How to Run Example Code

The easiest way to get started quickly with AutoHotkey is to take example code, try it out and
adapt it to your needs.

Within this documentation, there are many examples in code blocks such as the one below.

MsgBox "Hello, world!"

Most (but not all) examples can be executed as-is to demonstrate their effect. There are
generally two ways to do this:

a. Download the code as a file. If your browser supports it, you can download any code
block (such as the one above) as a script file by clicking the ↓ button which appears in
the top-right of the code block when you hover your mouse over it.
b. Copy the code into a file. It's usually best to create a new file, so existing code won't
interfere with the example code. Once the file has been created, open it for editing and
copy-paste the code.

Run the file: Once you have the code in a script (.ahk) file, running it is usually just a case of
double-clicking the file; but there are other methods.

Assigning Hotkeys
Sometimes testing code is easier if you assign it to a hotkey first. For example, consider this
code for maximizing the active window:

WinMaximize "A"

If you save this into a file and run the file by double-clicking it, it will likely maximize the File
Explorer window which contains the file. You can instead assign it to a hotkey to test its effect
on whatever window you want. For example:

^1::WinMaximize "A"

Now you can activate your test subject and press  Ctrl + 1  to maximize it.

For more about hotkeys, see How to Write Hotkeys.

Bailing Out
If you make a mistake in a script, sometimes it can make the computer harder to use. For
example, the hotkey n:: would activate whenever you press  N  and would prevent you from
typing that character. To undo this, all you need to do is exit the script. You can do that by right
clicking on the script's tray icon and selecting Exit.
Keys can get "stuck down" if you send a key-down and don't send a key-up. In that case, exiting
the script won't necessarily be enough, as the operating system still thinks the key is being held
down. Generally you can "unstick" the key by physically pressing it.

If a script gets into a runaway loop or is otherwise difficult to stop, you can log off or shut down
the computer as a last resort. When you log off, all apps running under your session are
terminated, including AutoHotkey. In some cases you might need to click "log off anyway" or
"shut down anyway" if a script or program is preventing shutdown.

Reloading
After you've started the script, changes to the script's file do not take effect automatically. In
order to make them take effect, you must reload the script. This can be done via the script's tray
icon or the Reload function, which you can call from a hotkey. In many cases it can also be
done by simply running the script again, but that depends on the
script's #SingleInstance setting.

The Right Tools

Learning to code is often a repetitious process; take some code, make a small change, test the
code, rinse and repeat. This process is quicker and more productive if you use a text editor with
support for AutoHotkey. Support varies between editors, but the most important features are (in
my opinion):

 The ability to run the script with a keyboard shortcut (such as F5).
 Syntax highlighting to make the code easier to read (and write).

For recommendations, try Editors with AutoHotkey Support or the Editors subforum.