AutoIt is a freeware Windows automation language. It can be used to script most simple Windows-based tasks (great for PC rollouts or home automation).When you start AutoIt you will be asked to open a script file. A script file is a simple text file containing AutoIt keywords and functions that tell AutoIt what you want it to do. Script files are created in a simple text editor such as notepad.exe or a much better alternative.
Although AutoIt v3 scripts are just plain-text files they are usually given the file extension .au3 to help tell the difference between a script and a text file. If you used the full installer to install AutoIt you can execute an AutoIt script simply by double-clicking it. There are also various options to open, edit, or compile a script if you right-click on the .au3 file.
Features of AutoIt
- Easy to learn BASIC-like syntax
- Simulate keystrokes and mouse movements
- Manipulate windows and processes
- Interact with all standard windows controls
- Scripts can be compiled into standalone executables
- Create Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
- COM support
- Regular expressions
- Directly call external DLL and Windows API functions
- Scriptable RunAs functions
- Detailed helpfile and large community-based support forums
- Unicode support
- Digitally signed for peace of mind
- Works with Windows Vista’s User Account Control (UAC)
What's New
AutoIt:
· Added #1376: FileOpen() mode parameter is now optional. Default mode is read.
· Added #1054: Added FileGetEncoding().
· Added: ControlCommand() "SendCommandID" - used to send WM_COMMAND Control ID messages. Allows the automation of ToolBarWindow32 controls (amongst others). For example, the "Back" button of Internet Explorer. Use Au3Info to get the Command ID from the ToolBar tab.
· Fixed #1428: AdlibRegister/Unregister() were incorrectly using case-sensitive function names.
· Fixed #1448: #OnAutoItStartRegister did not work in compiled scripts.
· Fixed #961: RegDelete() was not working properly on 64bit keys when using the 32bit version of AutoIt and HKLM64.
· Fixed: Regression in FileOpen() where it wasn't allowed to open files in read mode if they were already open in write mode.
· Fixed #1449: GUICtrlDelete() not working for GUICtrlCreateDummy() types.
· Fixed #1458: Inet sizes were capped to 32-bits.
· Fixed #1459: Hard crash when too much recursion is used.
· Fixed #1464: Regular expressions with a single character * pattern were stopping after the first null match.
· Fixed #1463: StringToASCIIArray() working incorrectly with UTF8 characters.
· Fixed #1475: TrayItemSetState($Value, $Tray_Checked) incorrectly enables a disabled TrayItem.
· Changed: Send() and ControlSend() code reworked to allow for more Unicode characters to be used.
· Changed: FileWriteLine() performance improved.
Aut2Exe:
· Fixed #1409: Ctrl+C is no longer the shortcut for Convert. It is now Ctrl+G (Go) to avoid clashing with a Ctrl+C copy operation..
Au3Info:
· Fixed #1444: Controls in applications like RegEdit were left highlighted.
· Fixed #1391: ToolbarWindow32 info only showing the first toolbar.
AutoIt3Help:
· Fixed #1423: "Open Script" button stopped working.
AutoItX:
· Fixed: Missing .lib files readded.
UDFs:
· Fixed #1438: AutoIt error when using _ArrayCombinations().
· Fixed #1454: StringBetween() not working correctly.
· Fixed #1441: _GUICtrlRichEdit_GetText() using wrong buffer length.
· Fixed #1446: _ScreenCapture_Capture() was using height/width of 1 pixel less.
· Fixed #1445: Documentation updated for _MemGlobalFree().
· Fixed #1469: _GDIPlus_BitmapCloneArea() documentation updated.
· Fixed #1466: _GUICtrlEdit_GetLine() returns an unexpected character.
· Fixed #1487: _DateToDayOfWeekIso returned 0-6 but should be 1-7 where Monday = 1
