---
title: Your first script
layout: post
permalink: /en/Your-First-Script.html
---
# Your first script

## Let's start
Now you should have chosen your AutoHotkey version, your editor, and you should have set up both.
We'll do our first script now.

## Create a script file
If you have used the AutoHotkey classic or AutoHotkey\_L installer, right-click on your desktop or any folder and select New > AutoHotkey Script from the context menu. Open the newly created file in your editor. If you haven't run an installer, just open your editor and save it as a file with the extension ".ahk".

In the editor, type the following code:
{% highlight ahk %}
MsgBox Hello, World!
{% endhighlight %}

Save your file now.

---
### Note:
Make sure you chose the correct encoding. If you have installed AutoHotkey classic or AutoHotkey\_L ANSI, use, of course, ANSI, otherwise use UTF-8.

* In Windows Notepad, this setting is available under `File` > `Save As...` > `encoding`.
* In Notepad++, it's in the menu bar under `Encoding`.

---

## Execute your script
If you have run an installer, just double-click the file for executing it. Otherwise use the command line to run `[Path/To/YourAutoHotkey].exe "[Path/to/your/script].ahk"`.

For IronAHK, run `mono IronAHK.exe [Path/to/our/script].ahk`.

You should see a box appear similar to the screenshot below:
![MsgBox screenshot]({{ site.url }}/Images/Hello-World-1.en.png)

## What happened?
The first word in your code above, `MsgBox`, is an AutoHotkey command that instructs AutoHotkey to show that box. The rest of the code is, as you might have guessed, the message to display.

## Extending that example

You can customize the MsgBox further:
![2nd MsgBox screenshot]({{ site.url }}/Images/Hello-World-2.en.png)

Use the following code:

{% highlight ahk %}
MsgBox, 36, a question, Would you like to say 'Hello, World'?
{% endhighlight %}