fmAutoMate HotKeys

Introduction

fmAutoMate has a selection of keyboard shortcuts - Hot Keys - to give you instant access to its most powerful and prolific features and functions.

This not only brings the power of fmAutoMate's script workspace context menu to your fingertips & keyboard, but also opens up fmAutoMate's functions to all areas of the FileMaker development environment.

For example, to quickly patch code over virtually any remote connection

• with ⌃⌘ C you can Xopy any copiable FileMaker object straight to the clipboard as XML
• and then on a remote computer with ⌃⌘ V you can PaXte it directly into a deployed database

Moreover, with ⌃⌘ K you can pop up fmAutoMate's Extended HotKey dialog anywhere in the FileMaker GUI to apply powerful functions to Layouts, field definitions, even calculation text.

Memorable HotKeys

fmAutoMate has four combinations of modifier key it uses

For Action	Use	Modifier Keys
Main HotKeys	⌃⌘	control + command + key
Extended HotKeys	⌃⌘ K …	control + command + K, then some more keys
Navigation HotKeys	⌃⇧	control + shift + key
Seldom Hot>Keys	⌃⌥⌘	control + option + command + key

fmAutoMate's HotKeys have been designed to

• be easy to remember
• harmonise with other apps & Hot Keys
• maximise your productivity

Legend

Symbol	Key
⇧	shift
⌃	control
⌥	option
⌘	command
⏎	return

fmAutoMate's Main HotKeys ⌃⌘

fmAutoMate uses ⌃⌘ (control + command) for its main HotKey actions:

Press	For	In order to	fmAutoMate menu path
⌃⌘ X	Xut	Cut and convert to XML	Clipboard > Xut
⌃⌘ C	Xopy	Copy and convert to XML	Clipboard > Xopy
⌃⌘ V	PaXte	Convert from XML and paste	Clipboard > PaXte
⌃⌘ F	Find	Search for a term	Find and Replace > Find
⌃⌘ G	Find again	Search for the same term again	Find & Replace > Find Again Forwards
⇧⌃⌘ G	Find again backwards	Search for the same term again backwards	Find & Replace > Find Again Backwards
⌃⌘ A	Find & Replace All in XML	Show dialog to search & replace in the XML of the selection	Find & Replace > Find & Replace ALL in XML
⇧⌃⌘ A	Find & Replace All in XML again	Search & replace in the XML of the selection again	Find & Replace > Find & Replace ALL in XML AGAIN
⌃⌘ H	Insert History	Insert a history step in your script	Code > Insert > History
⌃⌘ P	Insert Pseudocode	Enter Pseudocode in a dialog	Code > Insert > Pseudocode
⌃⌘ M	Multiply code * clipboard	Multiply the selected code by the clipboard contents	Code > Multiply > Multiply…
⌃⌘ S	Save a code snippet	Save the selected item as a snippet to Documents/fmAutoMate/Snippets	Code > Snippet > Save
⌃⌘ L	Load a code snippet	Load a snippet from Documents/fmAutoMate/Snippets	Code > Snippet > Load
⌃⌘ O	Open subscript	Opens the selected subscript (needs fmIDE)	fmIDE > Open Script
⌃⌘ U	Open URL	Open a URL	(under review)
⌃⌘ F12	Repeat	Repeats the last action again (under review)	fmAutoMate > Repeat Last Function
⌃⌘ K	HotKeys	Show the HotKeys menu	HotKeys > Extended HotKeys

fmAutoMate's Extended HotKeys ⌃⌘ K

To show fmAutoMate's Extended HotKey Dialog press ⌃⌘ K

You can then choose a function with the mouse, or by typing an action's shortcut characters.

For example:

In this context	Press	In order to
When cursor is in a field	⌃⌘ K then c c c ⏎	copy the current column
After copying a multi-line text	⌃⌘ K then v 1 ⏎	paste the next line of the clipboard
After copying a multi-line text	⌃⌘ K then v v ⏎	paste the next line of the clipboard including a return

fmAutoMate's Navigation HotKeys ⌃⇧

fmAutoMate uses ⌃⇧ (control + shift) for its navigation HotKey actions, focussing mostly on the - easily reachable - group of keys on the left of the keyboard:

Press	For	In order to
⌃⇧ 1	Navigate to window #1	Activate / jump to / deactivate the main window
⌃⇧ 2	Navigate to window #2	Toggle between the front two windows
⌃⇧ 3	Navigate to window #3	Rotates the front three windows
⌃⇧ Q	Quick layout navigation	Quickly search for & select the layout you need
⌃⇧ W	Window navigation	Search for & select the window you need
⌃⇧ A	Navigate to fmAutoMate file	Re-open the fmAutoMate file
⌃⇧ O	Navigate to Layout Object	Search for & select the layout object you need (IN DEV)
⌃⇧ F	Navigate to Layout Field	Search for & select the layout field you need (IN DEV)

fmAutoMate's Seldom Action HotKeys ⌃⌥⌘

fmAutoMate uses ⌃⌥⌘ (control + option + command) for its seldom (mostly inter-app) HotKey actions:

[ToDo]

Snapshot of fmAutomate's HotKeys

This is a snapshot of fmAutomate's main HotKeys as of 2024-01-04.

Note: HotKeys may change, we are still reviewing the landscape.