AHK (AutoHotkey) on Windows 11

This AutoHotkey v2.0 project provides custom keyboard shortcuts and window navigation functionality for Windows 11.

Features

Window Focus Navigation

Vim-like window navigation using Win+HJKL hotkeys:

• Win+H - Focus window to the left
• Win+J - Focus window below
• Win+K - Focus window above
• Win+L - Focus window to the right
• Win+W - Close current window
• Win+Space - Sends Ctrl+Space (remapped from keyboard layout switching)

The navigation system uses intelligent distance calculation that considers both directional proximity and window overlap, making it ideal for multi-monitor setups.

Virtual Desktop Switching

Navigate between Windows virtual desktops using Win+Shift+H/L:

• Win+Shift+H - Switch to the left desktop (previous)
• Win+Shift+L - Switch to the right desktop (next)

These shortcuts provide quick desktop switching without needing to use the Windows Task View interface.

Vim-like Text Navigation

Use Esc as a modifier key for vim-like text navigation and editing: (inspired by @wzj-zz)

Basic Movement

• Esc+H/J/K/L - Left/Down/Up/Right arrow keys
• Esc+A - Home (beginning of line)
• Esc+; - End (end of line)

Word Movement

• Esc+U - Ctrl+Left (previous word)
• Esc+I - Ctrl+Right (next word)

Text Selection

• Esc+N - Ctrl+Shift+Left (select previous word)
• Esc+M - Ctrl+Shift+Right (select next word)
• Esc+, - Shift+Home (select to beginning of line)
• Esc+. - Shift+End (select to end of line)
• Esc+B - Shift+Left (select left)
• Esc+E - Shift+Right (select right)
• Esc+/ - Shift+Down (select down)
• Esc+P - Shift+Up (select up)

Page Navigation

• Esc+D - Page Down
• Esc+F - Page Up
• Esc+S - Shift+Page Down (select page down)
• Esc+R - Shift+Page Up (select page up)

Editing

• Esc+Y - Backspace
• Esc+O - Ctrl+Backspace (delete previous word)
• Esc+Shift - Delete

Installation

1. Install AutoHotkey v2.0
2. Clone this repository
3. Run key.ahk by double-clicking or right-click → "Compile Script"

Auto-Startup on Windows Boot

To automatically start the script when Windows boots:

Method 1: Using the Startup Script (Recommended)

1. Run startup.bat once to test compilation and execution
   • The script will compile key.ahk to key.exe using Ahk2Exe
   • Then automatically run the compiled executable
2. Copy startup.bat to your Windows Startup folder:
   • Press Win+R, type shell:startup, and press Enter
   • Copy startup.bat to the opened folder
3. The script will now compile and start automatically when Windows boots

Note: The startup script automatically compiles key.ahk to an executable, so the compiled program can run even on systems without AutoHotkey installed.

Usage

The hotkeys work immediately after running the script:

• Window Navigation: Use Win+H/J/K/L to navigate between visible windows in the corresponding directions
• Desktop Switching: Use Win+Shift+H/L to switch between virtual desktops (left/right)
• Text Navigation: Use Esc as a modifier key for vim-like text editing and navigation in any application

Technical Details

Window Selection Algorithm

• Compares same edges (left-to-left, top-to-top) for more intuitive navigation
• Calculates primary distance in the movement direction
• Applies overlap penalties for windows without perpendicular axis overlap
• Prioritizes windows with visual alignment over pure distance

Multi-Monitor Support

The algorithm considers window overlap on the perpendicular axis, ensuring natural navigation across multiple monitors without jumping to distant windows.