I should just get the Mac Mini, shouldn't I.

October 8, 2005 2:01 AM

Windows equivalent of AppleScript?

I keep hearing about people who use AppleScript to tweak their mac to do the most awesome stuff for them (like iTunes ratings bound to button presses and adding songs to groups in iTunes). I have Windows, and while getting a Mac Mini just for my music (I play lots of PC games so I can't just switch) is a tempting idea, I don't want to go that road yet - first I'd like to know if there are any alternatives. I started learning Ruby, but I'm not good at it yet. Might I find the solution there? Is there Windows software that does something like this?

posted by Skyanth to computers & internet (7 comments total)

Microsoft COM is the most direct analogous component.
posted by Rothko at 2:04 AM on October 8, 2005

Windows Scripting Host
posted by pompomtom at 2:04 AM on October 8, 2005

If you just want to automate things you don't have to go to all that trouble. Programs such as Macro Express will let you do a surprising amount of stuff.
posted by Rhomboid at 2:57 AM on October 8, 2005

I use AutoIt for automating nearly everything, and Perl when I need something more complicated. I'd avoid Windows Scripting Host if I were you.
posted by Sharcho at 7:15 AM on October 8, 2005

COM is the backbone, and lets you do a lot of stuff. Perl will let you access COM objects fairly easily, and ActiveState's PPM will let you get a lot of very, very useful modules specifically for Win32.

Unless you like VBA or JS, stay away from Windows Scripting Host (although I hear you can use ActivePerl & Python now...).
posted by devilsbrigade at 10:49 AM on October 8, 2005

VB is a lot easier to learn than Perl, especially if you already know any BASIC, and who doesn't? Python's not bad as a language, though.

Still, "the AppleScript of Windows" is in fact VB running under Windows Scripting Host. You'll find lots of VB sample code out there, I'd wager more so than Perl or Python. It's the ubiquitousest.
posted by kindall at 12:26 PM on October 8, 2005

Since you're already learning Ruby, you can just talk to Windows COM objects directly using require 'win32ole'. To add to Sharcho, check this out-Ruby + AutoIT.
posted by evariste at 12:45 PM on October 8, 2005