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Last post Author Topic: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!  (Read 47625 times)

brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #25 on: May 23, 2006, 08:04 AM »
Like others, I find it hard to remember 1001 hotkey combinations.  Do any of these types of applications, preferably free or dirt cheap, allow you to pop up a menu and point and shoot?
I don't personally have that problem (but then I'm using less than 500 hotkeys only ;)), but you could create GUIs with AutoHotkey to use for those actions you only perform rarely. Or you could create a simple .txt file for your hotkeys and let AutoHotkey pop that up with another hotkey - so you'll only have to remember that 'master' hotkey :)

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #26 on: May 23, 2006, 10:16 AM »
I'm using less than 500 hotkeys only

By the time you've added in all the hotkeys programs have defined for themselves, it would be interesting to know how many the average user does know...

but you could create GUIs with AutoHotkey to use for those actions you only perform rarely.

I would like a similar "instant search" FARR-like search GUI for AHK hotstrings too, cf. the threads on jgpaiva's hotstring importer and Harrie's review of Instant Text.  But I don't have that level of skill, and I also use Win98 systems some of the time, where AHK hotstrings don't work anyway.

Or you could create a simple .txt file for your hotkeys and let AutoHotkey pop that up with another hotkey - so you'll only have to remember that 'master' hotkey

HoeKey, which I've been playing with in only the last couple of days, encourages you to do something very like that.  You can scroll through the window, but I thought it was a pity that once you did, you couldn't instantly point-and-shoot from it.




Edvard

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #27 on: May 23, 2006, 10:57 AM »
You can do something like it with PowerPro, which offers buttons with tooltips rather than a menu as such, but PowerPro is just too hard for most people.
hehe I use Autohotkey AND powerpro and the only hotkeys I have programmed are ctrl-shift-c to center the active application and ctrl-shift-space to kill the active application. Why? because they fit my left hand, aren't used by anything else and my right hand is (inefficiently, I know) at the mouse 50% of the time. The other hotkeys I use most often are the system ones for cut, copy, paste.
I don't agree that PowerPro is hard, just complex. You must learn what it CAN do, then HOW to do it, then figure out WHAT you WANT it to do. This takes Patience and Perseverance which also takes Time. These things, taken as a group, are lacking for most people. After that, PowerPro is (almost) everything I need. I use Autohotkey because I quite dislike the PowerPro scripting, and I can compile into .exe's and impress my boss!

Speaking of Un*x how about vi? Hotkeys are the only way it even looks like your using a text editor! And how about Rat Poison for a X window manager? No mouse! (bad graphics, yes, but the  idea is solid.)

Babis

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #28 on: May 23, 2006, 01:01 PM »
Someome, please chime in and let me know that I'm not the only absentminded nut who has no use for a hotkey utility, because he can't remember all the damned hotkey combos?  Anyone?

:feedback:

With autohotkey you don’t have to remember any key combinations.
You can launch anything simply by typing a word of your choice, as follows:

::#winrar::
Run, C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe
return

So by typing “#winrar” you can launch winrar.

brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #29 on: May 23, 2006, 01:04 PM »
I'm using less than 500 hotkeys only
By the time you've added in all the hotkeys programs have defined for themselves, it would be interesting to know how many the average user does know...

I would like a similar "instant search" FARR-like search GUI for AHK hotstrings too, cf. the threads on jgpaiva's hotstring importer and Harrie's review of Instant Text.  But I don't have that level of skill, and I also use Win98 systems some of the time, where AHK hotstrings don't work anyway.
I can only recommend to spend some time with AHK, it's truely amazing what you can do with it! I too started at a complete AHK newbie.
Regarding Win98: get rid of it as soon as you can, you will enjoy life more. Been there, done that...


hehe I use Autohotkey AND powerpro and the only hotkeys I have programmed are ctrl-shift-c to center the active application and ctrl-shift-space to kill the active application. Why? because they fit my left hand, aren't used by anything else and my right hand is (inefficiently, I know) at the mouse 50% of the time.
Very inefficiently :) The two biggest time-savers for me personally were a) learning how to type without looking at the keyboard b) touching the mouse only 1% of the time by learning how to use the keyboard.

You must learn what it CAN do, then HOW to do it, then figure out WHAT you WANT it to do. This takes Patience and Perseverance which also takes Time. These things, taken as a group, are lacking for most people.
You are right, most people now want it now, immediately and without having to read anything to get what they want.

brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #30 on: May 23, 2006, 01:06 PM »
Someome, please chime in and let me know that I'm not the only absentminded nut who has no use for a hotkey utility, because he can't remember all the damned hotkey combos?  Anyone?

:feedback:

With autohotkey you don’t have to remember any key combinations.
You can launch anything simply by typing a word of your choice, as follows:

::#winrar::
Run, C:\Program Files\WinRAR\WinRAR.exe
return

So by typing “#winrar” you can launch winrar.
Hi Babis!

Yes, that's an important statement. Although I prefer my triggers to start with a "." instead of "#", you are right. I use these AHK hotstrings in addition to the hotkeys, for example for folder names, URLs, postal addresses, ... you name it! :D

reko100

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #31 on: May 23, 2006, 08:20 PM »
Ops....i think i type into the quote.... :P

Yes, i agree totally...i think most of my scripts are trigger by AHK hotstrings rather that AHK hotkeys.... 

Edit by brotherS: I deleted your other post, please just use the "Modify" button to fix it next time :) (instead of writing a second post)
« Last Edit: May 24, 2006, 05:16 AM by brotherS »

Harrie

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #32 on: May 23, 2006, 09:01 PM »
Speaking of having a hard time remembering a slew of hot keys, that is one reason I very much like and use the program ActiveWords.   (Yeah, I use several programs simultaneously - Instant Text, ActiveWords, AHK!)  The neat thing about ActiveWords is that you give your scripts intuitive words and then hit your trigger key, which can be one of the F keys, one you assign, or double spacebar.  Double spacebar works out very nicely for me.  Anyway, I use it for all sorts of things, including some of my Word macros.  I have many, many of those, too, and eventually, you need to start giving them bizarre shortcut keys in order to not conflict with any other important or oft-used shortcut keys.  So I give them the bizarre shortcuts, but use ActiveWords to call them.  For instance, a macro to fix all hyphens to nonbreaking hyphens is called with just typing "hyp" and double spacebar. 

I'd love to do a review of ActiveWords some time soon! 

In the meantime, here's a link 

Wow, you all have mentioned several programs I've never even heard of.  This ought to be a fun thread to take my time with.   ;D

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #33 on: May 24, 2006, 05:02 AM »
Edvard,

I don't agree that PowerPro is hard, just complex. You must learn what it CAN do, then HOW to do it, then figure out WHAT you WANT it to do.

You mean, its an application suited to people with advanced degrees in mathematics, who make their living as system analysts, and play chess as a hobby...  i.e., relentlessly logical...   :o

And while you may have stated the ideal case, in practice the cart is before the horse.  My scenario is more likely to be: "Oh.  I have to do this job 50 times (and maybe never again), and they want it this afternoon.  How can I speed that up now?"

This takes Patience and Perseverance which also takes Time. These things, taken as a group, are lacking for most people.

You got that right   :(

After that, PowerPro is (almost) everything I need. I use Autohotkey because I quite dislike the PowerPro scripting, and I can compile into .exe's and impress my boss!

I'm surprised that you dislike its scripting, which I wouldn't have thought all that different in difficulty.  After all, looking at AHK's help file is overwhelming for a newbie.


rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #34 on: May 24, 2006, 05:06 AM »
Babis,

With autohotkey you don’t have to remember any key combinations.
You can launch anything simply by typing a word of your choice
return

But this is just the same problem - you have to remember lots of shorthand triggers.  OK, they're arguably easier than arcane key combinations, but while it's easy to remember the ones you use all the time, it's harder to remember the rarer ones.  That's why I'd still like a point-and-shoot GUI for both hotkeys and hotstrings.


brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #35 on: May 24, 2006, 05:27 AM »
Speaking of having a hard time remembering a slew of hot keys, that is one reason I very much like and use the program ActiveWords.   (Yeah, I use several programs simultaneously - Instant Text, ActiveWords, AHK!)
[...]
I'd love to do a review of ActiveWords some time soon! 

In the meantime, here's a link 
ActiveWords ($49.95 USD :o) looks like a combination of parts of DC's FARR and AutoHotkey to me. It seems to aim at more novice PC users, right?

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #36 on: May 24, 2006, 05:27 AM »
brotherS,

I can only recommend to spend some time with AHK, it's truely amazing what you can do with it! I too started at a complete AHK newbie.
Regarding Win98: get rid of it as soon as you can, you will enjoy life more. Been there, done that...

Yes, I've been dabbling a bit lately and it looks very useful.  AHK strikes me as not so much an application as an application development kit, though.  That means that the incorrigbly computer-shy might be more rapidly productive with something like SuperKeys for hotstrings and/or one of the targeted hotkey applications, perhaps Hotkeyz that was zridling's previous best choice before AHK, simply because they're complete applications and behave as such.  Having said that, you don't have to do very much with AHK to get basic productivity out of it.

As for Win98...  I'm not going to toss my home laptop into the skip as long as it still works adequately, although I think I wish I'd pushed the boat out a bit more at the time....


brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #37 on: May 24, 2006, 05:35 AM »
With autohotkey you don’t have to remember any key combinations.
You can launch anything simply by typing a word of your choice
But this is just the same problem - you have to remember lots of shorthand triggers.  OK, they're arguably easier than arcane key combinations, but while it's easy to remember the ones you use all the time, it's harder to remember the rarer ones.  That's why I'd still like a point-and-shoot GUI for both hotkeys and hotstrings.
Try watching less TV to unclutter your mind ;)


I can only recommend to spend some time with AHK, it's truely amazing what you can do with it! I too started at a complete AHK newbie.
Yes, I've been dabbling a bit lately and it looks very useful.  AHK strikes me as not so much an application as an application development kit, though.  That means that the incorrigbly computer-shy might be more rapidly productive with something like SuperKeys for hotstrings and/or one of the targeted hotkey applications, perhaps Hotkeyz that was zridling's previous best choice before AHK, simply because they're complete applications and behave as such.  Having said that, you don't have to do very much with AHK to get basic productivity out of it.
You are right, AutoHotkey surely isn't your average "mom and pop" tool that everyone is able to use 3 months after buying their first PC. That being said, I think it's perfect for the (even only slightly) advanced user. Like you said, it doesn't take much time to get into the basic stuff, and in my opinion, its online help is pretty damn good to get more and more done if you keep being curious.

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #38 on: May 24, 2006, 05:39 AM »
Harrie,

Speaking of having a hard time remembering a slew of hot keys, that is one reason I very much like and use the program ActiveWords.   (Yeah, I use several programs simultaneously - Instant Text, ActiveWords, AHK!)
[...]
I'd love to do a review of ActiveWords some time soon! 

In the meantime, here's a link 
ActiveWords ($49.95 USD :o) looks like a combination of parts of DC's FARR and AutoHotkey to me. It seems to aim at more novice PC users, right?


Here I somewhat agree with brotherS. From the blurb on the ActiveWords site, it doesn't seem to do anything much more or different from AHK or any other competent general-purpose macro program like Macro Express.  I'll be interested to see your review of it  :)  The license is cleverly generous, in allowing an individual to use ActiveWords on any computer available to them (if I read it right) for a (moderately expensive) one-off fee.  Looks a great way to generate goodwill.

Your system works for you, but still requires a prodigious memory for shortcuts.  That's why I keep banging on about a point-and-shoot interface for the rarer ones...

Please take a look at the predictive text for ms word thread because I've quoted some of your other posts and links.


rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #39 on: May 24, 2006, 05:56 AM »
I'd still like a point-and-shoot GUI for both hotkeys and hotstrings.
Try watching less TV to unclutter your mind ;)

TV?  I've almost no use for TV.  I READ BOOKS  :D

AutoHotkey [...] perfect for the (even only slightly) advanced user.

Yes, I'd agree, on the whole.  It's mostly the Win98 etc. legacy that's keeping me interested in alternatives.  Macro Express, for example, is superifically more friendly, with incomparably more eye candy and a more glossy packaging, but its macro editor is still bewildering, largely because of the sheer volume of "stuff" available.  AHK may not be so glitzy but it's fast becoming the first recommendation for everyday macro tasks.

But oh, if they'd develop a point-and-shoot GUI shell for hotkey/hotstring files...   ;)


Babis

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #40 on: May 24, 2006, 06:30 AM »
Babis,

But this is just the same problem - you have to remember lots of shorthand triggers.  OK, they're arguably easier than arcane key combinations, but while it's easy to remember the ones you use all the time, it's harder to remember the rarer ones.  That's why I'd still like a point-and-shoot GUI for both hotkeys and hotstrings.


Hi rjbull.
I am using editplus as editor for the .ahk files, which btw is the best editor, have a look at the first snap, how nice the script file looks in editplus.

http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/6553/snap18zt.jpg
Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!


I found in autohotkey forums, here: http://www.autohotke...p;highlight=editplus
a trick, which enables me each time I press Ctrl + F11 to have a list of all hotkeys & hotstrings, as follows:

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/6066/snap23hy.jpg
Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!



This maybe a solution for you.

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #41 on: May 24, 2006, 08:31 AM »
each time I press Ctrl + F11 to have a list of all hotkeys & hotstrings, as follows:

Thanks - probably would be if I used EditPlus   ;)

I can't see the images.  Are they not available from the server yet?


Edvard

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #42 on: May 24, 2006, 12:53 PM »
rjbull:
After all, looking at AHK's help file is overwhelming for a newbie.
Yes if you went from start to finish, but I LEARNED Autohotkey from the help file. I simply typed what I thought I might need in the search box and read into the topics that came up. Deciphering the Powerpro scripting tutorial gives me a headache. I also agree that AutoHotkey is so much more than hotkeys, like PowerPro is so much more than buttons. Speaking of PowerPro...
You mean, its an application suited to people with advanced degrees in mathematics, who make their living as system analysts, and play chess as a hobby...
No, just those possessing bullheaded persistence. I'm as dumb as your average American, and I figured out how to put PowerPro to pretty good use.
;)


p.s. because I can't afford 30 bucks for a fancy text editor, I use SciTe.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2006, 12:57 PM by Edvard »

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #43 on: May 25, 2006, 03:49 AM »
Edvard,

I LEARNED Autohotkey from the help file. I simply typed what I thought I might need in the search box and read into the topics that came up.

Still hard going, because it's more a reference manual.  It doesn't make it very clear (to me) when and where you'd choose WinClose or WinKill, for example; more information required...  I understand the AHK forums are very active, though.

Speaking of PowerPro...
[...]
No, just those possessing bullheaded persistence. I'm as dumb as your average American, and I figured out how to put PowerPro to pretty good use.

Dumb as the average America who worked on the space program, maybe!  :)  But I still think PowerPro is hard.  I'm not the only one - even such a Titan as CarolHaynes says so;

Trouble is it is just too damn complicated to make use of. I have a very short attention span and every time I think "I'll have another go at PowerPro" it holds my attention for about half an hour and then I want to throw something at it.
full message/thread here

Edvard, can I coax you into doing some kind of min-review of PowerPro?  So that we can get an idea of its strengths and weaknesses compared to other macro programs, and how to approach it?  I couldn't even figure out how to make buttons specific to a particular program   :-[

p.s. because I can't afford 30 bucks for a fancy text editor, I use SciTe.

I "grew up" on DOS, and prefer WordStar editors.  I still use my DOS WordStar-style programs for getting any significant amount of text down on disk.  One of the nice things about AHK is that, when you run a DOS program under Win2K, AHK's hotstrings still work, if slightly slowly.



brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #44 on: May 25, 2006, 07:04 AM »
I "grew up" on DOS, and prefer WordStar editors.  I still use my DOS WordStar-style programs for getting any significant amount of text down on disk.  One of the nice things about AHK is that, when you run a DOS program under Win2K, AHK's hotstrings still work, if slightly slowly.
There are so many good editors around... is it really worth running an old DOS editor? For some casual editing, I'm using win32pad - it's very light-weight and free: http://fileforum.bet...Win32Pad/944076528/1

Harrie

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #45 on: May 25, 2006, 07:09 AM »
ActiveWords ($49.95 USD :o) looks like a combination of parts of DC's FARR and AutoHotkey to me. It seems to aim at more novice PC users, right?

Hi, brother.  I don't know that it aims at novice users so much as just the average person out there who wants a tool to automate a lot of tasks.  It can do some things AHK can do, (but AHK is ten times more powerful and can do so much more), but the scripting in AW is so different.  The way I always say it, if you know keyboard shortcuts, you'll have no problem with ActiveWords.  The more advanced type scripts are fairly easy to figure out, too.  Although, there are some AW gurus who just boggle the mind.  They really take it to its max.  So if you mean novice in the sense of someone who knows nothing about programming languages, then I would agree with your statement.  I am actually only average with it, but I do feel I am "competent" when using ActiveWords.  With AHK....wow, we better not go there.  I'm better than I was but still in the "most pitiful" range.  

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #46 on: May 26, 2006, 08:08 AM »
There are so many good editors around... is it really worth running an old DOS editor?

Yes - it's WordStar style, my fingers are used to it, it loads fast, and I prefer DOS-type screens for editing text.  Despite the "crudity" by WInGUI standards, I find them easier on the eye.  My particular editor, VDE, has been moderately updated so it can deal to an extent with LFNs, and a macro using Horst Schaeffer's ClipText command line tool takes care of interactions with the clipboard.



Harrie

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #47 on: May 26, 2006, 08:39 AM »
rjbull, would you mind giving examples of how you use ClipText?  (Some diehard WordPerfect DOS users might be interested).  I looked at the whole site (nice) and from what I see, it's not quite a program to make copying between Windows and DOS apps as easy as Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, correct? 

If you don't mind!   ;D

rjbull

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #48 on: May 26, 2006, 09:47 AM »
rjbull, would you mind giving examples of how you use ClipText?  (Some diehard WordPerfect DOS users might be interested).  I looked at the whole site (nice) and from what I see, it's not quite a program to make copying between Windows and DOS apps as easy as Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, correct? 

Harrie, you're correct,  ClipText is a command-line program to either take text from a file and send it to the clipboard, or to take text from the clipboard and send it to a file, with certain options.  That's all it does on its own, but, I use Eric Meyer's Visual display Editor VDE.  Like most good editors, VDE can be "programmed" with macros.  Its macro language includes features like flow control, the ability to run external programs, and a degree of user input.  The talented John Woodruff wrote an extremely clever macro to automate ClipText operations under VDE.  That macro isn't on the Web site yet but details are in the quote below, which is from John's post in the VDE mailing list (hosted at Topica):


   The [v.v:WRZ] macro below uses Horst Schaeffer's
ClipText utility to provide VDE with Clipboard access under Windows NT/XP. It also works with Win 95 and above.

   After starting the macro, respond to the "? Esc!"
prompt in the header by pressing W, R, or Z:

[W]rite: Marked block in the current VDE file is the source:

   Selected VDE text is APPENDED to file C:\V.V
   ClipText then OVERWRITES the Clipboard with C:\V.V
   Use [Z]ap before [W]rite IF ONLY the CURRENT marked
     block should be copied into the Clipboard, not an
     accumulation of entries.

[R]ead: The current VDE file is the target:

   ClipText APPENDS the Clipboard contents to file C:\V.V
   VDE then reads C:\V.V at the cursor and marks the
     incoming text as a block.
   Use [Z]ap before [R]ead IF ONLY the CURRENT Clipboard
     contents should be pasted into VDE, not an
     accumulation of entries.

[Z]ap: Erases file C:\V.V but does NOT access the Clipboard

======= Macro ====================================================

[F01]<Esc >[v.v:WRZ]<QN>
[Esc]:[Esc]!_
[Esc]W
^KW+C:\V.V[Enter]
[AltR]CLIPTEXT FROM C:\V.V /DOS[Enter][Esc][Esc]!]
[Esc]R^KS
[AltR]CLIPTEXT TO C:\V.V /APPEND /DOS[Enter][Esc] ^KB^KRC:\V.V[Enter]^QP^KK[Esc]!] [Esc]Z ^KJC:\V.V[Enter]

======= Notes ====================================================

   File C:\V.V is an arbitrary choice, but whatever file is
used, it's necessary to state the full path in the macro. Reason: The ^KW and ^KR path is the path of the current file, whereas the [AltR] shell path is set when the VDE session is started, subject to being changed later by other DOS commands.

   The ClipText /DOS switch causes extended ASCII characters
to be translated. I've included it in both the [W]rite and [R]ead routines, but it can be edited out. The ASCII/ANSI character conversion is similar but not identical to that in VDE's ^[ and ^] commands.

   The initial ^KS in [R]ead is a safety feature, making
it possible to use ^KL^F to status back from a Read/Only lockup in case of Graphics Overflow due to too many different translatable extended ASCII characters in the source text.


In other words, being able to use ClipText seamlessly requires the editor to have reasonably good macro abilities of its own, but I believe WordPerfect has that.  Obviously, the implementation would be very different, but skilled WordPerfect users should be able to adapt the principles.  By the way, VDE can read and write WordPerfect files, and can even be made to behave with a degree of "WordPerfect-likeness" itself.  Quoting VDE.DOC:


    WORDPERFECT - /P mode reads and writes files in WP v.4 format.  /F mode
 reads WP v.5-6 or WP for Windows files, and writes v.5 format (which can also
 be read by v.6, or imported into WPfW).  Both modes support some formatting
 features and underline, boldface, and super/subscript; /F also supports
 italics and strikeout.  You can edit in VDE using a command set much like
 WordPerfect's by using the supplied WP.VDF key definition file, which makes
 the function keys call up the MenuBar in a manner similar to WP commands.


Hence VDE might be a useful adjunct for WP users, even if they don't go over to it full-time.

Horst Schaeffer's software is excellent, and he's one of the nicest people you could deal with, very generous and helpful :)


Hope that helps.



brotherS

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Re: Finally, a robust keyboard shortcut app!
« Reply #49 on: May 27, 2006, 04:19 AM »
rjbull, would you mind giving examples of how you use ClipText?  (Some diehard WordPerfect DOS users might be interested).  I looked at the whole site (nice) and from what I see, it's not quite a program to make copying between Windows and DOS apps as easy as Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, correct? 
Harrie, you're correct
:o I'd trash every program that tries to separate me from two of my best friends: Ctrl+C and Ctrl-V :D