===== Terminal Connectivity in Windows using Console =====

This HowTo documents how to integrate Geany with [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/console/|Console]] using [[http://www.autohotkey.com/|AutoHotKey]] in Windows. This is useful since the terminal emulation feature is absent in geany on windows. Console is a tabbed wrapper for terminal-like programs in windows, and can be used as a shell to run anything from cmd.exe, python, rterm, etc. to Midnight Commander. AutoHotKey is a scripting language and interpreter that specializes in process management and keyboard shortcuts.\\

==== Setup ====

  * Download and install Console 2.0 and AutoHotKey.
  * Configure Console's tabs. To run shells other than cmd.exe, just go to Edit > Settings > Tabs. From here add another tab using Add and provide an appropriate function in the shell option.
  * Create the file AutoHotKey.ahk in your 'My Documents' folder. Alternatively, running AutoHotKey.exe will automatically generate this file. Just delete the contents.
  * Paste the following script into the file, replacing the path on line 5 with your path to Console, and the argument DefaultTab with the name of the tab you specified in Console:
<code autohotkey AutoHotKey.ahk>
TestConsole()
{
	IfWinNotExist, ahk_class Console_2_Main,
	{
		Run, C:\path\to\Console.exe -t DefaultTab
		WinWait, ahk_class Console_2_Main,
	}
}

ActivateConsole()
{
	TestConsole()
	WinActivate, ahk_class Console_2_Main,
	WinWaitActive, ahk_class Console_2_Main,
}

#1::
WinGetActiveTitle, editor
old_clipboard = %clipboard%
Send, {CTRLDOWN}c{CTRLUP}
ActivateConsole()
Send, {CTRLDOWN}{END}{CTRLUP}{RETURN}
WinActivate, %editor%,
clipboard = %old_clipboard%
return

#2::
WinGetActiveTitle, editor
old_clipboard = %clipboard%
Send, {HOME}{HOME}{SHIFTDOWN}{END}{SHIFTUP}{CTRLDOWN}c{CTRLUP}
ActivateConsole()
Send, {CTRLDOWN}{END}{CTRLUP}{RETURN}
WinActivate, %editor%,
clipboard = %old_clipboard%
WinWaitActive, %editor%,
Send, {HOME}{DOWN}
return

#3::
WinGetActiveTitle, editor
old_clipboard = %clipboard%
Send, {CTRLDOWN}ac{CTRLUP}
ActivateConsole()
Send, {CTRLDOWN}{END}{CTRLUP}{RETURN}
WinActivate, %editor%,
clipboard = %old_clipboard%
return
</code>
This script, when run, will bind the following commands:
  * Windows Key + 1: Pass highlighted text to Console.
  * Windows Key + 2: Pass current line to Console.
  * Windows Key + 3: Pass whole file to Console.
  * All of these will also open Console to your specified tab if it is not open.
To change these bindings, replace the #1, #2, or #3 in the above script with bindings that can be found [[http://www.autohotkey.com/docs/Hotkeys.htm|here]].

{{tag>howto windows}}