Little Alt Code Utility

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:01 AM

I wrote a simple little utility that shows some of the more common alt-codes you may want to put in a forum post. I am forever forgetting these and using the character map is a PITA.

If you hover over a button it shows a tooltip of the alt code and a description.
If you click on a button it copies the alt code character to the clipboard so you can just ctrl-V it into the post editor (or wherever).
After you click a button the status bar tells you what it sent to the clipboard.

If you in another window editing (like a post or whatever) clicking on a button will now automatically put it in the window where your cursor is.

You can put the exe anywhere as it does not use any other files or resources.

I can add more codes if anyone finds this useful and would like a few more added.

Any feedback is appreciated ... even if you feel it's worthless.

theJesus · Jan 16, 2012, 12:10 AM

This is an awesome app. I have it pinned in my taskbar now.

qubit · Jan 16, 2012, 12:17 AM

Awesome, it's gonna help with putting in that ™ character.

Here are a few more: ™¢€µ¼•

A Cheese Danish · Jan 16, 2012, 12:26 AM

Nifty I must say. Helps a lot

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:26 AM

For a little 15KB utility it's memory usage (private working set) is a little large at ~5M
I'll see if I can make it's memory footprint smaller.

xbonez · Jan 16, 2012, 01:30 AM

Interesting about the 5MB memory usage. It's a winform app, right?

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 11:38 AM

Yes it is, xbonez. It is compiled using my default VS settings, so I should be able to do a some bit twiddling to make it smaller.

I wrote this because I got sick of going to sites that listed the codes.
This little app is one of those things that falls under "necessity is the mother of invention."

ctrain · Jan 16, 2012, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreij

For a little 15KB utility it's memory usage (private working set) is a little large at ~5M
I'll see if I can make it's memory footprint smaller.

You can call SetProcessWorkingSetSize() to try and go lower yet, but it's pointless really, you will likely damage performance if anything in trying.

It's best to leave the runtime and OS to their own devices really, .NET programs using a "lot" of memory is well known and stripping the working set is a common idea that seems like a good one but is really not.

FordGT90Concept · Jan 16, 2012, 11:59 AM

How about adding:
Þ = 0222
þ = 0254

You must be feeling better.

I can't code when in pain. :þ

DanTheBanjoman · Jan 16, 2012, 12:09 PM

What's does it do that a list in notepad won't?

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ctrain

You can call SetProcessWorkingSetSize() to try and go lower yet, but it's pointless really, you will likely damage performance if anything in trying.

It's best to leave the runtime and OS to their own devices really, .NET programs using a "lot" of memory is well known and stripping the working set is a common idea that seems like a good one but is really not.

Not sure how I could reduce performance on an app that does almost nothing.

I was just going to poke around with a few VS settings and not do anything dramatic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FordGT90Concept

How about adding:
Þ = 0222
þ = 0254

You must be feeling better.

I can't code when in pain. :þ

I was thinking of adding the TPU smileys so you could use the little app with "post quick reply" and have them available for copy/pasta. Thoughts?

If the pain gets too bad the coding stops (as I usually lie down), if I take painkillers coding slows down dramatically due to general mental foginess. lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by Banjo

What's does it do that a list in notepad won't?

Functionally it makes copying to the cliboard a little faster (just click the button). Other than that, not much at the moment.

DanTheBanjoman · Jan 16, 2012, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreij

Functionally it makes copying to the cliboard a little faster (just click the button). Other than that, not much at the moment.

Then, what will it do?

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanTheBanjoman

Then, what will it do?

You lost me on that question, Banjo. Probably the painkillers. lol

DanTheBanjoman · Jan 16, 2012, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreij

You lost me on that question, Banjo. Probably the painkillers. lol

You said it does nothing else currently, what features are planned?

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:30 PM

Whatever anyone comes up with that they think will make it better.
I'm always open for suggestions. You have any ideas Banjo?

theJesus · Jan 16, 2012, 12:34 PM

It would be cool if it worked like the on-screed keyboard. Not totally necessary, but if you're bored . . .

Mindweaver · Jan 16, 2012, 12:38 PM

Nice work kreij! on "The Little Alt Code Utility ® ™" Works great!

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theJesus

It would be cool if it worked like the on-screed keyboard. Not totally necessary, but if you're bored . . .

More info please. Yes, I am bored.

theJesus · Jan 16, 2012, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreij

More info please. Yes, I am bored.

Basically, have an option for it stay in the foreground at all times and whenever you click a character in it, then it automatically pastes that into whatever text field your cursor was in.

Open up the onscreen keyboard to see what I mean.

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 12:46 PM

Cool. I never used the OSK before. Will work on that for next version.

ctrain · Jan 16, 2012, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kreij

Not sure how I could reduce performance on an app that does almost nothing.

You might up causing some page faults as a result of trying to trim the working set, worrisome if you're counting precious milliseconds

What I was getting at is that the seemingly large working set of .NET programs isn't worth playing with. The OS will reclaim the uneeded memory for other use if it really needs to and will not allocate so much "fluff" in the first place if it's scarce to begin with.

Mindweaver · Jan 16, 2012, 01:23 PM

Kreij why not go ahead and throw in all the forum codes [spoiler}[/spoiler], [B}{/B}, etc..

You could create two windows/Multi Line Textboxes one to type the complete post and the second window to view the post in real time. Once the user is ready to post the response have something like a send button for them to click. You could create a toggle switch to go from thejesus direct imput mode or the multi window method.

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 01:36 PM

That's not as easy as it sounds, MW. It would require a realtime bbcode parser and tokenizer, as well as working with the RTF format for use with a RichTextBox for realtime display. It gets pretty ugly quick. lol

I was working on something like that awhile ago as an offline editor for people writing articles and/or news.

Completely Bonkers · Jan 16, 2012, 01:46 PM

Any chance of a user-defined line of buttons? Set in a .ini or cfg file? I have need for certain character code sets when writing emails, like üöä and čěřňš

Actually; http://www.typeit.org/ is pretty useful

Kreij · Jan 16, 2012, 02:18 PM

I had originally thought of including all of the characters with accents and a lot of other special punctuation, but I was trying to keep the GUI small.
The intent of this app was for quick characters when forum posting and not a comprehensive list of all the possible alt codes.
I will give it some thought. Maybe a settings option so the GUI only displays the character sets that you need/want.

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:10 AM	#2
theJesus Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 3,116 (1.76/day) Thanks: 2,301 Thanked 865 Times in 612 Posts System Specs	This is an awesome app. I have it pinned in my taskbar now. __________________ HEAT “congratulations! you have successfully been inflicted with tpuitis! symptons include: prolonged computer usage, urge to make tpu your homepage, posting at rapid posts-per-day ratios (also known as post whoring), and the urge to waste lots of money on high end computer hardware that you dont need!” -panchoman “Modding to me is something best shared with others.... Kind of like a fine wine, but without the drunk driving arrest and hangovers.” -MKmods “i'm going to punch you in the face now Jesus..” -BumbleBee

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:17 AM	#3
qubit Overclocked quantum bit Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Quantumville UK Posts: 8,648 (4.34/day) Thanks: 4,178 Thanked 3,303 Times in 1,943 Posts System Specs	Awesome, it's gonna help with putting in that ™ character. Here are a few more: ™¢€µ¼• __________________ Siggie in the post.

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:26 AM	#4
A Cheese Danish Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: At your local vending machine Posts: 1,914 (0.80/day) Thanks: 121 Thanked 419 Times in 368 Posts System Specs	Nifty I must say. Helps a lot __________________ My FS/FT Thread HEATWARE Xfire Steam ID Certs: MCTS, MCITP, HP APS Server: AMD Opteron 170 @2.95GHz \| 4GB DDR 3-3-2-7 \| 1x Samsung SPT 500GB, 2x WD Black 2TB, 2x 1.5TB Western Digital MyBook

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:26 AM	#5
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,114 (5.27/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,492 Times in 2,936 Posts System Specs	For a little 15KB utility it's memory usage (private working set) is a little large at ~5M I'll see if I can make it's memory footprint smaller. __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

Jan 16, 2012, 01:30 AM	#6
xbonez Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Philly, PA (US) Posts: 1,084 (1.20/day) Thanks: 277 Thanked 323 Times in 197 Posts System Specs	Interesting about the 5MB memory usage. It's a winform app, right? __________________ My Screen Capture Utility Sandy Bridge Worklog

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Jan 16, 2012, 11:38 AM	#7
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,114 (5.27/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,492 Times in 2,936 Posts System Specs	Yes it is, xbonez. It is compiled using my default VS settings, so I should be able to do a some bit twiddling to make it smaller. I wrote this because I got sick of going to sites that listed the codes. This little app is one of those things that falls under "necessity is the mother of invention." __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

Jan 16, 2012, 11:59 AM	#9
FordGT90Concept "I go fast!1!11!1!" Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: IA, USA Posts: 10,576 (6.28/day) Thanks: 1,755 Thanked 2,596 Times in 1,960 Posts System Specs	How about adding: Þ = 0222 þ = 0254 You must be feeling better. I can't code when in pain. :þ __________________ Golden Rule of Programming: Never assume. try { SteamDownload(); } catch (Steamception ex) { RageQuit(); }

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:09 PM	#10
DanTheBanjoman Señor Moderator Join Date: May 2004 Location: Utrecht, Utrecht, The kingdom of the Netherlands Posts: 8,498 (2.58/day) Thanks: 41 Thanked 1,453 Times in 1,077 Posts System Specs	What's does it do that a list in notepad won't?

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:30 PM	#15
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,114 (5.27/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,492 Times in 2,936 Posts System Specs	Whatever anyone comes up with that they think will make it better. I'm always open for suggestions. You have any ideas Banjo? __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

Jan 16, 2012, 12:34 PM	#16
theJesus Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Canton, Ohio Posts: 3,116 (1.76/day) Thanks: 2,301 Thanked 865 Times in 612 Posts System Specs	It would be cool if it worked like the on-screed keyboard. Not totally necessary, but if you're bored . . . __________________ HEAT “congratulations! you have successfully been inflicted with tpuitis! symptons include: prolonged computer usage, urge to make tpu your homepage, posting at rapid posts-per-day ratios (also known as post whoring), and the urge to waste lots of money on high end computer hardware that you dont need!” -panchoman “Modding to me is something best shared with others.... Kind of like a fine wine, but without the drunk driving arrest and hangovers.” -MKmods “i'm going to punch you in the face now Jesus..” -BumbleBee

Jan 16, 2012, 12:38 PM	#17
Mindweaver Moderato®™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Statesville, NC Posts: 3,657 (2.44/day) Thanks: 4,326 Thanked 2,319 Times in 1,150 Posts System Specs	Nice work kreij! on "The Little Alt Code Utility ® ™" Works great! __________________ “As long as I feel the warmth from the sun and breathe precious air…. I must ask questions to feed the Mind!” Battletag: Mindweaver#1523

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Jan 16, 2012, 12:46 PM	#20
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,114 (5.27/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,492 Times in 2,936 Posts System Specs	Cool. I never used the OSK before. Will work on that for next version. __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

Jan 16, 2012, 01:23 PM	#22
Mindweaver Moderato®™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Statesville, NC Posts: 3,657 (2.44/day) Thanks: 4,326 Thanked 2,319 Times in 1,150 Posts System Specs	Kreij why not go ahead and throw in all the forum codes [spoiler}[/spoiler], [B}{/B}, etc.. You could create two windows/Multi Line Textboxes one to type the complete post and the second window to view the post in real time. Once the user is ready to post the response have something like a send button for them to click. You could create a toggle switch to go from thejesus direct imput mode or the multi window method. __________________ “As long as I feel the warmth from the sun and breathe precious air…. I must ask questions to feed the Mind!” Battletag: Mindweaver#1523

Jan 16, 2012, 01:36 PM	#23
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,114 (5.27/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,492 Times in 2,936 Posts System Specs	That's not as easy as it sounds, MW. It would require a realtime bbcode parser and tokenizer, as well as working with the RTF format for use with a RichTextBox for realtime display. It gets pretty ugly quick. lol I was working on something like that awhile ago as an offline editor for people writing articles and/or news. __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

Jan 16, 2012, 01:46 PM	#24
Completely Bonkers Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,415 (1.05/day) Thanks: 582 Thanked 533 Times in 374 Posts System Specs	Any chance of a user-defined line of buttons? Set in a .ini or cfg file? I have need for certain character code sets when writing emails, like üöä and čěřňš Actually; http://www.typeit.org/ is pretty useful __________________ ... some things in life just drive you bonkers. Especially the rubbish you see in forum posts

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Jan 16, 2012, 02:18 PM	#25
Kreij Hardcore Monkey Moderator Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Cheeseland (Wisconsin, USA) Posts: 12,114 (5.27/day) Thanks: 591 Thanked 5,492 Times in 2,936 Posts System Specs	I had originally thought of including all of the characters with accents and a lot of other special punctuation, but I was trying to keep the GUI small. The intent of this app was for quick characters when forum posting and not a comprehensive list of all the possible alt codes. I will give it some thought. Maybe a settings option so the GUI only displays the character sets that you need/want. __________________ Cloud (noun, singular): A dynamic arrangement of multiple potential single points of failure, with a user at one end and their data at the other. Get more tech news on a wide variety of topics at NextPowerUp

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