Quick YouTube Channel Search (AutoHotkey Tutorial)

Today I wanted to quickly search for videos inside a specific YouTube Channel.

The prominent search bar would search in whole YouTube. The search for the channel only is a bit hidden.

I share here how I have implemented a Quick Search functionality in the NWS PowerTool based on AutoHotkey.

This is more a on the fly implementation recording post.

Problem Description

The search in a channel in YouTube is a bit hidden. See the search icon on the bottom right on the picture below: this is where you have to click to search in the channel.

Moreover it is not so convenient to refine a search.

Implementation Recording

Lessons Learned

RegExp handling: 

for OR group with (?: |) (not [])

escape . and ? with \

Final Implementation

This is implemented in the NWS.ahk file.-> QuickSearch function.

Else If RegExMatch(sUrl,"youtube\.com/(?:c|channel)/") { ; YouTube Channel Search

    ; https://www.youtube.com/c/KevinStratvert/search?query=remove%20background

    ;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfJT_eYDTmDE-ovKaxVE1ig/search?query=background

    sPat = youtube\.com/(?:c|channel)/([^/]*)/search\?query=(.*)

    sDefSearch =

    If RegExMatch(sUrl,sPat, sMatch) {

        sDefSearch := StrReplace(sMatch2,"%20"," ")

        sDefSearch := StrReplace(sDefSearch,"+"," ")

        sChannelName := sMatch1

    } Else {

        sPat = youtube\.com/(?:c|channel)/([^/]*)

        RegExMatch(sUrl,sPat, sMatch)

        sChannelName := sMatch1

    } 

    

    InputBox, sSearch , YouTube Channel Search, Enter search string:,,640,125,,,,, %sDefSearch%

    if ErrorLevel

        return

    sSearch := Trim(sSearch)

    

    sSearchUrl = https://www.youtube.com/channel/%sChannelName%/search?query=%sSearch%

    SendInput ^t^l ; close current search window

    Clip_Paste(sSearchUrl)

    SendInput {Enter}

    SendInput ^{Tab}

    Sleep 500

    SendInput ^w