Microsoft open sources Windows scripting tool Mayhem

“The program, called Mayhem, has been donated to the Outercurve
Foundation. Developed by Microsoft’s applied sciences research
group, Mayhem allows people with no programming skills to link
together different Windows programs to carry out tasks across
programs. With Mayhem, users can stage repeatable actions, like
using a cellphone to control a PowerPoint presentation, or to send
a user an email whenever a weather program reports that the outside
temperature has fallen below a certain point.

“Mayhem connects graphical programs in a way that is similar to
how batch files string together programs in a command-line
environment. Developers create modules for specific Windows
programs that then can be used within Mayhem to identify events and
trigger actions within those programs.”

Complete Story