How it works
- Write the question, optional extra text, and a starting value; advanced options add hint text, room for several lines, and a timeout.
- It waits up to the timeout, one minute by default and anywhere from 5 seconds to 12 hours, then uses the default; with no default the step fails.
- Closing the question cancels the step.
- It asks in a small KeyRoutines window, but never steals focus from a game or full-screen app: then a Windows notification with an Answer button appears instead.
- The answer, and whether you answered or it timed out, are passed on to later steps.
Routines that use it
Name a new project
Ask for a project name, then Create folder makes a folder with that name and Open file or folder shows it.
Quick journal entry
A hotkey asks "What did you work on?" with room for a few lines, and Add text to file saves it with the date.
Search from anywhere
Ask for a search term and pass it to Web search.
Settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Title | The question. |
| Message | More text under the question. |
| Default | What the field starts with; also the answer if nobody answers in time. |
| Placeholderadvanced | Grey hint text in the empty field. |
| Multilineadvanced | Room for a few lines instead of one. |
| Timeoutadvanced | How long to wait for an answer (default 1 minute). |
Good to know
- The timeout can be from 5 seconds up to 12 hours.
Questions
- Can a routine ask me a question and use my answer?
- Yes. Ask for input shows a text box, and whatever you type becomes the step's output for the steps after it.
- What happens if I don't answer?
- After the timeout it uses the default you set. If there's no default, the step fails so the routine doesn't carry on with an empty answer.
- Will it interrupt my game?
- No. While a game or full-screen app is in front it asks through a Windows notification, and the text window opens only when you click Answer.