Scripting and automation using VB script
 
         Here at this page, you can have a basic knowledge of scripting using visual basic.VB Script is a scripting language using which you can automate several tasks. The scripting is useful where repeatative tasks are to be performed more frequently. We can drastically reduce time and effort using VB Script for any operations.
 
We will see several examples of VB script.For Eg.
                         Get the script "speak.vbs" here . If you want your system to welcome you with some greetings words when you start your system, just put this scriptin your startup folder. The sytem will say "the words you have fed" at startup.
  • To start applications automatically that you start everytime you log on to system
There are so many apps that we start once we log on to our system.Eg. MS outlook, Internet explorer and many more.
Instead of starting them one by one manually you can start them automatically using simple trick.
 Simply place the apps executables in the startup folder
"C:\Users\shankar_bhagat\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"
 
  • To start MS outlook place this script in your startup folder
  • To start IE automatically, place this script in your startup folder
 
 
Sendkeys method of shell object is used to instruct system to send a keystroke.
Using this this we can make any key of the keyboard pressed. It works like the keys are pressed manually.

WshShell.SendKeys
 

Send one or more keystrokes to the active window as if they were typed at the keyboard. This method is similar to the VB SendKeys method.
Most keys can be represented by the character of the key itself.
E.g, the key sequence FRED can be represented simply by "FRED".
Some special keys, such as the control keys, function keys etc are encoded in a string enclosed by {braces}
See the table below
Key SendKey Equivalent Description
~
! 
^ 
+ 
Alt 
Backspace 
Clear 
Delete 
Down 
End 
Enter 
Escape
F1 through F16
Page Down 
Space 
Tab 
{~}
{!} 
{^}
{+}
{ALT}
{BACKSPACE}
{CLEAR}
{DELETE}
{DOWN}
{END}
{ENTER}
{ESCAPE}
{F1} through {F16}
{PGDN} 
{SPACE}
{TAB}
send a tilde (~)
send an exclamation point (!)
send a caret (^)
send a plus sign (+)
send an Alt keystroke
send a Backspace keystroke  
Clear the field
send a Delete keystroke
send a Down Arrow keystroke
send an End keystroke
send an Enter keystroke
send an Esc keystroke
send the appropriate Function key
send a Page Down keystroke 
send a Spacebar keystroke 
send a Tab keystroke
 
SendKey

To specify keys combined with any combination of SHIFT, CTRL, and ALT keys, precede the key code with one or more of the following:

For SHIFT prefix with +
For CTRL prefix with ^
For ALT prefix with %
 
 
See this Example
' Open notepad
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WshShell.Run "notepad", 9
' Give Notepad time to load
WScript.Sleep 500
'type in Hello World
WshShell.SendKeys "Hello World!"
WshShell.SendKeys "{ENTER}"