Question 1

How is KeyboardShortcuts different from MASShortcut?

Accepted Answer

KeyboardShortcuts provides a Swift-native API with SwiftUI support and better integration for modern macOS apps, while MASShortcut is more mature and has more localizations. It also works when NSMenu is open, which is useful for menu bar apps.

Question 2

Why does KeyboardShortcuts use Carbon APIs?

Accepted Answer

It relies on Carbon APIs because Apple hasn't released modern replacements for registering global keyboard shortcuts. The package assures compatibility, noting that Apple will likely update these before deprecation, but it's a technical debt risk.

Question 3

Can I use KeyboardShortcuts for in-app keyboard shortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by using KeyboardShortcuts.Recorder with a Binding to store shortcuts without global registration, then applying them with .keyboardShortcut for focused app actions. This allows customizable in-app shortcuts as explained in the FAQ.

Question 4

How to set initial keyboard shortcuts in KeyboardShortcuts?

Accepted Answer

Define the shortcut in the KeyboardShortcuts.Name extension with an initial parameter, but it's discouraged for public apps to avoid stealing user shortcuts. Instead, use a welcome screen for first-time setup.

Question 5

Does KeyboardShortcuts support media keys?

Accepted Answer

No, it doesn't support media keys due to sandbox limitations. For non-sandboxed apps, you'll need alternative solutions like the MediaKeyTap package to handle media key events.

Question 6

How to localize KeyboardShortcuts for other languages?

Accepted Answer

Fork the repository, create a .lproj directory for your language, translate the Localizable.strings file, and submit a PR. The package supports community contributions for localization as detailed in the README.

Question 7

How to listen for keyboard shortcuts while they are held down?

Accepted Answer

Use the repeatingKeyDownEvents(for:) method for macOS 13+ to emit events on initial press and repeat based on system settings, enabling actions to continue while the shortcut is held.

KeyboardShortcuts

What is KeyboardShortcuts?

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