Bill Talada (7/10/2013)

---

The whole mess of programming "between" different apps and data requires scripting or macro languages which are usually syntactically very ugly and kludgy. I generally end up doing a bulk insert of text into @tables in sql and slicing and diceing until I come up with text to save as a batch file and run through a cmd shell. I can only do this because of 30 years of experience. Last week I used sql to generate a batch file to rename 3000 files...saving me a day of work.

I use sqlserver to bulk insert vb database solution and project files to automate quality checks and disk file verifications. I also use it to process folder and filenames.

I learned Python for a week only to realize it can't access the clipboard - a real deal breaker for me since that is how I do most macro functions in other programs. I used Winbatch years ago but I think it is overpriced. I liked autokey but it is cryptic. I now use QuickMacros and love it for it's virtually unlimited power but it too takes hours to write a few lines.

I see ScriptCS is in the works as a C# scripter. I'll check it out after it matures a few more months.

I also have vedit which is probably the most powerful text manipulation macro language on the planet. The product may be suffering from underfunding and lack of evolution into object oriented-ness though.

I also use notepad++ almost exclusively for its ability to search/replace across files using regex pattern matching.

Even with all these tools I still get irritated at the difficulty of implementing the patterns in my mind into these disparate languages and paradigms.

Anyone have any powerful, readable tools that serve as transforming and glueing swiss army knives?