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What is AutoIT?


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Hi guys,

I have been using AutoIT for about 6 - 7 months now and getting some great results - I have no previous programming knowledge.

Something that's stumping me whenever I try to explain to people what I'm doing, is how to describe what AutoIT is exactly.

Ususally I'll just say "a basic-style programming language, a bit like Visual Basic".....or something like that.

However, now I've started to get involved with other real programmers, and I find that they want to know more about it.

So what do I say? What's a good description of what AutoIT is to someone 'in the know'.

Is it a 'programming' language? or a 'scripting' language? what's the difference?

Thanks for any responses!!!

- Table UDF - create simple data tables - Line Graph UDF GDI+ - quickly create simple line graphs with x and y axes (uses GDI+ with double buffer) - Line Graph UDF - quickly create simple line graphs with x and y axes (uses AI native graphic control) - Barcode Generator Code 128 B C - Create the 1/0 code for barcodes. - WebCam as BarCode Reader - use your webcam to read barcodes - Stereograms!!! - make your own stereograms in AutoIT - Ziggurat Gaussian Distribution RNG - generate random numbers based on normal/gaussian distribution - Box-Muller Gaussian Distribution RNG - generate random numbers based on normal/gaussian distribution - Elastic Radio Buttons - faux-gravity effects in AutoIT (from javascript)- Morse Code Generator - Generate morse code by tapping your spacebar!
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Hi guys,

I have been using AutoIT for about 6 - 7 months now and getting some great results - I have no previous programming knowledge.

Something that's stumping me whenever I try to explain to people what I'm doing, is how to describe what AutoIT is exactly.

Ususally I'll just say "a basic-style programming language, a bit like Visual Basic".....or something like that.

However, now I've started to get involved with other real programmers, and I find that they want to know more about it.

So what do I say? What's a good description of what AutoIT is to someone 'in the know'.

Is it a 'programming' language? or a 'scripting' language? what's the difference?

Thanks for any responses!!!

AutoIt is a freeware runtime-interpreted scripting language for the automation of Windows tasks. It is single threaded and not OO (Object Oriented), but can use COM object interfaces and DLL calls. Beyond that you could just give them the URL and let them check it out for themselves.

:)

Valuater's AutoIt 1-2-3, Class... Is now in Session!For those who want somebody to write the script for them: RentACoder"Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced." -- Geek's corollary to Clarke's law
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hi

i used to program in vc++ and perl

autoit certainly lacks a debugger and some multithreading. autoit is great for designing small programs, windows gui's, program starters, COM interface

vc++ is certainly more advanced in pure windows programming. perl is better on platform independent development (win / linux etc)

when it comes to controlling other windows programs of course autoit is unbeaten..

things i have done in vc++ in 1 week i do in 1 day now in autoit (even without a debugger)

its an interpreted language ( like perl ) means- it wont compile into binary code but will use a interpreter to run at runtime - this will also make development fast since compile time like in vc is zero..

autoit also has an easy to learn language and a fast "success curve" - means after about 1 week you can do nice things with it whereas in vc++ after 1 week you still learn how to setup your "(//&%$!" compiler - GUI ... then it takes another six months to write some decent programs..

now to mention the BEST about autoit :: "its free"

greetings

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hi

i used to program in vc++ and perl

autoit certainly lacks a debugger and some multithreading. autoit is great for designing small programs, windows gui's, program starters, COM interface

vc++ is certainly more advanced in pure windows programming. perl is better on platform independent development (win / linux etc)

when it comes to controlling other windows programs of course autoit is unbeaten..

things i have done in vc++ in 1 week i do in 1 day now in autoit (even without a debugger)

its an interpreted language ( like perl ) means- it wont compile into binary code but will use a interpreter to run at runtime - this will also make development fast since compile time like in vc is zero..

autoit also has an easy to learn language and a fast "success curve" - means after about 1 week you can do nice things with it whereas in vc++ after 1 week you still learn how to setup your "(//&%$!" compiler - GUI ... then it takes another six months to write some decent programs..

now to mention the BEST about autoit :: "its free"

greetings

Just a note to say that there are debuggers apart from the ways included in SciTE to debug your script. There's the one I wrote (see link in my signature), Stumpii wrote one which uses .net, and Klaatu wrote one.
Serial port communications UDF Includes functions for binary transmission and reception.printing UDF Useful for graphs, forms, labels, reports etc.Add User Call Tips to SciTE for functions in UDFs not included with AutoIt and for your own scripts.Functions with parameters in OnEvent mode and for Hot Keys One function replaces GuiSetOnEvent, GuiCtrlSetOnEvent and HotKeySet.UDF IsConnected2 for notification of status of connected state of many urls or IPs, without slowing the script.
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yes, i am aware of those - but i meant debuggers that come originally with the development environment (like in vc)

OK
Serial port communications UDF Includes functions for binary transmission and reception.printing UDF Useful for graphs, forms, labels, reports etc.Add User Call Tips to SciTE for functions in UDFs not included with AutoIt and for your own scripts.Functions with parameters in OnEvent mode and for Hot Keys One function replaces GuiSetOnEvent, GuiCtrlSetOnEvent and HotKeySet.UDF IsConnected2 for notification of status of connected state of many urls or IPs, without slowing the script.
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in my opinion its only a difference between a compiled or interpreted language (a "script" is usually interpreted)

autoit is interpreted at runtime since it still needs an interpreter to run (even if interpreter and code is packed into a single exe file)

a compiled code wont need a interpreter but runs natively on the OS - and usually faster ..

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Thanks for all the replies!

So have I got it right?...

AutoIT is essentially a scripting language that is interpretted by some component of the resulting .exe file. This is done as soon as the program is executed, and so isn't quite as quick as a native language ('native' as in created by Microsoft; VB, C++ etc)...but is more powerful (and easier to use) due to the included windows-exploit functions which would otherwise have to be coded from first principles in VB etc.

? sounds ok ?

Just a few more questions then...

- what language is the interpretter written in?

- is the script I produce being converted into another language by the interpretter?

- would someone who worked in perl/java/MSVC/VB/whatever recoginze what my AutoIT script was doing just by reading it?

- do other languages use the same sort of 'continuous while-wend loops' to maintain the GUI visually?

- would a 'real' programmer look down on simple autoit scripting, or is scripting just as difficult?

I've got to say that even by the devs own admissions that AutoIT is primarily a windows-automation tool, I very rarely use it for that. Most of the programs I have created have been complicated scientific calculators or mass-string management/database manipulation. In fact, I wrote my first program mainly because MS Excel can only plot graphs with 33,000 or so points, and I needed to visualize closer to 250,000 points. The whole windows-control functions are very very handy but are certainly not central to why I use autoit. Does that mean I'm using it more as a 'programming' language than a scripting one? I'm still not sure that I see what the difference between the two is. :)

Again, thanks for the replies!!!! :(

Edited by andybiochem
- Table UDF - create simple data tables - Line Graph UDF GDI+ - quickly create simple line graphs with x and y axes (uses GDI+ with double buffer) - Line Graph UDF - quickly create simple line graphs with x and y axes (uses AI native graphic control) - Barcode Generator Code 128 B C - Create the 1/0 code for barcodes. - WebCam as BarCode Reader - use your webcam to read barcodes - Stereograms!!! - make your own stereograms in AutoIT - Ziggurat Gaussian Distribution RNG - generate random numbers based on normal/gaussian distribution - Box-Muller Gaussian Distribution RNG - generate random numbers based on normal/gaussian distribution - Elastic Radio Buttons - faux-gravity effects in AutoIT (from javascript)- Morse Code Generator - Generate morse code by tapping your spacebar!
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1. The interpreter is written in C++.

2. Your script is not converted when it is run, this allows us to use any compiled script as an interpreter using the command line options /AutoIt3ExecuteScript and /AutoIt3ExecuteLine

http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/i...htm#CommandLine

3. The syntax is based off of VBScript so it should look familiar.

4. I don't think other languages implement a GUI loop. Typically everything is event based. See this c# tutorial:

http://www.java2s.com/Tutorial/CSharp/0460...venthandler.htm

5. A real programmer would find that most of the tasks they spend hours writing can be done in minutes. AutoIt does have performance limitations but optimizations are plentiful.

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Excellent, I think I get it now.

Cheers

:)

- Table UDF - create simple data tables - Line Graph UDF GDI+ - quickly create simple line graphs with x and y axes (uses GDI+ with double buffer) - Line Graph UDF - quickly create simple line graphs with x and y axes (uses AI native graphic control) - Barcode Generator Code 128 B C - Create the 1/0 code for barcodes. - WebCam as BarCode Reader - use your webcam to read barcodes - Stereograms!!! - make your own stereograms in AutoIT - Ziggurat Gaussian Distribution RNG - generate random numbers based on normal/gaussian distribution - Box-Muller Gaussian Distribution RNG - generate random numbers based on normal/gaussian distribution - Elastic Radio Buttons - faux-gravity effects in AutoIT (from javascript)- Morse Code Generator - Generate morse code by tapping your spacebar!
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