I want my life to be simple. While learning Korean, I found myself needing to search up words often while reading notes. However, I would have to open my browser, open the dictionary, and finally copy and paste the word into it. What a waste of time! If only this could be done in one click!

Introducing... Autohotkey~~

The Basics

With AutoHotkey you can make script files (.ahk files) that with one click will be active on your computer. It allows you to set up shortcuts to automate a task you typically perform e.g. opening program or using google search. You can follow this guide to set up your own scripts, but I recommend searching online to find scripts made in places like AutoHotkey forum and r/Autohotkey.

The process is simply this:

1. Install AutoHotkey

2. Create a folder where you will store all your scripts

3. Right click and create new autohotkey script

   

4. Right Click to edit the script and paste in any script of your choice (my favs here)

   

5. After saving and closing the file, double click to run. All is now set up!

Extra: For the script to run at startup, create a shortcut of your script and move it to your startup folder which is found in C:\\Users\\[Username]\\AppData\\Roaming\\Microsoft\\Windows\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Startup (Note: it is easier to find your start folder using the search app Everything). I have a shortcut within my scripts folder to the startup folder so I can easily drag them there.

For extra, see this guide on how to become an AutoHotkey master

How I Use It

• Highlighting words and searching using google, or naver dictionary (for language learning) using a single keyboard shortcut. [Script]
• Quick launch search (in my case, I use another app called Everything to search for anything on my computer **in one click) [Script]
• Change volume using F6(+) F7(-) F8(mute) without having to press Fn (who has time to press two keys!) [Script]
• Open Calendar windows sidebar using win + c instead of having to click! [Script]
• Using Autohotkey as a spell check is a great idea. I don't know about you but I tend to forget to capitalise I. But not in this sentence! Because I have AutoHotkey set up! it is as simple as a one-line script file: ::i::I