Hello,
I recently just learned how to use palettes/sub-palettes. Then I learned about Prompt With List which could do similar things.
Prompt with List allows:
So, just wondering what are the advantages of using Palettes/Sub-palettes over Prompt With List?
Thanks,
Chris
Hi @ChrisQ. Iām sure others will think of some other possible advantages, but one that immediately comes to mind is that palettes can be populated with items (e.g., the enabled macros in a group) with minimal action configuration.
Somebody might set me straight, but in my cited example, it would take some configuration work to create a selection list of all of the enabled macros in a group.
BTW, palette items can be selected with the keyboard (as an alternative to the mouse).
With that said, Prompt With List is a brilliant action that I employ frequently.
Well, palettes are cool 
Seriously. I would say it depends on what you like better and what exactly you want to do.
Did you also take a look at Trigger Macro by Name? It lets you group everything in almost any way. Quick and easy search. Little maintenance. Mouse or keyboard to trigger or navigate. (arrow keys too).
Various people will have varying opinions on this, and many of those will intersect ā but no one is going to give you a definitive comparison.
I suggest you search the forum for "palette" and browse through some of tasks people have used them to accomplish ā there are many.
The bottom line is that palettes can do some things more handily than user-prompts, they are also distinctly different visually and are more customizable in that sense.
The way they work appeals to some people more than others.
I seldom use palettes but do find them very useful from time to time. Here's one that lets me browse with one hand on the keyboard:
I need the palette as a visual cue to ensure the single-key hotkeys are only active when they are supposed to be.
Hi @ccstone , I use a very similar palette for navigation in a text. The trigger is "4". What I've been trying for a long time but can't succeed is this.
I press and hold "4", (the palette becomes visible) I navigate with j, k, ...
I release "4" again and the palette disappears.
Is this possible? Thanks!
Better yet, Palettes, Prompt With List or Custom HTML Prompt.
Palettes offer the quickest performance but require separate macros for each item, increasing the size of your KM macro file plist.
Prompt With List is quick but requires extra keystrokes to select a unique item and execute it. But macros can be consolidated to save plist space.
Custom HTML Prompt can be slow to display but can execute a macro with a single letter command or click and also use consolidated code to minimize plist size.
Just my two cents.
Hey Frank,
No that's not possible ā nor do I think it will ever be.
There are too many issues involved with how and when the keyboard is read, and keep in mind that Keyboard Maestro only uses public APIs ā no fancy hacks like kernel extensions and the like.
-Chris
Ok, thanks Chris, actually I have no problem pressing "4" twice show/hide. Press/release would be a bit more intuitive.
In addition to everything above -- you can drop a file onto a macro in a Palette, and the file's path will be available to the macro via the TriggerValue token. See Dragged File Trigger on the Wiki.
Try doing that with "Prompt with List"!
Thank you all who have responded and provided different insights for using Palettes/sub-palettes. I think it all comes down to personal preference of which to use. There will always be 2 camps; those who love Palettes and those who love Prompt with List. After trying out both methods to accomplish the same thing, I prefer Prompt with List much more. 
Try to keep an open mind about what palettes are good for ā you'll likely find a situation down the line where they're a good fit.
Don't forget about Conflict Palettes either.
As I mentioned I don't particularly love palettes. In fact I used to dislike them, but now they're just another tool in the toolbox that comes in handy now and then.