AppleScript: Script to switch Caps Lock Key to Control

Question

I was trying to find a solution to this because I am using Vim and most of the time I need Caps lock to be assigned to Ctrl. There are times though that I want the Caps Lock working normally. I thought an Apple Script is great as it can be assigned to a LaunchBar action.

I will answer with the solution I ended up with (through GUI scripting) but would be interested in a less intrusive solution if someone knows a way...

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 18 '13 at 21:04

This is the script I am currently using:

tell application "System Preferences"
   activate
   set current pane to pane "com.apple.preference.keyboard"
end tell

tell application "System Events"
tell application process "System Preferences"
  get properties

  click button "Modifier Keys…" of tab group 1 of window "Keyboard"
  tell sheet 1 of window "Keyboard"
    click pop up button 4
    set capsLockCurrentlyOn to (value of attribute "AXMenuItemMarkChar" of menu item 1 of menu 1 of pop up button 4 as string) ≠ ""
    --display dialog "Caps Lock On: " & capsLockCurrentlyOn
    if capsLockCurrentlyOn is true then
      --tell me to beep 3
      click menu item 2 of menu 1 of pop up button 4
    else
      --tell me to beep 2
      click menu item 1 of menu 1 of pop up button 4
    end if
    click button "OK"
  end tell
end tell
tell application "System Preferences" to quit
end tell

did you ever get it to work correctly? I couldn't get the (click menu item 1 of menu 1 of pop up button 4) to work. It just kept selecting the CTRL option. — Alex Cory, Mar 21 '14 at 13:29
@AlexCory I ended up using KeyRemapMacBook. Only I hardly use it and as a result I do not even remember the shortcut anymore! Hmmm... — Dionysis, Apr 13 '14 at 09:31

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 19 '13 at 05:36

0

Did you try KeyRemap4MacBook or PCKeyboardHack?

answered Apr 19 '13 at 05:36

romainl

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Lri · Accepted Answer · 2013-04-19T18:34:36.890

You can use PCKeyboardHack to change caps lock to F19. Then save this as private.xml:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
<item>
<name>caps1</name>
<identifier>caps1</identifier>
<autogen>__KeyToKey__ KeyCode::F19, KeyCode::CAPSLOCK</autogen>
</item>
<item>
<name>caps2</name>
<identifier>caps2</identifier>
<autogen>__KeyToKey__ KeyCode::F19, KeyCode::CONTROL_L</autogen>
</item>
</root>

And use this script to toggle the settings:

k=/Applications/KeyRemap4MacBook.app/Contents/Applications/KeyRemap4MacBook_cli.app/Contents/MacOS/KeyRemap4MacBook_cli
if $k changed | grep -q ^caps1=; then
    $k disable caps1
    $k enable caps2
else
    $k enable caps1
    $k disable caps2
fi

It would be easier to just assign another key combination to caps lock though:

<autogen>__KeyOverlaidModifier__ KeyCode::CONTROL_L, ModifierFlag::FN, KeyCode::CONTROL_L, ModifierFlag::FN, KeyCode::CAPSLOCK</autogen>

This would be triggered on key down, so you'd have to press control before fn for key combinations like fn+control+down:

<autogen>__KeyToKey__ KeyCode::CONTROL_L, ModifierFlag::FN, KeyCode::CAPSLOCK</autogen>

AppleScript: Script to switch Caps Lock Key to Control

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