10.5: Add keyboard shortcuts to Services menu items

Mar 04, '09 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: NaOH-Lye

Times have changed since this hint was published nearly six years ago. With the release of OS X 10.5, it became possible to use the Keyboard Shortcuts tab of the Keyboard & Mouse System Preferences panel to create custom shortcuts for items in the Services menu. Also notable since that hint was published is the fact that keyboard shortcuts for Services no longer require the use of Command and Shift. In fact, neither of those modifier keys are required, so you can use any combination of Shift, Command, Control, and Option that you prefer.

Since I'm a frequent user of keyboard shortcuts, and always found the Services menu a bit cumbersome with the mouse (especially with its numerous submenus), this feature adds functionality for me. Notable shortcuts I've already become acclimated to using include one for attaching files to e-mail messages from the Finder using the Mail » Send Selection item, and sending a selection to TextEdit (New Window Containing Selection) simply because I prefer these over clippings.

As an added bonus, note that those two Services menu items complete their task without overwriting the clipboard's contents.

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Mac OS X Hints
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