Change Order of keys pressed

Questions & Suggestions
1

Hi, Newbie here.

Im using Microsoft Power Apps inside a Chrome Browser. There are a couple of shortcuts available to the program.

Ive successfully set up a Keystroke of Ctrl + ] which works fine in the program.

There is a further shortcut that adds shift to perform a different task. Ctrl + Shift + ]

I obviously change out the Control for Command but the second version doesn't work.

I noticed in Keyboard Maestro that the order of the simulate keystroke is Shift icon then command icon then ]

Wondering if there is a way to change the order of these to see if that makes it work?

Thanks

Todd

2

The modifiers are always displayed in canonical order, Control, Options, Shift, Command. This is how they are displayed in menus for example.

There isn't any way to adjust the order, but it wont be the order that is the issue.

It could be, especially in a browser, that it is detecting the shift key independently. You could possibly try:

  • Type and Hold Modifier Shift
  • Pause
  • Type Keystroke Control-Shift-]
  • Pause
  • Release Modifier Shift (this would happen automatically at the end of the macro anyway).

But it's hard to know for sure why it might not be working.

3

What does "conical order" mean?

4

Does that mean 2 lots of Shift?

5

canonical

1 Like
6

No.

For Keyboard Maestro to simulate the keystroke Control-Shift-], the sequence is:

  • Press the Control key (without any modifiers)
  • Press the Shift key (with the Control key modifier)
  • Press the ] key (with the Control&Shift modifiers)
  • Release the ] key (with the Control&Shift modifiers)
  • Release the Shift key (with the Control key modifier)
  • Release the Control key (without any modifiers)

There is a negligible (but non zero) pause between each event.

The sequence I described above will press the shift key, then pause, then continue with the sequence above (but without pressing or releasing the already pressed shift key). So it would result in the events:

  • Press the Shift key (without any modifiers)
  • Pause
  • Press the Control key (with the Shift modifier)
  • Press the ] key (with the Control&Shift modifiers)
  • Release the ] key (with the Control&Shift modifiers)
  • Release the Control key (with the Shift modifier)
  • Pause
  • Release the Shift key (without any modifiers)

Whether that will fix your problem with the application or not is unknown - the application is not properly responding to the event (specifically the Press the ] key (with the Control&Shift modifiers) event) and so now its a question of what it's really doing and how to get it to do the right thing regardless of its misbehaviour.

7

Modulo the spelling error, canonical means “ordered by canon law”, in other words, while there may be four modifiers and they have no specific order inherent in them, Apple has defined a specific order that they be displayed, so you don't end up with menus with modifiers like:

⌘⌥A
⌥⌘B
⌘⇧C
⇧⌘⌥D

The ordering of display of the modifiers is always the same.

2 Likes
8

What does "modulo" mean?

Just kidding; I looked it up! :joy:

1 Like
9

Really, the Roman Catholic Church determined the order?

Sure. Introduced in the Middle Ages, but written down much later and completely revised in 1983, if I remember correctly. It regulates the legal relations between the religious members of the church. And apparently also the order of the modifiers.

Wait, then the church has not managed to establish order, has it?

Ok, I see, because the church failed, Apple had to take over in the end.

Just kidding :wink: