CE Software QuicKeys software User guide

for Macintosh™
User Guide
P.O. Box 65580
West Des Moines
Iowa 50265 USA
(515) 221-1801
http://www.cesoft.com
Sixth Edition
© 1999 CE Software, Inc. All rights reserved.
QuicKeys is a registered trademark of CE Software, Inc.
All other brands or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
The following pertains to any software of CE Software’s licensor(s) included with this software package:
CE SOFTWARE’S LICENSOR(S) MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT
LIMITATION THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE, REGARDING THE SOFTWARE. CE SOFTWARE’S LICENSOR(S) DOES NOT WARRANT, GUARANTEE
OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE
IN TERMS OF ITS CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, CURRENTNESS OR OTHERWISE. THE ENTIRE
RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE IS ASSUMED BY YOU. THE EXCLUSION
OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES IS NOT PERMITTED BY SOME JURISDICTIONS. THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT
APPLY TO YOU.
IN NO EVENT WILL CE SOFTWARE’S LICENSOR(S), AND THEIR DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES OR
AGENTS (COLLECTIVELY CE SOFTWARE’S LICENSOR) BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL,
INCIDENTAL OR INDIRECT DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS
INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION AND THE LIKE) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY
TO USE THE SOFTWARE EVEN IF CE SOFTWARE’S LICENSOR HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF
LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY
TO YOU. CE Software’s Licensor’s liability to you for actual damages from any cause whatsoever, and regardless of the form
of the action (whether in contract, tort [including negligence], product liability or otherwise), will be limited to $50.
This CE Software publication was created electronically using Adobe® FrameMaker®.
Art was produced using Adobe Photoshop®.
Additional design by Lessing-Flynn Advertising Company.
CE Software, Inc.
P.O. Box 65580
1801 Industrial Circle
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
(515) 221-1801
http://www.cesoft.com/
••••
CONTENTS
••••••
Contents
Table of Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Visual Table of
Contents
Visual Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Welcome to QuicKeys
Chapter 1
What QuicKeys Can Do for You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
What’s New in QuicKeys 4.0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Using the QuicKeys User Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Contacting CE Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Installing and Opening
QuicKeys
Chapter 2
System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Installing QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Upgrading QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Opening the QuicKeys Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Backing Up Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Files Installed By QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
QuickStart
Chapter 3
Shortcuts and Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Using QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Your First Shortcuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Your First Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Your First Recordings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Editing a Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Deleting a Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Closing QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
i
••••
ii
QuicKeys Overview
Managing QuicKeys
Chapter 4
The QuicKeys Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The Sequence Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QuicKeys Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The QuicKeys Backgrounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The QuicKeys Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The QuicKeys Menu. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Contextual Menus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Using QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Triggering Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21
31
32
32
33
34
34
36
40
Chapter 5
Saving Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Editing Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deleting Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Printing Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Managing Keystroke Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working With QuicKeys Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Hiding QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Customizing QuicKeys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Importing Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Exporting Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Locking the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Checking Memory Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Compressing Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
43
43
43
43
45
47
47
51
52
52
53
53
••••
QuicKeys Toolbars
Chapter 6
The Toolbars Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Creating Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Triggering Shortcuts with Toolbars. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Displaying Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Editing Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Cleaning Up Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Hiding Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Importing Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Exporting Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Closing Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Deleting Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Working With Toolbar Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Deleting Toolbar Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Text Tools
Chapter 7
Type Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Typing the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Advanced Text Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
File Tools
Chapter 8
Batch Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
File Handler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
File Launch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
File Recall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Project Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
iii
••••
iv
System Tools
MultiMedia Tools
Chapter 9
Alias Keystroke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
App Switcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Click . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FKEYs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mac OS Specials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mousies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Powerbook Specials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scrap Ease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Screen Ease. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Specials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
View Switcher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
95
96
97
98
101
101
103
105
107
108
110
111
113
Chapter 10
Audio CD Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Speak Ease . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SpeakerChanger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QT Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
115
116
116
117
118
Network Tools
Chapter 11
Choosy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Mounty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Network Switcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Internet Tools
Chapter 12
Instant E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Web Launcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
••••
Scripting Tools
Chapter 13
InterApplication Communication Tools . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Apple Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
AppleScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
DoScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Sequences and
Sequence Tools
Chapter 14
Overview of Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
The Sequence Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Creating Sequences Without Recording . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Fine-Tuning Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Tips for Building Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Saving Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Triggering Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Deleting Sequences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Sequence Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
QuicKeys Examples
Appendix A
Using QuicKeys for desktop Publishing . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Using QuicKeys With E-mail Software . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Using QuicKeys With AppleScript and FileMaker . . . 159
Using DoScript With FileMaker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Using QuicKeys For Web Development . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Omitting Modified
Files
Appendix B
Adding Files to the Omitted File List . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
v
••••
vi
QuicKeys Script
Appendix C
Who can use QuicKeys Script? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When to use QuicKeys Script and AppleScript . . . . .
QuicKeys Script Recording . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
QuicKeys Script Writing and Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Language Syntax Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
169
169
169
170
172
Glossary
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Index
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
••••
vii
VISUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS
••••••
Use the following table as a guide to locate information about each QuicKeys plug-in. The plug-ins are listed in alphabetical order.
Use this QuicKeys Shortcut...
If you want to automate these tasks...
Advanced Text Tools
Reformat a block of text to remove unwanted line breaks and spaces.
See page 72 for more information.
Change a block of text to title case, uppercase, or lowercase.
Remove quote marks from an E-mail message that was forwarded to you.
Alias Keystroke
Reassign keystrokes built into the applications you use so they make sense to you.
See page 95 for more information.
App Switcher
Switch between applications that are open on your desktop.
See page 96 for more information.
Apple Events
Trigger an Apple Event.
See page 131 for more information.
AppleScript
Trigger an AppleScript script.
See page 136 for more information.
Audio CD Player
Play, pause, stop, eject, or skip to the next track on your audio CD.
See page 115 for more information.
Button
See page 97 for more information.
Select a button in an open dialog or window that you specify.
••••
viii
Visual Table of Contents
Use this QuicKeys Shortcut...
Choosy
If you want to automate these tasks...
Switch your default printer.
See page 121 for more information.
Click
Replace a mouse click with a keystroke or other QuicKeys trigger.
See page 98 for more information.
Decision
Indicate how your Sequence should proceed when certain conditions are met.
See page 144 for more information.
DoScript
Trigger DoScript AppleEvents.
See page 137 for more information.
File Handler
Rename, move, or change the attributes of selected files.
See page 80 for more information.
File Launch
Open applications and documents.
See page 85 for more information.
File Recall
Search for files modified within a specified amount of time.
See page 87 for more information.
FKeys
Trigger your Fkeys applications.
See page 101 for more information.
Folders
See page 89 for more information.
Switch between folders during the course of your computer work.
••••
Use this QuicKeys Shortcut...
GoSub
If you want to automate these tasks...
Perform a user-defined Shortcut before proceeding with a Sequence.
See page 152 for more information.
Instant E-mail Action
Send a selected file to a friend.
See page 127 for more information.
Open a message window that contains user-specified text.
Acknowledge QuickMail Pro notification.
Jump
Jump to another step in your Sequence.
See page 144 for more information.
Mac OS Specials
Turn balloon help on and off.
See page 101 for more information.
Switch to the next application listed in your application menu.
Start or stop File Sharing and program linking.
Menu
Select an item from a menu without using your mouse.
See page 103 for more information.
Message
Display a modal window during a Sequence.
See page 152 for more information.
Mounty
Connect to or disconnect from a network volume.
See page 123 for more information.
Mousies
Close, zoom, and collapse windows.
See page 105 for more information.
Scroll through an open document.
ix
••••
x
Visual Table of Contents
Use this QuicKeys Shortcut...
Network Switcher
If you want to automate these tasks...
Switch between network configurations.
See page 125 for more information.
Pop-up Menu
Select an item in a pop-up menu.
See page 149 for more information.
Powerbook Specials
Spin down your hard drive.
See page 107 for more information.
Shut down your Powerbook.
Toggle backlighting and dimming.
Project Saver
Create and launch user-defined projects.
See page 92 for more information.
Real Time
Record your actions in “real time.“
See page 38 for more information.
Repeat
Replay a particular Shortcut in a Sequence.
See page 151 for more information.
Scrap Ease
Control QuicKeys’ version of the system clipboard.
See page 108 for more information.
Screen Ease
See page 110 for more information.
Change your screen settings for different monitors.
••••
Use this QuicKeys Shortcut...
Sequence
If you want to automate these tasks...
Display the Sequence Editor, which you can use to combine Shortcuts and
recorded tasks.
See page 139 for more information.
Sound
Plays sound files.
See page 116 for more information.
SpeakEase
Set up your computer so it speaks user-specified words or phrases.
See page 116 for more information.
SpeakerChanger
Adjust the volume of your computer.
See page 117 for more information.
Specials
Shut down or restart your computer.
See page 111 for more information.
Select the rear window or second window on your desktop.
Open the QuicKeys Editor or the QuickReference Card.
Start or stop a Sequence or Real Time recording.
Insert single or double quickquotes.
Type Date/Time
Types the date and time in a specific format.
See page 70 for more information.
Type Text
See page 69 for more information.
Types text you specify.
xi
••••
xii
Visual Table of Contents
Use this QuicKeys Shortcut...
View Switcher
If you want to automate these tasks...
Control the way you view open windows (e.g. in list form, arranged alphabetically).
See page 113 for more information.
Wait
Pause a Sequence until a particular condition has been met.
See page 145 for more information.
Web Launcher
Open a specified URL in your default Web browser.
See page 129 for more information.
Open selected text as a URL.
Display a list of Netscape Bookmarks or Internet Explorer Favorites.
••••
1
CHAPTER 1
WELCOME TO QUICKEYS
••••••
QuicKeys® for Macintosh™ is software that
enables you to create custom keyboard actions,
menu commands, and toolbars so you can
perform routine tasks with a single mouse click or keystroke.
The tasks that QuicKeys automates are called Shortcuts.
QuicKeys Shortcuts are similar to macros, but are much easier
to create.
QuicKeys automates common computer tasks such as
opening folders you frequently use or logging into your
favorite database application. To create a QuicKeys Shortcut,
you simply define the task you want to perform. You then
replace the task with a trigger. Triggers can be a keystroke, a
QuicKeys toolbar, a timed trigger, or a QuicKeys icon.
QuicKeys also provides you with a powerful and versatile
recording function that is ideal for automating lengthy or
complex tasks. Tell QuicKeys to watch your actions on the
Mac and it can then play those actions back whenever you
want. These recorded actions are called Sequences , and they
can mimic virtually any multi-step task you complete on your
computer.
QuicKeys toolbars make using your Shortcuts and Sequences
easy. Toolbars work much like the toolbars you use in your
other applications, except that you call the shots with
QuicKeys toolbars. You specify what each toolbar button
does, which icon is used, and when the toolbar is displayed.
In other words, QuicKeys toolbars give you complete control.
And, like the recording feature, toolbars save you time by
making your interaction with your computer more efficient.
However you use it, QuicKeys’ powerful automation
solutions enable you to assign particularly unrewarding,
repetitive tasks to your computer so you have time for more
important things.
WHAT QUICKEYS CAN DO FOR YOU
Think of something you do on a daily basis. Chances are
QuicKeys can automate whatever task you thought of. For
example, if you frequently switch between printers on your
network, QuicKeys can do that for you with a single
keystroke. You’ll save precious seconds each time you switch
printers, which really adds up by the end of the week.
QuicKeys can also perform multi-step tasks for you. For
example, if you routinely change graphics from one format to
another, direct QuicKeys to watch and record your actions as
you complete the task, then assign a trigger that tells
QuicKeys when to repeat your actions. You will learn all about
triggers later in this manual, but for now just think of triggers
as the mouse clicks or keystrokes that communicate to
QuicKeys that it’s time to start specific tasks.
When you trigger a Shortcut, QuicKeys not only remembers
and performs the steps required for that task, but it does so
quickly and accurately. If you complete a task without error
once, QuicKeys can replicate it thousands of times with no
mistakes.
The time and frustration you can save are easy to measure.
The real advantage of QuicKeys, however, is intangible. After
you install and customize QuicKeys, your computer work
flows more smoothly. Instead of working in one application
and then spending valuable time searching for another,
••••
2
Chapter 1
Welcome to QuicKeys
applications and data appear and disappear automatically as
they are needed. The different parts of your computer merge
in ways that make sense to you so you can finally complete a
day’s work in a day’s time. How many other applications do
you know of that can add such value to your computing
experience?
• There is now a Keysets tab that displays all your Shortcuts.
You can view different Shortcut Sets in the Keysets tab by
selecting different Sets from the Set pop-up menu.
WHAT’S NEW IN QUICKEYS 4.0
Now that you have QuicKeys 4.0, you probably want to find
out more about the new features it offers. This section
acquaints you with all the new functionality in QuicKeys 4.0
and points you to the sections of the User Guide that discuss
how to take advantage of the new features.
INTERFACE CHANGES
The QuicKeys interface has been redesigned so it is easier and
more intuitive to use. Chapter 4 of the QuicKeys User Guide
discusses the QuicKeys interface in greater detail, but this
section provides a general introduction to the changes made
in version 4.
Figure 1:
The QuicKeys Editor.
• A built-in toolbar has been added to the Editor so you can
simply click a button to display the new Setup Assistant or
print a Shortcut.
• The Define menu has been reorganized and renamed
“Create” so it is easier to use.
• The icons for some Shortcuts have been improved so they
are easier to recognize.
• The Process Swap plug-in has been renamed App
Switcher.
• The Text plug-in has been renamed Type Text.
• Embedded toolbars are now called Docked toolbars.
••••
• The Filter palette has been moved to the bottom of the
QuicKeys Editor. Click the Info drop-down arrow to
display it.
Figure 2:
QUICKEYS ARCHITECTURE
If you’re upgrading from a prior version of QuicKeys, you
will discover that you can now click outside the QuicKeys
Editor while QuicKeys is active. When you click outside the
Editor, the Editor is minimized to a small, floating window on
your desktop called the QuicKeys palette. To re-open the
Editor, click on the QuicKeys palette. To close the Editor, click
the close box on the QuicKeys palette.
The Info pane of the QuicKeys Editor.
• The Extension Manager is now called the Plug-in Manager
and QuicKeys extensions are now referred to as plug-ins.
• The Configure QuicKeys dialog has been updated and
improved.
• The Sequence Editor offers an icon toolbar rather than a
menu bar, making it easier to modify Sequences.
Figure 3:
3
The Sequence Editor.
Figure 4:
The QuicKeys Editor when it is minimized on your desktop.
CONTEXTUAL MENUS
With Apple®’s release of OS 8.0, contextual menus made their
debut on the Macintosh. QuicKeys takes advantage of the
contextual menu technology in version 4.0 so you can speed
up the process of creating Shortcuts. Using the contextual
menu option, you can Control+click a file, folder, or string of
text to create File Launch, Folders, Web Launch, or Type Text
Shortcuts.
••••
4
Chapter 1
Welcome to QuicKeys
QUICKEYS SETUP ASSISTANT
The QuicKeys Setup Assistant was developed to lead users
through the process of creating QuicKeys Shortcuts. To launch
the Setup Assistant, select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu and answer the questions in each consecutive panel that
appears.
• Some toolbar buttons now offer a pop-up arrow you can
use to display a menu of plug-in related options.
Figure 6:
The toolbar pop-up menu for the Change Folder plug-in.
• You can Control+click the title bar or an area of the
QuicKeys toolbar that does not contain a toolbar button to
display a contextual menu for the toolbar.
• You can Control+click a QuicKeys toolbar button to
display a contextual menu for editing the selected button.
• Drag a file, folder, or selected text to an existing toolbar
button to add a File Launch, Folders, or Type Text Shortcut
to the toolbar.
Figure 5:
The QuicKeys Setup Assistant.
• Drag a file or folder to a File Handler or Folders button on
your toolbar and select the action you want performed in
the drop-down window that appears.
QUICKEYS TOOLBARS
Another significant change in QuicKeys 4.0 is increased
toolbar functionality. A collection of new features make the
toolbars an invaluable asset to your QuicKeys experience.
Read Chapter 6 of the User Guide for more detailed
information about QuicKeys toolbars.
Figure 7:
The drop-down window for the File Handler
toolbar button.
••••
• The numbers 0-9 display on Click-N-Go toolbars so you
know which number to press on your keyboard to trigger
Shortcuts in the corresponding position.
5
NEW PLUG-INS
QuicKeys 4.0 offers a suite of new plug-ins that further extend
your productivity potential. These plug-ins are discussed
throughout the manual, so look in the User Guide index to
find out where you can read more about these plug-ins.
• Advanced Text Tools—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts
that reformat text; quote text; remove quotes from text;
change text to uppercase, lowercase, or title case; or cipher
and decipher text.
• Audio CD Player—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts
that enable you to play, stop, pause, skip tracks, adjust
volume, and eject your CDs in your CD-ROM drive.
• File Handler—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
enable you to lock, unlock, rename, move, or modify the
type and creator of selected files.
Figure 8:
A Click-N-Go toolbar.
• You can now use the QuicKeys toolbar contextual menu to
change the attributes of toolbars. New attribute choices
include large or small button icons, button titles, and large
or small fonts for button titles.
• You can now clean up icons on your toolbar by selecting
Clean Up Buttons in the contextual toolbar menu.
• For Universal-scope toolbars, you can use the contextual
toolbar menu to choose whether or not you want your
toolbar to always remain on top of other open windows.
• File Recall—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
search your local drives for files modified within a userdefined period of time.
• Instant E-mail—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
automate your E-mail tasks.
• Network Switcher—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts
that switch between different network settings, making it
easy to plug into different network environments.
• Password Vault—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
store your passwords safely.
• Project Saver—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
keep track of all the files in your current projects.
• View Switcher—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
make your Macintosh look the way you want on a perfolder basis.
• Web Launcher—Use this plug-in to create Shortcuts that
launch your favorite Web sites.
••••
6
Chapter 1
Welcome to QuicKeys
USING THE QUICKEYS USER GUIDE
Read this section to learn how the QuicKeys instructions are
organized and to become acquainted with the conventions
used in this manual. Knowing how the manual is set up will
help you use it more efficiently.
ORGANIZATION
Chapters 1–6 of this manual introduce QuicKeys and guide
you through basic concepts necessary to operate the software.
The remaining chapters of the manual contain reference
material for using each of the QuicKeys plug-ins available in
the Create menu. Use the index to locate specific information
and use the table of contents to become acquainted with the
organization of each chapter of the manual. A glossary is
located on page 199 if you need assistance with an unfamiliar
term.
ASSUMPTIONS
This documentation assumes you are familiar with the
Macintosh operating system and accompanying hardware. If
you need assistance with standard Macintosh procedures,
consult the documentation that came with your computer.
CONVENTIONS
• A ! symbol indicates a warning that should be read before
continuing to operate the component being discussed.
• Variable text is contained within opposite-facing arrow
characters. For example, look in the <hard drive>:System
Folder:Preferences: folder for the file.
CONTACTING CE SOFTWARE
If you have questions about QuicKeys that are not addressed
in the manual, use this section to learn how to contact CE
Software™.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
CE Software offers online, fax, and telephone support. Visit
the Technical Support Web page at http://help.cesoft.com/ for
information about the various support options.
Contact Information
The Technical Support Department is available Monday
through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Central Time. CE
Software Technical Support can be reached by:
• Phone: 515-221-1803
• Fax: 515-221-1806
• Web page: http://help.cesoft.com/
• A right-arrow character (>) indicates the hierarchy of
menu and submenu options.
• E-mail: [email protected]
• The first time a QuicKeys-specific term is used, it is
displayed in italics .
Before You Call
• When you must type text or select specific options, the
options appear in Helvetica font. For example, select Print
from the File menu.
• Have you checked the QuicKeys Web site for updates and
product information at http://www.quickeys.com/
• A ❖ symbol indicates a note that provides supplemental
information about the topic being covered.
• A ▲ symbol indicates an important statement that requires
special attention.
Check the following Web sites for technical information:
• Have you checked the CE Software Technical Support Web
page or newsgroups at http://help.cesoft.com/
••••
7
When You Call
Contact Information
To help our Technical Support team assist you as quickly as
possible, please have the following information available
when you speak with, or write to, a Technical Advisor:
• Computer type and model (e.g. Macintosh G3)
The CE Software Customer Service department is open
Monday through Friday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. U.S.
Central Time. If you have a question about your CE Software
product, please have your serial number ready when you call.
For customers outside the U.S., please contact your local
distributor.
• Operating system and version (e.g. Mac OS 8.5)
• Phone: Domestic orders 800-523-7638
• Product name and version (e.g. QuicKeys 4.0)
PRODUCT FEEDBACK
What do you think of QuicKeys? We want to know and we
encourage you to submit your ideas to [email protected] so
we can consider them for the next version of QuicKeys.
USER GUIDE FEEDBACK
• International orders: 515-221-1801
• Fax: International and Domestic orders 515-221-2258
• Online: http://www.cesoft.com/service/cshome.html
Ownership Transfer
We also welcome feedback about the documentation that
accompanies QuicKeys. Please E-mail us at
[email protected] with your comments and suggestions.
If you transfer ownership of a CE Software product, please
E-mail us at [email protected] or send a letter with the product
name, serial number, your name, and the new owner’s name
and address to:
The most current version of this manual is available online at
http://www.cesoft.com/ and can be viewed with Adobe® Acrobat
Reader 3.0 or greater. Visit http://www.adobe.com/ to download a
free copy of Acrobat Reader.
CE Software, Inc.
Attn: Ownership Transfer
P.O. Box 65580
West Des Moines, IA 50265 U.S.A.
SALES AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
CE Software’s Sales and Customer Service staff can answer
your questions about product availability, upgrades, product
prices, damaged disks, customer registration, and general
policies.
Change of Address
If you change your address, please E-mail us at
[email protected] or send a letter indicating your old and new
address to:
CE Software, Inc.
Attn: Change of Address
P.O. Box 65580
West Des Moines, IA 50265 U.S.A.
••••
9
CHAPTER 2
INSTALLING AND OPENING QUICKEYS
••••••
The steps involved in getting started with QuicKeys include
making sure your computer meets specific requirements,
installing QuicKeys on your hard disk, and opening the
QuicKeys Editor. This chapter explains how to accomplish
these tasks.
3. Click Continue .
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
The minimum requirements your computer must meet to
install and operate this product include:
• Macintosh-compatible running OS 8.0 or greater (OS 8.5
recommended).
• A PowerPC™ processor.
• 16 megabytes (MB) of RAM (32 MB recommended).
Figure 9:
The QuicKeys logo window appears during installation.
• One CD-ROM drive.
• At least 8 MB of available hard disk space.
• Some QuicKeys plug-ins require an Internet connection.
INSTALLING QUICKEYS
▲ CE Software strongly recommends that you disable your
non-system extensions and anti-virus software before
installing QuicKeys. If you are upgrading QuicKeys, see
page 10 for additional recommendations.
To install QuicKeys:
1. Insert the QuicKeys CD into your computer’s CD-ROM
drive.
2. Double-click the QuicKeys installer that appears on your
desktop. A QuicKeys logo window appears.
4. Read the ReadMe file that appears and click Continue .
5. Read the license and warranty agreement that appears.
Click Agree if you agree to the terms and want to proceed
with installation. A registration dialog appears.
••••
10
Chapter 2
Installing and Opening QuicKeys
6. Type your name, company name, and activation key at the
prompt. Your activation key is located on your registration
card. If you do not have an Activation Key, choose the
Install 30 day demo option.
THE INSTALLED QUICKEYS TOOLBAR
After you restart your computer, a QuicKeys toolbar appears
on your desktop. Use the toolbar to become acquainted with
QuicKeys toolbars and Shortcuts. See Chapter 6 for detailed
information about toolbars.
Figure 11:
This toolbar appears by default after installing QuicKeys.
Clicking the default toolbar buttons, from left to right
respectively, triggers the following tasks.
Figure 10:
The QuicKeys registration dialog.
7. Click OK when you are finished.
8. At the prompt, choose whether you want to use the Easy or
Custom installation. Custom installation enables you to
install the minimum files necessary to run QuicKeys on
your computer.
9. A prompt appears alerting you that you must restart your
computer to proceed with installation. Click Yes to
proceed. A status window tracks the progress of the
installation process.
10. When installation is complete, click the Restart button at the
prompt.
•
Open the
QuicKeys Editor.
•
Play CD.
•
Display the CE
Software Web site.
•
Lock selected files.
•
Type Date.
•
•
Display the
previous application.
•
View current
window as a list.
Open Recent Files.
UPGRADING QUICKEYS
The procedure for upgrading QuicKeys is similar to the
procedure for installing a new copy of QuicKeys. The main
difference between first-time installations and upgrades is CE
Software’s recommendation to back up previous Shortcuts.
See the next section for more information on backup
procedures.
••••
During installation, the installer replaces old QuicKeys
components and plug-ins (extensions) with new components
and plug-ins. If you have QuicKeys plug-ins on your
computer from prior installations and those plug-ins are no
longer installed with QuicKeys, the installer leaves them on
your computer.
11
To open the QuicKeys Editor:
1. Click the QuicKeys icon in the menu bar. The QuicKeys
menu appears.
2. Select QuicKeys Editor to display the QuicKeys Editor. See
page 21 for more information on the QuicKeys Editor.
▲ The CE Toolbox extension has not been installed since
QuicKeys 3.5; however, it is not removed when you
upgrade because other software packages may use it.
Keep CE Toolbox installed only if you use Alarming
Events™, DiskTop™, In/Out™, or QM Server™. If you
do not use any of these applications, remove CE Toolbox
prior to running the installer.
EXPIRED DEMOS
If you chose to install the demo the first time you installed
QuicKeys, you will eventually see a prompt that tells you
your demo has expired. When you see this prompt, you have
two options: you can purchase a full version of QuicKeys or
you can delete QuicKeys from your hard drive.
To turn a demo installation into a non-expiring installation,
click the Register button when you see the expiring demo alert
and enter the serial key at the prompt. If you do not want to
wait until you see the expiring demo alert, simply install your
newly-purchased QuicKeys software and enter the activation
key at the prompt.
OPENING THE QUICKEYS EDITOR
By default, QuicKeys places an icon in the menu bar of your
screen during installation. The menu that appears when you
click this icon is called the QuicKeys menu. Use this menu to
open the QuicKeys Editor.
Figure 12:
The QuicKeys menu.
BACKING UP SHORTCUTS
CE Software recommends backing up your QuicKeys Folder
when you upgrade or as part of your routine data backups.
Backing up your entire QuicKeys Folder enables you to
archive every piece of QuicKeys data such as Shortcuts,
Sequences, toolbars, preferences, and Scrap Ease clips.
To back up the QuicKeys Folder:
1. Navigate to the QuicKeys Folder. It is located in the
:System Folder:Preferences: folder on your startup disk.
2. Copy the QuicKeys Folder to another drive or to
removable media. Your QuicKeys backup is complete
when the folder has been copied.
••••
12
Chapter 2
Installing and Opening QuicKeys
▲ CE Software does not recommend copying only the
Keysets folder to archive your Shortcuts and Sequences.
The link between the Keysets folder and the Sequences
folder may not be preserved, making your Sequences
unusable.
FILES INSTALLED BY QUICKEYS
Use this section to learn where files are placed when you
install QuicKeys. QuicKeys also offers some example
Shortcuts and Sequences on the QuicKeys CD.
STARTUP DISK
<Startup Disk>:QuicKeys:QuicKeys Setup Assistant,
QuicKeys License Agreement, QuicKeys
ReadMe, What’s New in 4.0
<Startup Disk>:QuicKeys:Utilities:QuicKeys Registration, QK
Plug-in Manager
SYSTEM FOLDER
<Startup Disk>:System Folder:Control Panels:QuicKeys
<Startup Disk>:System Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys Folder:
Omitted File List, Toolbar Icons
<Startup Disk>:System Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys
Folder:Extensions:
• Advanced Text Tools
• Advanced Text Tools
Helper
• Alias Keystroke
• App Switcher
• Apple Events
• AppleScript
• AppleScript Helper
• Audio CD Player
• Batch Processor
• Button
• Choosy
• Click
• Date & Time
• Decision
• DoScript
• File Handler
• File Handler Helper
• File Launch
• File Recall
• File Recall Helper
• FKeys
• Folders
• GoSub
• Instant E-mail
• Instant E-mail Helper
• Jump
• Mac OS Specials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Menu
Message
Message Helper
Mounty
Mousies
Network Switcher
Password Vault
Pause
Pop-up Menu
PowerBook Specials
Project Launcher
Project Saver
QK AppleEvent
Helper
QT Movie
Repeat
Scrap Ease
Scrap Ease Helper
Screen Ease
Sound
Speak Ease
SpeakerChanger
Specials
Type Text
View Switcher
Wait
Web Launcher
Web Launcher Helper
<Startup Disk>:System Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys
Folder:Backgrounders:QuicKeys
Backgrounder
<Startup Disk>:System Folder:Contextual Menus:QuicKeys
CM Plug-in
••••
13
CHAPTER 3
QUICKSTART
••••••
This chapter is designed to get you started using QuicKeys as
quickly and easily as possible. Use the glossary or index at the
back of this User Guide to look up any concepts or terms you
do not understand in this chapter.
SHORTCUTS AND SEQUENCES
Shortcuts and Sequences are the foundation of QuicKeys.
QuicKeys Shortcuts automate simple one-step tasks, such as
choosing a network printer. QuicKeys Sequences automate
longer, more complicated multi-step tasks, such as launching
a database application, searching for a specific item, and
printing out the selected database records. Some Shortcuts are
created using the Setup Assistant, but the majority of
Shortcuts are created using the Shortcut Properties dialog.
USING QUICKEYS
QuicKeys is a powerful software tool you can use to automate
your computer. It’s a tool, however, that is only as effective as
you make it. Once you install QuicKeys, start making a
mental note of the tedious, routine tasks you perform on your
computer and earmark those tasks for some attention from
QuicKeys. Each time you think of something that QuicKeys
could make easier for you, create a Shortcut or Sequence that
automates that task or series of tasks.
When you create a QuicKeys Shortcut or Sequence, you can
choose the trigger that launches it. In other words, you need
to specify the “signal” that tells QuicKeys when to perform the
Shortcut or Sequence. For example, if you want QuicKeys to
open a database application and enter the current date and
time, you need to tell QuicKeys when to begin. You can use a
keystroke (such as F5), or a number of other available
QuicKeys triggers (such as toolbars, the QuicKeys menu, or
timed triggers) to communicate with QuicKeys that you want
to begin the Shortcut or Sequence. It’s kind of like having a
personal assistant inside your computer that understands a
language of triggers you choose.
That’s all there is to using QuicKeys: thinking of tasks to
automate, creating QuicKeys Shortcuts or Sequences to
replace those tasks, and triggering the tasks. You spend a few
minutes telling QuicKeys what you want, but from that point
on you save hours, days, maybe even weeks with a Shortcut
or Sequence that only took you a couple of minutes to set up.
It’s a pretty good return for a small investment of time. In fact,
after using QuicKeys for a few weeks, you will probably be
amazed when you recall how much of your day was once
spent searching through folders, rearranging windows on
your desktop, or clicking the same options in countless
windows.
YOUR FIRST SHORTCUTS
This section guides you through the process of creating your
first QuicKeys Shortcuts from beginning to end. First, you
create a Type Text Shortcut using the QuicKeys Setup
Assistant. Then, you create a File Launch Shortcut using the
QuicKeys Shortcut Properties dialog.
••••
14
Chapter 3
QuickStart
SETTING UP A TYPE TEXT SHORTCUT
1. Select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys menu.
Figure 13:
5. Type the text you want QuicKeys to type for you in the text
field and click the right arrow button.
The Setup Assistant can be
opened from the QuicKeys
menu.
2. Read the first Setup Assistant panel and click the right
arrow button.
3. Select the Text Tools option and click the right arrow
button.
4. Select Type Text from the list of available plug-ins and click
the right arrow button.
Figure 14:
The Setup Assistant prompts you for text if you are
setting up a Type Text Shortcut.
••••
6. Type the name of the Shortcut in the Name box. For
example, name this Shortcut “Signature Line.”
15
Triggering Your Type Text Shortcut
To use the Type Text Shortcut you just created, launch a text
editor or word processing application, such as SimpleText or
Microsoft® Word. Position your cursor in the document
window that appears and select your Type Text Shortcut from
the QuicKeys menu. Your signature line is instantly typed into
the open document.
▲ When the QuicKeys Editor is visible, you are in “edit
mode.” This means that you cannot trigger QuicKeys
Shortcuts or use QuicKeys toolbars until you close the
Editor.
SETTING UP A FILE LAUNCH SHORTCUT
1. Select QuicKeys Editor from the QuicKeys menu in the upper
right corner of your screen.
2. In the QuicKeys Editor, click the Keysets tab.
Figure 15:
Specify a name and a trigger for your Shortcut in this
panel of the Setup Assistant.
7. Select the Show in QuicKeys menu check box so you can
trigger this Shortcut from the QuicKeys menu.
8. Click the right arrow button to continue to the next Setup
Assistant panel.
9. Click the Create Shortcut button to build this Type Text
Shortcut and click the right arrow button.
10. Click Continue in the final Setup Assistant panel to create
additional Shortcuts or click Quit to close the Setup
Assistant.
Figure 16:
Click the Keysets tab in the QuicKeys Editor.
••••
16
Chapter 3
QuickStart
3. Select Create > File Tools > File Launch .
4. In the standard Open window that appears, navigate to
where SimpleText resides on your hard drive, select
SimpleText, and click the Select “SimpleText” button. The
Shortcut Properties dialog appears with SimpleText
selected as the target file to launch.
Figure 17:
Navigate to the file you want to launch and click
Open.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key combination you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
For example, press the Shift key and the F10 key
simultaneously.The name of the file you selected appears
in the File field.
Figure 18:
The File Launch Shortcut Properties dialog.
6. Click OK when you are finished.
Your new SimpleText Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
Triggering Your File Launch Shortcut
If SimpleText is not currently open, press Shift+F10.
SimpleText immediately launches.
See page 40 for more information on Shortcut triggers.
••••
YOUR FIRST TOOLBAR
In this section, you create a QuicKeys toolbar that provides
you with another way of triggering the Shortcuts you created
in the previous section of this chapter.
17
4. Type a name for the QuicKeys toolbar at the prompt and
click OK . The new toolbar appears on your desktop and the
toolbar name is listed in your Toolbars tab.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Click the Toolbars tab in the Quickeys Editor.
Figure 19:
Type a name for your toolbar at the
prompt.
5. Drag your File Launch and Type Text Shortcuts from the
Shortcuts list in the Toolbars tab to the QuicKeys toolbar
displayed on your desktop.
Figure 20:
If you completed all the steps provided thus
far in this chapter, your first toolbar should
look like this illustration.
6. Close the QuicKeys Editor. Your toolbar remains on your
desktop. Click a button on your toolbar when you want to
trigger the Shortcut represented by that button.
YOUR FIRST RECORDINGS
In this section, you use QuicKeys’ recording feature to record
single-step and multi-step tasks.
3. Click the New button in the Toolbars tab to create a new
QuicKeys toolbar.
SINGLE-STEP SHORTCUTS
1. Select Finder from the application menu in the menu bar.
2. Select Record One Shortcut from the QuicKeys menu.
3. Select Page Setup from the Finder’s File menu. Immediately
after the Page Setup dialog displays, QuicKeys displays a
Menu Shortcut Properties dialog pre-filled with your menu
selection.
••••
18
Chapter 3
QuickStart
4. Assign a keystroke to your new Shortcut and click OK .
You just created a keystroke that opens the Page Setup dialog
without having to know which QuicKeys Shortcut to use.
That’s just one of the advantages of using the QuicKeys’
recording feature.
10. The Sequence Editor appears. Type a name for your
Sequence in the Name box.
RECORDING MULTI-STEP SHORTCUTS
Multi-step Shortcuts, or Sequences, are more complicated
than Shortcuts because they require planning. The example
used in this section is relatively simple, but the power and
flexibility of QuicKeys Sequences is almost limitless once you
understand how to use them.
In this example, you create a Sequence that logs into your
E-mail account. This example uses QuickMail™ Pro as the Email client, but you can adapt the instructions to whatever Email software you are using.
5. Launch QuickMail Pro.
6. Select Record Sequence from the QuicKeys menu. If you are
using the default QuicKeys preferences, a recording
toolbar appears.
Figure 21:
The recording palette.
7. Type your E-mail password at the prompt.
8. Press your Return key on your keyboard to select the OK
button in the login screen. The main mail window appears.
9. Select Stop Recording from the QuicKeys menu.
Figure 22:
The Sequence Editor.
11. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut. For example, press
Command+Control+F5.
12. Click OK when you are done. The Sequence Editor
disappears, leaving the QuicKeys Editor open on your
desktop.
13. Make sure your new E-mail Sequence is part of the
Universal Set. If it’s in another Set, use the cut/paste
function to move it to the Universal Set.
FINE-TUNING YOUR SEQUENCE
This particular Sequence requires some modifications when
recording is complete. You must first replace the Type Text
Shortcut with a Password Vault Shortcut to keep your
password secure. Then, you must add two User-timed Pause
steps to your Sequence to make sure your Sequence waits for
the E-mail password.
••••
19
To replace the Type Text Shortcut with a Password Vault
Shortcut:
To add a User/Timed Pause to your Sequence:
1. Open your E-mail Sequence.
2. Position the insert arrow above the Password Vault step.
2. Position the insert arrow above the Type Text step and
select Create > Sequence Tools > Password Vault .
3. Select Create > User/Timed Pause .
3. Type your E-mail password in the Password box of the
Shortcut Properties dialog that appears and click OK . The
Password Vault Shortcut appears as a step in your
Sequence.
1. Open your E-mail Sequence.
4. Choose to pause for 1.0 second and click OK .
This Sequence may be not be applicable to all QuicKeys users,
but it’s a good illustration of how Sequences can help you in
your everyday work. For tips on how you can ensure
successful Sequences during a QuicKeys recording, see
page 143.
EDITING A SHORTCUT
To edit QuicKeys Shortcuts:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Shortcut you
want to modify.
2. Double-click the Shortcut or press Command+M to display
the Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Make changes in the Shortcut Properties dialog and click
OK when you are finished.
DELETING A SHORTCUT
Figure 23:
Type the password you want to keep secure in the Password
box.
4. Select the Type Text step in the Sequence that types your
password and click the trash icon to delete it. The
Password Vault Shortcut has now replaced the Type Text
Shortcut in your Sequence, making your password more
secure.
To delete QuicKeys Shortcuts:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Shortcut you
want to delete.
2. Select Delete from the Edit menu.
3. Select the Delete button at the prompt if you are certain you
want the selected Shortcut removed from your keyset.
▲ There is no “Undo” function when you choose to delete
a Shortcut.
••••
20
Chapter 3
QuickStart
CLOSING QUICKEYS
To close the QuicKeys Editor, you can either click the Editor’s
close box or select Close from the File menu. If you click
outside the Editor, the Editor will be replaced by a minimized
QuicKeys palette (shown in Figure 24) that remains active
while you work in other applications.
Click the QuicKeys palette to re-open the QuicKeys Editor.
Figure 24:
The QuicKeys palette appears when you click outside the
QuicKeys Editor.
••••
21
CHAPTER 4
QUICKEYS OVERVIEW
••••••
Part of understanding any piece of software requires knowing
its different components and how they fit together. This
chapter provides an overview of the QuicKeys architecture.
Reviewing this chapter will acquaint you with the capabilities
of QuicKeys so you can take full advantage of the software’s
power and flexibility.
When the QuicKeys Editor is visible, you are in “edit mode.”
This means that you cannot trigger QuicKeys Shortcuts or use
QuicKeys toolbars until you close the Editor.
The QuicKeys Editor Tabs
THE QUICKEYS EDITOR
Use the QuicKeys Editor as your control center for creating,
modifying, and deleting Shortcuts and Sequences. Open the
QuicKeys Editor by selecting QuicKeys Editor from the QuicKeys
menu in the menu bar or by pressing the
Option+Control+Return keys simultaneously.
The QuicKeys Editor has five parts that display when the
Editor is opened: the Keysets tab, the Toolbars tab, an
information pane, a built-in toolbar, and a menu bar. By
default the QuicKeys Editor displays the Keysets tab.
Figure 25:
View all your Shortcuts and their properties from the Keysets tab,
shown on the left. Create, edit, and delete toolbars from the
Toolbars tab, shown on the right.
••••
22
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
THE KEYSETS TAB
When you click the Keysets tab, all of your Shortcuts display.
You can create, edit, or delete your Shortcuts from this central
location.
Click the Info arrow
to display the
Shortcuts filter.
Sets
pop-up
menu
Create
menu
Include in
QuicKeys
Menu
Built-in
Toolbar
QuicKeys
Comment
Timed
Triggers
• Type the first few characters of a Shortcut name to select a
particular Shortcut. This feature is commonly referred to as
the “Type To” function.
• Click in the Keystroke column and press the keystroke you
want to use to trigger the selected Shortcut.
• When the Keysets tab is selected, the Create menu is
available. The Create menu can be used as the starting point
for creating all your QuicKeys Shortcuts.
• Use the Set menu to specify the range of operation for a
particular Shortcut. For example, you can create a Type
Text Shortcut that only works in your E-mail application.
• Click an icon in the QuicKeys’ built-in toolbar to launch
the Setup Assistant, display the Plug-in Manager, cut, copy
paste, or print.
• Click in the QuicKeys comment column to write a note to
yourself or another user about the selected Shortcut.
The Sets Pop-Up Menu
Specify which Shortcuts and Sequences are visible in the
Keysets tab by choosing which QuicKeys Set you want to
view. A QuicKeys Set is a collection of Shortcuts and
Sequences that function in a specific context. For example,
Shortcuts in the Finder Set only work when the Finder is the
active application.
Figure 26:
Use the Keysets tab to view, create, or edit your Shortcuts.
• Double-click a Shortcut in the Keysets tab to display the
Shortcut Properties dialog where you can edit the Shortcut.
• Click a column heading to choose how you want your list
of QuicKeys Shortcuts sorted.
The ability to separate your Shortcuts into Sets is invaluable
because it helps you organize what would otherwise be an
endless list of QuicKeys Shortcuts. Additionally, Sets enable
you to use the same keystroke for different Shortcuts. You can
read more about QuicKeys Sets on page 45.
••••
Shortcut Options
There are three columns in the QuicKeys Editor you can use to
quickly change the attributes for a selected QuicKeys
Shortcut: the QuicKeys menu column, the timed triggers
column, and the comment column.
23
comment by clicking on the comment icon in the QuicKeys
Editor.
Click in one of these columns to
quickly set up additional options
for individual Shortcuts.
Figure 28:
This dialog appears when you click in a cell of the Comment
column in the QuicKeys Editor.
THE TOOLBARS TAB
Figure 27:
You can set up certain Shortcut attributes directly in the
QuicKeys Editor.
• When you click in the QuicKeys menu column, the
corresponding Shortcut is immediately accessible from the
QuicKeys menu.
• When you click in the timed trigger column, the Timer
Options dialog shown in Figure 58 on page 40 displays.
When you close the Timer Options dialog, the selected
Shortcut is immediately set to be triggered at the time you
specified.
• When you click the QuicKeys comment column, a
Comment dialog appears. Type information you want to
keep with the selected Shortcut and click OK. Display the
When you click the Toolbars tab, you see a list of all your
QuicKeys toolbars. Toolbars have buttons that represent
specific tasks on the computer. Many applications provide
toolbars that perform functions, such as printing, when you
click the standard Print icon. QuicKeys toolbars are different,
however, because you specify the appearance and
functionality of the toolbar.
••••
24
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
Toolbars are a valuable asset if you have created several
QuicKeys Shortcuts. They provide a quick and easy way of
triggering your Shortcuts. You don’t have to remember a
keystroke and you don’t have to fill up your QuicKeys menu
if you use toolbars to trigger at least some of your Shortcuts.
QuicKeys
Toolbars
pane
Toolbar
Options
pane
Set
Menu
Shortcuts you can
drag to toolbars.
• Click a toolbar listed in the Toolbars tab of the QuicKeys
Editor to make that toolbar active on your desktop. When
a toolbar becomes active, you can edit, delete, or rename it.
• Select a toolbar from the Toolbars list to make the Toolbar
Options area of the Toolbars tab active.
• See Chapter 5 for more detailed information about
toolbars.
THE QUICKEYS INFO PANE
When you click the Info arrow at the bottom of the QuicKeys
Editor, an additional pane of information appears. The
information includes a Shortcuts filter, your name, your
QuicKeys buffer status, and the number of Shortcuts that
reside in the displayed Set.
Shortcuts Filter
Each button on the Shortcuts filter represents a type of
QuicKeys plug-in. By default, all buttons in the filter list are
selected. However, when you click one of the buttons in the
filter list, the Shortcuts represented by that plug-in no longer
appear in the QuicKeys Editor. This feature enables you to
filter which Shortcuts are shown or hidden in the QuicKeys
Editor.
Figure 29:
Use the Toolbars tab to create, edit, or delete toolbars.
• Click the New button to create a new toolbar.
• Drag Shortcuts from the Shortcut area of the Toolbars tab
to the active toolbar to create toolbar buttons.
Figure 30:
When you click the Info arrow at the bottom of the QuicKeys
Editor, this information pane appears. In this illustrations, all
the buttons are pressed (or shaded), so all plug-ins are
displayed in the QuicKeys Editor.
••••
Clicking the corresponding icon in the Shortcuts Filter
controls whether the following plug-ins are displayed in the
QuicKeys Editor.
• Alias Keystroke
• Standard plug-ins
• Button
• Specials
• Menu
• File Launch
• Click
• Type Text
• Mousies
• FKeys
• Date/Time
• Real Time
25
When the Standard plug-ins button is selected (shaded) in the
Shortcuts filter, all Shortcuts created with Standard plug-ins
appear in the QuicKeys Editor.
Built-in
plug-ins
Standard
plug-ins
• Sequence
Figure 31:
Click Show All to display all the Shortcuts you have created in
the QuicKeys Editor Shortcut list. Click Show None and select a
plug-in button in the Shortcuts filter to show only the
Shortcuts created by the selected plug-in.
Standard Plug-ins
There are two types of QuicKeys plug-ins: Built-in plug-ins
and Standard plug-ins. The main difference between the two
types of plug-ins is that Built-in plug-ins cannot be turned off.
Built-in plug-ins include: Alias Keystroke, Button, Click,
FKeys, Menu, Mousies, Specials, and File Launch.
The System Tools and File Tools submenus are divided into
two sections. The top section indicates plug-ins that are
built into QuicKeys. The bottom section indicates plug-ins
that use the standard plug-in architecture.
Buffer
The Buffer status bar indicates how much memory you are
using for Shortcuts based on the memory you set aside in the
Configure QuicKeys dialog. See page 47 for more information.
••••
26
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
QUICKEYS BUILT-IN TOOLBAR
The Setup Assistant button.
Some applications have a built-in toolbar in the main window
that enables you cut, copy, and paste with a click of your
mouse. QuicKeys’ built-in toolbar includes these functions as
well as two QuicKeys-specific buttons.
▲ Do not confuse QuicKeys’ built-in toolbar with the
custom toolbars you can create with the QuicKeys—the
built-in toolbar is part of the interface and cannot be
edited while QuicKeys toolbars only exist if you create
them or QuicKeys installs them.
Setup
Assistant
Plug-in
Manager
Figure 32:
Cut, Copy,
Paste, Print
The About
box display
The built-in QuicKeys Editor
toolbar.
Setup Assistant Button
The Setup Assistant button launches the Setup Assistant. The
Setup Assistant guides you through the process of setting up
QuicKeys Shortcuts. It is an excellent tool for users who are
new to QuicKeys or any of the QuicKeys plug-ins.
Figure 33:
Click the Setup Assistant button in the QuicKeys Editor to
launch the Setup Assistant.
You can use the Setup Assistant to create the following
Shortcuts:
• Choosy
• Type Date/Time
• File Launch
• Folders
• Mac OS Specials
• Menu
• Mousies
• SpeakerChanger
• Specials
• Advanced Text Tools
• Type Text
••••
27
The Plug-in Manager button
Figure 35:
Figure 34:
The Plug-in Manager button is located in the QuicKeys
Editor’s built-in toolbar.
Use the Setup Assistant if you want to be guided through
the process of creating Shortcuts.
Plug-in Manager Button
QuicKeys plug-ins (formerly known as QuicKeys extensions)
can be turned on or off individually using the Plug-in
Manager. You may want to disable individual Shortcuts if you
cannot use some of the functionality available in QuicKeys.
For example, if you do not have Internet access, you may
want to turn off the Web Launcher Shortcut to streamline your
Shortcut options and reduce the amount of memory QuicKeys
uses. See page 51 for more information on the Plug-in
Manager.
Figure 36:
This dialog appears when you click the Plug-in Manager
button. Use the Plug-in Manager to turn plug-ins on and off.
••••
28
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
Cut, Copy, Paste, and Print Buttons
A group of buttons in the built-in QuicKeys toolbar are
standard Macintosh toolbar buttons. You can use them to cut,
copy, paste, or print Shortcuts and Sequences.
THE QUICKEYS MENU BAR
The QuicKeys Menu bar offers four different menus: File,
Edit, Create, and Options. The QuicKeys-specific menu items
are discussed later in this manual, but this section provides a
brief description of each option.
The QuicKeys menu bar
Figure 37:
Clicking the cut, copy, paste, and print buttons in the QuicKeys
Editor is often quicker than selecting the same options from the
File and Edit menus.
QuicKeys About Button
The button on the end of the application toolbar looks like the
QuicKeys logo. When you click this button, the QuicKeys
About box appears. Open the About box for distributor and
contact information.
Figure 39:
Figure 38:
Control QuicKeys with the menu items available in each QuicKeys
Editor menu.
Click the QuicKeys logo in the QuicKeys Editor to view the About
box.
File Menu
The File menu contains your standard Macintosh options
along with some QuicKeys-specific items.
Figure 40:
The QuicKeys Editor File menu
••••
New Set
Creates a custom Set of QuicKeys Shortcuts and Sequences.
See page 45 for more information.
Open Set
Opens a user-created QuicKeys Set of QuicKeys Shortcuts and
Sequences. See page 45 for more information.
Close Set
Closes the selected user-created QuicKeys Set. See page 45 for
more information.
29
Print
Prints a list of Shortcuts and Sequences from the active
QuicKeys Set. This menu item is only available when the
Keysets tab is active.
Quit
Closes the QuicKeys Editor. Choosing this option does not
affect your ability to trigger Shortcuts.
Edit Menu
The QuicKeys Edit menu follows the Mac interface standards.
Delete Set
Deletes the selected user-created QuicKeys Set. See page 45
for more information.
Save Set
Saves the selected Set of QuicKeys Shortcuts and Sequences to
a location you specify. See page 45 for more information.
Make Icon
Creates a Finder icon for the selected Shortcut so you can
launch the Shortcut like an application. See page 40 for more
information.
Import Shortcuts/Toolbars
Imports selected Shortcuts or toolbars. This menu changes
depending upon whether the Keysets tab or Toolbar tab is
active. When the Keysets tab is active, you can import selected
Shortcuts. When the Toolbar tab is active, you can import
selected toolbars. See page 51 for more information.
Export Shortcuts/Toolbars
Exports selected Shortcuts or toolbars. This menu changes
depending upon whether the Keysets tab or Toolbar tab is
active. When the Keysets tab is active, you can export selected
Shortcuts. When the Toolbar tab is active, you can export
selected Toolbars.
Page Setup
Opens the Page Setup window for your printer. This menu
item is only available when the Keysets tab is active.
Figure 41:
The QuicKeys Editor Edit menu.
Cut
Removes a selected item and stores it in the system clipboard.
Copy
Duplicates the selected item and stores a copy of the item in
the system clipboard.
Paste
Pastes the item from the clipboard to the selected QuicKeys
window.
Clear
Deletes the selected item.
Delete
Deletes the selected item.
Undefine
Removes the keystroke assignment for the selected Shortcut
or Sequence.
••••
30
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
Modify
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for the selected Shortcut
or Sequence.
Select All
Selects all entries in the active QuicKeys window.
Create Menu
The Create menu lists all your QuicKeys plug-ins. Each plug-in
is categorized by functionality in the Create menu’s
submenus.
File Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for File Handler, File
Launch, File Recall, Folders, Batch Processor, and Project
Saver. See Chapter 8 for more information.
Text Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for Advanced Text Tools,
Date/Time, and Text. See Chapter 7 for more information.
Scripting Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for AppleEvents,
AppleScript, and DoScript. See Chapter 13 for more
information.
Multimedia Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for Audio CD Player,
Sound, SpeakEase, SpeakerChanger, and QT Movie. See
Chapter 10 for more information.
Network Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for Choosy, Mounty, and
Network Switcher. See Chapter 11 for more information.
Figure 42:
The QuicKeys Editor Create menu.
Sequence
Opens the Sequence Editor. See page 140 for more
information.
Real Time
Begins recording your actions using Real Time recording. See
page 38 for more information.
System Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for Buttons, Clicks, Alias
Keystroke, Mac OS Specials, Mousies, Menu Selection, Popup
Menu, PowerBook Specials, App Switcher, Scrap Ease, Screen
Ease, View Switcher, and Specials. See Chapter 8 for more
information.
Sequence Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for Password Vault,
Decision, Jump, Repeat, Wait, GoSub, and Message. See
page 144 for more information.
Internet Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for Instant E-mail,
Phone Dialer, and Web Launcher. See Chapter 12 for more
information.
Other Tools
Opens the Shortcut Properties dialog for plug-ins installed
with prior versions of QuicKeys. This submenu is only
available for users who upgrade QuicKeys from a previous
version.
••••
Options Menu
The Options menu enables you to manage basic QuicKeys
operations.
31
Compress Sets
Cleans out your QuicKeys data so outdated or fragmented
information does not use up disk space or memory. See
page 53 for more information.
Configure QuicKeys
Shows a dialog that enables you to customize certain aspects
of QuicKeys. See page 47 for more information.
Configure QuickReference Card
Displays the QuickReference Card Options dialog so you can
choose how the QuickReference card looks and behaves. See
page 50 for more information.
Figure 43:
The QuicKeys Editor Option menu.
Sort
Sorts your Shortcuts by type, name, or key.
Show Toolbar Hot Help
Displays the Shortcut name when your cursor is positioned
over a QuicKeys toolbar button if toolbar titles are not
displayed. See page 60 for more information on toolbar titles.
Figure 44:
When Show Toolbar Hot Help is selected and toolbar
titles are not shown, your toolbars display helpful
pop-up text.
Lock Editor
Password-protects the QuicKeys Editor. See page 52 for more
information.
Memory Usage
Displays how memory is allocated between Shortcut Sets. See
page 53 for more information.
About QuicKeys
Displays distributor and contact information.
THE SEQUENCE EDITOR
The Sequence Editor appears when you finish recording a
QuicKeys Sequence or when you select Sequence from the
Create menu. The Sequence Editor enables you to consolidate
Shortcuts into more advanced Sequences.
For example, you can create a Sequence that launches your ftp
application; types your host name, user name, and password;
and clicks OK in the appropriate dialogs. Using this example,
the Sequence contains four separate Shortcuts that each
complete a single task.
••••
32
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
See page 139 for more detailed information about Sequences.
The only time you may need to quit the Backgrounder is
when you install new software that requires you exit all
applications. To restart the Backgrounder, you can either
double-click the Backgrounder application or restart your
computer. The Backgrounder is located in the
:System Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys Folder: Backgrounders:
folder on your startup disk.
DISPLAYING THE QUICKEYS BACKGROUNDER
By default, the QuicKeys Backgrounder is hidden from view,
so you cannot see it in the application menu. To show the
QuicKeys Backgrounder, uncheck the Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder
check box in the QuicKeys Options dialog. See page 49 for
more information.
Figure 45:
The Sequence Editor.
▲ If you create a QuicKeys toolbar that does not use the
Always On Top setting discussed on page 62, the QuicKeys
Backgrounder must be displayed.
QUICKEYS PLUG-INS
QuicKeys plug-ins are software components that add specific
functionality to QuicKeys. There are several plug-ins available
in QuicKeys that can be turned on or off individually using
the Plug-in Manager. See page 51 for information on the
Plug-in Manager.
THE QUICKEYS BACKGROUNDER
The QuicKeys Backgrounder is a background application that
is launched at startup. The Backgrounder is necessary for
drag-and-drop functionality in toolbars, displaying additional
step information in Sequences, logging Sequences, scripting
QuicKeys, and receiving Apple Events.
Figure 46:
This alert appears when you uncheck the
Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder option in the
Configure QuicKeys dialog.
••••
HIDING THE QUICKEYS BACKGROUNDER
There are two ways to hide the QuicKeys Backgrounder: in
the Options dialog or in the Backgrounder menu.
To hide the Backgrounder using the Options dialog:
1. Open the Quickeys Editor.
2. Select Configure QuicKeys from the Options menu.
33
TURNING QUICKEYS ON AND OFF
There are two radio buttons in the QuicKeys control panel
dialog: On and Disable Until Restart. By default, the On button is
selected. When the Disable Until Restart option is selected, your
computer ignores all of your QuicKeys triggers. For example,
if F5 is supposed to launch your E-mail application, but the
Disable Until Restart radio button is selected in the control panel,
nothing would happen when you press F5.
3. Select the Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder check box.
4. Click OK.
To hide the Backgrounder using the Backgrounder menu:
1. Select QuicKeys Backgrounder from the application menu. The
QuicKeys Backgrounder becomes the active application.
2. Select Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder from the File menu.
THE QUICKEYS CONTROL PANEL
The QuicKeys control panel is the on/off switch for the
QuicKeys Editor. You can use the QuicKeys control panel to
enable and disable QuicKeys or to open the QuicKeys Editor,
which is the control center for the Shortcuts and Sequences
you create with QuicKeys.
Figure 47:
The QuicKeys control panel.
You probably won’t use the Disable Until Restart option very
frequently, but it can be very useful on a temporary basis if
you are experiencing keystroke conflicts with other
applications.
OPEN QUICKEYS EDITOR
Open the QuicKeys Editor directly from the QuicKeys control
panel by clicking the Open QuicKeys Editor button. This option is
useful if you experience computer problems that cause the
QuicKeys menu to remain dimmed.
SHOW STARTUP ICON
Check or uncheck the Show Startup Icon option to specify
whether or not the QuicKeys icon appears with all the other
System icons at the bottom of your screen when you restart
your computer. By default, the Show Startup Icon option is
checked.
••••
34
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
THE QUICKEYS MENU
ADDING SHORTCUTS TO THE QUICKEYS MENU
By default, a QuicKeys icon displays in the upper right corner
of your menu bar immediately after installation. When you
click that icon, the QuicKeys menu appears.
Add Shortcuts to the QuicKeys menu by selecting the Include in
QuicKeys menu check box in the Setup Assistant or in the
Shortcut Properties dialog. See Figure 54 on page 37.
Additionally, you can select the QuicKeys menu column in the
QuicKeys Editor. Figure 27 on page 23 shows the QuicKeys
menu column.
CONTEXTUAL MENUS
These Shortcuts
are Universal in
scope.
Figure 48:
These Shortcuts are
scoped to Adobe
PhotoShop. They only
appear in the
QuicKeys menu when
PhotoShop is the
active application.
By default, the QuicKeys menu appears in the upper right corner
of your desktop.
With their debut in version 8.0 of the Macintosh operating
System, contextual menus made it much easier for Mac users
to manipulate items on the computer. QuicKeys takes
advantage of this technology by adding a QuicKeys option to
the Mac’s contextual menu. You can create the following
Shortcuts using contextual menus:
• File Launch
• Folders
• Web Launcher
• Type Text
Using the QuicKeys menu you can:
• Open the QuicKeys Editor.
• Launch the Setup Assistant.
• Open the QuickReference Card.
SELECTING FILES AND FOLDERS
If you Control+click an application file in the Finder, the Create
QuicKey option appears in the contextual menu.
• Display and edit QuicKeys toolbars.
• Control QuicKeys recording.
• Trigger Shortcuts.
❖
The QuicKeys menu can only display plug-in icons.
It cannot display application-specific icons.
Figure 49:
When the file you Control+click is supported by QuicKeys,
Create QuicKey is an option in contextual menus.
••••
If you select Create QuicKey from the contextual menu, a
simplified version of the Shortcut Properties dialog appears.
Select the Shortcut type and Shortcut trigger and click OK.
Figure 50:
❖
EDITING TOOLBARS
You can Control+click the empty space or title bar in a
QuicKeys toolbar to change your toolbar options. This
capability makes it possible to edit your toolbar properties
without having to open the Toolbars tab of the QuicKeys
Editor.
This dialog appears when you select Create QuicKey in a
contextual menu.
There may only be one type of Shortcut available in
the Type pop-up menu (shown in Figure 50),
depending on what type of file you
Control+clicked.
35
Figure 51:
Control+click an empty space or the title bar in a QuicKeys
toolbar to display the menu shown above.
••••
36
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
EDITING TOOLBAR BUTTONS
You can Control+click buttons on a QuicKeys toolbar to edit
your toolbar buttons.
• Use the QuicKeys contextual menu.
• Dragging and dropping files or folders onto a QuicKeys
toolbar.
Your changes are automatically saved when you exit the
QuicKeys Editor, regardless of which method you use to
create your Shortcuts and Sequences.
Using the Setup Assistant
When you begin creating Shortcuts, you will probably use the
Setup Assistant because it provides the most basic method for
creating Shortcuts. Open the Setup Assistant by clicking the
Setup Assistant button. Choose an option in each consecutive
panel. By the time you reach the last Setup Assistant window,
you have created a QuicKeys Shortcut.
Figure 52:
The toolbar button contextual menu.
USING QUICKEYS
There are two basic steps involved in using QuicKeys: setting
up Shortcuts and triggering Shortcuts. This section provides
general information about this process. For information on
setting up specific Shortcuts and Sequences, look at the table
of contents and turn to the relevant chapters in this manual.
For example, go to Chapter 8 for detailed information on
setting up a File Launch Shortcut.
CREATING SHORTCUTS
There are four methods you can use to set up QuicKeys
Shortcuts and Sequences:
• Use the Setup Assistant to be guided through the process
of creating a Shortcut one step at a time.
• Direct QuicKeys to record your actions so that you can
choose to replay them in the future.
• Create a single Shortcut manually by selecting an option
from the Create menu.
Figure 53:
A panel in the Setup Assistant.
A Setup Assistant session begins when you click the arrow in
“Welcome to the QuicKeys Setup Assistant” panel and ends
when you click Continue or Quit in the last panel. You can
complete several sessions when the Assistant is launched.
••••
If you click the close box in the Setup Assistant before you
reach the last Assistant window, or you select Quit from the File
menu, an alert appears asking you to verify that you want to
quit the Assistant. If you select Quit at the prompt, the
selections you made in your most recent Setup Assistant
session are not saved by QuicKeys.
When the Setup Assistant is the active application on your
desktop, QuicKeys is disabled. This means that you cannot
use QuicKeys toolbars or other QuicKeys components while
the Setup Assistant is in the foreground. See page 26 for more
information on which Shortcuts can be created with the Setup
Assistant.
Using QuicKeys Recording
QuicKeys also has a powerful feature called recording that
enables your computer to memorize tasks you want to
automate. QuicKeys can record Shortcuts, Sequences, and
Real Time Shortcuts. When you record a Shortcut, you are
recording a single-step task. When you record a Sequence, you
are recording a multi-step task. When you use Real-Time, you
can record both single-step and multi-step tasks in real time.
37
One of the advantages of recording a Shortcut rather than
selecting a Shortcut from the Create menu is that you don’t
have to know what type of QuicKeys Shortcut you want to
create. In other words, if you aren’t familiar with all of the
Shortcuts available in QuicKeys, you may not know which
Shortcut to pick from the Create menu. With the recording
feature, everything is done for you.
To record a Shortcut:
1. Select Record One Shortcut from the QuicKeys menu. A
microphone icon appears over the Apple menu indicating
that your next action will be recorded.
2. Complete the task you want to automate. For example,
select Page Setup from the File menu of Microsoft Word. A
Shortcut Properties dialog appears in front of the Page
Setup dialog.
3. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
Recording One Shortcut
Recording a single-step Shortcut is one of the simplest tasks
you can perform with the QuicKeys recording feature. If you
want to create a Shortcut, but you don’t want to open the
QuicKeys Editor, you can select Record One Shortcut from the
QuicKeys menu. QuicKeys watches you complete one task
and then it displays a Shortcut Properties dialog that
corresponds to the task you completed. For example, if you
select an item from a menu, QuicKeys displays the Shortcut
Properties dialog for the Menu plug-in.
Figure 54:
The options in the Shortcut Properties dialog are slightly
different for each QuicKeys plug-in. This graphic shows the
options available for the File Handler plug-in.
••••
38
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
4. Click OK when you are done. The Shortcut dialog
disappears, leaving the QuicKeys Editor open on your
desktop. Click outside the QuicKeys Editor window to
close the Editor window.
Recording Real Time Shortcuts
Real Time recording enables you to record a series of
Shortcuts in “real time.” Real Time recording tracks your
mouse movements, clicks, and keystrokes. When triggered,
Real Time plays back your actions at the same speed you
recorded them. So, if you paused before clicking a particular
menu option, that pause becomes part of the Real Time
recording.
Real Time recording is different from other types of recording
because it tracks your keyboard selections and screen
coordinates. This capability is useful for selecting submenus
that Sequence recording and standard QuicKeys Shortcuts
can’t locate. Unlike Sequences that keep track of which
dialogs, applications, and menus appear on your screen,
RealTime recording pays no attention to what’s on your
screen—it only cares where your mouse button is clicked and
what keys you press.
To make your first Real Time recording:
1. Select Record Real Time from the QuicKeys menu. A recording
toolbar may appear, depending on how you have set up
your QuicKeys options.
Pause, Stop, Cancel, Insert
Figure 55:
The Recording toolbar.
2. Complete the tasks you want to automate.
3. When you are finished completing the tasks you want
automated, select Stop Recording from the QuicKeys menu or
click the stop button in the Recording toolbar. The Real
Time dialog appears.
4. Type a name for your Real Time Sequence in the Name box.
Before you make your first Real Time recording, keep in mind
that you cannot edit Real Time, so your movements on screen
must be as deliberate and as well-planned as possible.
Figure 56:
The Real Time Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut. For example, press
Command+Option+F10.
••••
6. Click the Record More button if you want to add more steps
to the Real Time Sequence. Once you add steps to a Real
Time Sequence, you cannot delete them unless you delete
the entire Shortcut.
7. Click OK when you are done. The Real Time dialog
disappears, leaving the QuicKeys Editor open on your
desktop. Click outside of the QuicKeys Editor window to
automatically close the Editor window.
See Chapter 14 for more information on recording multi-step
Shortcuts.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
When you are familiar with QuicKeys, you may prefer to
create single-step Shortcuts using the options in the Create
menu. When you select an option from the Create menu, a
Shortcut Properties dialog for the selected menu item appears.
39
Using Contextual Menus
When you Control+click a file that is supported by QuicKeys,
you can select Create QuicKey from the contextual menu that
appears. You can create File Launch, Type Text, and Folders
Shortcuts using contextual menus.
Dragging Files to QuicKeys Toolbars
When you drag-and-drop files or folders to a QuicKeys
toolbar, QuicKeys automatically creates toolbar button
triggers that act on those files or folders. For example, if you
drag a SimpleText document to a QuicKeys toolbar, QuicKeys
automatically places a File Launch Shortcut on the toolbar
that launches that particular SimpleText document. See
Chapter 6 for more information on QuicKeys toolbars.
TRIGGERING SHORTCUTS
QuicKeys makes customizing the way you work easy. You can
use any or all of the following triggers for each QuicKeys
Shortcut.
Keystroke
Use key(s) on the keyboard to trigger your QuicKeys
Shortcuts. For example, use Shift+F7 to launch your E-mail
application.
Toolbars
Create QuicKeys toolbars so you can point and click to trigger
Shortcuts. See Chapter 6 for more information.
Figure 57:
The options in the Shortcut Properties dialog depend upon
which plug-in you are using.
••••
40
Chapter 4
QuicKeys Overview
Timed triggers
Use the specific date, time of day, or repeating interval to
automatically trigger QuicKeys Shortcuts. Set up timed
triggers by clicking the Set Timer button in the Shortcuts
Properties dialog or by clicking in the timer column of the
QuicKeys Editor. You can set up Shortcuts that are triggered X
seconds after startup or you can select the exact date and time
Shortcuts are triggered.
Make Icon
Use the Make Icon option to create a little standalone application
that, when launched, triggers the QuicKeys Shortcut.
QuicKeys must be loaded for this type of QuicKeys trigger to
work, but otherwise it functions much the same as an
ordinary application.
Figure 59:
A Save dialog appears when you select the Make Icon
option in the File menu.
To make a Shortcut into an icon:
Figure 58:
Use the Timer Options dialog to set up
QuicKeys menu
Depending on how your preferences are set, you can open the
QuicKeys menu when you click the QuicKeys icon in the
desktop menu bar or when you select it from the Apple menu.
See page 33 for more information.
1. Select the Shortcut(s) and choose Make Icon from the File
menu. QuicKeys prompts you with a Save dialog. Notice
that QuicKeys places bullet symbols in the filename of
your Shortcut so you can recognize it as a QuicKeys file on
your hard drive.
2. Select a the location on your hard drive where you want to
display your QuicKeys icon.
3. Select the Save Shortcut Data in QK Icon check box to save all
Shortcut attributes in the icon file. Checking this option
makes your Shortcut completely self-contained and mobile
••••
because the Shortcut trigger and Shortcut name are saved
within the icon.
Figure 60:
The Make Icon option makes
Shortcuts look and act like
applications.
4. Click the Save button. A QuicKeys icon appears in the
location you specified.
See page 48 for more information on setting Make Icon
options.
41
••••
43
CHAPTER 5
MANAGING QUICKEYS
••••••
This chapter discusses standard procedures for managing
QuicKeys on a day-to-day basis. It also provides information
on turning individual Shortcuts on and off, resolving
keystroke conflicts, and importing and exporting Shortcuts.
SAVING SHORTCUTS
Your Shortcuts are automatically saved whenever you close
the QuicKeys Editor.
EDITING SHORTCUTS
To edit QuicKeys Shortcuts, open the QuicKeys Editor and
double-click the Shortcut you want to edit. Make changes in
the Shortcut Properties dialog that appears and click OK when
you are finished.
DELETING SHORTCUTS
To delete QuicKeys Shortcuts, open the QuicKeys Editor and
select the Shortcut you want to delete. Select Delete from the Edit
menu. Click the Delete button in the alert window that appears.
▲ There is no “Undo” function if you delete a Shortcut.
PRINTING SHORTCUTS
If you want to print a list of your Shortcuts, choose the keyset
you want to print and select Print from the File menu. The
following information in the selected Set is printed:
• Keystroke.
• Icon representing Shortcut type.
• Shortcut name.
• Comments.
MANAGING KEYSTROKE ASSIGNMENTS
If you have created several Shortcuts, you may find it difficult
to keep track of all your keystroke assignments. If it becomes
hard to remember which key combinations trigger your
favorite Shortcuts, you can either print a list of your Shortcuts
or view the QuickReference Card.
PRINTING KEYSTROKE ASSIGNMENTS
To print a list of keystroke assignments in a QuicKeys Set,
open the QuicKeys Editor and select the QuicKeys Set you
want to print. Choose Print from the File menu and click OK in
the Print dialog that appears. The keystroke, Shortcut type,
Shortcut name, and a comment line are printed for the
QuicKeys Set you selected.
••••
44
Chapter 5
Managing QuicKeys
VIEWING THE QUICKREFERENCE CARD
QuicKeys provides another solution to “keystroke overload”
with the QuickReference Card. The QuickReference Card is a
modal window that displays QuicKeys Shortcuts and their
corresponding keystroke assignments for your Universal and
active applications Sets. You can trigger Shortcuts by clicking
them in the QuickReference Card, or you can simply use the
QuickReference Card to view the Shortcuts you have created.
• Click Show all to display all the Shortcuts.
• Click on one of the filter buttons to display only the
Shortcuts represented by that button.
• Press the Shift key down and click multiple filter buttons
to display multiple Shortcut types. A black outline
highlights the selected plug-ins in the filter.
• Click the arrow button to scroll through the
QuickReference Card.
CLEARING KEYSTROKE ASSIGNMENTS
There are three areas where you can delete your keystroke
assignment for a particular Shortcut: from the QuicKeys
Editor Keysets tab and from the Shortcut Properties dialog.
• To delete a keystroke assignment from the QuicKeys
Editor Keysets tab, click in the Keystroke column and press
the Delete key on your keyboard. The keystroke cell
becomes blank.
Figure 61:
The QuickReference Card.
By default, the QuickReference Card can be opened by
selecting QuickReference Card from the QuicKeys menu or by
pressing Option+Control+Space. The QuickReference Card
closes when you press the OK button or when you click a
Shortcut listed in the QuickReference Card window.
You can choose which QuicKeys Shortcuts appear in the
QuickReference Card using the filtering toolbar at the bottom
of the QuickReference Card window. Each button on the
toolbar represents a type of QuicKeys plug-in. By default, all
plug-ins display in the QuickReference Card.
• To delete a keystroke assignment from the Shortcut
Properties dialog, position your cursor in the keystroke
box of the Shortcut Properties dialog and press the Delete
key on your keyboard. The keystroke is replaced by the
word “unassigned” to indicate that the Shortcut no longer
has a keystroke trigger assigned to it.
• Select the Shortcut in the QuicKeys Editor and select
Undefine from the Edit menu.
RESOLVING KEYSTROKE CONFLICTS
Keystroke conflicts occur when a keystroke in one QuicKeys
Shortcut Set conflicts with a keystroke in another QuicKeys
Set. Conflicts can also occur between QuicKeys keystrokes
and keystrokes that are built into another application. For
example, let’s say the F5 keystroke is assigned to two different
QuicKeys Shortcuts. One keystroke opens Photoshop and is
part of the Universal Set. The other keystroke changes the
layout of a document and can only be triggered in a specific
database application. What happens when you press F5?
••••
QuicKeys follows specific rules of priority to resolve
keystroke conflicts. When the same keystroke is used for
several different tasks, the resulting Shortcut depends upon
where the keystroke falls in the following hierarchy:
A. Application-specific keystrokes
B. Universal keystrokes
C. Keystrokes defined within a particular application
Applying this information to the above example, if the
database program is the active application, F5 formats a
database document. If the database program is not the active
program, F5 starts Photoshop.
If you don’t want to change assigned keystrokes to avoid
these conflicts, you can either use the QuicKeys Specials
plug-in to turn your keystrokes on and off for a brief period of
time or you can substitute QuicKeys keystrokes for the
keystrokes that are built into the applications you use.
Turning Off Keystroke Assignments
If keystroke conflicts only occur in applications you seldom
use, the best way to avoid them is to turn your QuicKeys
keystrokes on and off using the Specials plug-in. This feature
enables you to briefly disable a QuicKeys keystroke while you
work in an application that uses conflicting keystrokes.
For example, you may want to disable QuicKeys keystrokes
while working in Microsoft Excel if Excel uses Command+I to
insert cells, but you have directed QuicKeys to use
Command+I to change selected text to italics in your
Universal Set.
When you are finished working in the application, you can
turn QuicKeys keystrokes back on. See page 111 for more
information.
45
Reassigning Built-in Application Keystrokes
If keystroke conflicts occur in applications you use on a daily
basis, you need to change either the keystroke that you
assigned with QuicKeys or the keystroke your applications
use. You can change your QuicKeys keystrokes simply by
opening the QuicKeys Editor, positioning your cursor in the
Keystroke column and pressing a different keystroke when
you see the blinking cursor.
To change your built-in application keystrokes, you can use
the Alias Keystroke Shortcut. See page 95 for more
information.
WORKING WITH QUICKEYS SETS
You can specify the range of operation for a particular
QuicKeys Shortcut by choosing a QuicKeys Set. These Sets
make it easier to manage QuicKeys because they enable you
to categorize your Shortcuts. You can place a Shortcut in the
Universal Set so it can be triggered at any time, or you can
make a Shortcut application-specific so it only works in a
selected application.
••••
46
Chapter 5
Managing QuicKeys
Selecting the Universal Set
Use the Universal Set when you want to be able to trigger a
Shortcut at any time, regardless of what application you are in
or whether or not the Finder is active.
INACTIVE SETS
Inactive Sets include all QuicKeys Sets that reside in your
Keysets folder, with the exception of the active application Set
and the Universal Set.
Selecting an Application Set
There are two different application Sets: an active application
Set and a standard application Set. The active application Set
enables you to assign Shortcuts to the application that is active
on your desktop. The standard application Set enables you to
choose which application Set you want to view. The
application list contains:
• Applications that currently have QuicKeys Shortcuts
assigned to them.
Figure 62:
Choose which Set you want a particular Shortcut to belong to
using the Set pop-up menu.
When you open the QuicKeys Editor, you can choose to view
three different kinds of Sets: Active Sets, Inactive Sets, and
Custom Sets.
ACTIVE SETS
There are only two active Sets at any one time in QuicKeys:
the Universal Set and the current application Set. Shortcuts
can only be triggered if they are in an active Set. On a Mac, the
active application is denoted by a checkmark in the
application menu. In QuicKeys, the active application is
displayed in the Sets pop-up menu of the QuicKeys Editor.
Shortcuts listed in an application Set can only be triggered
when the application is frontmost on the desktop. For
example, if the Finder is the active application, only Universal
and Finder-specific shortcuts can be triggered.
• Applications that are currently launched.
• The Finder.
CUSTOM SETS
Sets that are not stored in the Keysets folder are called Custom
Sets. To open custom Sets, you must select Open Set from the File
menu and navigate to the location of the Set.
Creating a Custom QuicKeys Set
You can create custom QuicKeys Sets for applications, such as
computer games. For example, if you are an avid fan of
computer games, you may find that you cannot interrupt a
game to make a QuicKeys Shortcut. If this occurs, you can
“trick” the game by creating a custom QuicKeys Set.
••••
To create a custom QuicKeys Set:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select New Set from the File menu.
3. Type a name for your custom Set. If you are using the
Shortcuts for a game, the name of your custom Set must
match the name of the game you are trying to automate
with QuicKeys.
4. Choose to store the Set in the Keysets folder. The
Keysets folder is located in the :System
Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys Folder: on your startup disk.
5. Click Save to save your Set to the Keysets folder. The
QuicKeys Editor appears with the name of your new Set
displayed in the Sets pop-up menu.
6. Add Shortcuts to your custom Set.
The next time you open the computer game, it automatically
recognizes the Shortcuts you have assigned to it using
QuicKeys.
Opening Custom QuicKeys Sets
To open a custom QuicKeys Set:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Open Set from the QuicKeys Editor File menu.
3. Navigate to the custom QuicKeys Set you want to display
and click Open. The selected Set appears in the QuicKeys
Editor.
Saving Sets
To save a custom QuicKeys Set, select Save from the File menu.
CHANGING SET ASSIGNMENTS
To change Set assignments, use the cut, copy, and paste
options to remove Shortcuts from one Set and add them to
another Set.
47
CLOSING SETS
To close a custom QuicKeys Set so it no longer appears in the
QuicKeys Editor, select a Set from the Set pop-up menu and
choose Close Set from the File menu.
HIDING QUICKEYS
When you click outside of the QuicKeys Editor, the Editor
window is replaced by a small, boxed QuicKeys logo called
the QuicKeys palette. When you click on the QuicKeys
palette, the QuicKeys Editor reappears. This functionality
enables you to “hide” the QuicKeys Editor without closing it.
Figure 63:
The QuicKeys palette appears when you click outside the
QuicKeys Editor.
CUSTOMIZING QUICKEYS
There are several different ways to customize QuicKeys. You
can make changes in the Configure QuicKeys dialog, set
QuickReference Card preferences, disable/enable QuicKeys
plug-ins, install third-party plug-ins, and sort your Shortcut
list.
SETTING QUICKEYS OPTIONS
You can customize what you see when you run QuicKeys by
selecting or clearing options in the Configure QuicKeys
dialog.
••••
48
Chapter 5
Managing QuicKeys
QuicKeys Menu
Make Icon Options
Use the QuicKeys menu options to select where to display the
QuicKeys menu. You can choose to display the QuicKeys
menu in the Apple Menu, in the menu bar at the top of your
screen, or you can choose to hide the QuicKeys menu. The
Menu Bar option places the QuicKeys icon on the right side of
the Macintosh menu bar. When you change the location of the
QuicKeys menu, you must restart for the change to take effect.
Use the Make Icon options to adjust the appearance of
QKIcons. Select Bullets in Name to add bullets to the QKIcon
filename. Select Use Custom Icons to display an icon that
represents the type of Shortcut selected, rather than a generic
QuicKeys icon. See page 40 for instructions on using the Make
Icon option.
Sequence/Recording Options
Choose whether you want the Record and Playback palettes
to display when you are recording or playing back a
Sequence.
Figure 65:
The recording and playback
palettes.
Select Use Sequence Log to provide a log of the last Sequence you
triggered. This feature is useful when you are troubleshooting
a Sequence or when you need to create a building block for a
QuicKeys script. The log file is stored in the System
Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys: folder.
❖
Figure 64:
The Configure QuicKeys dialog.
The QuicKeys Backgrounder must be running for
the Use Sequence Log feature to function.
Keyset Management
QuicKeys Popup Menu
Use the QuicKeys Menu options to select which key(s), in
combination with a mouse click, display(s) the QuicKeys
pop-up menu. For example, if you select the Shift check box,
the QuicKeys menu appears whenever you press the Shift key
and your mouse key simultaneously. By default, you can only
open the QuicKeys pop-up menu by clicking the QuicKeys
icon in the menu bar.
Use these options to set compression and memory allocation
preferences. Select Compress files automatically on startup to remove
unused Sequence and Real Time data from their respective
folders when your computer is restarted. To keep things
running smoothly, CE Software recommends leaving this
option selected.
••••
Select Confirm file Shortcuts when compressing files to clean up
QuicKeys at the system level. This option links unattached
File Launch Shortcuts and cleans up empty space that is
fragmented as a result of editing Shortcuts or Sequences.
Specify how much memory you want to reserve for new
Shortcuts. By default, 32K is allocated for new QuicKeys
Shortcuts. Shortcuts vary in size depending on their
complexity, so you need to rely primarily on the QuicKeys
Memory Usage window or persistent buffer alerts to determine
how much of a memory buffer should be set in QuicKeys.
When you are setting your QuicKeys buffer size, keep in mind
that every time you open an application, you open its
associated QuicKeys Shortcut Set, increasing the amount of
memory QuicKeys requires.
Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder
By default, the Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder check box is checked in
the Options dialog. When this option remains checked, the
QuicKeys Backgrounder application is invisible to you when
it is running. If you uncheck this option, the QuicKeys
Backgrounder appears in your application menu. See page 32
for more information on the QuicKeys Backgrounder.
49
settings, the alert shown in Figure 66 appears. If you select Yes
in this alert window, the Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder option is
automatically unchecked in the Options dialog so you are able
to see all your toolbars.
Figure 66:
This alert window appears if you uncheck the Always On Top
option for a QuicKeys toolbar.
International Launching
Use this dialog to specify the equivalent of various menu
items in a non-English System.
Whether or not the QuicKeys Backgrounder is visible is
largely a personal preference, but this option does affect some
QuicKeys toolbars. If you have a toolbar that does not use the
Always On Top option and you keep the default QuicKeys Editor
Figure 67:
The International Launching window.
••••
50
Chapter 5
Managing QuicKeys
Speed Settings
Use the Speed Settings dialog to fine-tune the dragging,
clicking, or recording speeds in QuicKeys. This feature is
useful for applications that are particularly slow or for
creating Real Time Shortcuts for tasks that require slower
movements. The best way to determine which speeds work
best for your environment is to experiment with the different
options.
SETTING QUICKREFERENCE CARD PREFERENCES
Customize the appearance of the QuickReference Card by
making changes in the QuickReference Card Options window.
Figure 69:
The QuickReference Card Options window.
Sort by
Sorts Shortcuts in the QuickReference Card window by
Shortcut type, Shortcut name, or keystroke.
Figure 68:
The Speed Settings window.
Display these Shortcuts
Choose which plug-ins are displayed in the QuickReference
card by clicking an icon in the QuickReference Card Options
window. A black square highlights each plug-in chosen to
display in the QuickReference Card. By default, all icons are
highlighted.
List
Choose which types of Shortcuts display in the
QuickReference Card from the List options. You can choose to
display Application-specific Shortcuts, Universal Shortcuts, or
both types of Shortcuts.
Expand to fill screen
Expands the QuickReference Card window so it covers your
desktop.
••••
DISABLING/ENABLING PLUG-INS
If you find that you do not have a need for some of the
plug-ins installed with QuicKeys, you can turn those plug-ins
off so they no longer display in the QuicKeys Editor. For
example, if you don’t use your CD-ROM drive for music CDs,
you can disable the CD player plug-in.
51
Get Info
Displays a brief description of the selected extension.
SORTING INFORMATION
Specify how Shortcuts are sorted in the Keysets tab of the
QuicKeys Editor. Just click the category by which you want
your Shortcuts sorted.
To disable/enable QuicKeys plug-ins:
IMPORTING SHORTCUTS
1. Click the Plug-in Manager button
Editor.
in the QuicKeys
2. In the Plug-in Manager window, select the Shortcuts you
want to disable or enable and click the Turn off/Turn on button.
3. Click Done when you are finished.
4. Restart your computer to make your changes take effect.
Import QuicKeys Shortcuts when you receive them from
other QuicKeys users. When you import Shortcuts, you
import all the attributes originally assigned to the particular
Shortcuts.
To import Shortcuts:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Open the Set into which you want to import Shortcuts.
3. Select Import Shortcuts from the File menu. A standard Open
dialog appears.
Figure 70:
The Plug-in Manager.
Figure 71:
Turn off
Select extensions you don’t use very often and click the Turn off
button to save memory and make your machine run faster.
Restart your computer to make these changes effective.
This dialog appears when you import
Shortcuts.
4. Navigate to the folder where the Shortcuts are stored.
••••
52
Chapter 5
Managing QuicKeys
5. Click the Import without Keystrokes option if you want to assign
your own keystroke to the Shortcut.
6. Click Open. The Shortcuts are imported into the QuicKeys
Set you selected.
EXPORTING SHORTCUTS
Export Shortcuts when you want to share them with other
QuicKeys users.
To export individual Shortcuts and Sets:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select the Set that contains the Shortcuts you want to
export.
1. Select Export Shortcuts in the File menu.
2. Navigate to the drive where you want to store your
selected Shortcut(s).
EXPORT OPTIONS
Save Selected Shortcuts
Exports only the Shortcuts you select.
Save Entire Set
Exports all the Shortcuts in the selected Set.
LOCKING THE EDITOR
Use the Lock Editor option to secure your Shortcuts or to
standardize Shortcuts across a group of users. If you use
Shortcuts that log into password-protected network volumes,
you may want to restrict people from seeing the specific steps
that comprise the Shortcut. Likewise, if you are a systems
administrator and you don’t want users editing a
standardized set of Shortcuts, you can lock the QuicKeys
Editor on each of the machines on your network.
To lock the QuicKeys Editor:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Lock Editor from the Options menu.
3. Type your password in the Enter Password box.
Figure 72:
This dialog appears when you choose to export one or
more Shortcuts.
3. Choose Save Selected Shortcuts to export only the Shortcuts
selected in the QuicKeys Editor or choose Save Entire Set to
save all the Shortcuts in the selected Set.
4. Click Open. The Shortcuts are immediately exported to the
location you specified.
Figure 73:
The QuicKeys Editor Password dialog.
4. Re-type your password in the Re-enter Password box to verify
the spelling.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
••••
Once you have locked the QuicKeys Editor, you cannot access
the QuicKeys Editor again without entering the password you
selected. After you unlock QuicKeys, the Editor remains
unlocked until you again specify a password in the QuicKeys
Editor Password dialog.
CHECKING MEMORY USAGE
Select Memory Usage from the Options menu to see how QuicKeys
is using memory. If the Buffer Size and the Used categories are
close in number of bytes, you should increase the buffer size.
See the section on keyset management on page 48 for
information on changing the buffer size setting.
53
COMPRESSING SETS
QuicKeys Sets are stored in the Keysets folder as individual
files. When you add or delete a Shortcut, QuicKeys adds it to
or deletes it from the appropriate Set.
In contrast, QuicKeys stores Sequences in both the Keysets
folder and the Sequences folder, while Real Time Shortcuts are
stored in both the Keysets folder and in the Macros folder.
When you delete a Sequence or Real Time Shortcut, the file
stored in the Keysets folder is deleted, but the file stored in the
Sequences or Macros folders are not deleted.
The Compress Sets command removes those Sequences and Real
Time recordings if their corresponding Shortcut files have
been deleted. Selecting this option is a good way to streamline
the disk space QuicKeys uses.
❖
Figure 74:
The Memory Usage window.
You can get a general idea of whether or not QuicKeys needs
more memory by looking at the Buffer status bar area in the
Info pop-up window in the Quickeys Editor. See Figure 75.
Figure 75:
Track the memory buffer size in the Buffer status bar.
By default, Sets are compressed at startup.
••••
55
CHAPTER 6
QUICKEYS TOOLBARS
••••••
QuicKeys toolbars are floating windows with custom buttons
that represent Shortcuts or Sequences. For example, some
applications contain toolbars that allow you to cut, copy, and
paste selected items just by clicking the corresponding icons.
Similarly, QuicKeys offers toolbars that allow you to trigger
QuicKeys Shortcuts by clicking a QuicKeys toolbar button.
When toolbar buttons have a pop-up
arrow, you can click the arrow to display
of menu of Shortcut-related options.
THE TOOLBARS TAB
QuicKeys toolbars have two components: the toolbar itself
and the buttons on the toolbar. You can create or edit both of
these components using the Toolbars tab of the QuicKeys
Editor. The Toolbars tab is divided into four panes: the
Toolbars pane, the Toolbar Options pane, the Shortcuts pane,
and the Instruction pane. See Figure 77.
Toolbars
Pane
Toolbar
Options Pane
Shortcuts
Pane
Control+click the title bar or an area of
the QuicKeys toolbar that does not
contain a toolbar button to display a
contextual menu.
Click and drag a corner of the QuicKeys
toolbar to resize it. Click-N-Go toolbars
cannot be resized.
Figure 76:
This illustration shows two ways to display the same floating
QuicKeys toolbar.
Figure 77:
The QuicKeys Editor Toolbars tab.
Instruction
Pane
••••
56
Chapter 6
QuicKeys Toolbars
THE TOOLBARS PANE
THE TOOLBAR OPTIONS PANE
The Toolbars pane shows the toolbars you have created along
with the attributes for each toolbar.
A check mark
indicates toolbars set
to display on your
desktop when the
Editor is closed.
When you create a QuicKeys toolbar, you can choose how you
want the toolbar to look and function.
When you select a toolbar
name, the corresponding
toolbar appears on your
desktop for editing.
Figure 79:
Floating
Docked
The Toolbar Options pane
of the Toolbars tab.
Toolbar Type
Click-N-Go
Figure 78:
The Toolbars pane of
the Toolbars tab.
Toolbar Type column
Indicates whether a toolbar is Floating, Docked, or Click-NGo by the icon displayed in the Type field.
S/H column
The Show/Hide column enables you to control whether the
toolbar is visible or not after you close the QuicKeys Editor.
Name column
Displays the name of your QuicKeys toolbars.
New button
Click the New button to create a new QuicKeys toolbar.
Rename button
Click the Rename button to rename an existing QuicKeys
toolbar.
Delete button
Click the Delete button to permanently delete a QuicKeys
toolbar.
There are three different QuicKeys toolbar types: Click-N-Go,
Docked, and Floating. This section discusses each toolbar type
and provides examples of when to use one style over another.
Click-N-Go
A Click-N-Go toolbar closes immediately after you click a
button on it. This type of toolbar is useful if you want to
preserve desktop space. For example, if you don’t want to
remember which keystroke starts one of the 15 applications
installed on your computer, you can create a Click-N-Go
toolbar that enables you to start each of these applications by
clicking the corresponding button on the toolbar. All you have
••••
to remember is the keystroke that opens the Click-N-Go
toolbar. You can also select the toolbar from the QuicKeys
menu. Then click the toolbar button, and watch as the toolbar
disappears just as the selected Shortcut is triggered.
With Click-N-Go toolbars, you can
press the number (0-9) on your
keyboard that appears on the
toolbar button you want to select.
The Shortcut represented by the
toolbar button is immediately
triggered. This feature enables you
to keep your hands on the
keyboard rather than having to
switch to the mouse.
Figure 80:
Docked
A Docked, or embedded, toolbar attaches to the edge of the
screen. This type of toolbar is useful when you want to keep
your toolbar in the same position whenever you start a
specific application. For example, if you have several
Shortcuts that automate Microsoft Word, you can place them
on an application-specific, Dockable toolbar so they are
accessible whenever Microsoft Word is open.
A Click-N-Go toolbar appears when it is triggered and
disappears when you select a button from the toolbar,
press the Esc key, or click outside the Click-N-Go
toolbar.
If you are familiar with the Softkeys function in previous
versions of QuicKeys, you will see some of the same
functionality in QuicKeys Click-N-Go toolbars. You can type
the corresponding position number (1-0) to trigger a Shortcut
on a Click-N-Go toolbar. For example, if your FileMaker® Pro
File Launch Shortcut is the first Shortcut listed on a toolbar,
press 1 to open it.
❖
57
Click-N-Go toolbars must use the Always On Top
setting discussed on page 62.
Figure 81:
A Docked toolbar “sticks” to the side of your screen at
all times.
You can drag Docked toolbars from one side of your screen to
another to move them. An outline of the toolbar moves with
your cursor to show you where the toolbar will be placed.
Floating
A Floating toolbar can be moved anywhere on your screen.
This type of toolbar is useful if you want complete flexibility
when you position your toolbars on your desktop. The benefit
of using a Floating toolbar is that your Shortcuts are only a
click away, but your toolbar never interferes with your work.
••••
58
Chapter 6
QuicKeys Toolbars
For example, if you are creating an advertisement for your
company picnic, you can have a Universal, Floating toolbar
with buttons that start PageMaker®, open a specific project
folder on your hard drive, change the view of the pamphlet to
75 percent, and save your work.
when you want the selected toolbar to display regardless of
which applications are open. The other options in the Scope
list are dependent upon the applications you have open and
the applications that have Shortcuts assigned to them.
The “Links” toolbar
option shown in this
illustration is scoped to
Adobe Photoshop®.
This means the “Links”
toolbar can only be
selected from the
QuicKeys menu when
Adobe Photoshop is
the active application.
Figure 83:
When a toolbar is scoped to a particular application, it only
appears when that application is active.
Keystroke
Figure 82:
A Floating toolbar can appear anywhere on your
desktop. It behaves much like a standard Finder
window.
You can move a Floating toolbar anywhere on your desktop
by clicking on the title bar of the toolbar and dragging it to
another desktop location. You can resize a Floating toolbar by
clicking on the lower right corner of the toolbar and dragging.
You can also click the collapse button on the upper right
corner of a toolbar to toggle between showing and hiding the
toolbar buttons.
Toolbar Scope
Toolbar Scope is the range of operation for a toolbar. For
example, you can choose whether a specific toolbar only
displays when Microsoft Word is active, or whether it appears
regardless of which application is active. The two static items
in the Set list are Universal and Finder scope. Select Universal
Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys you
want to use to open the selected toolbar.
Figure 84:
Use the Keystroke box to
set keystroke triggers.
••••
59
Show Large Icons
Show Toolbar Titles
Select the Show Large Icons check box when you want your
toolbar button icons to be larger.
Select the Show Toolbar Titles check box when you want the name
of each Shortcut to display in the corresponding button. When
this option is not selected, only the toolbar button icons
display.
If you Control+click the title bar
or an area of a QuicKeys toolbar
that does not contain a toolbar
button, a menu appears that
enables you to switch between
large and small font in your
toolbar titles.
If you Control+click an area of a
QuicKeys toolbar that does not
contain a toolbar button, a menu
appears that enables you to switch
between large and small toolbar icons.
Figure 86:
Figure 85:
A Floating toolbar that displays toolbar titles.
The same toolbar using small and large icons.
❖
If you have Show Toolbar Titles selected for a particular
toolbar and Show Toolbar Hot Help selected for all your
toolbars, the toolbar hot help does not appear for
the toolbar that displays toolbar titles.
••••
60
Chapter 6
QuicKeys Toolbars
THE SHORTCUTS PANE
The Shortcuts pane displays all of the Shortcuts you have
created with QuicKeys. You can add toolbar buttons to
toolbars displayed on your desktop using this area of the tab.
Just select the Set that contains the Shortcuts you want to use
and drag the Shortcuts to a toolbar displayed on your
desktop.
Show Toolbar Hot Help
Select the Show Toolbar Hot Help check box when you want the
name of each Shortcut to display when you position your
cursor over a toolbar button. When you select this check box,
it applies to all toolbars.
❖
If you have the Show Titles option selected for a
particular toolbar, toolbar hot help does not appear
because the information is redundant.
CREATING TOOLBARS
Figure 87:
The Shortcuts pane
of the Toolbars tab.
The Toolbars tab of the QuicKeys Editor is the control center
for your QuicKeys toolbars. It is the only place from which
you can create QuicKeys toolbars and it enables you to
manage every aspect of your toolbars from a single window.
The number of toolbars you can create is limited only by the
memory you have allocated to QuicKeys. See page 47 for
more information.
To create a QuicKeys Toolbar:
THE INSTRUCTION PANE
The Instruction pane contains an option to Show Toolbar Hot
Help and it provides instructions for using the Toolbars tab.
Figure 88:
The Instruction pane
of the Toolbars tab.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and click the Toolbars tab.
2. Click the New button.
3. Type a name for the Toolbar at the prompt and click OK.
The toolbar appears on your desktop and the toolbar name
displays in the Toolbars pane of the Toolbars tab.
4. With the toolbar still selected in the Toolbars pane, select
the attributes for your toolbar in the Toolbar Options pane.
By default, the toolbar attributes are set to Floating and
Universal.
5. If you want to display the toolbar by pressing a keystroke,
position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to open the toolbar.
6. Select the Show Large Icons check box if you want to make the
buttons on your toolbar larger.
••••
7. Select the Show Toolbar Titles check box if you want to display
the Shortcut name in the toolbar button.
8. Select the Show Toolbar Hot Help button to display Shortcut
names when you position your cursor over corresponding
buttons. If you select this check box, it affects all your
QuicKeys toolbars.
9. Click a different tab or close the QuicKeys Editor to save
your new toolbar.
ADDING BUTTONS TO TOOLBARS
You can add buttons to your toolbars a number of different
ways, depending upon whether or not the QuicKeys Editor is
open on your desktop.
If the QuicKeys Editor is open:
TRIGGERING SHORTCUTS WITH
TOOLBARS
There are four ways you can trigger Shortcuts with QuicKeys
toolbars:
• Click a toolbar button. The Shortcut represented by the
selected toolbar button immediately springs into action.
• Drag a file, folder, or selected text to an existing toolbar
button. For example, if you drag a SimpleText file over a
toolbar button that launches Microsoft Word, the contents
of the SimpleText file appear in Microsoft Word.
• Select an option from a toolbar pop-up menu. For example,
if you have a Specials Shortcut on a toolbar, click the popup arrow to display a list of Shortcuts you can trigger.
• Drag a Shortcut from the Shortcuts pane of the Toolbars
tab to the QuicKeys toolbar that appears on your desktop.
If the QuicKeys Editor is closed:
• Drag a file to a QuicKeys toolbar to create a File Launch
Shortcut.
• Drag selected text to a QuicKeys toolbar to create a Type
Text Shortcut.
• Drag a folder to a QuicKeys toolbar to create a Folders
Shortcut.
• Drag a URL to a QuicKeys toolbar to create a Web
Launcher Shortcut.
61
Figure 89:
You can restart your computer by selecting Restart
in a Specials toolbar pop-up menu.
••••
62
Chapter 6
QuicKeys Toolbars
• Drag a file or folder to the arrow on a File Handler or
Folders toolbar button and select the action you want
performed in the drop-down window that appears. For
example, if you drag a Microsoft Word document to a File
Handler button on your toolbar, you can choose which File
Handler action to perform on the file.
Figure 90:
The File Handler toolbar button supports dynamic
menu selections.
• Press the number on your keyboard (0-9) that corresponds
with the toolbar button you want to select. (This only
works for Click-N-Go toolbars.)
Figure 91:
ALWAYS ON TOP
When you Control+click the title bar or an area of an open
toolbar that does not contain a toolbar button, you see a
contextual menu. One of the options in the contextual menu is
Always On Top. When this option is checked, the selected
QuicKeys toolbar always stays in the foreground, regardless
of which application is active or how many windows are
open. If this option is not selected, the toolbar retreats into the
background as you open windows or switch applications.
If the Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder check box is checked in the
QuicKeys Editor Options dialog and you uncheck the Always On
Top option in the contextual menu, the alert shown in
Figure 92 appears. If you select Yes in this alert window, the
Hide QuicKeys Backgrounder option is automatically unchecked in
the Options dialog so you are able to see all your toolbars.
Click-N-Go toolbars enable you to select toolbar
buttons by pressing the corresponding number
on your keyboard.
Figure 92:
DISPLAYING TOOLBARS
You can display, or trigger, toolbars using one of the following
methods.
• Press the keystroke you assigned to it.
• Open the QuicKeys menu and select it from the Toolbars
submenu.
❖
When the QuicKeys Editor is open, only one toolbar
can be displayed at a time.
This alert window appears if the QuicKeys Backgrounder is
hidden and you uncheck the Always On Top option for a
QuicKeys toolbar.
••••
EDITING TOOLBARS
After you create a QuicKeys toolbar, you may want to
rearrange the way the buttons are positioned or adjust the size
or location of the toolbar. This section tells you how to
accomplish these tasks and more.
ADJUSTING TOOLBAR SIZE
Position your cursor on the lower right edge of the toolbar
and drag the toolbar to the size you prefer.
CHANGING TOOLBAR ICONS AND FONT SIZE
To change toolbar icon size or title font:
1. Control+click the title bar or an area of an open toolbar that
does not contain a toolbar button.
63
RE-ARRANGING TOOLBAR BUTTONS
You can rearrange the buttons on a toolbar by dragging them
to the area of the toolbar where you want them displayed. As
you drag a button, a gray outline appears to indicate where
the button will be positioned when you release your mouse.
CHANGING TOOLBAR STYLE AND SCOPE
If you want to change toolbar style or scope, follow the steps
in this section. You can change the style of toolbars using the
contextual menu or the QuicKeys Editor.
Using the Contextual Menu
1. Control+click the title bar or the area of an open toolbar
that does not contain a toolbar button.
2. Select Docked, Floating, or Click-N-Go in the contextual menu
that appears. Your toolbar changes immediately.
Using the QuicKeys Editor
1. Select Edit Toolbars from the QuicKeys menu.
2. Select the toolbar you want edit in the Toolbars pane.
3. Select the Docked style in the Type pop-up menu.
4. Select Universal in the Scope pop-up menu.
PLACING TOOLBARS ON TOP
Figure 93:
Control+click an area of a QuicKeys toolbar that does not
contain a toolbar button to display the contextual menu shown
here. Items in the menu that have a check mark are chosen as
attributes for that particular toolbar.
2. Select Large Icons, Small Icons, Large Font, or Small Font in the
contextual menu that appears. Your toolbar changes
immediately.
By default, QuicKeys toolbars are set to always display on top
of other windows that appear on your desktop. If you want to
change this setting for one of your Universal-scoped toolbars,
Control+click an area of an open toolbar that does not contain
a toolbar button and select Always On Top from the contextual
menu that appears. When there is no longer a check mark next
to the Always On Top option, your QuicKeys toolbar behaves like
all other windows and retreats into the background as you
open new windows.
••••
64
Chapter 6
QuicKeys Toolbars
If you Control+click a toolbar on your desktop that is scoped
to an application, you cannot uncheck the Always On Top option.
Scoped toolbars must always remain on top since they are
only displayed when that particular application is active.
❖
The QuicKeys Backgrounder must be running for
the Always On Top feature to function properly.
CLEANING UP TOOLBARS
If you have rearranged the buttons on your toolbars, you may
find that your toolbar buttons are not evenly spaced. To fix
this, Control+click the title bar or an area of the toolbar that
does not contain a toolbar button and select Clean Up Buttons
from the contextual menu that appears. Your toolbar buttons
are instantly arranged in an orderly fashion on your toolbar.
IMPORTING TOOLBARS
When the Toolbars tab is displayed in the QuicKeys Editor,
the File > Import Toolbar option is enabled. You can import
toolbars that your friends and co-workers send to you.
To import a QuicKeys toolbar:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Toolbars tab.
2. Select Import Toolbar from the File menu. A standard Open
dialog appears.
HIDING TOOLBARS
To hide a QuicKeys toolbar, Control+click the title bar or an
area of the toolbar that does not contain a toolbar button. In
the contextual menu that appears, click Hide.
If you are trying to close a Dockable or Floating toolbar you
can also click the close box on the toolbar to hide it.
To display the toolbar again, select it from the Toolbars
submenu in the Quickeys menu or press the keystroke you
assigned to the toolbar.
Figure 94:
Use this window to navigate to the
toolbars you want to import.
3. Navigate to the location of your toolbar on your hard
drive.
4. Select the toolbar you want to import.
5. Click the Import without Keystrokes check box if you do not want
to preserve the keystroke that was originally assigned to
this toolbar.
6. Click the Open button. The new toolbar is immediately
available in the Toolbars tab. The attributes of imported
toolbars are set to the scope and type that were specified
when the toolbars were created.
••••
EXPORTING TOOLBARS
You may want to export your toolbars to share them with
your colleagues or to archive them. When you export a
toolbar, a copy of the toolbar is made and saved to a drive or
folder you specify. The original toolbar remains listed in the
Toolbars tab of the QuicKeys Editor.
To export your QuicKeys toolbars:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Toolbars tab.
2. Select Export Toolbar from the File menu. A standard Save
dialog appears.
65
CLOSING TOOLBARS
To close a QuicKeys toolbar, use one of the following
methods.
• Uncheck the toolbar by selecting it in the Toolbars
submenu of the QuicKeys menu.
• Select the Toolbars tab in the QuicKeys Editor and click in
the S/H (Show/Hide) column to toggle between showing
and hiding the selected toolbar.
• Press the keystroke assigned to the toolbar again.
• Click the close box if it is a Dockable or Floating toolbar.
• Control+click an area of the toolbar that does not contain a
toolbar button and select Hide from the contextual menu
that appears.
DELETING TOOLBARS
To delete a QuicKeys toolbar:
1. Select the Toolbars tab in the QuicKeys Editor.
Figure 95:
Use this dialog to set the destination for
your exported toolbars.
3. Navigate to the drive or folder where you want to store
your toolbar.
4. Click Save to save the toolbar to the chosen location.
❖
To use the exported toolbars that have been
archived or sent to another QuicKeys user, the
recipient of the exported toolbars must use the
QuicKeys import feature.
2. Select the toolbar you want to delete from the list of
toolbars.
3. Click the Delete button.
4. Click OK at the prompt to remove the toolbar
WORKING WITH TOOLBAR BUTTONS
After creating a QuicKeys toolbar and adding toolbar buttons,
you may want to rearrange the buttons or change the button
icons. This section provides information on completing these
tasks.
DISPLAYING BUTTON TITLES
Button titles are the names of your Shortcuts represented by
toolbar buttons. For example, if you have a Shortcut named
“FileMaker Pro,” the button title for that Shortcut is
“FileMaker Pro.” To display button titles on a toolbar,
••••
66
Chapter 6
QuicKeys Toolbars
Control+click the area of an open toolbar that does not contain
any toolbar buttons. Choose Show Button Titles from the
contextual menu that appears to toggle between showing and
hiding your toolbar button titles.
3. In the icon list, choose the icon you want to use in place of
the toolbar button you selected and click the Select button.
CHANGING BUTTON FONT SIZE
To change the size of the font titles in your toolbar buttons,
Control+click the area of an open toolbar that does not contain
any toolbar buttons. Choose whether you want to use Small
Font or Large Font from the contextual menu that appears.
CHANGING BUTTON ICONS
There are two types of custom icons: icons from the
applications installed on your computer and icons you
import. The icons from your installed applications are
supplied to QuicKeys dynamically. However, you can also
import icons to use in toolbars.
Using Icons Supplied with QuicKeys
QuicKeys offers a variety of icons you can use in your
toolbars.
To select an icon from QuicKeys’ icon list:
1. Control-click a button on the toolbar displayed on your
desktop.
2. Select Choose Icon from the contextual menu that appears.
Figure 97:
Icons in the icon list are installed with
QuicKeys or taken from other
applications installed on your
computer.
The icon you chose immediately replaces the icon in the
toolbar button.
Adding Icons to the Icon List
If you find an icon you would like to use in a QuicKeys
toolbar, use the copy/paste function or the import option to
add it to your toolbar icon list.
To paste an icon into your icon list:
1. In the Finder, select the icon you want to use and press
Command+I to get information on the icon.
Figure 96:
Control+click a toolbar button to change the toolbar
button icon or to delete the toolbar button.
••••
2. Select the icon from the Information dialog that appears
and press Command+C to copy it to your clipboard. See
Figure 98.
67
2. In the icon list that appears, click the Import button.
3. Navigate to the location of the icon family you want to
import and select a file from the icon family.
4. Click Open. An Import Status window appears while the
icon family is imported into the QuicKeys icon list.
5. Choose one of the newly imported icons from the icon list
and click Select.
Using Default Icons
If you want to return to the toolbar icon that was originally
placed on the button, Control+click the toolbar button you
want edit and select Use Default Icon from the contextual menu
that appears. The icon on the selected toolbar button
immediately switches back to the default icon.
DELETING TOOLBAR BUTTONS
You can delete toolbar buttons with the contextual menu or in
the QuicKeys Editor.
Figure 98:
In this illustration, the square around the icon indicates
that the icon has been selected and is ready to be copied
to the clipboard.
3. Close the Information dialog.
4. Control+click a button on a QuicKeys toolbar and select
Choose Icon from the contextual menu that appears.
5. In the icon list that appears, click the Paste button. The icon
you selected in the Information dialog appears in the icon
list.
6. Click the Select button in the icon list to replace the existing
toolbar icon with the icon you copied from the clipboard.
FROM THE CONTEXTUAL MENUS
1. Control+click the QuicKeys toolbar button you want to
remove.
2. Select Delete Button from the contextual menu that appears.
3. Click OK in the alert window that appears. The button is
immediately removed from the toolbar.
❖
Only the toolbar button is removed. The actual
Shortcut is still available in the QuicKeys Editor.
FROM THE QUICKEYS EDITOR
1. Open the Toolbars tab in the QuicKeys Editor.
To import an icon into your icon list:
2. In the Toolbars pane, click the toolbar you want to display.
1. Control+click a button on a QuicKeys toolbar and select
Choose Icon from the contextual menu that appears.
3. When the toolbar appears on your desktop, drag a button
off the toolbar to delete it.
••••
69
CHAPTER 7
TEXT TOOLS
••••••
The QuicKeys Type Text, Type Date/Time, and Advanced
Text Tools Shortcuts save you time by typing the information
you need with a QuicKeys trigger. This chapter provides
instructions for using these Shortcuts to type text, type the
date and time in a specified format, reformat selected text, and
much more.
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
TYPE TEXT
The Type Text Shortcut is useful when you want to type
frequently-used text with a simple trigger. For example, you
can use this Shortcut to type your signature line in E-mail
messages or to enter common information into databases. The
text limit for the Type Text plug-in is 255 characters. If you
have larger sections of text you want to paste, use the Scrap
Ease plug-in discussed on page 108.
SETTING UP TYPE TEXT SHORTCUTS
There are three ways to create QuicKeys Type Text Shortcuts:
use the Setup Assistant, use the Shortcut Properties dialog, or
use the contextual menu.
Figure 99:
The Type Text Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
To create a Type Text Shortcut:
1. Select Create > Text Tools > Type Text.
••••
70
Chapter 7
Text Tools
2. Type the text you want to use when you trigger this
Shortcut.
To create a Type Text Shortcut:
1. Press the Control key at the same time you click a block of
selected text in a word processing or text editing
application.
2. Select Create QuicKey from the contextual menu that appears.
A Shortcut dialog appears.
3. Choose Type Text from the Type pop-up menu.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key combination you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
6. Click OK when you are finished. Your new Shortcut is
immediately available to you using the trigger you
specified.
Figure 100:
The Type Text Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. If you want to choose a keystroke to trigger this Shortcut,
click in the Keystroke box and press the key(s) you want to
use. For example, press the Command key, the Option key,
and the S key simultaneously.
4. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
5. Close the QuicKeys Editor and open your word processing
or E-mail application. Position your cursor in the
document and press the keystroke or other trigger you
assigned to this Shortcut. The text you specified is instantly
typed into the open document.
Using the Contextual Menu
When you Control+click a file in the Finder of Mac OS 8.0 or
greater, a contextual menu appears. QuicKeys places an
option on the contextual menu you can use to create a Type
Text Shortcut.
TYPING THE DATE AND TIME
The Type Date/Time Action is useful when you want to insert
the date and/or time into documents. For example, you can
use this Shortcut to insert the date and time in your weekly
reports.
The date and time formats are governed by the format
selected in the Date/Time control panel. If the format is
changed in the control panel, the format of the Shortcut will
reflect those changes.
••••
SETTING UP TYPE DATE/TIME SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create QuicKeys Type Text Shortcuts:
use the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut Properties dialog.
71
2. Select the date and time format you want to use when you
trigger this Shortcut.
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
Figure 102:
The Type Date & Time Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. If you want to choose a keystroke to trigger this Shortcut,
click in the Keystroke box and press the key(s) you want to
use.
4. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
Figure 101:
The Type Date/Time Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
To create a Date/Time Shortcut:
1. Select Create > Text Tools > Type Date/Time.
5. Close the QuicKeys Editor and open your word processing
or E-mail program. Position your cursor in the document
and press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to
this Shortcut. The date/time is inserted using the format
you specified.
••••
72
Chapter 7
Text Tools
ADVANCED TEXT TOOLS
Using the Setup Assistant
The Advanced Text Tools Shortcut is useful when you want to
manipulate blocks of text. For example, use this Shortcut to
eliminate those pesky quote marks from your E-mail
messages before you forward the message to another person.
The tasks available using the Advanced Text Tools include:
• Reformat Text
• Upper Case
• Quote Text
• Lower Case
• Remove Quotes
• Title Case
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
SETTING UP ADVANCED TEXT TOOLS SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create QuicKeys Advanced Text Tools
Shortcuts: use the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut
Properties dialog.
Figure 103:
The Advanced Text Tools Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
To create an Advanced Text Tools Shortcut:
1. Select Create > Text Tools > Advanced Text Tools.
2. Select an option in the Action pop-up menu and complete
any other options that appear as a result of your selection.
For example, specify a quote character and line length if
you select Quote.
••••
73
Prompt for Action
If you select this check box, QuicKeys prompts you to select a
formatting type when you trigger the Advanced Text Tools
Shortcuts.
Reformat
Removes carriage returns and white space from selected text.
This is especially useful for people who want to copy text
from a Web page or an E-mail message.
Figure 104:
The Shortcut Properties dialog for the Quote plug-in.
3. Type a name for the new Shortcut in the Name field.
4. If you want to choose a keystroke to trigger this Shortcut,
click in the Keystroke box and press the key(s) you want to
use.
5. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab of the QuicKeys Editor.
6. Close the Quickeys Editor and open a word processing
document that already contains text.
7. Select a block of text and press the keystroke you assigned
to this Shortcut. The block of text you selected is
immediately changed, depending on what type of Shortcut
action you chose.
ADVANCED TEXT TOOLS OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Advanced Text Tools plug-in.
Figure 105:
Text that has not been reformatted.
••••
74
Chapter 7
Text Tools
Line Length
Specify the number of consecutive characters the Quote Text
option counts before inserting the pre-specified quote
character.
Figure 107:
Figure 106:
This is an illustration of what quoted text looks like. In
this example, the greater than (>) character is used to
distinguish the customer’s comments from the sender’s
comments.
Text that has been reformatted.
Quote
Inserts a pre-specified character at the beginning of each line
of selected text. For example, this option is useful if you want
to forward a message from a client to your manager and you
need to distinguish your comments from the customer’s
comments.
Character
Specify a character for the Quote Text option. You can specify
up to five characters in this field.
Remove Quotes
Deletes the quote character inserted at the beginning of each
line of selected text. This option is useful when E-mail reply
text needs to be copied to a word processing document.
Uppercase
Converts all selected text to uppercase characters. For
example, the sentence you just read would look like this after
selecting it and triggering the Uppercase option: CONVERTS
ALL SELECTED TEXT TO UPPERCASE CHARACTERS.
Lowercase
Converts all selected text to lowercase characters. For
example, the sentence you just read would look like this after
selecting it and triggering the Lowercase option: converts all
selected text to lowercase characters.
Title Case
Converts all selected text to title case characters. For example,
the sentence you just read would look like this after selecting
it and triggering the Title Case option: Converts All Selected
Text To Lowercase Characters.
••••
Cipher Text
Safeguards selected text. This process scrambles the text so the
content remains secure. For example, this option would be
useful if you were sending an E-mail message over the
Internet and you wanted to make the text of the message more
difficult to access.
❖
Only QuicKeys 4.X or QuicKeys® PowerPak users
can decipher scrambled text.
Decipher Text
Deciphers text that has been scrambled with the Cipher Text
option.
75
••••
77
CHAPTER 8
FILE TOOLS
••••••
All computer users must learn how to manipulate files and
folders early in their computer experience. Navigating
through countless directories searching for that one file soon
becomes second nature out of necessity, but such tasks can
also become quite time-consuming. Quickeys can automate
these tedious processes with plug-ins such as Batch Processor,
Open, Folders, File Handler, and Recent Files.
BATCH PROCESSOR
The Batch Processor Shortcut can be an invaluable tool if you
routinely perform the same actions on multiple files. The
Batch Processor runs a sequence of steps on a group of files
you specify. For example, you can convert a group of graphics
from PICT to GIF format, or you can format a series of
desktop publishing documents.
▲ To use the Batch Processor plug-in, you must be familiar
with QuicKeys Sequences. For more information on
Sequences, see Chapter 14.
SETTING UP BATCH PROCESSOR SHORTCUTS
Three basic operations must be completed to create a Batch
Processor Shortcut: specify the files to be processed, create a
Sequence that processes the files, and specify the Batch
Processor trigger. The following series of steps takes you
through each of these operations. If you have any difficulty
with your Batch Processor Shortcut, make sure you read
through the Batch Processor guidelines that follow this
section.
To set up a Batch Processor Shortcut:
1. In the Finder, create a source folder containing all the files
that are part of the batch processing job.
2. Create a destination folder anywhere on your hard drive
where the files will be stored after they are processed.
3. Open one of the files you want to process and, using the
file as a “test subject,” create a Sequence containing all the
steps you want to perform on the files in the source folder.
Make sure the Sequence contains a step that saves the file
to the destination folder you created in Step 2.
4. Open your new Sequence and insert a Pause for your first
step. See page 154 for more information on Pauses.
5. Click OK to close the Sequence Editor.
6. In the QuicKeys Editor, select the Keysets tab and choose
Create > File Tools > Batch Processor.
••••
78
Chapter 8
File Tools
7. In the Batch Processor Shortcut Properties dialog, click the
Select Folder button.
Figure 108:
The Batch Processor Shortcut Properties dialog.
Universal Set or click the application-specific radio button
if your Sequence is scoped to a particular application.
Figure 109:
Select a Sequence from
the Sequence list.
8. Navigate to the source folder you created in Step 1 and
click Open.
13. Click OK when you are finished selecting a Sequence. The
Shortcut Properties dialog again appears.
9. Check the Backup Source Folder check box in the Shortcut
Properties dialog to make a copy of your files before
processing them. This option ensures that your original
files will not be affected if something goes wrong during
the batch process.
14. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
10. Click the Select Application button and locate the application
you want to use to process the selected files.
11. Click the Select Sequence button.
12. Choose the Sequence you created in Step 3. Click the
Universal radio button if your Sequence is part of the
15. Specify a trigger for this Shortcut and click OK.
TRIGGERING BATCH PROCESSOR SHORTCUTS
When you’re ready to process the selected files, trigger the
Batch Processor Shortcut. An icon resembling a cassette
flashes over the Apple icon during playback. QuicKeys takes a
moment to sort out the different components of the project so
give it time to get started after you trigger the Shortcut. When
the process is finished, your altered files are located in the
destination folder you created in Step 2 and your original files
remain in the source folder.
Batch Processor Guidelines
Remember the following guidelines when you create a
Sequence for the Batch Processor.
••••
• Do not include the Open File step as part of your
Sequence; the Batch Processor plug-in performs this action
as part of its standard operation.
• The Batch Processor plug-in cannot work smoothly with
applications that display splash screens or informational
dialogs. For example, a “Tip of the Day” window displays
by default when you launch Microsoft Word. To avoid
conflicts in your batch process, adjust your respective
application preferences to avoid displaying these types of
prompts.
79
The Batch Processor Results Window
When your batch processing job is finished, the Results dialog
displays. It shows the number of files processed and the
number of files skipped. A file is skipped when it is locked,
busy, or cannot be opened by the specified application. The
Results dialog automatically closes after 15 seconds if you
don’t click OK.
• You must typically include the Save command in the
Sequence.
• Test your Sequence before using it in the Batch Processor.
• Do not save the files to the source folder or you will create
an endless loop.
• Create a Folder Shortcut if you want all your processed
files sent to the destination folder.
Figure 110:
The Batch Processor Results window.
The Batch Processor plug-in also keeps a log of its progress so
you know the cause of any problems that occur during the
playback of the Shortcut. To see the log report, double-click
the log file. It is located in the folder level above the source
folder. The file is named <source folder name>.processed.log. The log
report can be opened in any word processor or text editor.
••••
80
Chapter 8
File Tools
FILE HANDLER
The File Handler Shortcut is useful when you want to rename,
move, or edit the attributes of selected files. Attributes can be
anything from security access to file types. This feature is
extremely valuable if you ever work with large batches of
files.
3. Select an option from the Action pop-up menu. For example,
choose Lock Selected Files.
For example, some Web sites make heavy use of scanned or
digital photographs. Often, these are delivered in large
batches to Web Site Managers to be posted on the Web.
QuicKeys makes it possible to rename all the images at once
with numerical or alphabetical modifiers, so that files named
001.jpg, 002.jpg, etc, can be renamed chicago001.jpg,
chicago002.jpg, etc. This helps identify the batch of images.
Additionally, files can be locked and unlocked by QuicKeys
with a single keystroke or mouse click. This is valuable when
you want to lock a batch of original images to ensure that
modifications are made only to copies. The tasks, or Shortcuts,
available with File Handler include:
Figure 111:
The File Handler Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Assign a keystroke to the Shortcut.
• Lock Selected Files
• Unlock Selected Files
• Rename Selected Files
• Move Selected Files
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
• Set File Type
• Set File Creator
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
▲ Each of the File Handler shortcuts must be triggered in the
Finder.
SETTING UP FILE HANDLER SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > File Tools > File Handler.
8. Select a file on your hard drive. Press the keystroke or
other trigger you assigned to this Shortcut. The action you
selected for this Shortcut should immediately alter the
selected file.
Using Drag-and-Drop
If you have a File Handler Shortcut on one of your QuicKeys
toolbars, you can use drag-and-drop functionality to make
creating File Handler Shortcuts even easier. Just drag a file to a
File Handler button on your toolbar and select the action you
••••
want performed in the drop-down window that appears. For
example, if you drag a Microsoft Word document to a File
Handler button on your toolbar, you can choose which File
Handler action to perform on the file.
Figure 112:
Prefix Text
Select Prefix Text when you want to insert specific characters at
the beginning of a filename. For example, change “First File”
to “QKFirst File.”
The File Handler toolbar button supports
dynamic menu selections.
FILE HANDLER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the File Handler plug-in.
Lock/Unlock Selected Files
With a Mac computer, you can protect a file by selecting it,
clicking the Get Info option, and selecting the Locked check box in
the Info dialog. When a file is locked, you can open and copy
its contents, but you can’t change or delete the file. QuicKeys
simplifies this process by allowing you to lock and unlock files
with a single keystroke.
Rename Selected Files
Typically, if you want to rename a large number of files, you
must select each file and type a new name for it. You can avoid
that long process by using QuicKeys to append text or
numbers to multiple files automatically. Use it with the Batch
Processor plug-in (discussed on page 77) so you can move on
to other projects while QuicKeys finishes the tedious tasks.
81
Figure 113:
Rename selected files with user-specified prefix text.
••••
82
Chapter 8
File Tools
Prefix Variable
Select Prefix Variable when you want to insert alphanumeric
characters at the beginning of a filename. For example, change
“First File” to “AAAFirst File.”
Figure 114:
Rename selected files with one of four available variable
formats.
Text & Variable
Select Text & Variable when you want to replace existing
filenames with both user-specified text and alphanumeric
characters. For example, change “First File” to “QuicKeysA.”
Figure 115:
Rename selected files with Text and one of four available
variable formats.
••••
Variable & Text
Select Variable & Text when you want to replace existing
filenames with both alphanumeric characters and userspecified text. For example, change “First File” to
“1QuicKeys.”
Append Text
Choose Append Text when you want to add user-specified text to
selected filenames. For example, change “First File” to “First
FileQK.”
Figure 117:
Figure 116:
Rename selected files with Text and one of four available
variable formats.
83
Add user-specified text to the end of selected filenames.
••••
84
Chapter 8
File Tools
Append Variable
Choose Append Variable when you want to add one of the four
available variable formats to selected filenames. For example,
change “First File” to “First File1.”
Figure 118:
Move Selected Files
When working with computers, there are many times when
you need to move files around to organize them or make them
more accessible. With the Move Select Files component of the File
Handler plug-in, you can move selected files to the Desktop,
Trash, to a user-specified folder, up one folder level, or out of
all folders to the main level of the drive.
Add one of the four available variable formats to the end of
selected filenames.
Figure 119:
Choose where you want to move your selected files.
••••
85
Set File Type/Creator
Type and Creator files consist of four characters that the Mac
recognizes and links to a specific application. Most
applications have at least two “types” associated with them.
For example, SimpleText uses “TEXT” for “read/write” files
and “ttro” for “read only” files. If you want to change
SimpleText “read only” files to “read/write” files quickly, you
can use a Set File Type shortcut to assign the file “read/write”
attributes with a single keystroke.
❖
These shortcuts do not alter the contents of your
files.
Example File Types:
Example Creator Codes:
XLS5 — Microsoft Excel
XCEL — Microsoft Excel
TEXT — SimpleText Read/Write
ttxt — SimpleText
ttro — SimpleText Read Only
W6BN — Microsoft Word 6
MSWD — Microsoft Word
8BPS — Adobe Photoshop
8BIM — Adobe Photoshop
FILE LAUNCH
The File Launch Shortcut is useful when you want to open
applications and documents with a trigger. For example, you
can use this Shortcut to open a report you frequently need to
edit.
❖
The File Launch plug-in can only display
application-specific icons if you are using system 8.5
or greater.
SETTING UP FILE LAUNCH SHORTCUTS
There are four ways to create QuicKeys File Launch Shortcuts:
use the Setup Assistant, use the Shortcut Properties dialog,
use the contextual menu, or use drag-and-drop functionality.
Figure 120:
Choose the file type or creator you want to use for your
selected files.
••••
86
Chapter 8
File Tools
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
3. Navigate to the file you want to launch with this Shortcut
and click Open. The Shortcut Properties dialog appears with
the file you selected listed in the Name field.
Figure 122:
Figure 121:
The File Launch Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > File Tools > File Launch. A standard Open dialog
appears.
The File Launch Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Click the Include in QuicKeys menu check box.
5. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
6. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
7. Select this Shortcut from your QuicKeys menu. The file
you specified immediately opens.
Using the Contextual Menu
When you Control-click a file in Mac OS 8.0 or greater, a
contextual menu appears. QuicKeys places an option in the
contextual menu you can use to create a File Launch Shortcut.
To create a File Launch Shortcut:
1. Press the Control key at the same time you click a file.
••••
2. Select Create QuicKey from the contextual menu that appears.
A Shortcut Properties dialog appears.
Figure 123:
QuicKeys appears in some
contextual menus.
3. Choose File Launch from the Type pop-up menu.
4. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the key
combination you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
5. Click OK when you are finished. Your new File Launch
Shortcut is immediately available to you using the trigger
you specified.
87
FILE RECALL
The File Recall Shortcut gives you more precise control of the
files you want to locate than what is provided by the Mac. It
enables you to find up to 100 recently modified files by
searching modification dates using a time interval you specify.
For example, if you download a new shareware application
from the Internet and cannot find it when you search for it the
next day, the File Recall plug-in can find it for you. You can
choose from the following modification intervals when you
direct the File Recall plug-in to locate files:
• Files modified in the
last 5 minutes
• Files modified in the
last 24 hours
• Files modified in the
last 15 minutes
• Other (in minutes)
• Files modified in the
last hour
SETTING UP FILE RECALL SHORTCUTS
Using Drag-and-Drop
If you have a QuicKeys toolbar displayed on your desktop,
you can drag a file to the toolbar to create a File Launch
Shortcut. Once you drag the file to the toolbar, a button
displays on the toolbar with the file’s name used for the
button title. Click the button when you want to launch the file.
❖
The QuicKeys Backgrounder must be running for
the drag-and-drop feature to work.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > File Tools > File Recall. The Shortcut Properties
dialog appears.
3. Select an option from the Show Files Modified area of the
dialog. For example, select In last 5 minutes to display a list of
all the files modified in the last five minutes.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
••••
88
Chapter 8
File Tools
9. Select which document you want to open from the list
QuicKeys prepares for you and click OK.
Figure 124:
The File Recall Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
Figure 126:
Select a document from the
File Recall list.
FILE RECALL OPTIONS
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the File Recall plug-in.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
Omitting files from your search
You can omit specific files from File Recall’s scan for recently
modified files. For example you probably don’t want to open
Netscape® cache files, so you can exempt them from the File
Recall scan. See page 167 for more information.
8. Press the keystroke you assigned to this Shortcut. The
status bar shown in Figure 125 appears. When QuicKeys is
done with its search, a list of all the files modified in the
interval you specified appears.
Other
1,440 (24 hours) is the maximum number of minutes you can
enter in the Other box.
Figure 125:
The status bar shown here appears when you
trigger File Recall Shortcuts.
••••
FOLDERS
The Folders Shortcut is useful if you frequently switch
between folders during the course of your computer work.
For example, if you are a Web Site Manager, your Web sites
contain hundreds, if not thousands, of files and dozens of
folders. Maneuvering to open or save a file within the Open
and Save dialogs requires either a lot of mouse movement or
keyboarding. QuicKeys increases your productivity by
enabling you to set up Shortcuts to folders. With a simple
Folders keystroke, you can move deep into the folder
hierarchy and save countless hours.
89
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
SETTING UP FOLDERS SHORTCUTS
There are four ways to create QuicKeys Folders Shortcuts: use
the Setup Assistant, use the Shortcut Properties dialog, use the
contextual menu, or use drag-and-drop functionality.
▲ When you specify a folder for the Folders Shortcut, keep
in mind that pressing the Select button in an Open or
Save dialog chooses the folder that is displayed in the
destination pop-up list, even if you have a folder
highlighted. You must open the folder you want to select
for QuicKeys to recognize it as the target folder.
Figure 127:
The Folders Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > File Tools > Folders. The Shortcut Properties
dialog appears.
••••
90
Chapter 8
File Tools
3. Select a folder location option. For example, select Open
Folder and click the Select Folder button to choose the folder
you want to open.
Using the Contextual Menu
When you Control-click a file in the Finder, a contextual menu
appears. QuicKeys places an option on the contextual menu
you can use to create a Folders Shortcut.
To create a Folders Shortcut with the contextual menu:
1. Press the Control key at the same time you click a folder.
2. Select Create QuicKey from the contextual menu that appears.
An abbreviated Shortcut Properties dialog appears.
Figure 128:
The Folders Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Select the Open Folder in Open/Save Dialog check box to open the
selected folder only when an open or save dialog is in the
foreground. See page 91 for information on the other
options in this dialog.
Figure 129:
This dialog appears after you select
a QuicKeys option from a contextual
menu.
5. In the Name box, type a name for the Shortcut.
3. Choose Folders from the Type pop-up menu.
6. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut.
7. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
8. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
9. Launch an application and select Open from the File menu.
Press the keystroke you assigned to this Shortcut. The
contents of the folder you specified appears.
10. Select the file you are looking for and click OK.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the key
combination you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
6. Click OK when you are finished. Your new Shortcut is
immediately available to you using the trigger you
specified.
••••
Using Drag-and-Drop
If you have a Folders Shortcut on one of your QuicKeys
toolbars, you can use drag-and-drop functionality to make
creating Folders Shortcuts even easier. Just drag a file or folder
to a Folders button on your toolbar and select the action you
want performed in the drop-down window that appears.
For example, if you drag a folder to a Folders button on your
toolbar, you can choose to put the folder in the trash, Startup
Items folder, Shutdown Items folder, System Folder, Apple
Menu Items folder, Control Panels folder, Extensions folder, or
the Preferences folder.
91
Select Folder
Click this button to navigate to the folder you want to jump to
when you trigger a Folders Shortcut.
Open Folder in Finder
Select this option to bring the specified folder to the
foreground in a Finder window.
Do Not Switch to Finder
Select this option to open the specified folder in a Finder
window at the Finder level. If this option is selected and
another application, such as Microsoft Word is active, the
folder window displays behind the Microsoft Word
document.
Open folder in Open/Save dialog
Select this option to open the specified folder when a standard
Open or Save dialog is in the foreground.
Figure 130:
The Folders toolbar button supports dynamic
menu selections.
FOLDERS OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Folders plug-in.
Open Folder
Select this option to jump to a specified folder. When you
trigger a Folders Shortcut before you ask your application to
open a document, the contents of the selected folder appears
in a standard Open dialog. Additionally, if you choose to
switch to a folder that resides on an unmounted drive,
QuicKeys prompts you for a user name and password and
mounts the drive so it can display the contents of the selected
folder.
Restore Folder Location in Open/Save Dialog
Select this option to return to the folder that was current when
you triggered your first Folders Shortcut. QuicKeys
remembers the last-used Folders Shortcut until you restart.
After you restart, triggering this Shortcut selects the startup
disk.
••••
92
Chapter 8
File Tools
PROJECT SAVER
This plug-in may be one of the most valuable time-savers in
QuicKeys. Imagine you are working on a project late in the
afternoon and you remember that your kid’s soccer game
starts in 30 minutes. You trigger your Project Saver Shortcut
and shut down your computer. The next morning when you
come into work, you simply restart your computer and press
the Project Saver trigger again. In an instant each file that you
were using the previous afternoon is open and ready to go.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
8. Trigger the Project Saver Shortcut you created. The dialog
shown in Figure 132 appears.
SETTING UP PROJECT SAVER SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > File Tools > Project Saver. The Shortcut Properties
dialog appears.
3. Select an option from the Action pop-up list. For example,
select Create Project.
Figure 132:
Type the name of your project at the prompt.
9. Type a name for the project and click OK. All the documents
and applications that were open at the time you triggered
the Create Project Shortcut are preserved under the project
name you typed.
PROJECT SAVER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Project Saver plug-in.
Create Project
Select this option when you want QuicKeys to remember all
the applications that are currently open. When you trigger this
Shortcut, you must specify a name for the project and click OK.
Launch Project
Select this option when you want QuicKeys to display a list of
available projects. When you select a project from this list and
click the Launch button, all the applications and files that
pertain to the selected project are launched.
Figure 131:
The Shortcut Properties dialog for the Project Saver
plug-in.
4. In the Name box, type a name for the Shortcut.
Create Startup Project & Shutdown
Select this option when you want QuicKeys to memorize all
the files that are currently open and then shut down your
computer.
••••
Before your computer shuts down, an alias of the Project
Saver Info file is placed in your Startup Items folder so
QuicKeys can open the appropriate files upon restart.
Immediately after your computer is restarted and the selected
files are opened, the alias is deleted from the Startup Items
folder. The project folder that contains the actual Info file is
preserved in the <startup drive>:System
Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys Folder:Projects folder. See the
section in this chapter on “Editing Project Saver Shortcuts” for
information on editing the contents of an existing project
folder.
Close All Applications
Select this option to close all your applications with a
QuicKeys trigger.
EDITING PROJECT SAVER SHORTCUTS
When you want to edit existing projects you have created
with the Project Saver Extension, open the :System
Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys Folder:Projects folder and make
the necessary changes to the appropriate project folder. The
individual project folders should only contain aliases of
applications and documents.
DELETING PROJECTS
To delete individual projects within the Project Saver
Shortcut:
1. Trigger the Launch Project Shortcut.
2. In the project list that appears, select the project you want
to delete.
PROJECT SAVER TIPS
• The Project Saver plug-in depends on valid desktop files,
so if you have difficulty using the Project Saver plug-in, try
rebuilding your desktop. To rebuild your desktop, restart
your computer and press the Command key and the
Option key as your computer restarts. Do not release the
Command+Option keys until you are prompted to rebuild
your desktop files.
• In certain applications, Project Saver cannot recognize
which files are open due to the way some applications
handle files. Consequently, Project Saver Shortcuts do not
work for all applications.
• See page 167 for information on omitting specific files from
the Project Saver’s scan for recently modified files. For
example, you probably don’t want Project Saver to include
Netscape cache files as part of the project files it
“memorizes” and opens.
93
Figure 133:
3. Click the Delete button.
The Project Saver project
list.
••••
95
CHAPTER 9
SYSTEM TOOLS
••••••
System Tools are invaluable if you like to control or change
the appearance and behavior of the Mac environment, but you
don’t like digging around in the system preferences. You can
use the System Tools plug-ins to change your screen settings,
cut and paste text and graphics, control your PowerBook
computer, and much more. The System Tools include:
• Alias Keystroke
• App Switcher
• Button
• Click
• FKEYs
• Mac OS Specials
• Menu
• Mousies
• PowerBook Specials
• Scrap Ease
• Screen Ease
• Specials
SETTING UP ALIAS KEYSTROKE SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Alias Keystroke.
• View Switcher
ALIAS KEYSTROKE
To truly personalize your computer, you need to be able to
choose how you interact with it. QuicKeys gives you this
ability with the Alias Keystroke plug-in. This plug-in provides
a way to change keystroke assignments built into your
applications with QuicKeys keystrokes that make sense to
you. For example, if you upgrade one of your applications
only to find that your favorite built-in keystrokes have been
changed, you can just change them right back to what you’re
accustomed to using with the Alias Keystroke Shortcut.
Figure 134:
The Alias Keystroke Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Position your cursor in the Key to type box and press the
keystroke you want to replace. For example, if you want to
use F5 instead of Command+I, type Command+I in this
box.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Assign a keystroke to the Shortcut. For example, if you
want to use F5 instead of Command+I, type F5 in this box.
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
••••
96
Chapter 9
System Tools
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
8. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut.
APP SWITCHER
App Switcher enables you to move between applications with
a keystroke rather than a series of mouse clicks. You can create
App Switcher Shortcuts that switch to particular applications,
move through all open applications in succession, or toggle
between two open applications.
SETTING UP APP SWITCHER SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > App Switcher. The Shortcut
Properties dialog appears.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
8. Launch a few applications. Press the keystroke or other
trigger you assigned to this Shortcut. The application you
selected for this Shortcut should display immediately.
APP SWITCHER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the App Switcher plug-in.
Switch To
Choose this option to display the specific application you
chose from the Application pop-up list of the Shortcut Properties
dialog.
Switch Back
Choose this option to move from your current application to
the previous application displayed.
Select Application from List
Choose this option to display a list of applications you can use
to make a different application active.
Figure 135:
The App Switcher Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Select an option from the Action menu and make selections
for any additional options that appear.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
••••
Previous Application
Select this option to display the previous application listed in
the application menu.
BUTTON
The Button Shortcut clicks radio buttons and check boxes in
the frontmost window. For example, you might want a
Shortcut that clicks the Cancel button in a dialog when you
press Alt+Ctrl+C.
❖
Figure 136:
In this example, FrameMaker is the “next” application
and Photoshop is the “previous” application.
97
The Button Shortcut is especially useful in QuicKeys
Sequences. See page 139 for more information on
Sequences.
SETTING UP BUTTON SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Button.
Next Application
Select this option to display the next application listed in the
application menu.
Application
When the Switch To option is selected in the Action pop-up list,
the Application pop-up list is enabled. Use this list to select
which application you want to switch to when you trigger the
App Switcher Shortcut. The Application list includes all the
applications that are currently open on your computer.
Hide Other Applications
Hides other application windows when you toggle to a
different application.
Don’t Hide Other Applications
Leaves windows visible when you toggle to a different
application.
Figure 137:
The Button Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Choose under what condition the button will be clicked.
For example, select Always click button to always click the
active button in a dialog.
4. Type the name of the button you want to select in the Name
box. The name you type must match the button name
exactly .
5. Assign a keystroke to the Shortcut.
••••
98
Chapter 9
System Tools
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
8. Trigger this Shortcut whenever the button you specified
appears in the frontmost dialog.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Click. The Editor disappears
briefly while you use your mouse to perform the Click
action you want to record.
3. The Shortcut Properties dialog appears pre-filled with the
coordinates and options you selected during your click
movements.
BUTTON OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Button plug-in.
Always click button
Select this option to click the specified button, regardless of
whether it is enabled or disabled. If you select this option, you
can toggle check boxes with the same keystroke.
‘
Only click if button is on
Choose this option to click the specified button only if it is
currently selected.
Only click if button is off
Choose this option to click the specified button only if it is not
currently selected.
CLICK
The Click Shortcut enables you to mimic a mouse click with a
keystroke. This Shortcut is especially useful in QuicKeys
Sequence Shortcuts because there are times when there is no
keyboard equivalent for the option you want to select. For
example, you can use the Click Shortcut to shrink a document
window to its smallest size. Just choose the Click option from
the Create menu and drag the window to the size you want to
use. QuicKeys records your action and inserts the information
from your mouse action into the Click dialog that appears.
Figure 138:
The Click Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Assign a keystroke to the Shortcut.
5. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
6. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
7. Trigger this Shortcut whenever you want to perform a
click.
CLICK OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Click plug-in.
SETTING UP CLICK SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
••••
Click
When you select the Click button in the Shortcut Properties
dialog, the Click Location dialog shown in Figure 139 appears.
The left section of the dialog displays where you pressed
down on the mouse button. The right section of the dialog
displays where you released the mouse button. QuicKeys
automatically completes the Click Location dialog with the
coordinates retrieved from the Click Shortcut you recorded.
If you make a Click Shortcut without a drag, the release
coordinates are always 0,0.
Mouse click
coordinates
Mouse release
coordinates
Choose whether
coordinates are relative to
your entire screen or the
frontmost document.
99
Document
For both sections of the dialog you can choose whether the
click coordinates are relative to the screen or to the frontmost
document. When you choose Document, the coordinates are
measured from the extreme corners of the frontmost
document window underneath the title bar. For example, the
coordinates for clicking a window’s close box are X = 4, Y = -7.
Mouse Position
In the “click” section of the dialog, this coordinate represents a
point measured from where the mouse cursor was when you
pressed it. In the “release” section of the dialog, this
coordinate represents the cursor’s location when you let go of
the mouse button relative to where the button was pushed
down. Consequently, the “click” section coordinates are
typically set at 0,0 since it’s the starting point of the
measurement.
Window
When you click the Window button, the Window dialog
appears. Use this dialog to select the window in which the
Click Shortcut performs the click.
The Mouse position button
represents a point
measured from where
the mouse cursor was
when you pressed it.
Figure 139:
The Click Location dialog enables you to specify screen
coordinates for your Click Shortcuts.
Screen
For both sections of the dialog you can choose whether the
click coordinates are relative to the screen or to the frontmost
document. When you choose Screen, the coordinates are
measured from the top left corner of the entire screen.
Figure 140:
In this example, the Click Shortcut first looks for a window
named “Navigator,” then it looks for a window named “Info,”
then it looks for a window named “Options.”
Any
Select Any if the click is made regardless of what is displayed
on the screen.
••••
100 Chapter 9
System Tools
Name
Select Name if you want to specify the name of the document
you want to click on. If you want to select a window that has a
dynamic name, list a series of comma-delimited names in this
box. QuicKeys looks at the first name listed and if it cannot
find that window name it proceeds to the next listed window
name and so on. This feature is extremely effective if you try
to click in one of PhotoShop’s floating tool palettes.
Position
Select this option if you want the click to occur in the window
that is as many layers back from the front as the number you
enter in the text box.
Control area
This option controls how the Click Shortcut locates a target if
the click occurs in a control area (a button or a scroll bar). This
option is used primarily when the control button doesn’t have
a name.
Name
Select Name if you want to specify the name of the control area
you want to click on.
Position
Select this option if you want the click to occur in the control
area that is as many layers back from the front as the number
you enter in the text box.
FKEYS
FKEYs are small applications that are either built into your
system or provided by a third-party. QuicKeys provides an
FKEYs plug-in that enables you to launch your FKEYs with a
QuicKeys trigger.
Setting Up FKEYs Shortcuts
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
Figure 141:
The Control Area dialog.
None
This option is automatically selected if you haven’t clicked in
a control area.
••••
2. Select Create > System Tools > FKEYs. The Shortcut Properties
dialog appears.
MAC OS SPECIALS
The Mac OS Specials plug-in is a collection of Mac tools that
automate tasks you may perform frequently on your
Macintosh. The tasks available with Mac OS Specials include:
• Balloon Help On
• Balloon Help Off
• Toggle Balloon Help
• Next Application
• Previous Application
• Start File Sharing
• Stop File Sharing
• Start Program Linking
• Stop Program Linking
SETTING UP MAC OS SPECIALS SHORTCUTS
Figure 142:
The FKEYs Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Select an option from the FKEY choices menu.
4. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
5. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
6. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
7. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. The FKEY you selected for this Shortcut should
react immediately to the trigger.
101
There are two ways to create QuicKeys Mac OS Specials
Shortcuts: use the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut
Properties dialog.
••••
102 Chapter 9
System Tools
Using the Setup Assistant
3. Select an option from the Action menu.
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
Figure 144:
The Mac OS Specials Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
Figure 143:
The Mac OS Specials Setup Assistant.
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
Setting Up Mac OS Specials Shortcuts
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
8. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. The action you selected for this Shortcut should
react immediately to the trigger.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Mac OS Specials. The Shortcut
Properties dialog appears.
MAC OS SPECIALS OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Mac OS Specials plug-in.
Balloon Help
Choose from three Mac OS Specials options that offer balloon
help options: Balloon Help On, Balloon Help Off, and Toggle
Balloon Help.
••••
Next Application
Use this option to switch to the application listed below the
active application in the program menu.
Previous Application
Use this option to switch to the application listed above the
active application in the program menu.
103
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
Start/Stop File Sharing
Choose this option to start or stop File Sharing with a simple
keystroke.
Start/Stop Program Linking
Choose this option to start or stop Program Linking with a
simple keystroke.
MENU
You can select any item from a menu without using a mouse
now that you have the Menu plug-in at your disposal. The
Menu plug-in is useful when you want to avoid using your
mouse, or when you want to select a menu item that does not
have a keystroke assigned to it. For example, if you don’t
want to flip to the Finder to launch an application, you can
put an alias of the application in the Apple menu and use a
Menu Shortcut to launch it.
SETTING UP MENU SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create QuicKeys Menu Shortcuts: use
the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut Properties dialog.
Figure 145:
The Menu Setup Assistant.
Setting Up Menu Shortcuts
1. Launch the application you want to use for the Menu
Shortcut.
2. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
3. Select Create > System Tools > Menu. Your cursor turns into a
menu icon as a little instruction box appears.
Figure 146:
When this window
appears, use your mouse
to select a menu item.
••••
104 Chapter 9
System Tools
4. Using your mouse, select the menu item you want to use
for this Shortcut. You can select both active and dimmed
menu items. The Shortcut Properties dialog appears as
soon as you make your selection.
Items you can
select from a
menu
Menus you
can select
Modifiers you can use
to select menu items
MENU OPTIONS
All of the options available in the Menu dialog can be divided
into three categories: items you can select from a menu,
menus you can select, and modifier keys you can use to select
special menu items.
Select from Menu
The top of the Menu dialog enables you to select menu items.
You can choose by Text to select an item from the menu based
on your text specifications, or you can choose by Position to
select an item from the menu based on the item’s position in
the menu. It is sometimes useful to select menu items by
position because some menu items are not static (e.g . Show
Toolbar/Hide Toolbar).
Search
The middle section of the Menu dialog enables you to specify
how to search for menus. You can choose to look in menus
that have a specific name, look in all menus, or you can
restrict the menu search to the Apple menu.
Figure 147:
The Menu Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. The fields in the Shortcut Properties dialog are pre-filled
with information taken by QuicKeys while you recorded
your menu selection.
6. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
7. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
8. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
9. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. QuicKeys instantly selects the menu item you
specified.
Use Modifiers
The bottom of the Menu dialog enables you to select modifier
keys that must be pressed while you select a menu item. These
modifer keys cause certain menu items to change their form
while the menu item is selected.
Don’t display message...
By default, if the Menu Shortcut cannot locate the menu or
menu item you want it to find, it displays an alert window. If
you do not want the alert window to display, check this
option.
••••
MOUSIES
105
Using the Setup Assistant
The Mousies plug-in is useful for controlling the appearance
and behavior of the Mac without having to use your mouse.
The controls available with Mousies include:
• Close window
• Zoom window
• Collapse window
• Home
• End
• Line up
• Line down
• Page up
• Page down
• Column left
• Column right
• Page left
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
• Page right
SETTING UP MOUSIES SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create Mousies Shortcuts: use the Setup
Assistant or use the Shortcut Properties dialog.
Figure 148:
The Mousies Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
To create a Mousies Shortcut:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Mousies.
••••
106 Chapter 9
System Tools
3. Select an option from the Action pop-up menu.
Collapse window
Uses the “window shade” feature to collapse the open
window into the title bar.
Home
Jumps to the top of the scroll box within the vertical scroll bar.
End
Jumps to the bottom of the scroll box within the vertical scroll
bar.
Line up
Jumps up one line.
Line down
Jumps down one line.
Page up
Jumps to the top of the current page.
Figure 149:
Select a Mousies action from the Action pop-up menu.
4. Choose a keystroke or some other type of trigger for this
Shortcut.
5. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
6. Close the QuicKeys Editor and press the keystroke or other
trigger you assigned to this Shortcut. The action you
specified should take effect immediately.
MOUSIES OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Mousies plug-in.
Close window
Closes the active window.
Zoom window
Enlarges the frontmost window.
Page down
Jumps to the bottom of the current page.
Column left
Jumps one column to the left.
Column right
Jumps one column to the right.
Page left
Jumps to the left page of a document.
Page right
Jumps to the right page of a document.
••••
POWERBOOK SPECIALS
PowerBook Specials are a suite of Shortcuts for Powerbook
users.
SETTING UP POWERBOOK SPECIALS SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Powerbook Specials. The Shortcut
Properties dialog appears.
3. Select an option from the Action menu.
107
8. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. The action you selected for this Shortcut should
react immediately to the trigger.
POWERBOOK SPECIALS OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Powerbook Specials plug-in.
Spin Down Hard Drive
Turns off your PowerBook’s hard drive when it is not in use.
The hard drive automatically turns itself back on when you
need it.
Show Cursor Location
Places a flashing circle around the cursor for a few seconds to
help you pinpoint the cursor’s location.
Shut Down
Turns off your PowerBook.
Sleep
Puts your PowerBook in sleep mode.
Battery Desk Accessory
Displays the battery desk accessory so you can check your
power reserves.
Toggle Backlighting
Turns backlighting on and off.
Figure 150:
Choose the task you want to complete from the Action popup menu.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
Backlighting On
Turns backlighting on.
Backlighting Off
Turns backlighting off.
Toggle Dimming
Controls the screen’s brightness.
Dim Screen
Returns the screen’s brightness to its normal setting.
••••
108 Chapter 9
System Tools
For example, you can store any item you add to Scrap Ease for
as long as you want. For times when the Type Text Shortcut
can’t hold enough text, use the Scrap Ease plug-in. You have
much better control and functionality with the Scrap Ease
Shortcut than you have with comparable system tools.
Undim Screen
Increases the screen’s brightness.
Disable Processor Rest
Restores power requirements to their standard operating
level.
Enable Process Rest
Reduces overall power requirements without putting the
computer to sleep.
SCRAP EASE
1
Select a block of
text, or a graphic to
add to your
QuicKeys clipboard.
If you ever use a word processor or an E-mail application, you
probably also use the Command+X, Command+C, and
Command+V key combinations to cut, copy, and paste text
and graphics to and from your system clipboard. But were
you ever frustrated by the fact that you can only store one
item in the clipboard? Or that the items you save to the
clipboard disappear after restart? QuicKeys solves these
problems with the Scrap Ease plug-in.
Figure 151:
2
Select the QuicKeys
Scrap Ease “copy”
trigger to add the
selected item to the
QuicKeys clipboard.
3
The selected item is added to
the QuicKeys clipboard.
To use the QuicKeys Scrap Ease Shortcut, you first add Scrap
Ease items to your clipboard collection.
••••
109
SETTING UP SCRAP EASE SHORTCUTS
4
After you add clips to the
QuicKeys clipboard, select the
“paste” trigger and choose
which Scrap Ease item to
paste.
5
The item you select is
pasted into your open
document.
Figures 151 and 152 provide a general illustration of how the
QuicKeys Scrap Ease plug-in works. First, you create a
QuicKeys Shortcut that copies clips to your QuicKeys
clipboard. Then, after you have added a few clips to your
QuicKeys clipboard, you create a QuicKeys Shortcut that lets
you paste these items into open documents.
The Scrap Ease plug-in extends the functionality of the
system’s Cut and Paste features, so you can maintain and use
frequently-used files, text, and graphics with ease.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Scrap Ease. The Shortcut
Properties dialog appears.
3. Select an option from the Action menu.
Figure 152:
When you have items in your Scrap Ease clipboard, you can
then paste them into your documents with a simple QuicKeys
trigger.
The QuicKeys clipboard can store and display any type of
information supported by the original file. For example, if you
copy text from an application that supports stylized text, the
QuicKeys clipboard preserves all styles applied to the text in
the original application.
QuicKeys Scrap Ease vs. the System Clipboard
You can add hundreds of
items to the QuicKeys
clipboard.
The system clipboard allows one item in
the clipboard.
You can keep items in the
QuicKeys clipboard for as
long as you want.
The system clipboard only holds an item
until you restart your machine or copy
another item to your clipboard.
Figure 153:
The Scrap Ease Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
••••
110 Chapter 9
System Tools
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
8. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. The action you selected for this Shortcut should
react immediately to the trigger.
SCRAP EASE OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Scrap Ease plug-in.
Copy
Copies selected items to the QuicKeys clipboard so they can
be used again.
Paste
Pastes items from the QuicKeys clipboard list into open
documents.
SCREEN EASE
The Screen Ease plug-in is useful if you need to change your
screen settings for different applications or different monitors.
For example, if you use your laptop computer with a desktop
monitor when you are at work, you may want to create a
Screen Ease Shortcut that automatically switches between
laptop screen settings and the desktop screen settings. The
settings available in the Screen Settings Shortcut depend upon
the capabilities of your monitor and video card.
SETTING UP SCREEN EASE SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Screen Ease. The Shortcut
Properties dialog appears.
3. Select an option from the Screen area of the dialog.
Type
Types text stored in the QuicKeys clipboard list into open
documents.
Edit Clip List
Displays a window where you can delete clips stored in the
QuicKeys clip list. This button is only available after you have
added a clip to the QuicKeys clipboard.
Choose clip when playing Shortcut
Displays a list of available clips for you to choose from when
you trigger Paste or Type Shortcuts.
Use the clip
Select a clip from this pop-up list to insert it into an open
document when you trigger Paste or Type Shortcuts.
Figure 154:
The Screen Ease Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Select an option from the Settings area of the dialog.
5. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
••••
6. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the keys
you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
7. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
8. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
111
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
9. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. The screen options you selected for this Shortcut
should react immediately to the trigger.
SCREEN EASE OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Screen Ease plug-in.
Screen options
Choose the screen to which you want to make changes. For
example, if you have two monitors hooked up to your Mac,
use these options to choose the screen containing the mouse,
all screens, or the screen you specify.
Settings
Set the depth and mode of the specified screen. Click the Make
Changes Permanent check box if you want to retain your changes
after restarting.
SPECIALS
QuicKeys contains a variety of time-saving plug-ins that
enable you to work more efficiently on your computer. One of
these time-savers is a grab bag of useful tools called the
Specials plug-in. There are Specials for controlling the
operation of your computer, switching desktop windows,
changing typography, and manipulating QuicKeys
functionality.
SETTING UP SPECIALS SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create QuicKeys Specials Shortcuts: use
the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut Properties dialog.
Figure 155:
The Specials Setup Assistant.
Setting Up the Specials Shortcut
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > Specials. The Shortcut Properties
dialog appears.
••••
112 Chapter 9
System Tools
3. Select an option from the Action pop-up menu.
Launch
Displays a standard Open dialog so you can choose to open
another file or application.
Select Rear Window
Brings the window at the bottom of the desktop window stack
to the top.
Select Second Window
Displays the previously active window.
QuickQuotes
Creates a single curly quote rather than a single straight
quote. If you create a QuickQuotes Shortcut, you must trigger
it with a keystroke.
Figure 156:
Select an action for the Specials plug-in to complete.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
keys you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
6. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
Double QuickQuotes
Creates a double curly quote rather than a double straight
quote. If you create a Double QuickQuotes Shortcut, you must
trigger it with a keystroke.
Open QuicKeys Editor
Displays the QuicKeys Editor.
Open QuickReference Card
Opens the QuickReference Card.
7. Close the QuicKeys Editor.
Toggle QuicKeys On/Off
Alternately puts QuicKeys to sleep and wakes it up.
8. Press the keystroke or other trigger you assigned to this
Shortcut. The action you selected for this Shortcut should
react immediately to the trigger.
Start/Stop Sequence
Alternately stops and starts a QuicKeys Sequence recording.
SPECIALS OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Specials plug-in.
Shut Down
Shuts down your computer.
Restart
Restarts your computer.
Start/Stop Real Time
Alternately stops and starts a QuicKeys Real Time recording.
Pause/Unpause Sequence
Alternately stops and starts a Sequence during recording or
playback.
••••
VIEW SWITCHER
Use the View Switcher to make your Macintosh look the way
you want on a per-folder basis. You no longer have to wade
through Finder menus to view the contents of one window in
a list and the contents of another window as icons. Instead,
you can change the view of the frontmost window with a
simple QuicKeys trigger. This allows you to keep your fingers
on your keyboard rather than constantly switching back to
your mouse.
SETTING UP VIEW SWITCHER SHORTCUTS
In the following example instructions, files and folders in your
frontmost Finder window appear as large icons arranged by
name when you trigger the View Switcher Shortcut.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > System Tools > View Switcher.
3. Choose Icons in the Style pop-up menu.
113
6. Type a name for the new shortcut in the Name box.
7. Assign a keystroke for the Shortcut.
8. Click OK in the View Switcher dialog.
9. Click the close box in the QuicKeys Editor to quit
QuicKeys.
10. Open a window in the Finder and trigger the Shortcut you
just created. The window adjusts based on the viewing
preferences you specified.
VIEW SWITCHER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the View Switcher plug-in.
Style
Choose the style of open Finder windows. You can view your
files as icons, as buttons, or as a list.
Icon Size
Choose whether your icons appear large or small.
Arrangement
Choose how you want the files and folders in your Finder
windows arranged. You can organize them by name, date
modified, date created, size, kind, and label.
Figure 157:
The View Switcher Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Select Large in the Icon Size pop-up menu.
5. Select Name in the Arrangement pop-up menu.
••••
115
CHAPTER 10
MULTIMEDIA TOOLS
••••••
You can use QuicKeys to play your CDs, play sounds from
your system, and play QuickTime movies. This chapter
provides instructions for setting up Audio CD Player, Sound,
SpeakEase, SpeakerChanger, and QT Movie Shortcuts to
control all these tasks.
3. Choose an option in the Action pop-up menu. For example,
choose Play CD.
AUDIO CD PLAYER
With QuicKeys you can control your internal CD-ROM player
without the CD application being active using the following
actions:
• Play CD
• Pause CD
• Stop CD
• Next Track
• Previous Track
• Louder
• Softer
• Eject CD
SETTING UP AUDIO CD PLAYER SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > Multimedia Tools > Audio CD Player.
Figure 158:
The Audio CD Player Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Assign a keystroke or another type of trigger to the
Shortcut.
6. Click OK to close the Shortcut Properties dialog.
7. Click the close box in the QuicKeys Editor to quit
QuicKeys.
8. Insert an audio CD in your CD-ROM drive and trigger the
action you selected. Depending on the option you selected
in Step 3, the CD should react immediately to the trigger.
••••
116 Chapter 10
MultiMedia Tools
SOUND
8. Trigger the Sound Shortcut to hear the sound you selected.
You can use the Sound Shortcut to play certain sounds when
you perform a System activity. You can install a number of
sounds on your Mac, depending on your memory resources,
and they are all available when you set up the QuicKeys
Sound Shortcut.
SETTING UP SOUND SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > Multimedia Tools > Sound.
SPEAK EASE
The Speak Ease plug-in only works if you have speech
software installed on your Macintosh. With Speak Ease, you
can make your computer speak specific words or phrases by
typing or pasting them into a text field. When you trigger a
Speak Ease Shortcut, your Mac speaks the words you
provided. The Speak Ease plug-in can also speak the contents
of the clipboard.
SETTING UP SPEAK EASE SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > Multimedia Tools > SpeakEase.
3. Choose a voice from the Voice pop-up menu. For example,
choose Zarvox.
Figure 159:
The Sound Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Choose an option in the Play Sound pop-up menu. For
example, choose Droplet. You can hear a sample of each
sound by selecting it from the Play Sound pop-up menu.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Assign a keystroke or another type of trigger to the
Shortcut.
6. Click OK to close the Shortcut Properties dialog.
7. Click the close box to close the QuicKeys Editor.
Figure 160:
The Speak Ease Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. If you select Speak Clipboard, make sure the text you want the
selected voice to speak is copied to the clipboard. If you
••••
select Speak Text, type the text you want the selected voice to
speak in the text pane of the dialog.
5. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
6. Assign a keystroke or another type of trigger to the
Shortcut.
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
7. Click OK to close the Shortcut Properties dialog.
8. Click the close box to close the QuicKeys Editor.
9. Trigger the Speak Ease Shortcut to make the selected voice
speak the text you provided.
SPEAKERCHANGER
The SpeakerChanger plug-in is useful if you want to adjust
the volume of your speakers. When you use this plug-in to
change speaker volume, your changes are retained even after
you restart.
SETTING UP SPEAKER CHANGER SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create QuicKeys Speaker Changer
Shortcuts: use the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut
Properties dialog.
117
Figure 161:
The SpeakerChanger Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > Multimedia Tools > SpeakerChanger.
••••
118 Chapter 10
MultiMedia Tools
3. Choose an option from the Set Volume options or from the
Adjust Volume options. For example, choose 50% from the Set
Volume options.
10%-100%
You can choose to increase or decrease the speaker volume by
10%, 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%, or 100%.
Louder/Softer
Adjusts the volume so it is either louder or softer.
Play sound when adjusting volume
When you have this option selected and you change the
speaker volume, a beep indicates the new volume level. When
you hear two beeps, you have hit the maximum volume
setting. If the menu bar flashes without any beeps, you have
reduced the volume setting to zero.
QT MOVIE
Figure 162:
The SpeakerChanger Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
5. Assign a keystroke to the Shortcut.
6. Click OK to close the Shortcut Properties dialog.
7. Click the close box to close the QuicKeys Editor.
8. Play an audio CD and trigger the SpeakerChanger Shortcut
to increase or decrease the speaker volume. A beep signals
the new volume level if the Play Sound When Adjusting Volume
check box is selected.
SPEAKERCHANGER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the SpeakerChanger plug-in.
Off
Turns off the speaker volume.
You can use the QuickTime movie plug-in to play multimedia
files such as video, animation, sound, music, text, pictures,
and 3D graphics. For example, you can download one of
Apple’s TV commercials from their Web site and use
QuickTime to view it. QuicKeys and QuickTime are partnered
in this plug-in so you can trigger multimedia files at any time
with a simple keystroke.
▲ You must have QuickTime installed on your computer to
use this plug-in.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > Multimedia Tools > QT Movie.
••••
3. Click the Select button to display a standard Open dialog.
(The Select button becomes a Change button once you have
selected a file.)
119
QT MOVIE OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the QT Movie plug-in.
Show QuickTime Controller
Check this option if you want the QuickTime movie to appear
within a window that offers playback controls.
Play QuickTime soundtrack if available
Check this option to play audio if it accompanies a QuickTime
movie.
Figure 163:
The QT Movie Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Navigate to the multimedia file you want to trigger with
QuicKeys and select Open.
5. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
6. Assign a keystroke or another type of trigger to the
Shortcut.
7. Click OK to close the Shortcut Properties dialog.
8. Click the close box to close the QuicKeys Editor.
9. Trigger the QT Movie Shortcut to launch your QuickTime
movie.
••••
121
CHAPTER 11
NETWORK TOOLS
••••••
If your computer does not have access to other computers or
the Internet, the information in this chapter will probably not
be applicable to you. If, however, your computer is on a
network, there are several network tasks that QuicKeys can
help you with. These tasks include choosing printers and
network drives.
Using the Setup Assistant
To use the Setup Assistant, select the Setup Assistant button in
the QuicKeys Editor or select Setup Assistant from the QuicKeys
menu. Read each panel of the Setup Assistant and follow the
instructions.
CHOOSY
The Choosy plug-in is useful if you frequently switch between
printers on your network. For example, this plug-in can be
extremely useful in QuicKeys Sequences when you want to
send a fax and switch back to your regular printer once the fax
is sent.
SETTING UP CHOOSY SHORTCUTS
There are two ways to create a QuicKeys Choosy Shortcut: use
the Setup Assistant or use the Shortcut Properties dialog.
Figure 164:
The Choosy Setup Assistant.
Using the Shortcut Properties Dialog
To create a Choosy Shortcut:
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Create > Network Tools > Choosy.
••••
122 Chapter 11
Network Tools
3. Check the Change printer to check box and select an available
printer driver from the pop-up list. Boxes for the printer
zone and printer name appear.
6. Select a printer and click OK. The zone and printer you
selected appear in the Shortcut Properties dialog.
7. Check the Report Printer Selection check box so you are notified
when Choosy has successfully selected a different printer.
8. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
9. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
10. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
11. Close the QuicKeys Editor and select your Choosy trigger.
Your default printer is instantly changed and a window
reports the new printer selection.
CHOOSY OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Choosy plug-in.
Figure 165:
The Choosy Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Click the Choose Printer button to display a list of AppleTalk
zones on your network.
5. Select the zone where your printer resides. A list of printers
in the selected zone appears in the Select Printer section of the
window.
Background printing
With background printing, you can use your computer to do
other work while documents are printing. It takes longer and
requires more disk space to print a document with
Background printing enabled, so if you frequently print highcolor graphics you may want a Choosy Shortcut that simply
turns background printing on and off.
Choose Printer
Click the Choose Printer button to specify the printer you want to
select with the Choosy Shortcut.
Zone name
When you click the Choose Printer button and select an
AppleTalk zone, the Zone name in the Shortcut Properties
dialog is automatically filled. An asterisk appears in this box
when you only have one network available.
Figure 166:
Choose a zone and a printer.
••••
Printer name
When you click the Choose Printer button and select an
AppleTalk zone and printer, the Printer name in the Shortcut
Properties dialog is automatically filled.
123
3. In the Shortcut Properties dialog, select the networking
protocol you want to use. For example, select Server IP.
Report printer selection
Check this option when you want to be notified that your
default printer has been successfully changed.
MOUNTY
The Mounty plug-in is useful when you want to mount and
dismount network volumes quickly and easily. Once you set
up a couple of Mounty Shortcuts, you can finally say goodbye
to endless Chooser dialogs and password prompts you’ve had
to wade through for years.
The Mounty Shortcut includes the following options:
Figure 167:
• Toggle Mount/Dismount
The Mounty Shortcut Properties dialog.
• Mount Only
• Dismount Only
SETTING UP MOUNTY SHORTCUTS
When you set up a Mounty Shortcut you must specify a
network volume, so make sure you know the exact spelling
and capitalization of the volume you want to mount or
dismount before you begin.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Create > Network Tools > Mounty.
4. Choose which volume you want to mount.
• If you select AppleTalk, click Choose Server to select the
server you want to mount or dismount.
• If you select Server IP, type the domain name of the
server you want to mount or dismount in the Server
Address field. Then type the name of the server volume
in the Volume field. Click Verify to make sure the server is
available.
5. Type the name of the volume in the Volume box.
6. Select your connection preferences from the When connecting
pop-up list.
7. If applicable, type your name and password information in
the Name, Password, and Volume Password boxes.
8. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
9. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
••••
124 Chapter 11
Network Tools
10. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
11. Close the QuicKeys Editor and press your Mounty trigger.
The network volume you specified is either mounted or
dismounted instantly.
MOUNTY OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Mounty plug-in.
Toggle Mount/Dismount
Switches between mounting and dismounting the specified
network volume using the same trigger.
Mount only
Mounts the specified network volume.
Dismount only
Dismounts the specified network volume.
AppleTalk
If the network volume you want to mount/dismount is part
of an AppleTalk network, select AppleTalk.
Choose Server
Click the Choose Server button to navigate to the server you
want to mount with the Mounty Shortcut.
Zone
The Zone box is automatically filled with information retrieved
from the AppleTalk zone selection you made when you
pressed the Choose Server button.
Server
The Server box is automatically filled with information
retrieved from the server list selection you made when you
pressed the Choose Server button.
Volume
Type the volume name of the server you want to mount or
dismount in the Volume box. Make sure you type the name
exactly as it appears—including capitalization.
Server IP
If the network volume you want to mount or dismount
supports AppleShare IP, select Server IP.
Server Address
Type the alphanumeric domain name or numeric IP address
(i.e. 504.167.2.000) of the server you want to mount or
dismount.
Volume
Type the volume name of the server you want to mount or
dismount in the Volume box. Make sure you type the name
exactly as it appears—including capitalization.
Connect as Guest
Connects you to the specified server with guest access.
Remember Name and Password
Connects you to the specified server automatically using the
name and password you provide when you set up the
Mounty Shortcut.
Ask for Name and Password
Prompts you for your user name and password before
mounting the specified server.
Ask for Password
Prompts you for your password before mounting the
specified server.
••••
NETWORK SWITCHER
Network Switcher enables users to switch between different
network settings so it is easy to plug into different network
environments. You can change settings for AppleTalk,
modems, Open Transport/PPP, and TCP/IP on the fly. This
capability makes Network Switcher indispensable for
PowerBook users who use the same computer on the network
at the office and for dial-up connections from home.
SETTING UP NETWORK SWITCHER SHORTCUTS
▲ You must be using Open Transport 1.1.1 or greater for
this plug-in to work properly.
1. Create whatever TCP/IP, OT/PPP, AppleTalk, or modem
configurations you need to connect from your various
work environments.
2. Open the QuicKeys Editor and select the Keysets tab.
3. Select Create > Network Tools > Network Switcher.
125
4. Select your networking method in the Settings pop-up
menu.
5. Select the appropriate networking configuration in the
Configuration pop-up menu.
6. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
7. Assign a keystroke or another type of trigger to the
Shortcut.
8. Click OK in the Shortcut Properties dialog.
9. Click the close box in the QuicKeys Editor to close
QuicKeys.
When you connect to a different network environment, trigger
the Network Switcher Shortcut. Your networking preferences
are automatically changed and you’re instantly set up for the
new network environment.
NETWORK SWITCHER EXAMPLES
If you use a PowerBook and frequently travel between two
offices, you can set up one Shortcut that specifies TCP/IP
settings for Site A and another Shortcut that specifies
AppleTalk settings for Site B. When you plug into the network
at either site, you can simply select the appropriate Network
Switcher Shortcut and access the network.
Another example of how you can use Network Switcher
might be if the desktop computer at your office uses TCP/IP
for intranet access and you want to connect to your Internet
account via a modem. You could have Network Switcher
change the network settings so you can quickly and easily
connect to your Internet account.
Figure 168:
The Network Switcher Shortcut Properties dialog.
NETWORK SWITCHER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Network Switcher plug-in.
••••
126 Chapter 11
Network Tools
Settings
Choose the networking or communication method your
network supports using the Settings menu. You can choose
from TCP/IP, OT/PPP, AppleTalk, or modem settings.
Configuration
The options available in the Configuration pop-up list contain
settings you create at the system level. For example, you can
view all your AppleTalk configurations by opening the
AppleTalk control panel and selecting Configurations from the
File menu.
••••
127
CHAPTER 12
INTERNET TOOLS
••••••
The Internet has become an integral part of many people’s
computing experience. Anticipating your Internet needs, the
makers of QuicKeys have developed the Instant E-mail and
Web Launcher plug-ins.
SETTING UP INSTANT E-MAIL SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Create > Internet Tools > Instant E-mail.
3. In the Shortcut Properties dialog, select the E-mail client
you want to use. For example, select QuickMail Pro.
INSTANT E-MAIL
It seems like E-mail is suddenly the preferred mode of
communication as more and more people are purchasing
Internet services. So, why not make using E-mail as efficient
as possible? QuicKeys helps you make the best use of your
time by providing the ability to create and send messages and
selected files with a simple QuicKeys trigger.
4. Select the task you want to complete from the Action
pop-up menu.
The options available with the Instant E-mail plug-in include:
• Sending a recently
modified file
• Sending selected text
• Opening a message
window with
user-specified text
• Acknowledging
QuickMail Pro
notification
• Checking the server
for waiting mail with
QuickMail Pro
• Sending mail with
QuickMail Pro
• Sending selected
files
▲ The Instant E-mail plug-in only works with the E-mail
clients listed in the E-Mail Client pop-up menu: QuickMail
Pro, Claris® E-mailer, Netscape Messenger™, Eudora™
Lite/Pro, and Outlook Express.
Figure 169:
The Instant E-mail Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
6. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
7. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
••••
128 Chapter 12
Internet Tools
8. Close the QuicKeys Editor and press your Instant E-mail
trigger. The action you specified is instantly put into
motion.
INSTANT E-MAIL OPTIONS
E-mail Client
Select the E-mail client you use from this pop-up list.
QuickMail Pro is the only E-mail client option that supports
the Check Mail, Send Mail, and Acknowledge Notification actions.
Send Text
Enables you to send pre-specified text via E-mail. Type the
text you want to send in the text box that appears when you
select Send Text. The text box can hold up to 255 characters.
Send Selection
Encloses and sends the selected file or text. This option does
not support stylized text.
Send Finder Selection
Creates a new message and attaches each of the files you have
selected. All you have to do is address and send the message.
Send Recent Document
Displays a list of documents modified within a user-specified
amount of time. You can select the file you want to send from
the list and it is instantly enclosed in an E-mail message.
When you Shift- or Control-click, you can select multiple
items for inclusion in the message.
When you select Send Recent Document from the Action list, you
must select the interval you want QuicKeys to use when it
scans for recently modified files. The maximum number of
minutes you can enter in the Other box for these options is 1,440
(24 hours).
You can omit specific files from Send Recent Document’s scan for
recently modified files. For example, you probably don’t want
to open Netscape cache files, so you may want to exempt
them from the Recent Document results. See page 167 for more
information.
▲ Netscape Messenger and Outlook Express do not
support the Send Recent Document shortcut.
Check Mail
QuickMail Pro sends and receives mail at user-specified
intervals. However, when you are expecting an important
message, you can use the Check Mail Shortcut to force
QuickMail Pro to look for new mail on the mail server.
▲ Check Mail only works with QuickMail Pro.
Send Mail
QuickMail Pro sends and receives mail at user-specified
intervals. However, when you need to send urgent mail
immediately, you can use the Send Mail Shortcut to force instant
connections to the mail server.
▲ Send Mail only works with QuickMail Pro.
Acknowledge Notification
If you use QuickMail Pro, you are probably familiar with the
audible and visual notification it provides when you receive
mail. Sometimes when you are working to meet a deadline, or
you just can’t be interrupted, this notification is distracting.
So, instead of permanently disabling mail notification in your
mail preferences, you may want to acknowledge that you
have received mail to halt notification until the next time you
download mail.
▲ Acknowledge Notification only works with QuickMail Pro.
••••
WEB LAUNCHER
129
4. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box.
The Web Launcher Shortcut is useful when you want to open
Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) with a single keystroke.
Web Launcher is handier than bookmarks because you don’t
have to use your mouse and your Internet browser doesn’t
even have to be launched. The Web Launcher plug-in includes
the following options:
• Open URL
• Open Text Selection as
URL
• Open URLs from
Internet Explorer
• Open URLs from
Netscape Navigator
SETTING UP WEB LAUNCHER SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor and click the Keysets tab.
2. Select Create > Internet Tools > Web Launcher.
3. Select an action from the Action pop-up menu. If you select
Open URL, you must type the URL.
5. Assign a keystroke to the Shortcut.
6. Click OK to close the Shortcut Properties dialog.
7. Click the close box in the QuicKeys Editor to quit
QuicKeys.
8. Trigger the Web Launcher Shortcut. The Web Launcher
action you specified is performed immediately.
WEB LAUNCHER OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Web Launcher plug-in.
Open URL
Type a URL in the URL box if you are creating an Open URL
Shortcut. For example, type http://www.cesoft.com to open CE
Software’s Web page. The URL you specify must be fully
qualified. For example, it must include a prefix such as http://
or mailto: in the address.
Show dialog
Select this option if you want to be prompted for a URL. If you
want the Open URL box to be prefilled with a URL prefix, type
the URL prefix in the URL box.
Open Text Selection as URL
When you create a Web Launcher Shortcut using this option,
you can select a block of text and trigger the Shortcut to open
the text as a URL.
Open URL from Netscape
Use this option to open a list of Netscape bookmarks.
Open URL from Explorer
Use this option to open a list of Internet Explorer favorites.
Figure 170:
The Web Launcher Shortcut Properties dialog.
••••
131
CHAPTER 13
SCRIPTING TOOLS
••••••
AppleScript enables applications to share information and
data to perform complex operations. AppleScript uses
AppleEvents to accomplish such communication. QuicKeys
combines these powerful scripting tools to provide Shortcuts
that work with Apple Events, AppleScript, and applicationspecific scripting languages.
The QuicKeys Backgrounder is the target for all Apple Events
sent to QuicKeys, so it must be running for QuicKeys
scripting to function properly.
INTERAPPLICATION COMMUNICATION
TOOLS
QuicKeys has four tools for creating Shortcuts that make use
of InterApplication Communication (IAC):
• QuicKeys Backgrounder is a background application that
acts as a mediator, transparently passing Apple Events
between QuicKeys, the system software, and applications.
QuicKeys Backgrounder must be running for QuicKeys
Script to work and for your computer to be able to receive
Apple Events.
• The Apple Events plug-in adds basic IAC capabilities to
your Shortcuts. It handles the predefined events in suites,
unique events for a particular program, and custom events
of your own creation.
• The AppleScript Extension works with the AppleScript
language. Use it to incorporate AppleScripts into your
Sequences.
• The DoScript Extension is another tool for sending scripts
between applications. In this case, the script in question is
written in the scripting language of a particular
application. For example, you might create a Shortcut that
sends information to FileMaker. Put the commands in a
FileMaker script, then use DoScript to send that script to its
host application.
APPLE EVENTS
Apple Events are commands, queries, and responses that are
sent along Apple’s IAC channel. For example, Apple Events
are used when you choose to print a document from another
application. To use Apple Event Shortcuts, applications must
be written to support Apple Events as a communication
protocol.
There are categories, or suites, of Apple Events. Suites are
standard predefined events. Required Suites are events the
Finder sends to applications. These events include:
• Open Document
• Print Document
• Quit
To receive an Apple Event an application must be designated
to recognize Apple Events and it must be running when the
event is sent. Use the File Sharing control panel to configure
the target computer for receiving Apple Events from a remote
computer by selecting Program Linking. Additionally, the
user sending the Apple Event must be set up on the target
machine to access to File Sharing. File Sharing privileges are
established in the Users & Groups control panel.
••••
132 Chapter 13
Scripting Tools
QuicKeys knows which applications can accept Apple Events
and which cannot. To see a list of these applications, use the
Send Event To pop-up menu in the Apple Events Shortcut
Properties dialog shown in Figure 171.
SETTING UP APPLE EVENTS SHORTCUTS
1. Select Create > Scripting Tools > Apple Events.
2. Choose an application process from the Send Event to
pop-up list. For example, select Finder. When you choose an
application, a Select Event button appears.
These two options let
you send events
elsewhere.
AETE, you need to supply QuicKeys with all the
information in the event.
4. Select the event suite you want to use from the Suite pop-up
list. The Suite pop-up menu contains all the event suites
supported by the target application. The Events list shows
the events in the selected suite. If the target application
doesn’t have an AETE resource, the only item in the Suite
menu is Required Suite and the only events are Open, Print, Quit,
and Custom Event.
Currently running
applications.
Figure 172:
Figure 171:
The Apple Events Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Click the Select Event button to display the suite of events
supported by the application you selected. QuicKeys gets
the list of available suites and events from the target
application. It queries the target’s AETE resource to see
which events it supports. If the target doesn’t have an
Select an event suite in the Events window.
5. Click the event you want to send to the designated
application and click the Select Event button. If the Events list
doesn’t show the event you want, select a different suite in
the pop-up menu. Once you make your selection, the
Shortcut Properties dialog displays again with the event
parameters listed in the middle of the dialog.
6. In the Shortcut Properties dialog, select a parameter and
click Edit if there are required parameters that must be
modified. Make any necessary changes to the parameter
and return to the Shortcut Properties dialog.
••••
7. Select what type of information you want returned from
the target application using the Return Value pop-up menu.
133
APPLE EVENTS OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Apple Events plug-in.
Send Event To
Choose to send the event to an application, a remote
application, or some other file. If you choose Remote Application,
you must choose the computer, the zone, and the application
you want to receive the Event. If you select Other, a standard
Open window appears so you can select the file you want to
receive the Event. After you select an option from this pop-up
menu, a Select Event button appears. Click the Select Event button
to display a list of supported Apple Events.
Select Event
Figure 173:
The Apple Events Shortcut Properties dialog displays the
event parameters after you select them.
Choose which Apple Event Suite you want to use in the Suite
pop-up menu and then select an event. Click the Tech Info
button to view more information on the event you selected or
click the Select Event button to display the selected event in the
Shortcut Properties dialog.
8. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
9. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
10. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
11. Close the QuicKeys Editor and press your Apple Events
trigger. The Event you specified is immediately sent to the
application you chose in the Apple Event Shortcut.
Figure 174:
Select an event from the Events list.
••••
134 Chapter 13
Scripting Tools
Tech Info
Click this button to display a window with information
pertaining to the selected Event.
Event Class
A four-letter code that identifies the class of event within the
suite.
Event ID
A four-letter code that specifies a particular event within a
class.
Parameters
A parameter is a piece of information that an Apple Event
delivers to the target application. Parameters give additional
details about the function of the event. For example, the
PrintDocuments event tells the target application to print one
or more documents. It has one parameter: a list of documents.
Some events have several parameters, some don’t have any at
all. When you choose an Apple Event in the Events window,
its parameters appear in a list.
Reply Type
The data type the event produces.
Application’s state
The effect that the event has on the target application.
Direct Parameter Type
A word or code identifying one of the 19 categories of
parameters. The direct parameter is the first one in the list.
Other Parameters
A list of additional parameters, if any.
Figure 176:
When you select an event, a parameter field appears in the
Apple Events Shortcut Properties dialog.
Editing Parameters
In some cases, you may need to edit the parameters to tailor a
Shortcut to your needs. For example, you may need to modify
a parameter to include the name of a QuicKeys Shortcut.
Figure 175:
The Technical Information window for a selected event.
To edit a parameter, open the Shortcut Properties dialog for
the Apple Events plug-in and click the Edit button shown in
Figure 176. When you click the Edit button, a Parameter
Specifier window appears. The details in the Parameter
••••
Specifier window vary according to the type of parameter you
select. For example, if you select a parameter that is an
“Object” type, an Object Specifier dialog appears when you
try to edit the selected parameter.
135
Type
One of the 19 categories of parameters, as found in the AETE
resource.
Required/Not Required
This check box indicates whether or not this parameter is
mandatory.
Next
Displays the Parameter Specifier window for the next
parameter in the list.
Previous
Displays the Parameter Specifier window for the previous
parameter in the list.
Get Parameter Value From
Click the Clipboard button to get data from the Clipboard at
runtime. This option is useful if the information is not always
the same. Click the Data button and type the information in the
field if the data is always the same.
Figure 177:
The Parameter Specifier window for the “Object”
parameter type.
The available Parameter Specifier windows may contain a
combination of the following details.
Return Value
In the Shortcut Properties dialog, you must specify what
information you want the selected Apple Event to return to
the source application.
Number
The position of this parameter in the list of parameters. The
number of parentheses is the total number of parameters.
Name
The parameter’s name in the AETE resource.
Description
The purpose of the parameter, also from the AETE resource.
Keyword
The four-letter code of the parameter.
Figure 178:
The Return Value options.
Ignore
Sends the Event to the target application, but does not wait for
a response.
••••
136 Chapter 13
Scripting Tools
Wait
Sends the Event to the target application and waits until it’s
complete, but throws away the response.
3. Specify the file or type the text you want to execute.
Type
Types the provided text in the current window.
Display Full
Displays a dialog describing the Event that was sent, plus the
response (if possible).
Clipboard
Places the response on the Clipboard.
Display Minimal
Displays a dialog showing the response (if possible).
APPLESCRIPT
AppleScript is a programming language designed for
controlling applications via Apple Events. It provides fairly
simple commands you can use to customize and automate
your Mac.
The AppleScript system extension must be in the Extensions
folder of your System folder for QuicKeys’ AppleScript
Shortcuts to work.
SETTING UP APPLESCRIPT SHORTCUTS
1. Select Create > Scripting Tools > AppleScript.
2. Choose an option from the Select Script to Execute area of the
Shortcut Properties dialog. For example, select File.
Figure 179:
The AppleScript Shortcut Properties dialog.
4. Choose how you want to handle the results of the script.
For example, you can ignore the results or you can send the
results to the system clipboard.
5. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
6. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
7. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
8. Close the QuicKeys Editor and press your AppleScript
trigger. The script you specified executes immediately.
APPLESCRIPT OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the AppleScript plug-in.
File
Select File if you have a text file that you want to execute using
QuicKeys. Files can be up to 32K.
••••
Select File
Click the Select File button to navigate to the file you want to
execute. Click Open when you have select the file.
Text (no script entered yet)
Select Text to display an editable text box.
Modify Text
Type your script in the Modify Text box. The script can be no
more than 2K.
Ignore
Sends the Event to the target application, but does not wait for
a response.
Wait
Waits for the script to complete before continuing.
Type
Types the provided text in the current window.
137
DOSCRIPT
The DoScript Shortcut sends a text script written with any
application-specific scripting language to that application
using the doscript Apple Event. The receiving application
must support Doscript in order to recognize the commands.
DoScript is executed by target applications, whereas
AppleScripts are executed by the AppleScript system
extension.
SETTING UP DOSCRIPT SHORTCUTS
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Create > Scripting Tools > DoScript.
3. Choose the target for your script by clicking the Send Script
To button. For example, select Finder.
4. Specify the file or type the text you want to execute.
Display
Displays a dialog showing the response (if possible).
Clipboard
Places the response on the Clipboard.
Script Uses Clipboard
You can incorporate the contents of the clipboard into your
AppleScript if you have this check box selected. To access the
clipboard, use the following commands.
on open QKClipboard
...
QKClipboard
...
Figure 180:
The DoScript Shortcut Properties dialog.
end open
5. Choose how you want to handle the results of the script.
For example, do you want to ignore the results or do you
want to send the results to the system clipboard?
••••
138 Chapter 13
Scripting Tools
6. Type a name for this Shortcut in the Name box.
7. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press the
key(s) you want to use to trigger this Shortcut.
8. Click OK. Your new Shortcut immediately appears in the
Keysets tab.
9. Close the QuicKeys Editor and press your DoScript trigger.
The script you specified executes immediately.
DOSCRIPT OPTIONS
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the DoScript plug-in.
File
Select File if you have a text file that you want to execute using
QuicKeys. Files can be up to 32K.
Select File
Click the Select File button to navigate to the file you want to
execute. Click Open when you have selected the file.
Text (no script entered yet)
Select Text to display an editable text box.
Modify Text
Type your script in the Modify Text box. The script can be no
more than 2K.
Ignore
Sends the Event to the target application, but does not wait for a
response.
Type
Types the provided text in the current window.
Display
Displays a dialog showing the response (if possible).
Clipboard
Places the response on the Clipboard.
Script Uses Clipboard
You can incorporate the contents of the Clipboard into your
DoScript script if you have this check box selected. To access
the Clipboard, you need to enter ^C^ in your script.
❖
The “C” must be capitalized.
••••
139
CHAPTER 14
SEQUENCES AND SEQUENCE TOOLS
••••••
QuicKeys Shortcuts are great for simple, one-step tasks.
However, there are times when repetitive tasks require several
consecutive steps. For these situations, QuicKeys offers
Sequences. Sequences are collections of Shortcuts that you put
together to complete a multi-step task. Sequences can be as
easy or complex as you need and creating them is much easier
than the alternative—learning a scripting language.
An example of a simple multi-step task you can replace with a
QuicKeys Sequence is the practice of logging into your E-mail
account and checking for new mail. Figure 181 illustrates how
QuicKeys Sequences can help you automate this task. This
particular Sequence enables you to grab a cup of coffee when
you get into the office while QuicKeys prepares your list of
mail. All you have to do is select the assigned QuicKeys
trigger. When you return to your desk, your mail will be ready
for you to read and QuicKeys will have retreated into the
background until you direct it to complete other tasks.
1. Start your
E-mail
application.
2. Type your
user name and
password at the
prompt.
3. Click the OK
button to close
the login
window.
Combine
these steps
using the
Sequence
Editor or
QuicKeys
recording.
Replace the 4-step task
with a QuicKeys trigger
such as a keystroke, a
toolbar button, an item
in the QuicKeys menu,
or a timed trigger.
4. Check for
new mail.
Figure 181:
This example illustrates how QuicKeys Sequences can simplify
routine multi-step tasks.
OVERVIEW OF SEQUENCES
Building Sequences can be challenging unless you have a
multi-step task clearly mapped out in your mind. Even then,
it’s important to know how QuicKeys Sequences work so you
can make the most of their power and flexibility.
There are two basic tasks you must complete when you build
a Sequence:
• You must record or manually create each individual
Shortcut you want to include in the Sequence.
• You must test and adjust your Sequence.
••••
140 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
As you begin building Sequences with QuicKeys, remember
that Sequences can be created a number of different ways and
still be successful.
RECORDING SEQUENCES
Insert
arrow
Sequence
Steps tab
Import
Steps tab
Click this check box to display
additional information about
the Sequence steps.
Recording is an easy way of creating multi-step Shortcuts.
There are two ways you can begin the recording process:
• From the QuicKeys menu.
• With a Start Recording Shortcut created using the Specials
plug-in.
Pause, Stop, Cancel, Insert
Figure 182:
The Recording toolbar.
When you start recording, a flashing microphone appears
over the Apple menu icon. If you are using your default
QuicKeys preferences, a recording palette also displays. When
one or both of these items appear, QuicKeys starts watching
everything you do on your computer. When you finish the
tasks you want QuicKeys to record, click the Stop button on
the recording palette or select Stop Recording from the
QuicKeys menu. The Sequence Editor automatically displays.
Every task you just completed is listed in the Sequence Steps
tab of the Sequence Editor.
THE SEQUENCE EDITOR
The Sequence Editor enables you to modify, or fine-tune, your
Sequences. When the Sequence Editor appears, you can name
the Sequence like you name your standard Shortcuts and
assign the Sequence a trigger. The QuicKeys Editor consists of
two tabs: the Sequence Steps tab and the Import Steps tab.
This section discusses the Sequence Editor in detail.
Figure 183:
The Sequence Editor.
Icon
bar
••••
THE SEQUENCE STEPS TAB
The Sequence Steps tab displays all the steps in your
Sequence. At the top of the tab is an icon bar that contains all
of the controls for manipulating your Sequence. The red
arrow in the Sequence Steps tab is called the insert arrow . Drag
the insert arrow to a different step in the Sequence when you
need to insert another Shortcut or a pause in the Sequence.
The new item is inserted wherever the arrow is located.
141
Icon Bar
The icon bar is located at the top of the Sequence Steps tab. It
contains a series of icons that enable you to manipulate your
Sequences with a click of your mouse. When your mouse
pointer pauses over a button on the icon bar, a hot help
caption appears.
Figure 185:
The Sequence Editor icon bar.
Click the Create button to display the Create pop-up menu.
When you select a plug-in from the Create menu, a Shortcut
Properties dialog appears. When you complete the dialog, the
Shortcut you created appears in the step of the Sequence
where the insert arrow is located.
Figure 184:
The Sequence Editor Sequence Steps tab.
If you want to add to your Sequence, position your insert
arrow at the end of your Sequence and click the Record More
button. The Recording Palette appears and QuicKeys
immediately starts watching your actions. Your new
recording is added to the end of the Sequence.
You can also insert a keystroke in your Sequence. Just click the
Insert Keystroke button and press a key at the prompt. The key
you select is inserted as a step where the insert arrow is
located.
Figure 186:
Click the Create button to display the Create
pop-up menu.
••••
142 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
THE IMPORT STEPS TAB
Sequence Editor Icons
Click the Modify button to
edit the selected Shortcut
in the Sequence.
Click the Delete button to
delete the selected
Shortcut from the
Sequence.
Click the Cut button to
remove the selected
Shortcut from the
Sequence and store it in
the system clipboard.
Click the Select All button
to select all the steps in
the Sequence.
Click the Copy button to
copy the selected
Shortcut to the System
clipboard.
Click the Print button to
print the steps of the
Sequence.
Click the Paste button
paste items from the
system clipboard to the
part of the Sequence
where the insert arrow is
located.
Click the Page Setup
button to open the Page
Setup dialog.
Show Additional Step Info
If the QuicKeys Backgrounder is running, you can click the
Show Additional Step Info check box in the Sequence Editor to view
detailed information on each step of your Sequence.
Use the Import Steps tab to add existing Shortcuts to your
Sequence. Just select the QuicKeys Set you want to use from
the Set pop-up list and drag the Shortcut to the step in the
Sequence where you want it.
Figure 187:
The Import Steps tab of the Sequence Editor.
CREATING SEQUENCES WITHOUT
RECORDING
After you become more familiar with QuicKeys, you may find
that it is not necessary to use the recording feature because
you have already created all of the Shortcuts you want in your
Sequence. If you choose to create the Sequence from scratch,
you can use the following methods to assemble your
Sequence.
• Select plug-ins from the Create menu.
• Cut and paste Shortcuts into the Sequence using the cut
and paste buttons.
• Use the Import Steps tab.
When you are finished collecting the main pieces of your
Sequence, use the Sequence tools discussed on page 144 to
add the finishing touches to your Sequence.
••••
FINE-TUNING SEQUENCES
If your Sequence does not behave as you anticipated, you may
need to fine-tune your Sequence without the recorder. The
Sequence Editor gives you the tools to do this. Fine-tuning a
Sequences requires rearranging and inserting steps, as well as
using Sequence tools.
INSERTING STEPS
You can insert Steps, or Shortcuts, by selecting them from the
Create menu and creating them in the Shortcut Properties
dialog that appears. You can insert steps that pause your
Sequence, select a specific window, display a custom dialog,
and much more. See page 144 for more information on these
types of Sequence tools.
You can also drag and drop Shortcuts from the Shortcut list to
the insert arrow in the Sequence Editor. To do this, the Import
Steps tab must be selected.
REARRANGING STEPS IN THE SEQUENCE
Rearrange Sequence steps in the Sequence Editor using cut
and paste functionality. Select the step in the Sequence you
want to move and click the Cut icon. Move the insert arrow to
the step in the Sequence where you want to insert the step and
click the Paste icon. The selected Shortcut appears in the new
location in your Sequence.
DELETING SEQUENCE STEPS
To delete steps in a Sequence, open the QuicKeys Editor and
select the step you want to remove. Then select Delete from the
Edit menu.
▲ When you delete a Sequence step, there is no undo
option, but if you press Cancel in the Sequence Editor,
QuicKeys ignores your changes.
143
TIPS FOR BUILDING SEQUENCES
There are some methods you can use when you build
Sequences to help ensure they function properly. This section
provides some basic tips for building QuicKeys Sequences.
• Use the keyboard to select options whenever possible.
Keyboard selections are more reliable than mouse clicks.
• Make your movements slow and deliberate while
recording.
• Insert Pauses as steps in your Sequences if you are having
problems getting your Sequences to play back correctly.
• Do not grab a scroll bar to scroll through a list in a
Sequence. Instead, use the Page Up and Page Down keys.
• If you have a choice, use cut and paste rather than
drag-and-drop.
• You can record several small Sequences and combine them
in the Sequence Editor to make a large, complex Sequence.
This method makes it easy to pinpoint problems that may
occur in your Sequence.
• When you record a Sequence, that Sequence is
automatically scoped to the last application used by the
Sequence. To change the scope of the Sequence, cut the
Sequence from the Set in which it resides and paste it into
another Set.
SAVING SEQUENCES
When you click OK in the Sequence Editor, your Sequence is
automatically saved.
••••
144 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
TRIGGERING SEQUENCES
Press the keystroke you assigned to your new Sequence.
When the Sequence is triggered, the Playback palette appears
if you are using QuicKeys’ default palette settings. You can
use this palette to pause or stop the Sequence at any time.
Figure 64 on page 48 shows the dialog you can use to set the
QuicKeys palette settings.
DELETING SEQUENCES
To delete Sequences, open the QuicKeys Editor and select the
Sequence you want to remove. Select Delete from the Edit menu.
Click the Delete button in the alert window that appears.
▲ There is no “undo” function if you choose to delete a
Shortcut or Sequence from the Quickeys Editor.
SEQUENCE TOOLS
Sequence tools consist of Shortcuts that are used primarily in
Sequences. They enable you to fine-tune each step of your
QuicKeys Sequence. These Shortcuts can be categorized in
two distinct groups: conditional Sequence tools and
unconditional Sequence tools.
Decision, Jump, and Wait are conditional Sequence tools. You
can use these three plug-ins when you want QuicKeys to test
for certain conditions before proceeding with the Sequence.
The other four Sequence tools (Pop-up Menu, GoSub,
Message, and Repeat) are unconditional plug-ins that enhance
the power and flexibility of your Sequences. This section
discusses each of the seven Sequence tools and how you use
them.
CONDITIONAL SEQUENCE TOOLS
Conditional Sequence tools enable you to set up conditions
that must be met before the Sequence can proceed. These
Sequence tools include:
• Decision
• Jump
• Wait
Decision
Use the Decision Shortcut to set up conditional branching in
your Sequences. Conditional branching enables you to
indicate how your Sequence should proceed when certain
conditions are met. For example, when certain conditions are
met, the Sequence does X, but when these same conditions are
not met, the Sequence branches to Y.
When a Decision Shortcut in a Sequence is finished, the
sequence continues from the step after Decision. If you don’t
have any steps after Decision, the Sequence terminates.
Using Decision
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Decision Shortcut.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Decision Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > Decision.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog and click OK.
Jump
Use the Jump Shortcut to jump to another step in your
Sequence. When the conditions you set in the Jump Shortcut
are true, your Sequence jumps to the step you specified. When
the conditions you set in the Jump Shortcut are false, your
Sequence simply moves to the step that follows the Jump step.
••••
Using Jump
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Jump Shortcut.
145
(When/Until) Button
When you select the Button option in the When pop-up menu, a
series of Button-specific options appear.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Jump Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > Jump.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog and click OK.
Wait
Use the Wait Shortcut to pause a Sequence until a particular
condition has been met.
Using Wait
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Wait Shortcut.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Wait Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > Wait.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
Decision, Jump, and Wait Options
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Decision, Jump, and Wait plug-ins.
Figure 188:
The Button options in the Decision Shortcut Properties
dialog.
Button Name
Type the name of the button you want the Shortcut to look for.
Match exactly
Select this check box if the button name must match the
characters supplied in the Button Name box. The search is not
case sensitive.
Exists
Use the options in the Exists pop-up list to specify whether or
not the button should exist.
Enabled
Use the options in the Enabled pop-up list to specify whether
QuicKeys determines that the button name you provided
should be enabled, should be dimmed, or whether its status
matters at all.
••••
146 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
Selected
Use the options in the Selected pop-up list to specify whether
QuicKeys determines that the button name you provided
should be selected by default, should not be selected by
default, or whether its status matters at all.
Cursor
Select what kind of cursor QuicKeys should be looking for. If
you select Other, you can pick from a variety of cursors.
(When/Until) Cursor
When you select the Cursor option from the When pop-up menu,
a series of cursor-specific options appears.
Figure 190:
The cursor window.
Check Cursor Outline
Select this option if you want QuicKeys to look only at the
outline of the cursor. For example, if you want QuicKeys to
search for a spinning beach ball, you probably want to select
this option since the interior of the beach ball cursor changes.
Check Cursor
Select this option if you want QuicKeys to look for the cursor
you specify.
Figure 189:
The Cursor options in the Decision Shortcut Properties
dialog.
••••
(When/Until) Menu
When you select the Menu option from the When pop-up
menu, a series of Menu-specific options appear.
147
Exists
Use the options in the Exists pop-up list to specify whether or
not the button should exist.
Enabled
Use the options in the Enabled pop-up menu to specify whether
QuicKeys determines that the menu and/or item name you
provided should be enabled, should be dimmed, or whether
its status matters at all.
Checked
Use the options in the Checked pop-up menu to specify
whether QuicKeys determines that the menu/item name you
provided should have a check mark next to it by default,
should not be selected by default, or whether the presence of a
check mark matters at all.
(When/Until) Other
When you select the Other option from the When pop-up menu,
a series of miscellaneous options appear.
Figure 191:
The Menu options in the Decision Shortcut Properties
dialog.
Browse for Menu Item
Click this button to record your menu selection. A window
appears telling you to select a menu item and QuicKeys
watches as you pick the menu item you want to use.
Menu Name
Type the name of the menu that you want the Shortcut to look
for.
Match exactly
Select these check boxes if the menu name and item name
QuicKeys searches for must exactly match the characters
supplied in the Menu Name and Item Name boxes. The search is
not case sensitive.
Item Name
Type the name of the menu item that you want the Shortcut to
look for.
Figure 192:
The Other options in the Wait Shortcut Properties dialog.
••••
148 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
Beep Sound
This option is only available for the Wait Shortcut. Use this
condition to make the Wait Shortcut pause for a beep sound
before the Sequence proceeds.
(When/Until) Window
When you select the Window option from the When pop-up
menu, a series of Window options appear.
User Action
This option is only available for the Wait Shortcut. Specify a
user action that must occur before the Sequence proceeds.
Time/Date
Select the date and time you want the Shortcut to check before
proceeding to the true or false branch.
Application
Type the name of the application you want to make sure is/is
not running before proceeding to the true or false branch of
the Sequence.
Clipboard
Specify what type of data should or should not be in the
system clipboard before the Shortcut can proceed. By default,
QuicKeys performs an ASCII comparison. Check the Numeric
Comparison check box if you want QuicKeys to instead do a
numeric comparison. For example, in an ASCII comparison,
0200 is smaller than 2. In a numeric comparison, 0200 is larger
than 2.
Figure 193:
The Window options in the Jump Shortcut Properties dialog.
Window
Choose the position of the window the Shortcut must look for.
Name
Specify the name of the window the Shortcut must look for.
Type
Specify the type of window the Shortcut must look for.
Wait Until Window
Specify the status of the window the Shortcut must look for.
If true...
This option is only available in the Decision Shortcut
Properties dialog. Type the name of the Shortcut you want
QuicKeys to branch to if all the conditions you set forth are
true.
••••
If false...
This option is only available in the Decision Shortcut
Properties dialog. Type the name of the Shortcut you want
QuicKeys to branch to if all the conditions you set forth are
false.
149
Pop-up Menu Options
Select Pop-up Menu
Click this button to record your pop-up menu selections. Your
selection populates the Name and Position boxes in the
Shortcut Properties dialog.
Jump To
This option is only available in the Jump Shortcut Properties
dialog. Type the step number you want to jump to or choose
to jump to the end of the Sequence when the conditions in the
Jump Shortcut are true.
UNCONDITIONAL SEQUENCE TOOLS
The unconditional Sequence tools available in QuicKeys
enable you to fine-tune your Sequence without having to set
up specific conditions. These Sequence tools include:
• Pop-up Menu
• Password Vault
• Repeat
• GoSub
• Message
• User/Timed Pause
Pop-up Menu
Use the Pop-up menu to select an item in a pop-up menu. This
Shortcut is extremely useful because it enables you to select
items within dialogs that may appear during your Sequence.
The Pop-up Menu plug-in is also useful outside of Sequences.
Figure 194:
The Pop-up Menu Shortcut Properties dialog.
Match exactly
When this check box is selected, the name and position of the
menu you want to locate must be typed exactly as it appears in
the software. The search is not case sensitive.
Using Pop-up Menu
Find Menu By Name
Locates the menu item in the pop-up menu by name.
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Pop-up Menu Shortcut.
Find Menu By Position
Locates the menu item by screen coordinates.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Pop-up Menu Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools >
Pop-up Menu.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog and click OK.
Click Location X/Y
The screen coordinates based on the origin you select. For
example, if you select From Top Left of Window, the origin of the
coordinates is the top left of the window in the foreground.
••••
150 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
Use modifiers
Select which modifier keys must be selected when you choose
a particular pop-up menu item.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog. Your password
will initially appear in plain text.
Password Vault
The Password Vault plug-in can be used in Sequences for
storing secure information, such as E-mail passwords. If your
passwords are entered as asterisks rather than identifiable
characters, no one standing behind you can see the passwords
you enter to access network volumes, E-mail, etc. This plug-in
is not a substitute for encryption software—it simply allows
you to safely incorporate passwords into the Sequences you
build.
Using Password Vault
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Password Vault Shortcut.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Password Vault Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > Password
Vault.
Figure 195:
The Password Vault Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
Substituting Password Vault for Type Text
If you record a Sequence that logs into a secured network area,
QuicKeys inserts a Type Text Shortcut in your Sequence in the
step where you typed your password. Because the Type Text
plug-in displays your password in plain text within
QuicKeys, you may want to substitute your Type Text
Shortcut with a Password Vault Shortcut.
When you open a Password Vault Shortcut within QuicKeys,
your password is displayed in bullets, making it more secure
if you share your computer and must leave the QuicKeys
Editor unlocked.
••••
151
To substitute the Password Vault Shortcut for the Type Text
Shortcut in your Sequence:
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > Repeat.
1. Open a Sequence that types a password in one of the steps.
Passwords are typically recorded by QuicKeys as Type Text
Shortcuts.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
2. Position the insert arrow above the Type Text step of the
Sequence and select Create > Sequence Tools > Password Vault.
3. Type your password in the Password Vault Shortcut
Properties dialog that appears and click OK. A Password
Vault Shortcut appears in your Sequence.
4. Highlight the Type Text Shortcut that enters your
password and select Delete from the Edit menu. The
Password Vault Shortcut has now replaced the Type Text
Shortcut.
5. Click OK in the Sequence Editor.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog.
Repeat Options
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Repeat plug-in.
Repeat Shortcut
Repeats the Shortcut you specify.
Play the Shortcut X
Type the name of the Shortcut you want repeated.
X Times
Choose how many times you want the specified Shortcut
repeated.
Password Vault Options
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Password Vault plug-in.
Password
The password you want the Sequence to enter for you.
Repeat
A Repeat Shortcut can be used in Shortcuts and Sequences. In
Shortcuts, Repeat can be used to replay a particular Shortcut
as many times as you specify. In Sequences, Repeat can be
used to cycle through a particular section of the Sequence as
many times as you specify—you just have to specify where
the loop begins and where it ends.
Using Repeat
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Repeat Shortcut.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Repeat Shortcut.
Figure 196:
The Repeat Shortcut Properties dialog.
Begin Repeat in Sequence
Indicates where Repeat will begin when it repeats a series of
steps in a Sequence.
••••
152 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
❖
You must create an End Repeat Shortcut in your
Sequence to terminate a Begin Repeat Shortcut.
Repeat Items between Begin and End X times
Choose how many times you want the series of steps in a
Sequence repeated.
Shortcut to Play
Type the name of the Shortcut you want GoSub to perform
before proceeding with the Sequence. You must type the name
exactly as it appears in your QuicKeys Editor Shortcuts list
because the name is sensitive to spaces.
End Repeat in Sequence
Indicates where Repeat will end when it repeats a series of
steps in a Sequence.
Prompt for Repeat Count
Displays a prompt where you can choose how many times
you want the Shortcut or steps in the Sequence to repeat.
GoSub
Use the GoSub Shortcut to perform a Shortcut you specify
before proceeding with the Sequence.
Using GoSub
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a GoSub Shortcut.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the GoSub Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > GoSub.
Figure 197:
The GoSub Shortcut Properties dialog.
Message
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog.
Use the Message Shortcut to display a modal window during
a Sequence.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
Using Message
GoSub Options
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the GoSub plug-in.
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a Message Shortcut.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the Message Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > Message.
4. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog.
5. Click OK when you are finished.
••••
Message Options
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the Message plug-in.
Message to Display
The text you type in this box displays in a modal window
similar to the one in Figure 198.
Figure 198:
153
Text Entry Field
Choose where you want to store the information provided by
the user in the Message Shortcut’s modal window. You can
store the information in the clipboard, you can type it as text
with or without a carriage return, or you can play a particular
Shortcut by name.
The Message Shortcut displays a modal window that
requires user input during the playback of a
Sequence.
Figure 199:
The Message Shortcut Properties dialog.
Display OK Button
Choose this option to display an OK button in the modal
window that appears.
Display Cancel Button
Choose this option to display a Cancel button in the modal
window that appears.
Continue automatically after X seconds
Check this option if you want the Sequence to proceed if
there’s no user input in the modal window after a specified
number of seconds.
••••
154 Chapter 14
Sequences and Sequence Tools
User/Timed Pause
Use a User/Timed Pause Shortcut to halt a Sequence at a
particular step and wait.
Using User/Timed Pause
1. Open the Sequence Editor to display the Sequence in
which you want to insert a User/Timed Pause Shortcut.
Pause for X second(s)
Specify how many seconds you want to wait before allowing
the Sequence to proceed. This option is a valuable
troubleshooting tool when you sense that QuicKeys is not
working at the same pace as the applications it is attempting
to manipulate.
2. Position the insert arrow in the location you want to insert
the User/Timed Pause Shortcut.
3. In the Sequence Editor, select Create > Sequence Tools > User/
Timed Pause.
Figure 201:
Set the length of a pause in
the Pause dialog.
Pause and wait for user
Choose this option if you want QuicKeys to require user input
before proceeding with the Sequence. For example, you might
want to pause your Sequence to enter a document name.
When you have provided the necessary information, just
press the Pause button on the Playback palette to resume the
Sequence.
Pause Stop Edit
Figure 200:
Figure 202:
Select a plug-in from the Sequence Tools submenu.
4. Select User/Timed Pause from the Create menu.
5. Complete the Shortcut Properties dialog.
6. Click OK when you are finished.
User/Timed Pause Options
This section describes the Shortcut-specific properties
available with the User/Timed Pause plug-in.
❖
The Playback Palette.
See page 48 for instructions on displaying the
Playback Palette.
••••
155
APPENDIX A
QUICKEYS EXAMPLES
••••••
Learning software is usually much easier when you can
reference existing examples of how to use it. This appendix
provides some examples of how you can use QuicKeys. While
these particular examples may not directly apply to how you
intend to use QuicKeys, they do provide striking illustrations
of how QuicKeys can save time for just about anyone who
uses a computer.
❖
Since QuicKeys functionality is based on the
applications and file locations on a specific
computer, please note that these examples are only
meant to be a springboard for your own ideas. They
are not meant to be recreated without modifications.
3. In the Page Setup dialog, select a paper size from the Paper
pop-up menu.
4. Press the Return key on your keyboard to close the Page
Setup dialog. (A button click is more reliable than a mouse
click when recording Sequences.)
5. Select Stop Recording from the QuicKeys menu. The Sequence
Editor appears with the Sequence shown in Figure 203.
USING QUICKEYS FOR DESKTOP
PUBLISHING
If you are a graphic designer or prepress expert, this example
is for you. Imagine for a moment all the projects you receive
from clients. Each project probably uses different paper sizes
that must be specified in the Page Setup dialog and making
those changes can really be time-consuming. QuicKeys can
help free up some of your time by automating the process of
changing page attributes for different print jobs.
Figure 203:
HOW TO CREATE THE SEQUENCE
This Sequence was created using QuicKeys recording. The
Sequence is scoped to FrameMaker, so it only works when
FrameMaker is the active application. Additionally, the
Sequence uses the LaserWriter 8 printer driver.
1. Select Start Recording from the QuicKeys menu.
2. Press Shift+F8 to open FrameMaker’s Page Setup dialog.
This Sequence changes your page size in the LaserWriter 8 Page
Setup dialog.
6. Type a name for the Sequence in the Name box.
7. Select the Include in QuicKeys menu check box and click OK.
Since the Shortcut is scoped to FrameMaker, it will only
appear in the QuicKeys menu when FrameMaker is the
active application.
••••
156 Appendix A
QuicKeys Examples
USING QUICKEYS WITH E-MAIL
SOFTWARE
Checking electronic mailboxes has become as commonplace
as checking the mailbox at your home. Since reading and
responding to mail now dominates a lot of computer users’
time, it is a perfect candidate for automation using QuicKeys.
This section provides two examples for using QuicKeys and
E-mail together. The first example automates the process of
switching between E-mail accounts. The second example uses
AppleScript to share information between FileMaker Pro,
QuicKeys, and your E-mail software.
CHANGING E-MAIL IDENTITIES
One task that system administrators must frequently perform
is switching between E-mail accounts. Administrators may
have to assume several different electronic identities. For
example, an administrator may have to send mail as both the
systems administrator and as an individual who works for
Company X, depending on who is receiving the
administrator’s messages. This process of changing your Email identity can be quite time-consuming, so it is an ideal
candidate for automating with a QuicKeys Sequence.
In this example, an administrator changes the account
properties in Microsoft Outlook Express to change his identity
from [email protected] to [email protected].
First, look at the illustration of the Sequence in the Sequence
Editor shown in Figure 204. Then, look at the instructions that
explain how this Sequence was created to get a feel for how
you can automate a task like this on your computer.
How To Create the Sequence
This particular Sequence was created with the recording
feature. Here’s a play-by-play of how this Sequence was built:
1. Open Outlook Express.
2. Select Start Recording from the QuicKeys menu.
3. Select Change Current User from the File menu. A prompt
appears asking you to verify that you want to close the
current account.
4. Press the return key to select Yes at the prompt.
5. Use your mouse to select a user from the window that
appears.
6. Press the Return key to choose the OK button in the Select a
user window.
••••
7. Select Stop Recording from the QuicKeys menu. The Sequence
Editor appears.
157
AUTOMATING MESSAGE CONTENT
This Shortcut was created using an AppleScript script.
QuicKeys is set up to launch the script when the Ext. bug Msg.
Shortcut is selected from the QuicKeys menu.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Create > Scripting Tools > AppleScript.
3. Select the Text radio button and click the Modify Text button
that becomes enabled.
Figure 204:
This Sequence changes logs into a different mail account
for you.
8. Name the Sequence Change mailuser.
9. Select the Include in QuicKeys menu check box to trigger this
Sequence from the QuicKeys menu.
10. Click the OK button.
AUTOMATING E-MAIL CONTENT
If you are in sales or technical support, there are probably
times when you have to E-mail customers information from
your database. For example, if a customer reports a problem
and the problem is fixed in the next software release, you may
want to paste the customer’s report into an E-mail message
and alert the customer that the problem has been fixed and he
can download the new software from your Web site.
QuicKeys can do all this for you using AppleScript.
••••
158 Appendix A
QuicKeys Examples
4. Write your script in the dialog that appears or copy it from
the Script Editor. Figure 205 shows the script in the Script
Editor.
6. Select Ignore in the Results pop-up menu.
Figure 206:
This Shortcut launches the script shown in Figure 205.
7. Click OK when you are finished.
Figure 205:
This script copies information from a database and pastes it
into an E-mail message.
5. Click OK in the Script dialog when you are finished writing
the script. The AppleScript Shortcut Properties dialog
displays the first line of the script in the Text field of the
dialog.
••••
When you trigger this Shortcut, an E-mail message similar to
the one in Figure 207 appears.
159
RECORDING FILEMAKER DATABASE LOGIN
This Sequence was recorded with QuicKeys and then
modified by removing unnecessary Waits and replacing Click
Shortcuts with Button Shortcuts where appropriate.
1. Launch FileMaker Pro.
2. Select Record Sequence from the QuicKeys menu. If you are
using the default QuicKeys settings, a recording palette
appears on your desktop.
3. In FileMaker Pro, select Open from the File menu.
4. Click Hosts in the Open dialog that appears. A Hosts window
appears.
Figure 207:
You can automate the contents of an E-mail message using
AppleScript and FileMaker Pro.
USING QUICKEYS WITH APPLESCRIPT
AND FILEMAKER
This section provides two different examples that each
automate the same task: logging into a FileMaker network
database. The first example shows how to use QuicKeys
recording to automate your database logins. The second
example shows how to use AppleScript to automate your
database logins.
Figure 208:
Click Hosts to see a list of network
database hosts.
••••
160 Appendix A
QuicKeys Examples
5. Select a volume and a host and click Open.
Figure 209:
10. Replace your Type Text Shortcut with a Password Vault
Shortcut so your password is not in plain text. See page 150
for more information on this process.
Select a host in this window.
6. Type your password at the prompt and click OK.
Figure 211:
This Sequence logs into a network database.
When you are finished, your Sequence looks similar to the one
shown in Figure 211.
Figure 210:
Type your database password at
this prompt.
7. Select Stop Recording from the QuicKeys menu. The Sequence
Editor appears.
8. Remove any unnecessary Wait Shortcuts.
9. Replace Click Shortcuts with Button Shortcuts if
applicable. For example, a Button Shortcut would be more
reliable than a Click Shortcut to select the Hosts button in
step 4.
SCRIPTING FILEMAKER DATABASE LOGIN
This Sequence opens a password protected database over the
network using FileMaker's “getURL” AppleScript command
and QuicKeys' AppleScript plug-in. FileMaker doesn't
support AppleScripting of the password for “getURL,“ so you
must manually insert a QuicKeys Password Vault Shortcut in
the Sequence.
1. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
2. Select Create > Sequence. The Sequence Editor appears.
3. Select Create > Scripting Tools > AppleScript in the Sequence
Editor.
••••
4. In the AppleScript Shortcut Properties dialog, select the Text
radio button and click the Modify Text button that becomes
enabled. The Script dialog appears.
161
8. Select Ignore from the Results pop-up menu and click OK to
close the Shortcut Properties dialog and display the
Sequence Editor.
5. Write your script in the Script dialog or copy it from the
Script Editor. Figure 212 shows the script in the Script
dialog.
6. Click OK when you are finished with your script. The
AppleScript Shortcut Properties dialog appears with the
first line of the script listed in the Text field.
Figure 213:
The AppleScript Shortcut Properties dialog as it appears after
you select a script.
Inserting Password Information
Figure 212:
This script logs into a network database.
7. Type a name for the Shortcut in the Name box. For
example, type FMP-get URL.
1. With the Sequence Editor still open, position your insert
arrow below the FMP-get URL Shortcut.
2. Select Create > Sequence Tools > Password Vault to open the
Password Vault Shortcut Properties dialog.
3. Complete the Password Vault dialog and click OK. The
Password Vault Shortcut appears immediately after the
Startup Script Shortcut.
4. In the Sequence Editor, position your insert arrow in the
step before the Password Vault Shortcut and select Create >
Sequence Tools > Wait.
5. In the Wait dialog, choose to have QuicKeys wait until a
dialog with specific attributes appears.
••••
162 Appendix A
QuicKeys Examples
6. Insert a Button Shortcut at the end of the Sequence that
uses the Always Clicks Button option.
2. Open the QuicKeys Editor.
7. Type a name and a keystroke for the Sequence in the
appropriate boxes. The finished script will look similar to
the one shown in Figure 214.
4. Select the Text radio button and click the Modify Text button.
3. Select Create > Scripting Tools > DoScript in the Sequence Editor.
5. Type Startup in the Script dialog that appears and click OK.
This will cause the DoScript plug-in to start the FileMaker
script named "Startup." Any FileMaker script may be
started by placing its name in a DoScript shortcut that is
pointed at FileMaker. This feature only works in the
frontmost window of FileMaker.
6. In the DoScript Shortcut Properties dialog, select Ignore
from the Results pop-up window.
Figure 214:
The finished scripted database login.
8. Click OK in the Sequence Editor when you are finished.
USING DOSCRIPT WITH FILEMAKER
1. Write a FileMaker Pro script and name the script “Startup.”
When you are finished, the script should be available from
FileMaker Pro’s Script menu.
Figure 216:
The name of the script appears in the DoScript Shortcut
Properties dialog after it is selected.
7. Position your cursor in the Keystroke box and press
Control+F1.
8. Position your cursor in the Name box and type Startup Script.
9. Click OK when you are finished.
Figure 215:
The FileMaker Pro Script menu.
••••
USING QUICKEYS FOR WEB
DEVELOPMENT
The Web site manager job is one of today’s least well-defined
jobs. It crosses the boundaries of marketing, advertising, and
technology. The nature of the job places Web site managers at
the heart of many of the company’s critical activities and the
end results are seen by thousands, perhaps even millions, of
people.
While the tools for creating Web sites and Web pages have
evolved significantly in the past few years, the fact remains
that there is still substantial room for increased productivity.
Most Web site managers have to use a variety of tools to
handle the myriad tasks of creating and maintaining a web
site. A typical toolkit may look something like this:
• Text editor
• Java Editor
• Page editor
• FTP client
• Browser(s)
• Graphics editor
• E-mail client
While some tools combine a few of these functions, there is
still no single solution that embraces all of the features and
functions listed above. As a consequence, using these tools
collectively is a challenge. However, QuicKeys for Mac can
help you meet the challenges facing most Web site managers
by providing measurable improvements in productivity,
fewer errors, and general workload reduction.
SOLUTIONS FOR WEB SITE MANAGERS
The key to effective Web site management is to be organized
and to work quickly and accurately. The challenge is to
effectively use the wide array of tools to manage the contents
so that the site is up-to-date and works correctly. QuicKeys
can act as a major productivity enhancer in this environment.
163
QuicKeys doesn’t represent one specific solution, but rather a
collection of solutions that, applied to the Web site manager’s
tasks, can yield substantial savings in time and greater
efficiency.
The most powerful aspect of QuicKeys for the Web site
manager is the ability to record a sequence of actions and then
play them back. For example, launching an FTP client, typing
in user and password information, changing directories, and
even moving files around can all be part of a QuicKeys
Sequence. You can customize your favorite page editor so that
changing typeface, font size and style is no longer a series of
mouse clicks, but rather a faster and more reliable QuicKeys
Sequence, all driven from a single key press. Image editors
can replay Sequences that change image sizes, bit-depth and
other elements and then saves and names the files.
The recording feature of QuicKeys can create very long and
involved Sequences. One of the biggest strengths of this
function is that it provides an automation solution that works
with virtually all of the applications a Web site manager must
use. And best of all, no scripting or programming is necessary
to get a Sequence recorded.
To illustrate a small sample of what QuicKeys recording can
do for you as a Web site manager, the following section details
the creation of a Sequence that starts the Fetch application and
logs into a frequently used FTP site.
To get a feel for how this Sequence was built, look at the
illustration of the Sequence in the Sequence Editor shown in
Figure 219. Then look at the instructions that explain how this
Sequence was created to get a feel for how you can automate a
task similar to this on your computer.
••••
164 Appendix A
QuicKeys Examples
HOW TO CREATE THE SEQUENCE
The following is a play-by-play of how this Sequence was
built.
4. Press the return key when you complete the New
Connection dialog. A list of directories appears.
Open a frequently-used FTP site
1. Launch the Fetch application.
2. Select Start Recording from the QuicKeys menu.
3. In the New Connection dialog that appears when you open
Fetch, type your login information. Press the tab key to
move between dialog entries.
Figure 218:
Figure 217:
The Fetch login dialog.
The list of directories shown in a Fetch dialog.
5. Select the directories you want to open with the “Type to”
feature. In other words, press “I” and “N” on your
keyboard to select the “Info” directory shown in
Figure 218.
6. Press the Return key when the directory you want to open
is selected.
••••
7. Select Stop Recording from the QuicKeys menu. The Sequence
Editor appears.
Figure 219:
The steps required to automate the process of logging into
an FTP site.
8. Name the FTP Sequence Fetch FTP and assign it a trigger.
9. Click the OK button to save your new Sequence and close
the Sequence Editor.
10. Click the close box to close the Editor window.
165
••••
167
APPENDIX B:
OMITTING MODIFIED FILES
••••••
The Project Saver plug-in, File Recall plug-in, and a
component of the Instant E-mail plug-in all scan your local
drives looking for recently modified files. There may be
occasions when you do not want certain files to be selected in
these scans, such as when you have been exploring several
Web sites that have been cached on your system. This
appendix provides instructions for omitting unwanted files
from your scans of recently modified files.
Comment
character
This description of Type and Creator codes
has been commented out. You can type
this information after the comment
characters to help you keep track of which
files are being omitted.
ADDING FILES TO THE OMITTED FILE LIST
1. Open the :System Folder:Preferences:QuicKeys
Folder:Omitted File List. The Omitted File List opens in a
text editor, such as SimpleText.
2. Supply Type and Creator Code information in the left column.
See
❖
If you do not know Type and Creator codes for your
applications, you can locate this information with
shareware, such as FileTyper, or you can extract the
information using the File Handler dialog shown in
Figure 111 on page 80.
Type and
Creator
codes
Figure 220:
The omitted file list.
3. Type two backslashes to comment out the description of
the File Type and Creator.
4. Insert a carriage return at the end of the entry.
5. Save the file and close it.
••••
168 Appendix b:
Omitting Modified Files
FORMAT
The format of the Omitted File List is:
<four character file type><four character file
creator><//><Comment of any length><carriage
return>
••••
169
APPENDIX C
QUICKEYS SCRIPT
••••••
QuicKeys Script is a scripting language based on QuicKeys
commands. When you create macros in the Script Editor or
any other OSA-compliant editor (Open Scripting
Architecture), QuicKeys Script is one of the scripting
languages you can choose. QuicKeys Script is easy to
understand because English-like QuicKeys commands are
used to create a QuicKeys Script. QuicKeys Script is displayed
in QuicKeys Sequences when you select the option to “Show
Additional Information” in the Sequence Editor.
▲ The QuicKeys Backgrounder must be running for
QuicKeys Script to function properly.
WHO CAN USE QUICKEYS SCRIPT?
You can use QuicKeys Script with any OSA-compliant
scripting editor. The most common scripting editor is Apple’s
Script Editor. Once you are familiar with the Script Editor’s
interface you can record scripts in QuicKeys Script. If you are
unfamiliar with these, consult Apple documentation before
reading about QuicKeys Script. You do not have to be a
computer programmer to use QuicKeys Script. However, if
you are an advanced user, you may wish to write and edit
scripts using the Language Syntax Reference section of this
document.
WHEN TO USE QUICKEYS SCRIPT AND
APPLESCRIPT
The Script Editor allows you to record and edit scripts in
either QuicKeys Script or AppleScript. As a QuicKeys user,
you will find the commands used in QuicKeys Scripts
familiar. The commands use QuicKeys terminology, such as
the names of shortcuts and plug-ins. Follow the guidelines
below when determining whether you should use QuicKeys
Script or AppleScript when creating a script.
QUICKEYS SCRIPT
Use QuicKeys Script to create scripts for any program,
regardless of whether it supports AppleScript.
APPLESCRIPT
Use AppleScript to create scripts only for applications that
support the AppleScript language. The program’s packaging
usually indicates if it supports AppleScript.
QUICKEYS SCRIPT RECORDING
QuicKeys is a powerful program, even without its added
scripting capabilities. However, you can handle some tasks
better using a script editor.
USING THE SCRIPT EDITOR
In the following example, you will create a QuicKeys Script
script in the Script Editor that takes information on the
Clipboard and pastes it in the Scrapbook.
••••
170 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
Creating a Script
1. Open the Script Editor.
2. Type a meaningful description of the script in the
Definition field. For this example, type Copy to Scrapbook.
You will notice that the Check Syntax button is unavailable
since you have not made any changes to the script. If you do
make changes, the Check Syntax button becomes available
so you can check the script for errors.
3. Select QuicKeys from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the
Editor window.
The Result window is empty because the script does not
produce a result.
4. Put meaningful information onto the Clipboard. You need
to have information on the Clipboard for this example. To
do this:
If you would like to use this script later, select Save or Save As in
the File menu.
•Open any word processor.
•Type some text to activate the Copy command in the Edit
menu.
•Highlight the text, and then select Copy in the Edit menu.
You now have information on the Clipboard.
5. Return to the Script Editor.
Recording a Script
1. Click the Record button to begin recording the script.
•Open the Scrapbook in the Apple menu.
•Select Paste in the Edit menu. The information you
copied in Step 4 should appear in the Scrapbook.
•Select Close in the File menu.
2. Click in the Script Editor window so it is the frontmost
window, and then click the Stop button. The script has
been written for you in the Script Editor window.
Playing a Script
Click the Run button to play your script. Playing the script
verifies the accuracy of the script. To cancel playback, press
Command-Period.
Refer to the Language Syntax Reference section to better
understand the script you just recorded.
❖
If the script does not play correctly, you will need to
edit the script. Read each command line of the
script, and refer to the Language Syntax Reference
section for descriptions of the commands.
QUICKEYS SCRIPT WRITING AND EDITING
Knowing how to edit a script can be a time-saver. You can add
commands to and remove commands from a script, or create a
script without recording. Otherwise, start over and record
your script from the beginning.
This example describes how to use the Script Editor to write a
script that turns your desktop grid on. Turning the grid on
snaps icons on the desktop to an organized position. If you do
not have a script to do this for you, you must open the View
Options dialog and select the Always snap to grid radio button.
SETTING THE OPTIONS
1. Open the Script Editor to create a new script.
2. In the Definition field, type Turn on grid.
3. Select QuicKeys from the pop-up menu at the bottom of the
window.
••••
WRITING THE SCRIPT
The following script assumes you are displaying Finder
windows using the as Icons view.
1. Click in the script window to type the script.
❖
You must use smart quotes (" "), as opposed to
typographer’s or curly quotes, when writing a
script.
2. In line 1 of the script, use the QuicKeys App Switcher
Shortcut to make the Finder active.
3. In line 2, type Menu "View Options" from "View". This command
selects the View Options option from the View menu.
4. In line 3, type: Wait Window Name_is "View Options". This
command uses a Wait shortcut to wait for the View Options
window to appear.
5. In line 4, type: Button "Always snap to grid". This command
enables the Always snap to grid option using a Button Shortcut.
6. In line 5, type Button "OK" to click the OK button in the View
Options window.
TESTING THE SCRIPT
Click the Run button to try the script. Notice how the icons on
your desktop snap into position when the grid is turned on. If
your script is not working properly, make sure you typed each
line correctly. Now that you have learned how to write a basic
script, practice writing and editing others. Refer to the
instructions and examples in the following section as needed.
LANGUAGE SYNTAX REFERENCE
BUILT-IN COMMANDS
AliasKeystroke
Types a keystroke.
Keyword
Usage
Description
AliasKeystroke
Required
Command
ModKey
Optional
Which Modifiers to depress
%keycode
Required
Which key to type using Macintosh
key code values. To get the correct
keycode, put the Script Editor into
Record mode and record the
keystroke.
(asciicharacter)
Ignored
A user readable value.
Usage
AliasKeystroke CMD-OPT %0 (A)
Figure 221:
The Snap To Grid script in the Script Editor.
171
••••
172 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
Button
Click
Clicks the mouse on a button on the front window.
Depresses and releases the mouse at defined locations. If a
ButtonSpec is included, the starting coordinate is ignored.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Button
Required
Command
"Button Title”
Required
Name of button to access
ButtonTest
Optional
Only click based on current value
Usage
Button "OK"
Keyword
Usage
Description
Click
Required
Command
MouseLoc
Required
Location of start of click
-MouseLoc
Optional
Location of click release (used for
dragging)
#clicks
Optional
Number of times the mouse is
clicked
ModKey
Optional
Which Modifiers to depress
WindowSpec
Optional
Which Window to click in
ButtonSpec
Optional
Which button to click in
Button "Font Substitution?" If_Off
Usage
Click (10,10 Top_Left) - (0,0 Mouse) #2 Window #1 ("Untitled-1")
Button#1 ("OK")
Click (100,100 Screen) - (20,20 Screen) SHIFT-OPT
Click (-10,-10 Bottom_Right) - (-100, -100 Mouse) Window
"MyDocument"
••••
DateTime
FileLaunch
Type the current date or time.
Open a file or folder.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
DateTime
Required
Command
FileLaunch
Required
Command
ShortDate
OnlyOne
Displays the date in the format set
in the Date/Time control panel.
"Path"
OnlyOne
Full path of the application,
document, or folder
Long_Date
OnlyOne
Displays the date in the format set
in the Date/Time control panel.
System_Folder
OnlyOne
The system folder
Trash_Folder
OnlyOne
The trash folder
Apple_Menu_
Folder
OnlyOne
The Apple menu items folder
Long_Date_Abbr
OnlyOne
Displays the date in the format set
in the Date/Time control panel.
Long_No_Date
OnlyOne
Date as April 6, 1999
Short_No_Date
OnlyOne
Date as Apr 6, 1999
Long_Alt
OnlyOne
Date as 6 April 1999
Short_Alt
OnlyOne
Date as 6 Apr 1999
YYMMDD
OnlyOne
Date as 99/04/06
Short_Time
OnlyOne
Displays the time in the format set
in the Date/Time control panel.
Long_Time
OnlyOne
Displays the time in the format set
in the Date/Time control panel.
TwentyFourHr
Usage
DateTime Long_Day
DateTime HHMM
OnlyOne
Time as 15:50
Control_Panels_Fo OnlyOne
lder
The Control Panels folder
Extensions_
Folder
OnlyOne
The extensions folder
Preferences_
Folder
OnlyOne
The preferences folder
Usage
FileLaunch "Harddisk:System Folder:Control Panels:QuicKeys"
FileLaunch "Harddisk:CalendarMaker"
FileLaunch Control_Panels_Folder
FileLaunch System_Folder
173
••••
174 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
FKey
Menu
Causes an FKEY installed in the system to execute.
Selects a menu item. If #MenuItemPosition is specified, the "Menu Item
Title" is ignored.
Keyword
Usage
Description
FKEY
Required
Command
#identifier
Required
Which FKEY to execute
Usage
FKEY #3 ; Trigger the screen shot
Keyword
Usage
Description
Menu
Required
Command
"Menu Item Title"
Required
The title of the menu item
#MenuItem Position Optional
Select menu item by position
Exactly
Optional
The title must match exactly
From "Menu Title"
Optional
Which menu to find menu item
Apple_Menu
Optional
Find in Apple Menu
ModKey
Optional
Which Modifiers to depress
Ignore_Errors
Optional
Do not report error messages
Usage
Menu "DiskTop" Apple_Menu
Menu "Save" Exactly From "File" Ignore_Errors
••••
Mousies
Mousies
Perform mouse actions on the front window.
Usage
Keyword
Usage
Description
Mousies Close_Window
Mousies
Required
Command
Mousies Zoom_Window
Close_Window
OnlyOne
Click in the close box of the front
window
Mousies Home
Zoom_Window
OnlyOne
Click in the zoom box of the front
window
Collapse_Window
OnlyOne
Click in the collapse box of the front
window
Line_up
OnlyOne
Click in the up arrow of a scroll bar
Line_Down
OnlyOne
Click in the down arrow of a scroll
bar
Page_up
OnlyOne
Click in the page up area of a scroll
bar
Page_Down
OnlyOne
Click in the page down area of a
scroll bar
Home
OnlyOne
Drag the thumb to top of scroll bar
End
OnlyOne
Drag the thumb to the bottom of a
scroll bar
Column_Left
OnlyOne
Click in the left arrow of a scroll bar
Column_Right
OnlyOne
Click in the right arrow of a scroll bar
Page_Left
OnlyOne
Click in the page left area of a scroll
bar
Page_Right
OnlyOne
Click in the page right area of a
scroll bar
175
••••
176 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
Pause
Specials
Pauses the system. Useful if QuicKeys is operating too quickly during a
script.
A collection of actions to control QuicKeys.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Pause
Required
Command
Secs.tenths
OnlyOne
Pause in seconds dot tenths of a
second
And_Wait
OnlyOne
Pause the sequence indefinitely
Usage
Keyword
Usage
Description
Specials
Required
Command
Editor
OnlyOne
Open the QuicKeys Editor
Transfer
OnlyOne
Display a file selection dialog and
launch selection
Shut_Down
OnlyOne
Shutdown the system
Restart
OnlyOne
Restart the system
Select_Rear_
Window
OnlyOne
Select the rear window of current
application
Select_Second_
Window
OnlyOne
Select second window of current
application
QuickQuotes
OnlyOne
Performs the QuickQuotes action
Double_
QuickQuotes
OnlyOne
Performs the Double QuickQuotes
action
Quick_Reference
OnlyOne
Display the QuickReference card
Toggle_QuicKeys
OnlyOne
Enable / Disable QuicKeys
Pause 3.0
Usage
Specials Restart
Specials Select_Rear_Window
••••
177
PLUG-IN COMMANDS
TypeText
Type a series of characters into the front most window.
AppSwitcher
Keyword
Usage
Description
Control the front application.
TypeText
Required
Command
Keyword
Usage
Description
The text to type
AppSwitcher
Required
Command
"Process Name"
OnlyOne
Name of application to bring to
front
Back
OnlyOne
Switch to application in back
Ask
OnlyOne
Display a window asking the user
for application
Previous
OnlyOne
Switch to application that
previously was in front
Next
OnlyOne
Switch to next application
Hide
Optional
Hide current application
"Characters to type" Required
Usage
TypeText "Clive Brown\RCE Software, Inc\R515-221-1801\R"
TypeText "Sincerely,\RClive Brown\R"
Usage
AppSwitcher "Finder" Hide
AppSwitcher Ask
••••
178 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
AppleScript
AppleScript
Execute an AppleScript. If Open_Clipboard is specified, the script
routine On Open QkClipboard is called, and provides a variable titled
"QKClipboard" which contains the clipboard.
Usage
Keyword
Usage
Description
AppleScript
Required
Command
PathToScript
Optional
File name of the AppleScript
Open_Clipboard
Optional
Call the script routine "On Open
QkClipboard"
Wait_Result
OnlyOne
Waits for the result before allowing
QuicKeys to continue.
Ignore_Result
OnlyOne
Ignores the result.
Type_Result
OnlyOne
Types the results of the script.
Waits for the result before allowing
other Quickeys actions to
continue.
Display_Result
OnlyOne
Displays the results of the script.
Waits for the result before allowing
other Quickeys actions to
continue.
Clipboard_Result
OnlyOne
Places the results of the script
onto the clipboard. Waits for the
result before allowing other
Quickeys actions to continue.
Embedded
AppleScript
Optional
The AppleScript, terminated with
««.»» and a return.
AppleScript "Harddrive:MyScripts:BackUp"
AppleScript Display_Result Open_Clipboard On open QKClipboard
Beep 3
set x to QKClipboard & "'s length is " & Length of QKClipboard
x
end open
««.»»
**Note: You must have a Return after the »» characters.
••••
Choosy
Decision
Change the current printer. Network printers will require specifying the
printer name and zone.
Perform a branch operation
179
Keyword
Usage
Description
Decision
Required
Command
System
Condition
Required
What type of condition to examine
The name of the printer driver
The network name of the printer
True_Shortcut
"name"
Optional
Optional
If condition is true, branch to this
shortcut
The network zone for the printer
False_Shortcut
"name"
Optional
Zone "Zone Name" Optional
If condition is false, branch to this
shortcut
Report_Success
If specified, report that the
selection was made
Keyword
Usage
Description
Choosy
Required
Command
"PrinterDriver
Name"
Required
Printer "Printer
Name"
Optional
Usage
Choosy "StyleWriter"
Choosy "LaserWriter" Printer "Main LaserWriter" Zone "Second Floor"
Usage
Decision Button "Replace" exact enabled True_Shortcut "Replace"
False_Shortcut "Remove"
••••
180 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
Folders
GoSub
Change the folder shown in the Open and Save As dialogs.
Call another sequence.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Folders
Required
Command
Gosub
Required
Command
"Path to Folder"
OnlyOne
Change to this folder
"Sequence Name"
Required
Name of sequence to run
Restore
OnlyOne
Change back to previous folder
Usage:
Usage:
Gosub "SetUpPrinter"
Folders "Harddisk:Applications:"
Gosub "LogOnSequence"
Folders Restore
••••
Jump
Message
Jump over a few steps based on condition.
Display a dialog box.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Jump
Required
Command
Message
Required
Command
SystemCondition
Required
What type of condition to examine
"Message Text"
Required
Text to display in a dialog box
Step ##
Required
Step number to go to if the condition
is true
Cancel
Optional
Show a Cancel button
Continue ##
Optional
Hide dialog and continue after ##
seconds
Usage:
Menu "Save As"
Usage:
Button "Save"
Message "Preparing to run sequence" Continue 10
Pause 0.5
Message "Shall I erase your floppy disk?" Cancel
Jump button "Replace" not_exists Step 1
Button "Replace"
181
••••
182 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
Mounty
PowerBook
Mount a file server. To mount the volume using AppleTalk, the Zone
and Server parameters must be specified. To mount the volume using
TCP/IP, the Server_Addr parameter must be supplied.
A collection of actions for PowerBook users.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
PowerBook
Required
Command
Mounty
Required
Command
Sleep
OnlyOne
Put PowerBook to sleep
As_Guest
Optional
Mount using the guest account
Shutdown
OnlyOne
Shutdown PowerBook
Ask_Password
Optional
Ask for the password
Show_Cursor
OnlyOne
Show location of the cursor
Ask_User
Optional
Ask for the user name
Spindown
OnlyOne
Spin harddisk off
Zone "Zone Name"
Required
(AT)
The AppleTalk zone the server is
in
Toggle_
Backlighting
OnlyOne
Toggle Backlighting setting
Server "Server
Name"
Required
(AT)
The network name of the server
Battery
OnlyOne
Show Battery
Backlighting_On
OnlyOne
Turn backlighting on
Volume "Volume
Name"
Required
The volume of the server to
mount
Backlighting_Off
OnlyOne
Turn backlighting off
User "User Name"
Optional
The account name to connect to
the server
Toggle_dimming
OnlyOne
Toggle dimming
Dim
OnlyOne
Dim the screen
Undim
OnlyOne
Stop dimming the screen
Disable_rest
OnlyOne
Disable resting
Enable_rest
OnlyOne
Enable Resting
Password "password" Optional
What password to use
Volume_Password
Optional
Password for volume access
Server_TCP_
Address
Required
(IP)
TCP/IP Address for server
Usage:
Usage:
Mounty Ask_User Zone "R&D" Server "PlantsServer" Volume "MPW
Tools"
PowerBook Sleep
PowerBook Toggle_Backlighting
PowerBook Show_Cursor
••••
183
PopUp
Repeat Begin
Make a selection from a popup menu.
Start repeating a series of steps (a Repeat End statement is required).
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Popup
Required
Command
Repeat Begin
Required
Command
"Menu Item Title"
OnlyOne
Text of menu item
#Count
Required
The number of times to repeat
#MenuItem
Position
OnlyOne
Index of menu item
Ask_User
Optional
Prompt the user for number of times
to repeat
Exactly
Optional
Text must match exactly
Usage:
MouseLoc
Required
Where to click to make menu appear
Repeat Begin ask user
Usage:
Popup "Internal" (338,42 Top_Left)
Popup "QuicKeys" (100,100 Screen)
••••
184 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
Repeat End
ScrapEase
Stop repeating a series of steps.
Move clippings to and from QuicKeys clipboards.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Repeat End
Required
Command
ScrapEase
Required
Command
Copy
OnlyOne
Store selection into QuicKeys
clipboard
Paste
OnlyOne
Paste from QuicKeys clipboard
Type
OnlyOne
Type from the QuicKeys clipboard
"Name of Clipping" Optional
Name of clipping to paste / type
Ask_User
Ask the user for which clipping to
paste / type
Optional
Usage:
ScrapEase Copy
ScrapEase Type "Sample Paragraph One"
ScrapEase Paste Ask_User
••••
ScreenEase
Sound
Change monitor settings.
Play a sound.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
ScreenEase
Required
Command
Sound
Required
Command
MonitorSpec
Optional
Supply to change only some
monitors
"Name of sound"
Required
Name of sound to play
B_W
OnlyOne
Change to Black & White
Grays
OnlyOne
Change to grayscale settings
Color
OnlyOne
Change color settings
Depth
OnlyOne
Change screen depth
MonitorDepth
Spec
Required
New settings value
Permanent
Optional
Will changes last over restart
Usage:
ScreenEase B_W
ScreenEase Color
ScreenEase Monitor #3 Depth Increase Permanent
Usage
Sound "Wild Eep"
Sound "Droplet"
185
••••
186 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
SpeakEase
SpeakerChanger
Speak text.
Change computer volume.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
SpeakEase
Required
Command
SpeakerChanger
Required
Command
Speak_Clipboard
OnlyOne
Speak the contents of the
clipboard
Up
OnlyOne
Increase volume
"Text to speak"
OnlyOne
What text to speak
Down
OnlyOne
Decrease volume
Volume #n
OnlyOne
Set volume to range (0 thru 7)
Beep
Optional
Play a sound after volume is
changed
Voice "Voice Name" Optional
What voice to use to speak
Usage
SpeakEase "The download has finished"
Usage
SpeakEase Speak_Clipboard Voice "Zarvox"
SpeakerChanger Up Beep
SpeakerChanger Down
SpeakerChanger Volume 0
SpeakerChanger Volume 7
••••
MacOS
Wait
Collection of controls for the system.
Wait for a condition to be true.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
MacOS
Required
Command
Wait
Required
Command
Show_Balloons
OnlyOne
Show balloon help
SystemConditionSpec OnlyOne
Hide_Balloons
OnlyOne
Hide balloon help
Toggle_Balloons
OnlyOne
Toggle balloon help
Next_Application
OnlyOne
Go to next application
Last_Application
OnlyOne
Go to previous application
Start_FileSharing
OnlyOne
Turn on file sharing
Stop_FileSharing
OnlyOne
Turn off file sharing
Usage
Wait Application "Finder"
Wait Application "Word" running
Wait Window name_is "Untitled_1"
Wait Cursor is_not watch
Usage
MacOS Start_FileSharing
MacOS Next_Application
187
What system
condition to wait for
••••
188 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
ApplicationConditionSpec
ButtonSpec
Check to see if an application is running.
Define a specific button to click.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Application
Required
Command
Button
Required
Start of structure
"Application Title"
Required
Title of Application
"Button Title"
Optional
Title of Button
running
OnlyOne
true is application is running
#control number
Required
Which control (in control list) to
check
not_running
OnlyOne
true if application is not running
ButtonTest
Optional
Control when to click
••••
ButtonTest
ButtonConditionSpec
Only click or select a button based on its current state.
Check to see if a button exists, is enabled, etc.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
If_Off
OnlyOne
Only if control is currently off
(unchecked)
Button
Required
Command
If_On
OnlyOne
Only if control is currently on
(checked)
"Button Title"
Required
Title of Button
exact
Optional
Match title exactly
not_exists
OnlyOne
true if button does not exist
enabled
OnlyOne
true if button is enabled
not_enabled
OnlyOne
true if button is not enabled
selected
OnlyOne
true if button is selected
not_selected
OnlyOne
true if button is not selected
189
••••
190 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
ClipboardConditionSpec
ClipboardConditionSpec
Check to see if the clipboard exists, contains text, etc.
less_than_equal
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value less than or
equal to Compare String
"CompareString"
Optional
Text for comparison
Numeric
Optional
Number for comparison
Keyword
Usage
Description
Clipboard
Required
Command
empty
OnlyOne
true if clipboard is empty
not_empty
OnlyOne
true if clipboard is not empty
text
OnlyOne
true if clipboard contains text
not_text
OnlyOne
true if clipboard does not contain
text
type
OnlyOne
true if clipboards type matches
Compare String
not_type
OnlyOne
true if clipboard type does not
match Compare String
equals
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value equals
Compare String
not_equals
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value does not
equal Compare String
contains
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value contains
Compare String
not_contains
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value does not
contain Compare String
greater_than
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value is greater
than Compare String
less_than
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value is less than
Compare String
greater_than_
equal
OnlyOne
true if clipboard value greater than
or equal to Compare String
••••
CursorSpec
DateTimeConditionSpec
Definition of a cursor.
191
Keyword
Usage
Description
Check to see if a button exists, is enabled, etc. The ”Until” keyword is
used for Wait Shortcuts and the “If_After” keyword is used for Jump and
Decision Shortcuts.
Ball
OnlyOne
A beachball cursor is being shown
Keyword
Usage
Description
Watch
OnlyOne
A watch cursor is being shown
Until HH:MM
OnlyOne
An alternate cursor is being
shown; defined in hex values
true if after hour and minute
specified
Until HH:MM:SS
OnlyOne
true if after hour, minute and
seconds specified
Until MM/DD/YY
Optional
true if after date specified
If_After HH:MM
OnlyOne
true if after hour and minute
specified
If_After HH:MM:SS OnlyOne
true if after hour, minute and
seconds specified
If_After MM/DD/YY Optional
true if after date specified
AM
Optional
Time specified is morning
PM
Optional
Time specified is afternoon
Other "Hex Cursor" OnlyOne
CursorconditionSpec
Check to see if a button is enabled, etc.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Cursor
Required
Command
is_not
OnlyOne
true if cursor specified is not visible
changes
OnlyOne
true if cursor specified changes
CursorSpec
Optional
Definition of the cursor to check
Ignore_outline
Optional
Look at content of the cursor, not
just its shape
Check_Cursor
Optional
Look at the shape and content
••••
192 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
EdgeDefinition
EventConditionSpec
Define the point of origin for coordinates.
Return true if this event has occurred.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Mouse
OnlyOne
Relative to the current mouse
position
Click
OnlyOne
true if a click has occurred
Screen
OnlyOne
Relative to the complete screen
return
OnlyOne
true if return has been pressed
Top_Left
OnlyOne
Relative to the top left corner of the
front window
enter
OnlyOne
true if enter has been pressed
space
OnlyOne
true if space has been pressed
escape
OnlyOne
true if escape has been pressed
tab
OnlyOne
true if tab has been pressed
any_key
OnlyOne
true if any key has been pressed
Top_Right
OnlyOne
Relative to the top right corner of
the front window
Bottom_Left
OnlyOne
Relative to the bottom left corner
of the front window
Bottom_Right
OnlyOne
Relative to the bottom right corner
of the front window
••••
MenuConditionSpec
ModKey
Check a menu item.
Defines a series of modifiers to depress for various actions.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Menu
Required
Command
"Menu Title"
Required
Title of the menu
Item
Required
Command
"Menu Item"
Required
Title of menu item
exact_menu
Optional
The menu title must match exactly
exact_item
Optional
The menu item must match exactly
checked
OnlyOne
true if menu item is checked
not_checked
OnlyOne
true if menu item is not checked
enabled
OnlyOne
true if menu item is enabled
not_enabled
OnlyOne
true if menu item is not enabled
item_exists
OnlyOne
true if menu item exists
item_not_exists
OnlyOne
true if menu item does not exist
NOTE: If multiple keywords are used they must be delimited with a
dash.
Keyword
Usage
Description
CMD
Optional
Depress Command Key
OPT
Optional
Depress Option Key
SHIFT
Optional
Depress Shift Key
CTRL
Optional
Depress Control Key
Examples:
CMD-SHIFT ; Depress Both the Command and Shift Keys
193
••••
194 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
MonitorSpec
MonitorDepthSpec
Specify a specific monitor.
Settings for a monitor.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
Monitor #n
OnlyOne
Which monitor to change
1
OnlyOne
Change to B&W
Monitor_Mouse
OnlyOne
Monitor defined by mouse location
4
OnlyOne
Change to 4 colors
16
OnlyOne
Change to 16 colors
256
OnlyOne
Change to 256 colors
Thousands
OnlyOne
Change to Thousands
Millions
OnlyOne
Change to Millions
Decrease
OnlyOne
Decrease Setting
Increase
OnlyOne
Increase Setting
Minimum
OnlyOne
Set to minimum supported setting
Maximum
OnlyOne
Set to maximum supported setting
••••
195
MouseLoc
SystemCondition
Define a location on the screen for mouse clicking.
Only click or select a button based on its current state.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Keyword
Usage
Description
(
Required
Start of structure
ApplicationCondition
Spec
OnlyOne
Check to see if an application is
running
X Offset
Required
Pixels from left edge
Check a button
Required
Pixels from top edge
ButtonCondition
Spec
OnlyOne
Y Offset
EdgeDefinition
Required
Define where coordinates are
relative to
Clipboard
ConditionSpec
OnlyOne
Check the clipboard
)
Required
End of structure
MenuCondition
Spec
OnlyOne
Check a menu item
DateTime
ConditionSpec
OnlyOne
Check the time
Window
ConditionSpec
OnlyOne
Check a window
Beep
OnlyOne
Check for a beep (Wait only)
Event
ConditionSpec
OnlyOne
Check for an event (Wait only)
CursorConditionSpec OnlyOne
Check the cursor
••••
196 Appendix C
QuicKeys Script
WindowConditionSpec
WindowSpec
Check the settings of a window.
Define a specific window to click in. NOTE: The Window Title, if
specified, overrides the window position setting.
Keyword
Usage
Description
Window
Required
Command
any_window
Optional
Check for any open window, rather
than just first
name_is
OnlyOne
name of window matches
CmpTitle
name_is_not
OnlyOne
name of window does not match
CmpTitle
name_contains
OnlyOne
name of window contains
CmpTitle
name_not_
contains
OnlyOne
name of window does not contain
CmpTitle
"CmpTitle"
Optional
Title used for previous settings
dialog
OnlyOne
front window is a dialog box
not_dialog
OnlyOne
front window is not a dialog box
system
OnlyOne
front window is a system window
(driver, desk acc.)
not_system
OnlyOne
front window is not a system
window
document
OnlyOne
front window is a document
not_document
OnlyOne
front window is not a document
not_exists
OnlyOne
true if window does not exist (Wait
only)
changes_order
OnlyOne
true if windows change order (Wait
only)
Keyword
Usage
Description
Window
Required
Start of structure
"Window Title"
OnlyOne
Title of window
#window number
OnlyOne
Which window (from front window)
to click
••••
197
••••
199
GLOSSARY
••••••
application toolbar—The bar of graphical buttons available in
the interface of some applications that enables you to
complete basic functions, such as printing, with a mouse click.
clip—Items stored in the QuicKeys clipboard for the Scrap
Ease plug-in.
clipboard—The system’s holding area for an item selected
using the cut or copy feature.
contextual menu—The menu that appears when you Controlclick your mouse.
dialog—Part of the software interface that contains command
buttons and various kinds of options through which you can
carry out a particular command or task.
filters—QuicKeys filters enable you to choose which Shortcuts you view within the QuicKeys Editor and the QuickReference Card.
QuicKeys menu—The menu that appears when you click the
QuicKeys icon in the menu bar. The QuicKeys menu can also
be available in the Apple menu if you choose to place it there.
recording—When you start recording, QuicKeys watches
your actions so it can play them back when you trigger the
Shortcut.
scope—The range of operation for a Shortcut. For example,
you can create Shortcuts that only work when Microsoft Word
is active or Shortcuts that work in any active window on your
computer.
Sets—The grouping of Shortcuts that only work in a specific
context. For example, you can create Shortcuts that only work
when Microsoft Word is active.
Setup Assistant—The Mac supports assistant windows that
help you with certain application-specific tasks. For example,
the QuicKeys Setup Assistant helps set up certain Shortcuts.
plug-in—QuicKeys components, such as File Launch, that
add functionality to QuicKeys.
Sequence—A series of Shortcuts that execute sequentially.
properties—Attributes or characteristics of a Shortcut.
Shortcut—The QuicKeys equivalent of a single-step task.
QuicKeys toolbar—The toolbar that is part of the QuicKeys
Editor that enables you to cut, copy, and print with a mouse
click.
toggle—Turns a particular mode on or off. For example, you
can toggle keystrokes on or off.
QuicKeys Editor—The main component of the QuicKeys
interface where you create and edit Shortcuts and toolbars.
QuickReference Card—The dialog that displays all of your
Shortcuts and keystrokes.
toolbar—The graphical palettes you can use to trigger Shortcuts.
timed triggers—Triggers that start Shortcuts at a specific date
and/or time.
••••
200
Glossary
trigger—Keystrokes and menu selections that signal QuicKeys to start a Shortcut.
URL—Uniform Resource Locator. A reference to a resource on
the Internet. For example, CE Software’s URL is
http://www.cesoft.com/
••••
201
INDEX
••••••
A
About
QuicKeys 28, 31
Adding
Buttons to Toolbars 61
Steps to a Sequence 143
Advanced Text Tools 72–75
Alias Keystroke 95
Always On Top Setting 62, 63
App Switcher 96
Append
Text 83
Variable 84
Apple Events 131–136
AppleScript 136–137, 169
Archiving Shortcuts 11
Audio CD Player 115
B
Backgrounder 32, 49, 62
Backing Up Shortcuts 11
Batch Processor 77–79
Buffer 25
Built-in Toolbar 26
Button 97
C
CE Software’s Web Site 6
CE Toolbox 11
Choosy 121–123
Cipher Text 75
Clearing Keystrokes 44
Click 98
Click-N-Go Toolbars 56
Closing
QuicKeys 20, 47
Sets 29, 47
Toolbars 64, 65
Compressing Sets 31, 53
Configuring
QuicKeys 31, 47
QuickReference Card 31, 50
Contextual Menus 3, 34–36, 39
Copy 28
Create Menu 30
Creating
Scripts 170
Sets 29
Shortcuts 36
Toolbars 60
Cut 28
D
Date Actions 70
Decipher Text 75
Decision 144
Deleting
Keystrokes 29, 44
Sequence Steps 143
Sets 29
Shortcuts 43
Toolbar Buttons 67
Toolbars 65
Demos 11
Disabling QuicKeys 33
Displaying
QuicKeys Editor 20
Toolbars 62
Distributor Information 28
Docked Toolbars 57
DoScript 137
Drag-and-Drop 39
E
Edit Menu 29
Editing
Shortcuts 43
Toolbar Buttons 65
Toolbars 63
E-mail 127
Embedded Toolbars. See Docked Toolbars
Enabling QuicKeys 33
Examples 125, 155–165
Expired Demos 11
Exporting
Shortcuts 29, 52
Toolbars 29, 65
Extension Manager. See Plug-in Manager
F
Feedback 7
File Handler 80–85
And Toolbars 80
File Launch 15, 85–87
File Menu 28
File Recall 87–88
File Tools 30, 77–93
FKeys 101
Floating Toolbars 57
Folders 89–91
And Toolbars 91
G
Glossary 199
GoSub 152
Guidelines
For Batch Processor 79
For Building Sequences 143
202 Index
H
M
Hiding
QuicKeys 47
QuicKeys Backgrounder 49
Toolbars 64
Mac OS Specials 101
Make Icon 29, 40, 48
Managing QuicKeys 43–53
Memory
Buffer 25
Checking Usage 53
Compressing Sets 31, 53
Usage 31
Menu 103
Menu Bar 28
Message 152
Modified Files 167
Mounty 123
Mousies 105
Moving Files 84
Multimedia Tools 30, 115–119
I
Icons 66
Import Steps Tab 142
Importing
Shortcuts 29, 51
Toolbars 29, 64
Info Pane 24
Installed Files 12
Installing QuicKeys 9
Instant E-mail 127
Interapplication Communication Tools 131
Interface Changes 2
International Launching 49
Internet Tools 30, 127–129
N
Jump 144
Network Switcher 125
Examples 125
Network Tools 31, 121–126
New Features 2–5
K
O
Keyset Management 48
Keysets Tab 22
Keystroke Assignments 40
Clearing 44
Conflicts 44
Creating 58
Managing 43
Printing 43
Re-assigning 45
Turning Off 45
Omitting Modified Files 167
Opening
QuicKey 11, 33
Sets 29
Options Menu 31
Other Tools 30
J
L
Locking
Editor 31, 52
Files 81
Lowercase 74
P
Parameters 134
Password Vault 150
Paste 28
PhotoShop Tip 100
Plug-In Manager 27, 51
Plug-ins 5, 32, 51
Built-in 25
Pop-up Menu 149
PowerBook 125
PowerBook Specials 107
Prefix
Text 81
Variable 82
Print 28
Printing 29, 43
ProcessSwap. See App Switcher 96
Project Saver 92–93
Tips 93
Q
QT Movie 118
QuicKeys
Closing 20
Control Panel 33
Customizing 47
Editor 21–31
Folder 11
Functionality 1
Opening 33
Overview 21–41
Palette 3, 20
Plug-ins 32
Sets 22, 45
Turning On/Off 33
Using 13, 36
What’s New 2
QuicKeys Backgrounder 32
And Toolbars 62
Hiding 49
QuicKeys Menu 34, 40, 48
Adding Shortcuts to 34
QuicKeys Popup Menu 48
QuicKeys Script 169–197
QuickReference Card 44, 50
QuickStart 13–20
Quote Text 74
••••
R
Real Time 30, 38
Record One Shortcut 17, 37
Record Sequence 18
Recording 37
Options 48
Sequences 140
Tips 143
Your First 17–19
Reformat Text 73
Remove Quotes 74
Renaming Files 81
Repeat 151
Requirements 9
Return Value 135
S
Sales and Customer Service 7
Saving
Sequences 143
Sets 29, 47
Shortcuts 43
Scope 58
Scrap Ease 108
Screen Ease 110
Script Editor 169
Scripting Syntax Reference 172–197
Scripting Tools 30, 131–138
Security
Cipher Text 75
Lock Editor 52
Locking QuicKeys 31
Password Vault 150
Sequence Editor 31, 140
Sequence Steps Tab 141
Sequence Tools 30, 144–154
Sequences 13, 139–154
Creating Manually 142
Deleting 144
Deleting Steps 143
Fine-Tuning 143
Inserting Steps 143
Modifying 143
Options 48
Overview 139
Rearranging Steps 143
Saving 143
Tips 143
Triggering 144
Sets 22, 45–47
Compressing 53
Setup Assistant 4, 26, 27, 36
Your First Shortcut 14
Sharing Shortcuts 52
Shortcut Properties
Dialog 39
Your First Shortcut 15
Shortcuts 13
Backing Up 11
Creating 36
Deleting 19, 43
Editing 19, 43
Exporting 29, 52
Filter 24
Importing 29, 51
Options 23
Printing 43
Saving 43
Sharing 52
Sorting 31
Triggering 40
Your First 13
Show
Additional Step Info 142
All Shortcuts 25
Large Toolbar Icons 59
No Plug-ins 25
Startup Icon 33
Toolbar Hot Help 31, 60
Toolbar Titles 59
Toolbars 65
Sizing Toolbars 63
Softkeys. See Click-N-Go Toolbars
203
Sorting
Shortcuts 31, 51
Shortcuts in QuickReference Card 50
Sound 116
Speak Ease 116
SpeakerChanger 117
Specials 111
Speed Settings 50
System Requirements 9
System Tools 30, 95–113
T
Technical Support 6
Text & Variable 82
Text Tools 30, 69–75
Timed Triggers 40
Title Case 74
Toolbar Buttons
Changing Icons 66
Deleting 67
Editing 36, 65
Re-arranging 63
Toolbars 4, 40, 55–67
Adding Buttons 61
Adjusting Icon Size 59
Adjusting Size 63
Always On Top 63
Cleaning Up 64
Click-N-Go 56
Closing 64, 65
Creating 60
Deleting 65
Displaying 62
Docked 57
Editing 35, 63
Exporting 29, 65
Floating 57
Font Size 63
Hiding 64
Hot Help 60
Icon Size 63
Importing 29, 64
204 Index
Installed With QuicKeys 10
Pop-up Menus 4, 61
QuicKeys Built-in 26
Scope 58
Show Titles 59
Style and Scope 63
Tab 23, 55
Used as Triggers 61
Your First 17
Triggers
Defined 40
Disabling 33
Type and Creator 85
Type Date/Time 70
Type Text 14, 69
Type To Feature 22
Typing
Text 14, 69
Date/Time 70
With Advanced Text Tools 72–75
U
Universal Set 46
Unlocking Files 81
Uppercase 74
User/Timed Pause 19, 154
Using QuicKeys 13
V
Variable & Text 83
View Switcher 113
W
Wait 145
Web Launcher 129
Now that you know how to save time on your
Mac...
how about filling the PC world in on your secret?
• • • • • •
So you’re flipping through your QuicKeys 4.0 User’s Guide thinking about all the time QuicKeys
can save you on your Mac. Then you start thinking how great it would be if something like this
was available for your PC. Well guess what? IT IS!
You already know that QuicKeys 4.0 for Macintosh is
loaded with new features and benefits. So is QuicKeys
for Windows.
QuicKeys for Windows includes all your
favorite automation features:
• Launch programs with the press of a key.
• Access commonly-used documents, files and
folders quickly and easily.
• One-key access to the menus you use most, in all
your programs.
• Let QuicKeys built-in task recorder create
Actions and Sequences easily.
• Customize your own toolbars—the way you
want them.
Plus, cool new capabilities you’ll love:
• Launch any Web site with one click.
• Zip and E-mail any file in a single step.
• Automate opening and closing the QuicKeys
Editor and save time creating new Actions.
• Control windows, pull-down menus, navigate
directories—all with hot keys instead of the
mouse.
• Leave the control panel behind. Switch monitor
settings and your PC’s volume quickly and
easily.
Order QuicKeys for
Windows and save!
Need an automation boost for your PC? Know any
Windows users who could use a little automation? Share
your secret with the rest of the world. Get QuicKeys for
Windows for only $29.95.
Special offer for QuicKeys for Mac users:
Call 1-800-579-1152 and mention program K2293 to
order at only $29.95 per copy.
">