v3.2.0.1

©1999-2006 Jonathan Bennett & AutoIt Team

AutoIt v3 Homepage

# Introduction

AutoIt v3 is a freeware BASIC-like scripting language designed for automating the Windows GUI. It uses a combination of simulated keystrokes, mouse movement and window/control manipulation in order to automate tasks in a way not possible or reliable with other languages (e.g. VBScript and SendKeys).

AutoIt was initially designed for PC "roll out" situations to configure thousands of PCs, but with the arrival of v3 it is also well suited to performing home automation and the scripting of repetitive tasks.

AutoIt can:

- Execute Windows and DOS executables
- Simulate key strokes (supports most keyboards layouts)
- Simulate mouse movements and clicks
- Move, resize and manipulate windows
- Interact directly with "controls" on a window (set/get text, move, disable, etc.)
- Work with the clipboard to cut/paste text items
- Work with the registry

Unlike AutoIt v2, the new v3 language has a much more standard syntax -similar to VBScript and BASIC - and now supports complex expressions, user functions, looping and everything else that veteran scripters would expect.

As with previous versions, AutoIt has been designed to be as small as possible and stand-alone with no external .dll files or registry entries required. Scripts can also be compiled into stand-alone executables with Aut2Exe.

There have also been updates to the ActiveX and DLL versions of AutoIt called AutoItX - unlike v2 this will be a combined control (COM and standard DLL functions in the same DLL). AutoItX will allow you to add the unique features of AutoIt to your own favourite scripting or programming languages! See the AutoItX Help file (Start \ AutoIt v3 \ Extras \ AutoItX \ AutoItX Help File) for more information and examples.

Best of all, AutoIt continues to be FREE - but if you want to support the time, money and effort spent on the project and web hosting then you may donate at the AutoIt homepage.

# What's New?

v3 has a completely different syntax to v2.64 so old scripts are not compatible. However, v2.64 will continue to be supported and downloadable. Both AutoIt v3 and v2.64 can be installed on the same machine together without any problems and you can keep your old scripts intact. v2 uses the .aut extension and v3 uses .au3. There is rarely a need to rewrite a working v2.64 script for v3.

v3 has the same concepts as previous versions with windows titles and text and keyboard and mouse simulation but has many new features:

Controls

Directly get information on and interact with edit boxes, check boxes, list boxes, combos, buttons, status bars without the risk of keystrokes getting lost. Even work with controls in windows that aren't active!

Language Upgrades

"Proper" numbers, unlimited-length strings, complex expressions, if statements, select, while loops, for loops, do loops, functions, arrays, excellent string handling (over 25 functions!) - the list goes on. Everything you need to make your automation routines as painless as possible. Yes, this is a GUI automation language but the syntax in v3 is powerful enough for general purpose scripting. Old versions of AutoIt were often referred to as "not a proper language". Not any more.

Key and Mouse Simulation

Much time has been spent optimizing the keystroke and mouse simulation functions to be as accurate as possible on all current operating systems. The mouse functions also look more "human" in this version and can even be used to create slick demo scripts. All the mouse and keyboard routines are highly configurable both in terms of simulation "speed" and functionality.

Window Management

In addition to the "title/text" v2 way of accessing windows you can also access windows by their class names and handles. As usual you can expect to move, hide, show, resize, activate, close and pretty much do what you want with windows.

And much, much more.