Script & Hotkey Performance

Scripts are semi-compiled while they're being loaded and syntax-checked. In addition to reducing the memory consumed by the script, this process also enhances runtime performance (by orders of magnitude in some cases). The performance boost is greatest when SetBatchLines is -1, meaning that the script is running at maximum speed.

In addition to SetBatchLines, the following commands may also affect performance depending on the nature of the script: SetKeyDelay, SetMouseDelay, SetWinDelay, SetControlDelay, and SetDefaultMouseSpeed.

Here are the technical details of the semi-compiling process:

• Input and output variables (when their names don't contain references to other variables) and group names are resolved to memory addresses.
• Loops, blocks, IFs, and ELSEs are given the memory addresses of their related jump-points in the script.
• The destination of each Hotkey, Gosub, and Goto is resolved to a memory address unless it's a variable.
• Command names are replaced with their addresses in a jump table.
• Each line is parsed into a list of parameters.
• Each parameter is parsed into a list of variable references (if any).
• Each variable reference is resolved to a memory address.