A great idea for an app.. but I need some help

[Ghoser777]

Okay, here's what I'm thinking. You know how in windows you can just hit the control key and then you can navigate the menus with the arrow keys and select menuItems with the return key? Well, I think MacOSX needs that too. I don't necessarially think it should be on the base builds of OSX (I've seen plenty of windows novi get confused when they accidentally hit the control key and they are magically whisked away to selected menuItems), but I think some power users would appreciate it.

The problem is, I have no idea how to implement it. I can sort of do the pseudo code hand waving, but I'm not good at event handling. I'd be writing the program in Java.

1. User hits control key, he program interprets the event "control" without any other keys as an indication to select the first menu to the right of the apple

2. While the menu/menuItems are slected, arrow keys will be interpreted to mean select one menuItem up, down, or one menu to the left, right.

3. Return activates the selected menu item

4. The mouse is deactivated from having any effect on the menus except when clicked. Then the menus are deselected.

5. Pressing any key-combination besides a return or arrow key results in the menu to be deselected.

Whew. Now if only I could figure out how to do all this.

Thanks in advance,
F-bacher

[tie]

Originally posted by Ghoser777
The problem is, I have no idea how to implement it. I can sort of do the pseudo code hand waving, but I'm not good at event handling. I'd be writing the program in Java.

Andrew Welch says over on Macslash, "Snapz Pro 2 doesn't work under OS X because there's no API for intercept 'hot keys' globally."

So it doesn't sound like it can work (yet). But it is a good idea.

[Ghoser777]

They'd have too. That's a great reason, huh? Apple would have a hard time getting developers to port anything over to macosx without global hotkeys. Oh, and the main reason its coming, is because global hotkeys alread exist. We just don't know how to get at them. Control-apple-restart, Control-option-esc, ect are all global hotkeys. Hopefully apple won't keep me waiting too long...