July 14, 2012

Embracing technology as the pastor: AutoHotkey

Many computer tasks require a few mouse clicks and key strokes to get going - which over years can add up to minutes and hours of clicking and typing.

For example to open a file, you have to open up a program like Windows Explorer and then navigate with a series of clicks to the folder you're after.  Or to load a web page that you visit each day you have to open up the browser and then click in the address bar and then type in where you want to go, or at least select a bookmark.  Or some emails you send out regularly to the same people but each time you need to type a lot of the content again even though it's identical to last time
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To save time on these mundane tasks, I recommend using AutoHotkey.  It is a program that completes tasks that you have assigned to keyboard shortcuts.

For example, I use AutoHotkey to quickly load web pages, run programs, play music, open documents (including opening many documents at the same time) and write standardised emails (e.g. posts to twitter and Facebook about regular church events, minutes of meetings, orders of service).  To do these things with AutoHotkey I just click a few keyboard buttons and everything is done almost before I can blink. 

One of my hotkeys is particularly helpful every morning.  When I start my day in front of the computer, I click three keyboard buttons simultaneously and automatically my prayer list opens up, five websites are loaded, three different books of the Bible are opened up to where I left off reading yesterday and several other documents are opened that I need to quickly look at each morning.  I'm sure you would agree that to do that manually would take a bit of time but with AutoHotkey it is time saved every day.

But you may be asking how do you remember all the keyboard combinations?

Firstly I group batches of similar tasks with a similar hot key.  So to open programs, I use Control + Alt + another key.  To load websites, I use Control + Alt + Shift + another key.  To open documents I use Control + Shift + another key. To play music I use Control + Windows Key + another key. Thus the first few keys are memorable because they are associated with the type of task.

Secondly, for the final key in the shortcut I choose a key that is memorable to the specific task, for example iTunes is opened with Control+Alt+i (i is for iTunes); the church website is opened with Control+Alt+Shift+w (w is for website); to open my morning devotions I use Control + Shift + d (d is for devotion); jazz music is turned on with Control+Windows Key+j (j is for jazz).

Also, once you run out of keyboard shortcuts, you can remember unusual keyboard combinations for tasks by using your calendar as a reminder.  If you've followed my steps for getting organised, many tasks you will do because your calendar reminds you to do them.  So get the calendar event to also remind you of the hotkey you have assigned to the task.  For example, each Monday I check the statistical data of a number of my websites and have a reminder on my calendar to do so.  But at the beginning of the calender reminder I have written out the hotkey that will load all the websites: ^!+- (which means Control + Alt + Shift + -).  This loads over 10 web pages in one go.

Also, I would recommend using AutoHotkey for autocorrection.  Common typos can be quickly corrected in programs like Word with its built in autocorrect facility.  But many programs do not have autocorrection.  That's why you should have a script installed that will operate anywhere.  Get a list of common corrections from somewhere like here and make a hotkey script.  Then add to the script yourself with your own corrections (for example I have all abbreviations of the books of the Bible set to autocorrect to their full names, so something like 'cor' becomes 'Corinthians' automatically which saves me a lot of typing time).

So if I've whet your appetite for AutoHotkey, check out a beginner's guide.  And if you're after a particular hotkey script, make sure you search the AutoHotkey forums.

Remember, time redeemed with a keyboard shortcut allows you to do more work for the Lord elsewhere.

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