On Mac IDE, command key stops working for shortcuts

[jeffThompson]

This is a weird one: I've noticed that every so often, after I've been using the IDE for a bit, the Mac command key stops working for keyboard shortcuts. No more auto-format, indenting, or copy/paste. command+q still works to quit, but nothing else. (At first I thought I was going crazy, but can confirm: it's not an issue with my keyboard.)

I haven't been able to see any rhyme or reason to why or when this happens, and I don't get any errors pop up in the console (as sometimes happens, usually awt-related?).

(I didn't see this in another issue, but if I'm being dumb and missed it, sorry!)

[benfry]

Hm, which macOS are you using? And on what kind of machine? (i.e. touch bar Mac?)

When it happens, does ctrl work for any shortcuts?

Cmd-Q is handled at a lower level (either Java or the OS) so it's not surprising that its behavior is different.

[jeffThompson]

I'm running 10.11.6 (El Capitan) on an early-2013 MacBook Pro Retina. It's a super weird, intermittent problem, but I'll keep an eye out and try control when it happens again.

I have exactly the same issue on both my macbook air (2012) and my imac (2015).

[arthur109]

I also had the same issue, all you need to do is reopen the file in a different window

[jeremydouglass]

@timrodenbroeker -- what version(s) of macOS are you running on those computers?

@arthur109 -- which macOS are you using? And on what kind of machine? (i.e. touch bar Mac?)

@jeremydouglass i am running 10.11.6 on both machines

[jeffThompson]

Ok, it finally happened again (hooray?). Using ctrl versions of the shortcuts does not work. However, I did notice that it highlights the menu that contains that shortcut, just doesn't run it. Hope that helps?

[arthur109]

I'm using an old MacBook air, from 2014 , it does not use a touch bar and runs macOS Sierra. Intel core i5

[spencermathews]

Same issue here with Processing 3.3.6 running OS X 10.11.6 on a Mid 2009 Macbook Pro. It's happening to me quite often, to the point of being a significant interference, and seems to affect all the Cmd key shortcuts. Save, Run, etc do still work when selected from the menus.

[benfry]

@jeffThompson so ctrl highlighted the menu? or using the command key highlighted the menu?

All: when this happens, have you used multiple windows? If you open a new window does it have the same behavior? Does it start after closing all windows and creating a new one? Just trying to figure out a way to reproduce it (and what might be the cause…)

[jeffThompson]

@benfry – can't remember for sure, but I think command? Hard to test, since it happens irregularly. When it happens again, I'll test that and the window thing.

[benfry]

Ok, thanks… sorry for the trouble. I think this is just a bad interaction between Oracle Java and macOS. For instance: processing/processing4#638

Because the menubar works differently on the Mac, there just seem to be some quirks, especially around swapping windows and the "default" menu bar that's shown when no windows are open.

[snosenzo]

I have the same problem (MBP 2016 Touchbar OS X 10.12.6). The shortcut malfunction seems to be limited to only one of my Processing windows and still works fine in the others I have open. Also I can see the dropdown menus at the top of the screen highlight in their respective ways, but the shortcut actions are not being performed.