Tip: What shortcut key combinations are unused?

[mag3737]

XMetaL has keyboard shortcuts for many common operations — so many that it may be challenging to find unused key combinations for your own macros.  There's a list of built-in keyboard shortcuts in the documentation (see [url=http://forums.xmetal.com/index.php/topic,780.0.html]http://forums.xmetal.com/index.php/topic,780.0.html[/url]), but that list will not include key combinations in use by any macros you have added yourself.

Here's a way to find out all of the unused and currently available keyboard shortcuts in your own copy of XMetaL.  It amounts to “pretending” that you are creating a new macro in XMetaL:

1. Open a document of any type in XMetaL
2. Tools > Record New Macro
3. Type something; even a single letter is enough
4. Tools > Stop Recording
     The “Define New Macro” dialog will appear
5. At the bottom of this dialog there are controls for assigning a keyboard shortcut to your new macro.  As you select various combinations of the “Ctrl”, “Alt” and “Shift” modifier key checkboxes, the “Key” combo box will display only the keys that are currently not used by any other operation or macro in XMetaL.

6. When you are finished looking at the available keys, select “Cancel” to close the dialog box … unless you really want to save a macro that types what you typed in step #3!

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