Using function keys as "shortcuts"?

Here are the ones I know of:
QuicKeys at http://www.quickeys.com/
Keyboard Maestro at http://www.keyboardmaestro.com/

I've found that QuicKeys has a lot more features (setting up one keystroke to do multiple, different types of things) a much better user interface and a higher price tag. Because of the higher price tag I chose Keyboard Maestro and registered it for $20. For complex tasks I can often write an Applescript and use Keyboard Maestro to activate it. If you use a lot of keyboard shortcuts and you don't mind forking over $80 for QuicKeys though, QuicKeys is very nice and works with more keystrokes.

Both programs have a demo version, though Keyboard Maestro's demo is a little less annoying and has no expiration (you have to fork over the dough for the ability to have more than 20 shortcuts or something, and maybe a couple other features.)

I don't know for sure whether the apple+H keystroke specifically can be programmed in either of the programs (though I'm pretty sure it can be) but at the very least you could write an applescript that would have the same effect. This is what I do with Illustrator and Photoshop in Keyboard Maestro, since Apple+H doesn't work in those programs.

Hope this helps.
 
..sorry for my complete ignorance but I have never used it.

Even 20$ is over the top for what I want...I just want to be able to program a couple of keyboard shortcuts onto a couple of function keys.
 
I hear ya. I tried quick keys, but I just wanted a simple hotkey app..
my favorite is Youpi key.. it is really great. Does everything I need, AND it doesn't put another icon in the dock, its icon is up on the top right of the screen by the clock..

Go here to download.. it is FREE!!!

http://perso.club-internet.fr/phupe/

I was playing around.. and since command-h hides the program..
you'll need to run a apple script to setup a key to do the "hide application"

does someone know basic applescript to do this?

- I think Youpi will need a key-combination to work as well.. so like "command-F5" or something -- you can't just setup one key for a command.. ( I don't think..)
 
Keyboard Maestro is free (unless you want more than a certain number of hotkeys), it includes a cool program switcher and doesn't leave an icon in your dock. Just my personal preference. If you want iTunes to hide when you press F6, for example, you choose "Remap Keystroke" in Keyboard Maestro, press F6 as the key to be remapped and Apple+H in the 'remap to' box. It knows not to hide the application when you're entering the keystroke so that won't be a problem. I just tried it, works like a charm.

As for applescript -- search on the web and you'll find some good sites and examples. Here's the script I use to make Cmd+H hide Illustrator since Adobe chooses not to support that keystroke:

tell application "Finder"
set visible of process "Adobe Illustrator 10" to false
end tell

You can activate applescripts through Keyboard Maestro (or whatever hotkey app you like that supports applescripts). You can use 'Script Editor' in the 'Applescript' directory in 'Applications' to make applescripts and test them and look through applications' applescript libraries. I think that comes with OS X, otherwise I can't remember how I got it. If you search through your directories you'll also find some good scripts that you can use as examples to learn from.
 
Keyboard Maestro is free (unless you want more than a certain number of hotkeys), it includes a cool program switcher and doesn't leave an icon in your dock. Just my personal preference. If you want iTunes to hide when you press F6, for example, you choose "Remap Keystroke" in Keyboard Maestro, press F6 as the key to be remapped and Apple+H in the 'remap to' box. It knows not to hide the application when you're entering the keystroke so that won't be a problem. I just tried it, works like a charm.

As for applescript -- search on the web and you'll find some good sites and examples. Here's the script I use to make Cmd+H hide Illustrator since Adobe chooses not to support that keystroke:

tell application "Finder"
set visible of process "Adobe Illustrator 10" to false
end tell

You can use 'Script Editor' in the 'Applescript' directory in 'Applications' to make applescripts and test them and look through applications' applescript libraries. I think that comes with OS X, otherwise I can't remember how I got it. If you search through your directories you'll also find some good scripts that you can use as examples to learn from.
 
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