autokey-autohotkey-vim-nav

Scripts for Windows AutoHotKey:

• allow vim like navigation across the OS.
• allow mouse scroll and navigation with keyboard (useful when using bad touchpads)
• allow quick recall of applications by title (see app_switch_by_name.ahk)
• allow quick binding of current ALT-TAB ordered windows to shortcut keys: quick window layout switching

vim.ahk file to be loaded by Windows AutoHotKey.

When this script is running CAPS LOCK is hijacked to enable the above.

Key Bindings

All key bindings below require CAPS LOCK to be held down.

CAPS LOCK is no longer used as CAPS LOCK: a pretty useless key made useful, in my opinion.

Application Window Binding

I tried various virtual windows managers over the years including bug.n, etc. I find the mental task of dealing with virtual windows annoying. I find binding running applications' windows to a shortcut key the simplest.

Preconfigured Recall

This approach has pre-configured keybindings that always work as soon as this script is loaded by AutoHotKey.

The following hotkeys are pre-configured:

a,s,d,f,g,z,x,c,v,b

To cycle/recall an application window hold CAPS LOCK + ALT then tap the corresponding key. If the keybind currently has multiple associated applications open, they will cycle in "near" ALT-TAB order. As you cycle through the applications, the will come into focus and the mouse will be moved to the center of each. An overlay tooltip will indicate the title of the application for easy identification.

Douple tapping CAPS LOCK + ALT and a corresponding key will recall the most recent desired open app in ALT-TAB order.

The specific applications recalled are controlled by the app_switch_by_name.ahk script.

To reconfigure you must edit the app_switch_by_name.ahk and restart the vim.ahk script in your taskbar.

Looking at the app_switch_by_name.ahk script you will find several TITLES[".."] setters after the ;; COFIGURE APP TITLES TO RECALL ;; comment.

The letter indexing each array element indicates which keyboard key (pressed together with CAPS LOCK + ALT) is bound to restore apps with provided title.

The string values of each array element is part of the application's window title to match on; each application with title matching one of these values is automatically part of the corresponding hotkey's recall.

Find this title using AutoHotKey's Window Spy application.

For example TITLES["x"] := ["WhatsApp"] means that the x hotkey is tied to any window with WhatsApp in the title: any WhatsApp instance.

Many different title substrings (different apps) can be added to a signle hotkey's recall.

Memorization to a Group

This approach allows binding of running applications' windows ALT-TAB order to shortcut keys.

This is useful for memorizing and recalling layout on multi-display setups.

The following keys allow memorization of application windows' ALT-TAB order for quick restore:

1,2,3,4,5

To memorize an order hold CAPS LOCK then press SPACE and tap one of the above keys (while holding CAPS LOCK):

`CAPS LOCK + SPACE, CAPS LOCK + 1` bind current app to group 1 (you can use 1 through 5)

To restore an order hold CAPS LOCK + ALT tap the corresponding key:

`CAPS LOCK + ALT + 1` to resore apps' ALT-TAB order as per group 1 (you can use 1 through 5)

Memorize and Restore Screen Layout

This allows saving off current layout of all applications.

This is useful when docking/undocking or using a KVM switch: whenever Windows is about to mess-up your applications layout because of a change in the number of monitors.

The layout is saved to a file called WinPos.txt.

To save current layout:

`CAPS LOCK + SPACE, CAPS LOCK + \``

To restore layout:

`CAPS LOCK + ALT + \``

The script remembers distinct layouts for different monitor configurations.

Preconfigured Apps to Run

Looking at the app_switch_by_name.ahk script you will find several APP_TO_RUN_ON_KEY[".."] := "..." statements after the ;; COFIGURE APP TO RUN ;; comment.

These are the apps that can be started with pressing one of the following hotkeys after pressing CAPS + SPACE:

a,s,d,f,g,z,x,c,v,b

To run the app defined with APP_TO_RUN_ON_KEY["a"] press CAPS + SPACE the "a".

Some apps do not start a new instance but just switch to a current instance. To speed this up you can switch to the instance based on the window title. Configure this with APP_TITLE_TO_SWITCH_TO_ON_KEY[".."] := "..." statements.

If you want to add your own keybindings and not affect the git repo, add your binding overrides to overrides.ahk. Notice that overrides.ahk is #Include'd after the above definitions in app_switch_by_name.ahk, and it's .gitignore'd.

Window Management Key bindings

I like to quickly snap Windows to the left-half of a wide screen, right-half of a wide screen, or to take up the full screen:

CAPS + ALT + y make top 4 windows (in ALT TAB order) snap to screen corners in order top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right, preserving ALT TAB order.

2x CAPS + ALT + y restore top 4 windows back from being snapped to corners: reverse CAPS + ALT + y.

CAPS + ALT + q snap window to left

2x CAPS + ALT + q snap window to top

CAPS + ALT + e snap window to right

2x CAPS + ALT + e snap window to bottom

CAPS + ALT + w snap window to top

2x CAPS + ALT + w maximize window

CAPS + ALT + r snap window to bottom

CAPS + ALT + t move window to next monitor clockwise

CAPS + ALT + RIGHT move window to next monitor clockwise

CAPS + ALT + LEFT move window to next monitor counter-clockwise

CAPS + SHIFT + ALT + t toggle task bar visibility on/off

Mouse scrolling and Navigation

Unfortunately Windows laptops have varying qualities of touchpads, and scrolling with two fingers is annoying. I like to move the cursor over a window with the right hand and use my left hand to scroll with the keyboard:

CAPS+s wheel down

CAPS+a wheel up

CAPS+z wheel left

CAPS+x wheel right

Mouse keys for navigating within browsers are very nice for most editors, map them:

CAPS+c browser back, alt left

CAPS+v browser forward, alt right

CAPS+SHIFT+c ctrl alt left // for some applications going back is this combo

CAPS+SHIFT+v ctrl alt right // for some applications going forward is this combo

VIM Editing Key Bindings

Laptop keyboards are notorious for different annoying layouts. Vim navigation to the rescue:

CAPS+h left

CAPS+j right

CAPS+k up

CAPS+l down

CAPS+g ctrl home // start of document

CAPS+SHIFT+g ctrl end // end of document

CAPS+b page up

CAPS+f page down

CAPS+e ctrl up arrow // one line up, sort of not needed with mouse scrolling

CAPS+y ctrl down arrow // one line down

CAPS+w jump word, ctrl right // in most apps jumps a word

CAPS+q reverse jump word, ctrl left // in most apps reverse jumps worked

CAPS+d delete

CAPS+0 start of line, home

CAPS+- end of line, end

CAPS+i 5 x up key

CAPS+u 5 x down key

The above work with SHIFT key down, for navigation while selecting.

Repo Code Deprecation

I used to have code for Linux/Python AutoKey in this repo as well.

I find myself never switching to Linux anymore. I've removed all the AutoKey code, especially since it's deprecated.

Commit faea51a0c1c366816cc0957fb208b642f7ed27f9 is the last commit before removal of:

• Linux/Python AutoHotKey
• mouse scrolling helper scripts (AutoHotKey)
• xmouse (auto focus) PowerShell script
• desktop switching AutoHotKey scripts
• PowerShell script to make task preview windows bigger: never worked with Windows 10