Disable Alt + Special Character default behavior

[RonnyMcdonny3928]

Hi, is it possible to disable the left alt key from typing special characters when used in combination with other keys.

For example, alt+c writes ç

How can I disable this? There are just a few combinations that I need to disable. The reason is because I want to use these shortcuts in another application but it's prevented by the default behavior.

Thanks for any help.

[Sorin Paliga]

https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/

[Gé van Gasteren]

Hi Ronny,

I’m curious what kind of application uses such shortcuts?

The standard macOS interface uses the Command and Control keys for application commands and reserves combinations of Option/Alt and Shift keys with character keys for text entry.

That said: I don’t know much about programming, but I believe you can easily make your application "grab" the shortcut before it’s passed on to the OS and converted into screen output.

So I’m not sure how any keyboard layout assignment would interfere with your application?

Anyway, Karabiner Elements, as suggested by Sorin, is probably your best bet.

Because, even if you would use Ukelele to make a custom keyboard layout, where some or all combinations with Option are unassigned, that would apply to both left and right Option keys.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ukelele Users" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ukelele-user...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ukelele-users/0e4c6fc8-15d5-41eb-8589-f9e53b300dc6n%40googlegroups.com.

[RonnyMcdonny3928]

Thanks for the recommendation, I will give it a try

I am a trader and I use these shortcuts to summon a custom terminal application when I need to quickly place a trade, for example on a news event or other data. I have been using combos like alt+1 alt+2 alt+3 but since I got a new m3 mac I believe the buffer has been getting clogged and sometimes my shortcut fails, so looking for a temporary workaround while I troubleshoot.

[Ross Bennett]

For whatever it's worth, Microsoft Word 365 for macOS has only this last few weeks commandeered some of the Option + Shift + <key> sequences.

In order to make things easier for their users, they've assigned our friend Opt + Shift + hyphen (an Em Dash on many Mac input methods) to what they call a "nonbreaking Hyphen."  Their support group has said that we can type an Em Dash using Command + Shift + Numpad-hypen. I've replied that most Macs don't come with extended keyboards and numpad keys by default.

They've also explained that if we don't like their key assignments, we can reassign them with their Keyboard Customize… facility. And I've answered that, no, we can't. Their Keyboard Customize… dialog doesn't acknowledge  "Option +" or "Option + Shift +" sequences, because overriding the mac's Option+ sequences would be a bad idea —because that would clobber the input methods.

I've logged support items with them explaining how this is a serious problem for them to overstep and begin commandeering keys from the macOS Input Methods, especially since some of the symbols we're using there support accessibility methods.  

You could upvote my support issue at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/idea/e1f0e568-f7f1-ee11-a73d-6045bd7e894e if you wanted to support it.

So while we try to talk them into that, I've installed Karabiner Elements and I've written an override specifically to replace "Option + Shift + hyphen" events with "Command + Shift + Numpad-hyphen" only when Microsoft Word is the bundle identifier of the frontmost app.

It works, but it's annoying that it has to. Not that it's a big difference. I have both Mac and Windows versions of word on the Mac here. (Thanks, Parallels.) I have to use Karabiner to get the Windows keyboard going into WinWord without interference from macOS. Fortunately, Karabiner will distinguish between the two keyboards and any keypads I attach.  Makes advanced typesetting much easier.

Ross

[Ross Bennett]

+1 for Karabiner-elements, but expect a bit of a challenge starting in on your own complex customization

On Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 1:25:11 PM UTC-5 Sorin Paliga wrote:

https://karabiner-elements.pqrs.org/

[Gé van Gasteren]

Hi Ross,

You have hijacked a thread, maybe you want to start a new one for this topic?

Anyway, I've seconded your issue. 

I've had this problem in the past, with some version of MS Word hijacking Shift-Option-keys on the digit row, but somehow I can't reproduce it now with Word 2016.

Is it possible to export your Karabiner customization, so others can import it and thus have an easier time?

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ukelele Users" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ukelele-user...@googlegroups.com.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ukelele-users/efd7dbbb-86de-4b30-9aae-f589b32f9f72n%40googlegroups.com.

[Ross Bennett]

Hi Gé!

On Friday, April 5, 2024 at 7:38:15 AM UTC-5 Gé van Gasteren wrote:

Hi Ross,

You have hijacked a thread, maybe you want to start a new one for this topic?

<blushing furiously>

Ouch. I'm very sorry. Yeah—I was fighting that much of the day when I answered that.

Definitely a topic for a new thread—but not really a Ukelele issue.  I've said all there is to say about it, really.  Didn't mean to prompt any remarks on that. 

There is a wonderful little nexus at the intersection of what Ukelele does, what Karabiner does, and what's best left to text substitution tools.

Anyway, I've seconded your issue. 

I've had this problem in the past, with some version of MS Word hijacking Shift-Option-keys on the digit row, but somehow I can't reproduce it now with Word 2016.

Thank you!  What's insidious lately is that some of these "features" only turn themselves on when they detect the user has used a similar command, operation, or keystroke. If you do a fresh install, you get the old behavior for one or two program launches.  Then it gives you a new feature pop-up and changes how things work. Makes it very hard to troubleshoot.

 

Is it possible to export your Karabiner customization, so others can import it and thus have an easier time?

I suppose it would be, yes, but I'm only an egg on Karabiner. I want to be sure I haven't done some supremely stupid stuff before I pass it around and harm other folks. So far I've only hacked someone else's script to add in my own stuff. I'm not even entirely sure yet all the things the original does.

Ross