Why is it impossible to create keyboard shortcuts for some applications?

[desertman]

I don't know since when, but since a while it is possible to create one's own keyboard shortcuts for menu items in (non-Apple) applications through the Keyboard preference panel. A very good OS X feature that I use frequently.

However, for certain applications it is not possible to create such keyboard shortcuts - i. e. Adobe Acrobat Pro X. Does anybody know why this is so? Is it possible that Adobe prevents this, or is this due to some other reason?

 

[benwiggy]

Well, that's interesting.

I note that none of Adobe CS6 appears in the list of apps to choose in the Keyboard Shortcut creation dialog.

I presume that Adobe uses non-standard user-interface code, i.e. they don't use Apple's provided APIs for creating menus and other interface controls.

You might want to consider using an app like iKey, which gives you much greater control over triggering commands and events with keyboard shortcuts. You may have better luck there.

 

[desertman]

... they don't use Apple's provided APIs for creating menus and other interface controls.

Thanks, that at least explains it. The stupid thing about Acrobat is that it - unlike all other Creative Suite applications - does not offer the possibility to create or change keyboard shortcuts from within itself. As far as I know Indesign was the first application at all that had this feature and I still think it's just awesome that I can configure almost each and every function of it according to my needs and likings.

I do use QuicKeys for cases like this, I just wondered (and think it's quite stupid and arrogant of Adobe) why it is not possible "the normal way" for Acrobat.

 

[benwiggy]

I just wondered (and think it's quite stupid and arrogant of Adobe) why it is not possible "the normal way" for Acrobat.

It's not uncommon for multi-platform software to work in this way. Adobe writes as much code as possible to work on both platforms, which in this case includes all the menus, palettes, etc.