Topics

1

DC Member Programs and Projects / Simple Text Verifier (Autohotkey script)

« on: September 09, 2011, 02:52 AM »

I thought I share a little AHK script I made a while ago and use quite often. Perhaps someone finds it useful.

Usage:
Type something in twice, and it informs you if both entries are the same. If yes, the entry is copied to the clipboard.

That's it.

Compiled script and source attached to this forum entry. Enjoy.






Why I made it (if you're interested)
At my workplace I've to install updates for a telephone software. They send a DVD and a letter with a really long serial number. The serial has to be entered once and there's no "serial is wrong" check. If the serial is wrong, the app continues to work for some time, but eventually starts telling "no data found" for every query. Yes, as silly as it sounds, but that's their idea of copy protection. To help myself, I typed in the serial twice in notepad and compared if I got it right.

As I had some time to kill I played with AHK and created this script. The idea is, that I wouldn't enter the same error twice. I use it to type in serial keys, TAN numbers, bank account numbers... just anything important, where's no margin for error.

The script is pretty basic. The #If Routine is the only AHK_L in there. The most advanced part of the script is the coloring of the fields. This routine isn't done by me. Proper credit is given in the source of course, but it demonstrates real nice that AHK was never intended as programming language and has to be forced to do such things.

Usage example
Let's say, you got a list with 50 TAN codes for your bank account and want them imported in your password app like KeePass.
Enter the TAN codes in Simple Text Verifier, activate "Write Log". If typed in correct, it'll be saved in the log file. Press CTRL+L to open the log.
You've to enter every TAN twice, but at least you know it's 100%.

Edit: Script updated to v3
Since I keep using this little script and missed some features, I updated it:

• I always liked the auto-hyphen if I type in Microsoft serials. Now the script can do the same.
• If there's a difference, it'll tell you where it is.
• Positive results can be written in a log file (easy collection of TAN numbers)
• Write chars upper-case and stay-on-top.

2

Finished Programs / SOLVED: Add cover art to MP3 from command line

« on: July 29, 2011, 02:50 AM »

I'm looking for a Windows tool which adds cover art to MP3 files, preserving existing ID3 tags, so I can use it in scripts, like

"tool.exe folder.jpg title.mp3"

I don't care if it's a console application or not, it should just accept command line parameters (with no output).


I found a tool doing exactly such thing called "MetaMP3 v0.92 beta 5" (about four years old) but the tool isn't unicode and messing up ID3tags with international characters.

The next best - and only - thing is probably eyeD3, but I can't figure out how to get this Python source compiled.  

My extensive Internet search also brought up "Tag", which is pretty cool to extract Id3v2 info, but it can't write id3v2.

3

Developer's Corner / AHK Soundboard

« on: July 08, 2011, 09:15 AM »

Since I've collected many sound files and I had some time to kill, I wrote myself a little Soundboard script using Autohotkey. It scans a folder for sound files and dynamically creates a folder list + button list to click on.



Anyway, if you've interest, just try it and have fun.   Some hints: You can right click the folder list, buttons and playlist for different context menues. Shift+Click a button for quick rename. Playlist text files can be dragged into the playlist field. Autohotkey limitation: If the volume buttons have no effect, you've to run the script in Windows XP compatibility mode. And finally another Authotkey limitation: Other files than .wav might not be playable if the right codec isn't installed.

Attached's the compiled exe, including the pretty chaotic AHK source and some audio files to get you started. Tested under WinXP and Win7x64.

And here's my full collection of sound files... about 3800 files (180 MB): http://tinyurl.com/423je8v

4

Living Room / Flash game: Lt. Fly vs the Spiders from Above

« on: May 30, 2008, 06:38 PM »

Guess it's a bit older, but I found this game via in4mador.com and enjoying played it from start to finish (needed two tries).

http://jayisgames.co...iders_from_above.php

Lt. Fly vs the Spiders from Above is a combination puzzle/shooter game that will leave your head buzzing. On the left side of the screen (company, left face!) is a block puzzle with a light twist. At the top left of the board is a fly holding a block of one color. Clicking anywhere within the grid will replace that block with the color designated. If you create a cluster of four or more similarly-colored blocks, they will disappear, leaving the rest of the blocks to topple down into place, and possibly cause some delightful combo action. Also in the grid are special blocks with bullets, flamethrowers, and bombs. If you work these blocks to the bottom of the screen, they get added to your arsenal of ammunition.

That ammunition gets used on the other side of the screen (company, right face!). Using the fly-operated cannon at the bottom-center of the screen, simply aim and fire at the spiders descending from the sky! You'll have to be careful, since your cursor will disappear once you cross into the right side of the screen. Keep an eye on the angle of the cannon's elevation (or just get used to blindly mousing around), or else you'll waste precious bullets. If you defeat enough spiders, you'll move on to the next invasion, where more of the creepy-crawlies await!

http://www.teravisio...om/fly/indexAds.html

5

Living Room / Flash Guestbook

« on: January 12, 2008, 04:18 AM »

Hi,

I'm running a small site for my church and using some foolproof utility to create it (Thundersite). With this tool it's pretty impossible to create guestbooks inside the websites template, so I was really happy to find a 100% flash based guestbook:

http://www.flash-guestbook.com/

But... they stopped their free service recently (without notifying their users. A website visitor told me the guestbook isn't working anymore) and demand $50 a year now. That's way too much.

Anyone know something similiar or an easy to setup flash guestbook?

6

Living Room / Flash game/fun: The Cadaver Calculator

« on: July 12, 2007, 08:33 AM »

The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

http://mingle2.com/cadaver-calculator

My worth:

Spoiler

7

Living Room / Flash Game: Bible Fight

« on: June 09, 2007, 04:35 AM »

Fight for supremacy as your favourite biblical hero!

http://www.adultswim...iblefight/index.html

I wish there would be some way to download it... ;-)

8

Living Room / Flash game: Sea of Fire

« on: May 25, 2007, 05:41 AM »

Here's an interesting flash game (found via Gizmo's Support Alert Newsletter). It's a real time strategy (RTS), like Warcraft or Command and Conquer. Of course simplied for flash, but still very addicting. I've wasted many hours finishing both campaigns.




Homepage:
http://www.armorgame...games/seaoffire.html

Download for offline play (flash file + flash player):
http://data.wr975.co...20offline%20play.zip

End game passwords:

Spoiler

good guys: 42FFF
bad guys: C3FF7

9

Mini-Reviews by Members / Ultra CPU Monitor

« on: September 22, 2006, 03:10 PM »

Basic Info

App Name	Ultra CPU Monitor
App URL	http://www.darmon.ho...nitor/index_eng.html
App Version Reviewed	1.2
Supported OSes	W2K/XP, unsure about W9x
Support Methods	None mentioned. Probably email.
Pricing Scheme	Freeware. Author asks for a postcard if you like it.

Intro:

This is my first mini-review and English is not my native language, so please... be nice.

I like to see the CPU activity all the time. I know a minimized taskman can do it, but I accidently close it all the time. So for many years I've used Active CPU and thought there'd be never another tool of its kind, but today I found something better: Ultra CPU Monitor. I don't like programs with SUPER or ULTRA in their name (sounds like cheap hype) but I still gave it a try.


Who is this app designed for:

Power users who like to know what's happening with their system. If the PC acts "sluggish" for no reason and you see CPU = 100% you know at instant something's not correct. You also know at one glance if the PC is still busy with some task (MP3 encoding).


The Good

The good thing about this app is of course the price no one can beat. Also it's not showing a "block" like taskman or Active CPU do, but a real graphical presentation (diagram) of the CPU load.

So, instead of



you'll see



You can extend it to up to 8 tray icons, to expand the "history"



Or use a tray icon as number.



Colors can be changed



and, last but not least, the update interval can be adjusted. (no picture). 


The needs improvement section

I guess there's not much to improve. As I started it the first time it took 30 MB memory, but dropped to 9 MB. That's not much for an application these days. Active CPU consumed 7 MB.

Slighty annoying:

• Clicking on info starts the about box (as it should) but also opens your browser to load the homepage.
• To save the settings you've to select "Save settings" in the tray menu. I'm lazy... Autosave please!

Why I think you should use this product

Anyone who likes to see the current CPU load all the time.


How does it compare to similar apps

The graphical presention (with history) makes it unique. Don't know of any other application doing this only.


Conclusions

Instant keeper and after many, many years Active CPU had to go.


Links to other reviews of this application

Since I mentioned it various times, here's the link to Active CPU (also freeware): http://www.protect-me.com/freeware.html

10

Post New Requests Here / IDEA: Extension for Thunderbird - winmail.dat viewer/converter

« on: November 25, 2005, 06:47 AM »

A software I'd pay for. An extension for Thunderbird, so I could just double-click on a "winmail.dat" and the email message within would open (RTF formatted message + attachments).

The problem about winmail.dat: http://www.gpc.edu/~...resource/winmail.htm

WMDecode.exe works OK, but $10 seems too expensive and it ignores the RTF message.

11

Finished Programs / DONE: Movie Cache Viewer

« on: November 22, 2005, 10:58 AM »

Here's a tool I'd really love to have (and I can think of quite some people who'd also like it).

A program like "SWF Cache Viewer" (http://www.browserto...WF-Opener/index.html) but for movie files (avi, wmv, mov, mpeg, mpg)... sorted after day/date.

Usage: I visit some site with funny videos and clips and see something I like. Instead of browsing to Temporay Internet Files, search the file, copy it to clipboard, get bugged by Windows about some security issue, go to some other folder, paste... I'd just use "Movie Cache Viewer".

12

Finished Programs / IDEA: Keyboard & Mouse cleaner

« on: September 26, 2005, 05:27 AM »

A little utility to assist the user in cleaning the keyboard / mouse without turning off the PC.

So for keyboard cleaning the application would disable the keyboard (and I guess this is the tricky part: all special keys (multimedia keys, windows))... click with the mouse and keyboard is enabled again.

For mouse cleaning the application would disable the mouse (and all extra mouse buttons, like thumb or wheel button). Press a key and it's enabled again.

An application like this exists... http://www.crystalso....com.au/cleango.html. But I'm too cheap to dish out $10 for such tool  , and don't need a fancy GUI or cleaning instructions.

I found a freeware version years ago called Clean'm Up (no homepage), but it fails on the special keys... The Windows key would still work, even if the keyboard is disabled.