Build 11 -- Hotkey triggers

[Freddie]

Sure, I'll PM you.

Great, thanks!

[TheFallenOne]

That was the first thing I tried but it doesn't work for at least three reasons..

1. The user may want to enter Shift instead of LShift or RShift, and there is no Shift key. Same for the other modifiers.

2. The user may want to enter mouse buttons, but at least one button can't work that way because at least one button has to be "meta" to the entry field for navigation in the dialog box.

3. The user may want to enter keys that don't exist physically on the keyboard. (There are many dozens of such keys.) This is very useful when making hotkeys that get triggered by other programs or hardware devices.

What I've thought of doing is making two dialog boxes, a simple one that works the way you say and the current one. The simple one would come up by default, and it could contain a button that brings up the second one.

But even if I end up doing that, this first dialog box needs to be tested and improved and debugged.

I definitely think you should do this, setup two dialog boxes (manual selection and key press detection). It would definitely make things a lot easier to work with.

Great work so far, let us know if there's anything above and beyond testing you could use help with!

[Freddie]

I definitely think you should do this, setup two dialog boxes (manual selection and key press detection). It would definitely make things a lot easier to work with.

How do you know it would be easier? Have you tried this one?

You can type keys directly into this one. It does see your key presses.

Has anyone here tried this one?

Edit: I'm getting the impression that almost nobody here has tried this dialog box. Are people assuming that because the fields have triangles on them (they are comb box controls), you can't type into them? You can type into them.

[Freddie]

In case my impression is correct, that most people here aren't trying the dialog box, let me describe how it works.

If the hotkey consists of typeable characters, you simply type the hotkey one keystroke at a time and it gets entered. Each time you press a key, the cursor advances to the next field automatically.

But if you need to enter a key or mouse button that can't be typed, you can left click a field with the mouse and select the item from a drop down list.

This dialog combines direct typing with mouse selection. It can be used both ways.

[Flekkie]

Wow I really like this.

In particular, you can set up.. did you call them 'chords'? So basically pressing any combination of keys, like using any key as a modifier. I'm assuming that's where you're going with it?

I'll give it a proper test tomorrow, but wanted to say I like

[Freddie]

Wow I really like this.

Thanks.

In particular, you can set up.. did you call them 'chords'? So basically pressing any combination of keys, like using any key as a modifier. I'm assuming that's where you're going with it?

That's right. You can do this with HotkeyNet now, but HotkeyNet requires that the user declare in a script that the key is used as a modifier and from that point on, the key can't perform its normal function.

Mojo won't require this, so a key can (if the user wants) be used in chords while retaining its normal use, or maybe it will be possible to selectively disable it from its normal use (for example, it might work one way if a certain window is in the foreground but another way at different times).

I'll give it a proper test tomorrow, but wanted to say I like

Thanks.

[TheFallenOne]

How do you know it would be easier? Have you tried this one?

You can type keys directly into this one. It does see your key presses.

Has anyone here tried this one?

Edit: I'm getting the impression that almost nobody here has tried this dialog box. Are people assuming that because the fields have triangles on them (they are comb box controls), you can't type into them? You can type into them.

Of course I tried it.

However, it was not noted anywhere in the dialog that you could press keys to select input. Generally I assume that comboboxes are intended to be mouse-selected (at most they take alphanumeric input to select an item via first letter), and either way, I read this thread first. The post I quoted was implying that there was currently no way to input keys via keystroke, so I didn't attempt it.

[Freddie]

Of course I tried it.

However, it was not noted anywhere in the dialog that you could press keys to select input. Generally I assume that comboboxes are intended to be mouse-selected (at most they take alphanumeric input to select an item via first letter), and either way, I read this thread first. The post I quoted was implying that there was currently no way to input keys via keystroke, so I didn't attempt it.

Well, you asked what else you could do. You could go back and really try it and if you can think of a way to make THIS dialog better, please let me know.

[TheFallenOne]

Well, you asked what else you could do. You could go back and really try it.

I did? I'm not sure what you're asking me to do. I did try it. Multiple times. I tested it again with keystroke input after I read your post. I found no problems with the dialog. The only real thing I could mention was the lack of something mentioning that you can press a key to select input, which I already said...

The only other thing I could even think of to mention, which felt too "nitpicky" to bring up, is that you could organize the keys in the comboboxes by groupings instead of alphabetically (I.E. put the modifiers together in one portion, alpha keys in another, numeric keys in another, etc.), which may make selecting them easier.


EDIT: To clarify what I meant on my last point, the combo boxes are currently organized like so (just a snippet of the entire thing):

A
Accept
Alt
Apps
Attn
B
Backspace
...etc


Where I think it would be cleaner if it was:

0
1
2
...
8
9
A
B
C
...
X
Y
Z
Alt
LAlt
RAlt
Ctrl
LCtrl
RCtrl
...etc.


Also, the Clear button isn't clearing the checkboxes for the locks (AKA "Capslock is On", "Numlock is Off", etc).

[Freddie]

I did?

No, sorry, I misquoted you. You said, "Great work so far, let us know if there's anything above and beyond testing you could use help with! "

But what I need help with the most is design suggestions from the user's point of view.

The only real thing I could mention was the lack of something mentioning that you can press a key to select input, which I already said...

I got the impression that you were misled before you looked at the dialog by the earlier part of the thread. Am I wrong? I'm wondering if you would have misjudged the dialog if you came to it without preconceptions?

The combo boxes are the type that have edit controls at the top and so far as I know, they have a distinctive appearance that always means "you can type into me." I think the ones that you can't type into have a sort of 3D shiny appearance.

The only other thing I could even think of to mention, which felt too "nitpicky" to bring up, is that you could organize the keys in the comboboxes by groupings instead of alphabetically (I.E. put the modifiers together in one portion, alpha keys in another, numeric keys in another, etc.), which may make selecting them easier.

Nothing is too nitpicky. That might be a good idea. I'll keep it in mind and see how people feel it after this dialog box is in real use. That may be a while.

Also, the Clear button isn't clearing the checkboxes for the locks (AKA "Capslock is On", "Numlock is Off", etc).

Great, thanks, I'll fix that now.