How did you learn AI?

[RAMMRODD]

I'm wondering if people here are just computer geniuses or if you learned it another way.

Please share

chad

[therks]

I'm just a computer .

Lots of help file reading, forum reading, and lots of common programming knowledge and know-how from years of experience with that type of thing.

Started with HTML, then Javascript, dabbled with the two of those for a long time, then one of my high school classes offered some simple programming (Turbo Pascal, and a little C). Then moved onto the server side of things with PHP and MySQL (even tried Perl, but couldn't get the hang of it). Then one day I found a script that someone posted in another forum, and the source was provided. I read through it, understood the basic gist of how it worked and figured AutoIt looked like a rather easy to learn/use language (compared to something like C or C++).

Hmm, that was longer than I intended it to be.

[enaiman]

alot of reading (help file + forum)

alot of writing (scripts)

trial & error

asking for help

... and good will ...

[Valuater]

Welcome to Autoit 1-2-3 ( in my sig below )

has helped many here

8)

[Automan Empire]

I looked at the scripts that others posted here.

Found the ones that I liked, for whatever reason.

Tried to run them.

I would then read the help file to learn about each function used.

Then I would try to change the script. Anything, just change the GUI title, the Message box text, anything.

Keep doing that, reading, learning.

Starting to write my own scripts. Even something simple. Read the help file. Keep adding. Keep improving.

When necessary, post a question in the forum, after checking the help file again, and searching for existing answers. Post my code, ask for advice.

This is a VERY good forum.

[smashly]

I can't even write a simple batch file without cursing, I've had no programing experience (and it shows).

But I'm not afraid to try logical solutions to get things done on my pc.

The AutoIt3 Help file has been a god send , as I'm not always able to be online.

But when I am online I go along the lines of what Automan Empire said.

Especialy the part about

This is a VERY good forum.

Cheers

[SmOke_N]

I'm still trying to grasp the concept personally.

[Automan Empire]

more thoughts...

I usually create the GUI first, before I even know how I will make it work.

Create a GUI, add buttons, edit box, listview, labels, etc. while thinking about what I want the program to do, what information will be needed or displayed. All this is before it will do anything. Then I add "dummy" information to it, such as "This will display the following...". Keep adding and improving.

Then think about where to get the needed data to make the program do something. User input, reading a file, etc.

Read the help file to learn how to get the data into the program.

For text, learn the various string functions.

For numbers, learn the numeric functions.

Keep working at it, saving the work often (I save each incremental improvement with its own file name, such as ProgramXYZ1a.au3, ProgramXYZ1b.au3, etc.). If I screw it up and it doesn't work anymore, I go back to a previous version that works, and keep trying.

[tAKTelapis]

This helped me a LOT

[erebus]

Consider what Valuater said about his program. It is a good tutor and you 'll learn a lot.

Also have a look at our FAQ here -> http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=37289

[RAMMRODD]

Awesome there is alot of great advice here and I will def try all of them. Its the beginning of the summer and I usually try to learn something new and AI is my summer project, I prob wont ever be a pro at it but just being able to do the simple things relatively easily will do fine for me.

and yes this is a GREAT forum haven't had anything but good things come out of the few posts i've had

chad

[Zedna]

When I started with Autoit I deeply read GREAT Autoit HelpFile with it's good examples.

For starters there are "must read" sections:

- Using AutoIt

- Language Reference

- GUI Reference

- Tutorials

When you are scripting then categorized Function Reference section is the right place for you ...

[PsaltyDS]

I was scripting for Windows with DOS .bat/.cmd files that had gotten pretty elaborate*. I started looking at VBS, but there were so many things it wouldn't do with GUIs.

A co-worker had created an installer for one of our programs and it was great. One day we needed a change to that script, and the co-worker had moved to a different project and had no time to check it out. He told me it was done in AutoIt and I should just download it, decompile his installer and tweak it myself.

It's been an 18-month blur since then. Several dozen production scripts in use in our lab, and over 1,600 posts on this forum. Every time I've needed a new function I've been able to find examples here and learn from them. Now I'm dabbling in COM object because there are things you can't do without them.

Haven't done much just for academic purposes though. Each time, either I or someone else has needed it at the moment. That has left some weaknesses in my AutoIt-Fu. Like for .dll's.

* If you must do such things, get your hands on a copy of the book, now out of print, Windows NT Shell Scripting by Tim Hill.

[RAMMRODD]

is that book on AutoIt? If so I'll have to get it, I need some reading material for the summer

[PsaltyDS]

is that book on AutoIt? If so I'll have to get it, I need some reading material for the summer

No, it's on shell scripting in Windows (DOS batch files). I have a book called "Windows Admin Scripting, Little Black Book" by Jesse Torres. It mentions AutoIt, but only in passing - now I want my money back!

[xcal]

I use acupuncture to learn Autoit.

[herewasplato]

I read the help file. I did not understand how I was going to use most of the functions, but at least I had a vague idea of what was available.

Some people like posts like this one:

http://www.autoitscript.com/forum/index.ph...ost&p=98319

to learn from...

-MSP-

[Creative]

I learned AutoIt almost entirely through the help file. If all languages had a help file like AutoIt, it'd be a piece of cake learning even machine code.

When I didn't know if something would work or that the language would accept it, I just tried and experimented to see what happened.

Way after I considered myself to be a good AutoIt scripter, I joined the forums. I learned most from the forum neither from responding, nor asking, but from simply reading other people's problems and learning from them.

That, and I started AutoIt after javascript, HTML, PHP, ASP, PERL, C/C++, etc. so it was nice and simple by comparison.

Edited May 14, 2007 by Creative

[smstroble]

I came to AI because i had started using another, particularly crappy, scripting language to create macros for a game i was playing and i ran out or trial time, so i looked for a new, free, scripting language and i found AutoIt, i was impressed with the power of the language and taught my self how to script using the script recorder output and the help file, eventually i found this forum and moved on to more advanced scripts.

EDIT: Shouldn't this be in the chat forum? Not complaining, or flaming or anything, just noticing.

Edited May 14, 2007 by smstroble

[RazerM]

I learned AutoIt mostly with the great helpfile and partly by looking at examples in Example Scripts.