Installation

the old

pip3 install system_hotkey

should do the trick

Usage

Input Keysyms

System hotkeys uses the keysym names from xlib for everything besides modifiers.(although case insensitive) grep for vk_codes for a list of available chars. If you are unable to bind to a certain key please let us know.

You can bind directly to symbols such as [”’,. etc Numpad keys can be binded by prefixing with kp_.

Supported modifiers include:

• control

• shift

• super (windows key)

• alt

InvalidKeyError will be raised if a key was not understood

from system_hotkey import SystemHotkey
hk = SystemHotkey()
hk.register(('control', 'shift', 'h'), callback=lambda x: print("Easy!"))

A SystemRegisterError will be raised if a hotkey is already in use.

To unregister a hotkey

hk.unregister(('control', 'shift', 'h'))

A KeyError will be raised if the combination is not already grabbed.

A UnregisterError will be raised if unregistering failed for any other reason.

If you want you can pass in a custom consumer:

def some_func(self, event, hotkey, args):
    pass

hk = SystemHotkey(consumer=some_func)
hk.register(hotkey, arg1, arg2, arg3)

So you have a master function that receives all hotkey presses and can delegate as desired.

Note Modifier keys are independent of order i.e control + alt + del is the same as alt + control + del

Features

• Support for up to 3 modifiers and a key

Limitations

• I have only mapped most common keys, i have not experimented with Unicode/Japanese characters etc. It’s only a matter of mapping a name to the keysym on Linux and virtual key code on windows.

• binding to kp_left (key pad left) will also bind to kp_4, there is a flag (unite_kp) to toggle this behaviour but it is experimental

• Requires an xserver (x11)…

1.0.4

• Exceptions are now run in main

1.0.3

• Documented the fact that xlib shouldn’t really be used

1.0.2

• Fixed a linux bug where spurious events got passed through

1.0.0

• calls to the unregister and register are now thread safe

• kp keys work properly

• kp_unite option

0.1.4

• Bug fix on linux where pressing numlock would crash us..

0.1.3

• Custom args can now be passed to a custom consumer