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What do non-programmers need to automate?

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johnk:
I think the main form of automation that the average PC user should but does not use is the humble text replacement macro. I've been using Macro Express for this purpose for many years, and I've built up a list of a few dozen text replacement macros that are now instinctive, and save me a lot of time, month in, month out.

So when I type ",jm" (without quotation marks), it's replaced with my main email address, ",ad" is replaced with my full postal address, ",es" contains positive feedback for an eBay seller, and so on. Over the years, it's been a huge time saver. Macro Express is also powerful and flexible, so for example I use "CTRL+F9" to call a NirCmd action that powers off my monitor.

Any number of programs, including AutoHotkey, can take care of text replacement, and most average PC users would benefit, far more than they would from more complex forms of automation.

While I applaud getting non-programmers interested in programming, automation is one area where I would just encourage people to get an appropriate existing program (there are so many), or if someone is determined to dip their toe in the programming waters, they can introduce themselves to scripting automation with Autohotkey (I did replace Macro Express with Autohotkey for a while, just to prove to myself I could get Autohotkey to do anything that Macro Express could do, but really, Macro Express just made everything much, much easier, and encouraged me to add more macros).

clk4suport:
Hi there,

It's seems great . i look forward to it.

Thank You.

daddydave:
Cool to see you, Al. When I was trying to do some hobbyist type programming, I became a fan of your work.

I think Python is a perfect "midlife crisis" programming language for me since it reminds me of being in college and typing things into BASICA / GW-BASIC around the DOS 2/3.x era. Your port of GORILLA.BAS to Python confirmed it for me:
http://inventwithpython.com/blog/2010/06/25/gorilla-py-a-remake-of-gorilla-bas/

Edvard:
May I recommend some other Python books for your site?:

http://www.handysoftware.com/cpif/
http://www.briggs.net.nz/snake-wrangling-for-kids.html

My son did the Computer Programming is Fun book when he was around 11.  He enjoyed it at the time (it was something new to learn and master), but it taught him that he didn't particularly like programming.
C'est la vie...

daddydave:
Maybe something with manipulating text files to get them into .csv format so they can use them in Excel or mail merge.

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