As I continue training for my new job doing tech support for Microsoft, I have been taking lots of notes using Microsoft OneNote. which is part of the Office 2010 suite. I create individual notebooks for each topic covered in class and create pages for each lesson, complete with screenshots and links to related web sites. I also find myself doing quite a bit of highlighting to help me remember the important points covered by the instructor during the lectures. The keyboard shortcut for highlighting a selected block of text is Ctrl + Alt + H. Pretty awkward.
Then I thought of creating a script using AutoHotkey to make it possible to highlight text using only the mouse and never have to touch the keyboard again, well, except for typing more notes. All it takes is this one little line.

MButton & WheelUp::Send ^!h

With this script running I can continue selecting the text to be highlighted as usual, but when I’m ready for the actual highlighting, I just hold down the middle mouse button and scroll up at the same time,  which is the  hotkey for sending the Ctrl + Alt + H keystroke that highlights the selected text.
It’s amazing how one line of code can save tons of time.

The very second I found out that AutoHotkey has a command for sounding a beep through your speakers, I immediately thought of creating a nonsense script that lets you play your keyboard like a piano. And here it is.

#piano.ahk
*z::SoundBeep, 262,100
*s::SoundBeep, 277,100
*x::SoundBeep, 294,100
*d::SoundBeep, 311,100
*c::SoundBeep, 330,100
*v::SoundBeep, 349,100
*g::SoundBeep, 369,100
*b::SoundBeep, 392,100
*h::SoundBeep, 415,100
*n::SoundBeep, 440,100
*j::SoundBeep, 466,100
*m::SoundBeep, 494,100
*,::SoundBeep, 523,100
*l::SoundBeep, 554,100
*.::SoundBeep, 587,100
*;::SoundBeep, 622,100
*/::SoundBeep, 659,100
*q::SoundBeep, 523,100
*2::SoundBeep, 554,100
*w::SoundBeep, 587,100
*3::SoundBeep, 622,100
*e::SoundBeep, 659,100
*r::SoundBeep, 698,100
*5::SoundBeep, 739,100
*t::SoundBeep, 783,100
*6::SoundBeep, 830,100
*y::SoundBeep, 880,100
*7::SoundBeep, 932,100
*u::SoundBeep, 987,100
*i::SoundBeep, 1046,100
*9::SoundBeep, 1109,100
*o::SoundBeep, 1175,100
*0::SoundBeep, 1244,100
*p::SoundBeep, 1318,100
*[::SoundBeep, 1397,100
*=::SoundBeep, 1480,100
*]::SoundBeep, 1568,100
*\::SoundBeep, 1760,100

I used this page to set the approximate frequencies of the musical notes, including those for sharps and flats. The “Z” key  is middle C and the “Q” key is higher C. While this script is running you won’t be able to use your keyboard for anything but making weird beeps, which is the last thing your boss wants to hear during his regular strolls through your office. You have been warned.

I’ve decided to give AutoHotkey a try and downloaded the no-install version for use on my USB thumb drive. When I ran it, it created a sample script file called AutoHotkey.ahk in your My Documents folder. Not exactly something I’d want happening if I were to run AutoHotkey on a public computer, such as one at the library. After doing some research online to determine a workaround, I learned I can copy this sample script to the application folder and rename it to AutoHotkey.ini, so when I run it from my thumb drive, the script contained in the INI file will automatically run.
I don’t know about you, but I prefer having AutoHotkey ask me which script file I want to open when I run it, so I replaced the contents of AutoHotkey.ini with this little script:

The script runs like a charm.
As a longtime user of AutoIt, I’m finding the AutoHotkey commands very easy to learn. At this point I don’t know which of the two scripting utilities are better but I am sure the answer will reveal itself over time.