How to set function keys as key equivalents programmatically

Question

From NSMenuItem Class Reference

If you want to specify the Backspace key as the key equivalent for a menu item, use a single character string with NSBackspaceCharacter (defined in NSText.h as 0x08) and for the Forward Delete key, use NSDeleteCharacter (defined in NSText.h as 0x7F).

Not sure I understand "use a single character string with..." from the class ref.

// This works as expected

NSString *s = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%c",NSDeleteCharacter];

    [myMenuItem setKeyEquivalentModifierMask:NSCommandKeyMask];

    [myMenuItem setKeyEquivalent:s];

enter image description here

// This doesn't works as expected

NSString *s = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%c",NSF2FunctionKey];

    [myMenuItem setKeyEquivalentModifierMask:NSCommandKeyMask];

    [myMenuItem setKeyEquivalent:s];

enter image description here

score 7 · Answer 1 · answered Aug 22 '13 at 20:02

7

Figured it out myself.

   unichar c = NSF2FunctionKey;

    NSString *f2 = [NSString stringWithCharacters:&c length:1];

    [mi setKeyEquivalent:f2];
    [mi setKeyEquivalentModifierMask:NSCommandKeyMask];

enter image description here

answered Aug 22 '13 at 20:02

vcirilli

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Ky - · Answer 2 · 2020-05-26T22:06:17.300

7

In Swift 3, 4, and 5:

let f2Character: Character = Character(UnicodeScalar(NSF2FunctionKey)!)
myMenuItem.keyEquivalent = String(f2Character)
myMenuItem.keyEquivalentModifierMask = []

edited May 26 '20 at 22:06

answered Oct 07 '16 at 14:25

Ky -

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score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Jul 30 '15 at 16:58

4

Example for Swift 2.0:

let key = String(utf16CodeUnits: [unichar(NSBackspaceCharacter)], count: 1) as String
menuItem.keyEquivalentModifierMask = Int(NSEventModifierFlags.CommandKeyMask.rawValue)
menuItem.keyEquivalent = key

answered Jul 30 '15 at 16:58

seb

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How to set function keys as key equivalents programmatically

3 Answers3