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JohnDohe

macrumors member
Original poster
Hi!


I'm looking for a way to start Calendar using a keyboard shortcut.


I've already done:

System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts

clicked "+", chose the Calendar app, added Alt-C as the shortcut

. . . but it doesn't work.


I'm using Firefox 55.0 (64 bit) on a Mac Mini (late 2012) running

Sierra 10.12.6.


Any help is much appreciated!
 

jbarley

macrumors 601
Jul 1, 2006
4,023
1,895
Vancouver Island
You missed the part in
System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts,
where it says "To change a shortcut, select it, click the key combination, and then type the new keys".
Emphasis here being on "To change a shortcut", not add a new one.
What I use for to create and manage keyboard shortcuts is "Spark"
https://www.shadowlab.org/softwares/spark.php
 

JohnDohe

macrumors member
Original poster
You missed the part in
System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts,
where it says "To change a shortcut, select it, click the key combination, and then type the new keys".
Emphasis here being on "To change a shortcut", not add a new one.
What I use for to create and manage keyboard shortcuts is "Spark"
https://www.shadowlab.org/softwares/spark.php

Huh . . . then why does clicking the "+" sign allow me to do anything at all?

Intuitively, "+" means to add something.

Got any idea?
[doublepost=1502313860][/doublepost]Hi again!

Tried Spark.

My system balked at first; had to allow it because its not Apple certified.

I think I did it right: created a Spark to launch Calendar and assigned it to Cmd+K

Doesn't work.

Got any tips on why and how to make Cmd+K invoke and launch the Calendar app
from within any other application?

Thanks!
 

BrianBaughn

macrumors G3
Feb 13, 2011
9,821
2,493
Baltimore, Maryland
Command-K seems to be reserved by the system for "Connect to Server".

Create and save a new Service using Automator with....Service receives no input, "Launch Application" (Calendar). Then, in System Preferences>Keyboard>Shortcuts>Services give the service a shortcut that's available (try shift-command-K).
 

JohnDohe

macrumors member
Original poster
Command-K seems to be reserved by the system for "Connect to Server".

Create and save a new Service using Automator with....Service receives no input, "Launch Application" (Calendar). Then, in System Preferences>Keyboard>Shortcuts>Services give the service a shortcut that's available (try shift-command-K).

Hi, well, I mapped it to Ctrl+A . . . and it still doesn't work:

Screen Shot 2017-08-09 at 7.00.16 PM   Wednesday  8-9-17.jpg


Grrr

What to do?
 

brookter1

macrumors regular
Aug 5, 2015
144
122
Just as another perspective...

If you're just looking for the quickest way to open any applications, then in my experience it's not worth assigning shortcuts -- it works, but it's a faff which you have to repeat every time you move to a new device/reinstall the OS.

Instead I just use Spotlight: cmd-space+<name of the app>is quick enough: You normally only have to type the first two or three letters for the auto-suggest to bring the right app up and then press Enter to open it.

And as Spotlight 'learns', the more you choose an app, the more likely it is to be the default answer on just the first letter.

For example, for me, cmd-space-c <enter> brings up and opens Calendar, cmd-space-m <enter> brings up and opens Messenger, cmd-space-ma <enter> = Mail etc. Other people's defaults will be different depend on usage, of course.

It means I don't have to remember the shortcut or use up a free shortcut combination, which are sparse enough anyway. I use shortcuts heavily (and use Keyboard Maestro and KeyCue to manage them) and I don't have a lot left...
 
Last edited:

JohnDohe

macrumors member
Original poster
Does it work when you test run it via the Automator app?

Yes.

It works, but whenever I reboot my Mac Mini (late 2012, running
Sierra 10.12.6) I have to first manually invoke the service by
clicking
Firefox > Services > CalendarLaunch
("CalendarLaunch"being the workflow I created in Automator).

Calendar then launches, I quit it, and then I can invoke it from
then on with Option-a (I changed it from Ctrl-a, which also
worked after I manually start the service).

This really annoying given that this is a computer.

Why do I have to manually start this service for it to then work
with my assigned key combination?
I would like to know how to tweak my system so that I don't

have to first manually start the service.

I want the key-combo to work immediately upon bootup.

Since this is really digging into the machine, I'd appreciate
suggestions, etc., only from those who are really versed
in the innermost workings of Mac's. Unfortunately, I have
been sent on "wild goose chases" by those who are either
well-intended but know too little, or trolls simply bent
on wasting someone's time. In either case, I wasted a lot
of my time trying to make their suggestions work only to
find out later, from a real expert, that their idea could never
work and offered me a real solution.

Many thanks to those who are well-intended, but unless
you really, really KNOW your solution works, with the
latest version of the OS (Sierra 10.12.6) please, thank you,
but please withhold your suggestion.

If you are a troll remember this: what goes around, comes
around. You will always do yourself in.

Looking forward to hearing from a real expert!

Thanks!
 

brookter1

macrumors regular
Aug 5, 2015
144
122
Yes.

It works, but whenever I reboot my Mac Mini (late 2012, running
Sierra 10.12.6) I have to first manually invoke the service by
clicking
Firefox > Services > CalendarLaunch
("CalendarLaunch"being the workflow I created in Automator).

Calendar then launches, I quit it, and then I can invoke it from
then on with Option-a (I changed it from Ctrl-a, which also
worked after I manually start the service).

This really annoying given that this is a computer.

Why do I have to manually start this service for it to then work
with my assigned key combination?
I would like to know how to tweak my system so that I don't

have to first manually start the service.

I want the key-combo to work immediately upon bootup.

Since this is really digging into the machine, I'd appreciate
suggestions, etc., only from those who are really versed
in the innermost workings of Mac's. Unfortunately, I have
been sent on "wild goose chases" by those who are either
well-intended but know too little, or trolls simply bent
on wasting someone's time. In either case, I wasted a lot
of my time trying to make their suggestions work only to
find out later, from a real expert, that their idea could never
work and offered me a real solution.

Many thanks to those who are well-intended, but unless
you really, really KNOW your solution works, with the
latest version of the OS (Sierra 10.12.6) please, thank you,
but please withhold your suggestion.

If you are a troll remember this: what goes around, comes
around. You will always do yourself in.

Looking forward to hearing from a real expert!

Thanks!

Forgive me, but you're going to a lot of trouble to get something to work which you already have built into the operating system through Spotlight. I wasn't trolling you by suggesting you use Spotlight -- it's a simpler and more generally applicable solution.

Even if you do get eventually get the shortcut/service to work, it will save a microsecond over the spotlight way -- and as it will only work for Calendar, you'll have to write a similar service for every time you want a new shortcut. Why go to the effort for so little gain and use up a previous shortcut slot to boot?
 

JohnDohe

macrumors member
Original poster
Forgive me, but you're going to a lot of trouble to get something to work which you already have built into the operating system through Spotlight. I wasn't trolling you by suggesting you use Spotlight -- it's a simpler and more generally applicable solution.

Even if you do get eventually get the shortcut/service to work, it will save a microsecond over the spotlight way -- and as it will only work for Calendar, you'll have to write a similar service for every time you want a new shortcut. Why go to the effort for so little gain and use up a previous shortcut slot to boot?

@brookter1

Dear Sir,

Thank you for your thoughts.

However, since you do not know me, or my needs,
and seem bent on convincing me that what I want
is "wrong" I would appreciate it if you would bow
out of this conversation. You are beginning to sound
like the troll I mentioned above.

On the other hand, if you really do know how to debug
my problem, then please offer such a solution.

If not, please stop bothering me.

Thank you.
 

brookter1

macrumors regular
Aug 5, 2015
144
122
I have tried to help you by giving you a simpler, more elegant solution to the problem you said you had. If you were unclear in your original question and that is not what you want, fine. A simple correction would have sufficed.

But just a thought: if you are this unpleasant to people who are trying to help you, then you will soon find that no-one will be willing to try.
 

JohnDohe

macrumors member
Original poster
I have tried to help you by giving you a simpler, more elegant solution to the problem you said you had. If you were unclear in your original question and that is not what you want, fine. A simple correction would have sufficed.

But just a thought: if you are this unpleasant to people who are trying to help you, then you will soon find that no-one will be willing to try.

As noted above:

"Many thanks to those who are well-intended, but unless
you really, really KNOW your solution works, with the
latest version of the OS (Sierra 10.12.6) please, thank you,
but please withhold your suggestion.
"

But a troll by any other name is still a troll.

If you continue to harass me, I will report you to the Moderator.
 

brookter1

macrumors regular
Aug 5, 2015
144
122
As noted above:

"Many thanks to those who are well-intended, but unless
you really, really KNOW your solution works, with the
latest version of the OS (Sierra 10.12.6) please, thank you,
but please withhold your suggestion.
"

But a troll by any other name is still a troll.

If you continue to harass me, I will report you to the Moderator.

This is a truly bizarre response. I suspect you know that. But don't worry: I shall not bother trying to help you in future.
 

dianeoforegon

macrumors 6502a
Apr 26, 2011
907
137
Oregon
If all you want is for the Calendar.app to launch at startup, then add it to login items.

I see you are as disagreeable here as on the Apple Support Communities.
 
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