Quick & Dirty App

Hello, I want to make a little app that will send commands to another program (mirc.) But I don't know if Construct has this ability. I'm using Construct because I know it, well, mostly..I haven't been around in a while and just now downloaded 99.62. Before that I'd used .4 and .5 for just a little bit.

How do you intend to send commands to another application? There are many ways to do that.

I don't know, thats my question, how do I do it in construct? If theres not a built in way, can anyone think of one?

One way I've thought of, if I can't find a better one is to simply output a text file and writing some script for the irc client to read the text file perioidically. I no nothing about mirc scripting and would defeat my purpose of doing it in construct. (Ease of creation.)

edit - I should mention that I do intend to put in the work, just need sleep and getting a jump on the problem.

Well, it's fairly uncommon to write an application to control another application, especially if mIRC has built in scripts to do what you want to do already. To be honest the extra complexity of controlling mIRC from another application is probably about the same as just learning a bit of scripting and using that.

As for actually controlling the application, you have lots of options, which range from sending network messages, sending window messages via Win32, or even simulating moving the mouse and hitting keys. I don't think any of your options are both currently possible in Construct and reasonably simple (eg. moving the mouse automatically will be incredibly complicated and will break if the window layout is ever so slightly different).

You're using the wrong tool for the job really. Construct is a game creator.

Like I said, my purpose of using Construct is just that I'm familiar with it already. I know its the wrong tool for a job but... Something about hammers, toolboxes and nails.

I asked some people if they knew of any scripts that would do the job I'm wanting and they didn't, but said it would be fairly easy to make with scripting. (I didn't bother to tell a bunch of programmers that I hadn't learned that skill yet.)

There won't be any complexity of use in it like that mouse control, all I want it to do is send a /clear /kill and any other commands I think might be useful to hide your activities when the window is minimized.

Thanks for the help Ashley. I'm gonna try it anyway if just to figure out a way.

This may sound strange to you, but in Construct mouse control is much easier than "sending /clear"

Really. Pay attention to advice and go with scripting.