AutoIT is a free scripting language used to automate the Windows® GUI. It’s similar to Visual Basic® and allows for high-level functions, loops, and regular expressions. It comes with a SciTe editor and allows for customization of keystrokes and mouse movements. AutoIT is freeware and its source code is closed to modification.
AutoIT, pronounced as “aw-toe-it,” is a free scripting language used to automate the Windows® Graphical User Interface (Windows® GUI). Interface automation is of primary importance because it allows basic processes such as system administration and console applications to run. Today AutoIT is also used as a general scripting language capable of high-level functions.
This scripting language is similar to Visual Basic®, making it relatively easy for those with computer programming experience to learn. It uses the same kind of syntax as Visual Basic® but performs a more specific function, especially for the Windows® interface. BASIC-like languages such as AutoIT allow you to quickly create an application prototype of a simple GUI.
Being a high-level scripting language, AutoIt contains several features that are beneficial to both novice and professional developers. Developers can code specific loops, advanced functions, and regular expressions using this language. For developers familiar with Perl, another high-level programming language, AutoIT is especially useful as it comes with a regular expression engine that is compatible with Perl-based scripting.
For anyone who has coded, using a script editor is a well-known best practice. AutoIT is built with a SciTe editor that makes it easy to edit scripts and ensures high-quality code that doesn’t break or produce bugs. The included SciTe editor is a modified version and does not contain all editing features. To get all the features, it’s best to download a full version of the SciTe editor online. The full version can also be used to edit scripts written in this language.
Being able to control applications using keystrokes and mouse movements is another significant feature of this language. It allows the programmer to customize any keystroke and any mouse movement to perform a particular function within the Windows® GUI. The mouse movement speed can also be customized for a particular purpose. For example, a slow, dragging manipulation of one mouse movement can lead to one function, while a quick manipulation of the same mouse movement can lead to an entirely different function.
Perhaps the most salient feature of AutoIT is that it is freeware. This means that it is completely free software. Some freeware developers ask for donations to reduce the cost of providing the software online. AutoIT’s developers still hold all legal rights to the scripting language, making its source code closed to modification by other developers.
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