So I recently noticed that my code to combine AutoHotkey with iTunes wasn’t working, so tonight’s project was to get it working again. Luckily, AutoHotkey has dramatically developed since I wrote the last post, now bundling native COM support in a version that is generally known as AHK_L. For a full list of things added to AutoHotkey, consult the AHK_L Changelog.

Using COM

So the best news here is that we don’t have to mess with low-level COM coding at all; anyone who has done so will know the pain of which I speak. Using COM is one of the most degrading, mind-wrangling and time-consuming tasks in Computer Science. Thankfully, the new syntax is simple.

Playback Controls

Media_Next::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	iTunes.NextTrack()
Return

Media_Play_Pause::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	iTunes.PlayPause()
Return

Media_Prev::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	iTunes.PreviousTrack()
Return

^Media_Mute::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	iTunes.Mute := !iTunes.Mute
Return

More after the jump.

Rating Controls

^#Up::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	iTunes.CurrentTrack.Rating += 20
Return

^#Down::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	iTunes.CurrentTrack.Rating -= 20
Return

Copy song to Dropbox

I’ve changed the function to copy a specific file location to the Dropbox, taking the COM reference out of dropbox.ahk.

Media_Stop::
	iTunes := ComObjCreate("iTunes.Application")
	CopyFileToDropbox(iTunes.CurrentTrack.Location)
Return

Other useful fields/methods

Many of the following were gleaned from this file.

General

• Version: iTunes.Version
• Go to iTunes Store: iTunes.GotoMusicStoreHomePage()
• Enable visualization: iTunes.VisualsEnabled := 1
• Toggle visualization: iTunes.VisualsEnabled := !iTunes.VisualsEnabled
• Update iPod/iPhone: iTunes.UpdateIPod()
• Path of library file: iTunes.LibraryXMLPath

Playback

• Seek to beginning of song: iTunes.BackTrack()
• Rewind: iTunes.Rewind()
• Fast forward: iTunes.FastForward()
• Volume: iTunes.SoundVolume
• Play file: iTunes.PlayFile(full file path)
• Open URL: iTunes.OpenURL(url path)
• Quit: iTunes.Quit()

Current Track

• If iTunes is currently playing: iTunes.PlayerState
• Seconds elapsed in file: iTunes.PlayerPosition
• Artist: iTunes.CurrentTrack.Artist
• Name: iTunes.CurrentTrack.Name
• Album: iTunes.CurrentTrack.Album
• Time (total length): iTunes.CurrentTrack.Time
• File size (bytes): iTunes.CurrentTrack.Size
• Play count: iTunes.CurrentTrack.PlayedCount
• Bit rate: iTunes.CurrentTrack.BitRate
• File location: iTunes.CurrentTrack.Location

Playlist

• Current playlist: iTunes.CurrentPlaylist
• Library: iTunes.LibraryPlaylist
• Selected tracks: iTunes.SelectedTracks
• Name of a playlist: iTunes.CurrentPlaylist.Name
• Number of tracks in a playlist: iTunes.CurrentPlaylist.Tracks.Count
• Length of a playlist (hh:mm:ss): iTunes.CurrentPlaylist.Time
• Size of a playlist (bytes): iTunes.CurrentPlaylist.Size
• Name of the first track in a playlist: iTunes.CurrentPlaylist.Tracks[1].Name
• Play first track in the current playlist: iTunes.CurrentPlaylist.PlayFirstTrack()

Search

• Number of search results for a phrase: iTunes.LibraryPlaylist.Search("wild things", 1).Count

Hopefully this is of use to someone. If it is, I’d like you to tell me what you used it for!