File Watcher

A real-time file monitoring application built with AutoHotkey v2.0+. This tool allows you to watch any file for changes and instantly view its content in a dedicated GUI window.

Features

• Real-time file monitoring: Automatically detects when a watched file is modified and updates the display
• GUI interface: Clean, user-friendly interface with file content display
• Context menu integration: Option to register a context menu entry for quick access
• Command-line support: Can be launched with a file path as an argument
• Auto-refresh: Monitors files every second for changes
• Visual indicators: Clear status indicators for watching/stopped states

Requirements

• AutoHotkey v2.0+ (https://www.autohotkey.com/)

Installation

1. Download the FileWatcher.ahk script and all associated .ahk files (FileWatcherLogic.ahk, ContextMenu.ahk, Logger.ahk)
2. Double-click FileWatcher.ahk to run the application

Usage

Basic Operation

1. Click the "👁️ Open File" button to select a file to monitor
2. The application will automatically start watching the file and display its content
3. Use the "🛑 Stop Watching" / "▶️ Start Watching" button to pause/resume monitoring
4. The file content will update automatically when changes are detected

Context Menu Integration

• Click "✍️ Register Context Menu" to add "Watch with File Watcher" to your Windows context menu
• This allows you to right-click any file and open it directly in the File Watcher
• Use "🗑️ Unregister Context Menu" to remove the context menu entry

Command Line Usage

You can launch the application with a file path directly:

FileWatcher.ahk "C:\path\to\your\file.txt"

Interface

• File Path Display: Shows the currently watched file and status
• Content Display: Real-time view of the file content in a monospaced font
• Status Indicators: Visual cues showing whether the file is being actively monitored

Technical Details

• Monitoring Interval: Every 1000ms (1 second)
• File Detection: Uses file modification timestamp comparison

Troubleshooting

• If the context menu option doesn't appear, try running the script as administrator
• Large files may take longer to refresh; consider monitoring smaller configuration files
• Make sure the file you're trying to watch is not exclusively locked by another process

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.