docs » hs.hotkey

Duration of the alert shown when a hotkey created with a message parameter is triggered, in seconds. Default is 1.

Usage: hs.hotkey.alertDuration = 2.5 -- alert stays on screen a bit longer hs.hotkey.alertDuration = 0 -- hotkey alerts are disabled

Determines whether the hotkey combination can be assigned a callback through Hammerspoon.

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number

Returns:

• a boolean value, true if the hotkey combination can be given an assignment by Hammerspoon or false if it cannot.

Notes:

• The most common reason a hotkey combination cannot be given an assignment by Hammerspoon is because it is in use by the Mac operating system -- see the Shortcuts tab of Keyboard in the System Preferences application or hs.hotkey.systemAssigned.

Deletes all previously set callbacks for a given keyboard combination

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number

Returns:

• None

Disables all previously set callbacks for a given keyboard combination

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number

Returns:

• None

Returns a list of all currently active hotkeys

Parameters:

• None

Returns:

• A table containing the hotkeys that are active, i.e. enabled and not "shadowed", in the current context (usually, the global hotkey context, but it could be a modal hotkey context). Every element in the list is a table with two fields:
  • idx - a string describing the keyboard combination for the hotkey
  • msg - the hotkey message, if provided when the hotkey was created (prefixed with the keyboard combination)

Creates (and enables) a hotkey that shows all currently active hotkeys (i.e. enabled and not "shadowed" in the current context) while pressed

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number

Returns:

• The new hs.hotkey object

Examine whether a potential hotkey is in use by the macOS system such as the Screen Capture, Universal Access, and Keyboard Navigation keys.

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number

Returns:

• if the hotkey combination is in use by a system function, returns a table containing the following keys:
  • keycode - the numberic keycode for the hotkey
  • mods - a numeric representation of the modifier flags for the htokey
  • enabled - a boolean indicating whether or not the key is currently enabled
• if the hotkey combination is not in use by the operating system, returns the boolean value false

Notes:

• this is provided for informational purposes and does not provide a reliable test as to whether or not Hammerspoon can use the combination to create a custom hotkey -- some combinations which return a table can be over-ridden by Hammerspoon while others cannot. See also hs.hotkey.assignable.

Creates a hotkey and enables it immediately

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number
• message - A string containing a message to be displayed via hs.alert() when the hotkey has been triggered, or nil for no alert
• pressedfn - A function that will be called when the hotkey has been pressed, or nil
• releasedfn - A function that will be called when the hotkey has been released, or nil
• repeatfn - A function that will be called when a pressed hotkey is repeating, or nil

Returns:

• A new hs.hotkey object for method chaining

Notes:

• This function is just a wrapper that performs hs.hotkey.new(...):enable()

Creates a hotkey and enables it immediately

Parameters:

• keyspec - A table containing two items:
  • first, a table containing keyboard modifiers, as specified in hs.hotkey.bind()
  • second, a string containing the name of a keyboard key, as specified in hs.hotkey.bind()
• ... - All remaining arguments are as specified in hs.hotkey.bind()

Returns:

• A new hs.hotkey object for method chaining

Notes:

• This function is just a wrapper that performs hs.hotkey.bind(keyspec[1], keyspec[2], ...)

Creates a new hotkey

Parameters:

• mods - A table or a string containing (as elements, or as substrings with any separator) the keyboard modifiers required, which should be zero or more of the following:
  • "cmd", "command" or "⌘"
  • "ctrl", "control" or "⌃"
  • "alt", "option" or "⌥"
  • "shift" or "⇧"
• key - A string containing the name of a keyboard key (as found in hs.keycodes.map ), or a raw keycode number
• message - (optional) A string containing a message to be displayed via hs.alert() when the hotkey has been triggered; if omitted, no alert will be shown
• pressedfn - A function that will be called when the hotkey has been pressed, or nil
• releasedfn - A function that will be called when the hotkey has been released, or nil
• repeatfn - A function that will be called when a pressed hotkey is repeating, or nil

Returns:

• A new hs.hotkey object or nil if the hotkey could not be enabled

Notes:

• You can create multiple hs.hotkey objects for the same keyboard combination, but only one can be active at any given time - see hs.hotkey:enable()
• If message is the empty string "", the alert will just show the triggered keyboard combination
• If you don't want any alert, you must actually omit the message parameter; a nil in 3rd position will be interpreted as a missing pressedfn
• You must pass at least one of pressedfn, releasedfn or repeatfn; to delete a hotkey, use hs.hotkey:delete()

Disables and deletes a hotkey object

Parameters:

• None

Returns:

• None

Disables a hotkey object

Parameters:

• None

Returns:

• The hs.hotkey object for method chaining

Enables a hotkey object

Parameters:

• None

Returns:

• The hs.hotkey object for method chaining or nil if the hotkey could not be enabled for some reason.

Notes:

• When you enable a hotkey that uses the same keyboard combination as another previously-enabled hotkey, the old one will stop working as it's being "shadowed" by the new one. As soon as the new hotkey is disabled or deleted the old one will trigger again.