combined examples or would you teach all 4 at once so you could really confuse the students?

just think of the person who has never written a script. the help file is a very valuable assett and better than other languages provide so we don't want to see it devalued.

[AZJIO]

GEOSoft

AutoIt3.chm very interesting when it shows practical examples. From the example RunWait may want to make a GUI for command-line utilities. For example, in the example for the StringFormat can make a few practical examples, otherwise it's just a formula.

; Example 2
$iTime = '5'
$sText = ''
; In a multilingual user interface allows you to insert a variable in any position.
$sText&=StringFormat("%s minutes passed", $iTime)&@LF
$sText&=StringFormat("прошло %s минут", $iTime)
MsgBox(0, 'Formatted string', $sText)
; Example 3
$iDec=Dec('F4E6DC')
MsgBox(0, 'The number in hex', StringFormat("%06X", $iDec)) ; color

guinness

In many examples it is possible to check a returned handle. There are people who replace notepad.exe on AkelPad

$hWnd = WinWait("[CLASS:Notepad]", "", 10)
If Not $hWnd Then
MsgBox(4096, 'Error', 'The window is not found, the script finish')
Exit
EndIf

Edited February 11, 2012 by AZJIO

[water]

Function ObjName misses the description for the default setting of the optional Flag. If Flag is omitted it's set to 1 and the name of the object is returned.

[guinness]

Function ObjName misses the description for the default setting of the optional Flag. If Flag is omitted it's set to 1 and the name of the object is returned.

Fixed. Thanks.

[JFX]

Macro Reference --> @ScriptDir

Directory containing the running script. (Result doesn't contain a trailing backslash)

Behavior is no longer so, a script in a root of a drive will have a trailing backslash, makes this Macro useless.

Edit: Ahh, sorry for the bit bitch comment and thanks Richard for explanation.

Edited February 17, 2012 by JFX

[Richard Robertson]

Macro Reference --> @ScriptDir

Directory containing the running script. (Result doesn't contain a trailing backslash)

Behavior is no longer so, a script in a root of a drive will have a trailing backslash, makes this Macro useless.

That's because "C:" and "C:" are very different directories. The drive letter followed by a colon refers to the current working directory for that drive letter, in the current program. With the slash, it becomes the root directory, which is what you want. If you want to blame something, blame the way Microsoft set up drive letter namespaces.

[AZJIO]

guinness

_GUICtrlRichEdit_GotoCharPos

The first character of the text in a control is at character position 1

_GUICtrlRichEdit_SetSel

The first character of the text in a control is at character position 0

0

[guinness]

guinness

_GUICtrlRichEdit_GotoCharPos

The first character of the text in a control is at character position 1

_GUICtrlRichEdit_SetSel

The first character of the text in a control is at character position 0

0

Done. Thanks.

[AZJIO]

guinness

RichEdit

in all scripts needed to add description. After editing example and subsequent launching script appear errors and computer hangs.

OnAutoItExitRegister('_OnExit') ; Removes the RichEdit even when the script fails
; .............
Func _OnExit()
_GUICtrlRichEdit_Destroy($hRichEdit) ; Removal RichEdit at script end is obligatory
EndFunc

or

OnAutoItExitRegister('_OnExit') ; Removes the GUI even when the script fails
; .............
Func _OnExit()
GUIDelete() ; Be sure to remove the Gui to release resources RichEdit
EndFunc

[trancexx]

It hangs because of bug. Providing workaround until bug is fixed is fine but not necessary at this point.

I see that richedit examples include a form of workaround already, that needs going away too afer the fix.

edit:

...there, closed report.

Edited February 21, 2012 by trancexx

[JohnOne]

Couple of trivial points which might need looking at.

1. WinGetState, does not mention WinSetState as a related function, and visa versa. I'm unsure if there is a reason for this.

2. Run seems to set a default behaviour for opt_flag, which is not documented. I say this because I forgot to set it to $STDOUT_CHILD

and was still able to read stdout from parent.

Edited February 26, 2012 by JohnOne

[Valik]

2. Run seems to set a default behaviour for opt_flag, which is not documented. I say this because I forgot to set it to $STDOUT_CHILD

and was still able to read stdout from parent.

Proof or it didn't happen.

[JohnOne]

I take it back, I was mistaken and getting confused with the compiled script I was running.

[guinness]

1. WinGetState, does not mention WinSetState as a related function, and visa versa. I'm unsure if there is a reason for this.

Done. Thanks.

[Mellon]

Number ( expression [, flag ] )

(large snip)

"A string beginning with digits has non-numeric characters stripped"

To me this sounded like a string such as "1,000,000" would return 1000000. It returns 1.

You might change this to something like

"A string beginning with digits has non-numeric characters and all following numeric and non-numeric characters stripped"

In the example, I did see tht 24/7 would return 24. However, since a comma is used very often with a number you might want to at least add

Local $v=Number("1,000" ) ;returns 1