How to reassign a hotkey assigned to a macro to a built-in command?

RAH · Feb 28, 2017#12017-02-28T15:28+00:00

I suppose this has been asked before, but I cannot find anything on it, so here goes:

UltraEdit keeps losing my new keyboard assignments - i.e. it reverts to the old assignments the next time I run it. How do I get it to REMEMBER my new assignments?

Specifically, I have alt-j assigned to a macro I wrote called joinline. In my keyboard configuration I have alt-j assigned to run this macro. But I've been trying to change the keystroke to run the new built-in "join lines" command, which is better than my old macro. When I assign the new "join lines" command to alt-j, Ultraedit even warns me that it is already assigned to "joinline" (my macro) and asks me if I want to overwrite it with the new command. I say "yes" and it works great - it uses the new "join lines" (I can tell because my old macro had some obvious bugs). Works great till I shut UE down.

Next time I run UE, I'm back to the old definition, using my lousy macro.

I understand that the .uek file is stored where the .ini file is, but doesn't UE save a NEW one when you make a change?

Any help would be appreciated. (I am using 24.00.0.49, 64-bit)

Mofi · Feb 28, 2017#22017-02-28T18:26+00:00

A hotkey assigned to a script (stored in INI file of UE) or a macro (stored in macro file) has a higher priority than the same hotkey assigned to a built-in command. This was ever the case since I'm using UltraEdit which is since UltraEdit v8.00. In other words macro/script hotkeys/chords override hotkeys/chords of built-in commands. This by design and sometimes very useful. (I have a configuration for HTML editing where a macro file with macros with hotkeys loaded manually by me override key assignments of built-in commands.)

It is possible to assign a hotkey to a built-in command already assigned to a currently loaded macro. UltraEdit prompts the user if the existing hotkey assignment should be removed and the hotkey assigned to the built-in command.

In this special case with hotkey assigned to loaded macro, UltraEdit removes the hotkey assignment from the loaded macro on confirmation with a click on Yes. The *.uek file is updated on next exit of UltraEdit after closing configuration dialog with button OK.

It can be seen by opening the Modify Macro dialog for example via Macro - Delete Macro/Modify Properties on using toolbar/menu mode with traditional menus after closing configuration with OK that the macro does not have anymore the hotkey assignment. But UltraEdit does not automatically save all currently loaded macros with their properties and key assignments into the macro file. Macros are never automatically saved by UltraEdit. This is the reason why the macro hotkey removed in last session but not saved into the macro file is active again after restarting UltraEdit and reloading the macro file containing the macro.

So to get removed hotkey from your joinline macro, open the Modify Macro dialog, delete the hotkey assignment for the joinline macro or alternatively the entire macro, close the Modify Macro dialog with button OK, and save all (still loaded) macros into the macro file using Macro - Save All (traditional menu).

RAH · Feb 28, 2017#32017-02-28T19:23+00:00

That worked. Excellent! Thanks!

I actually DID in fact try the Modify Macro route myself earlier, but with contemporary menus and Ribbon mode, the Edit macro dialog does not show the keyboard assignment. So the only place I could find where the macro was associated with a keystroke was in the Keyboard configuration area and that kept reverting, as I complained about.

I wonder if this is a bug (the Edit Macro dialog not showing the keystroke assignment associated with a macro).

Mofi · Mar 01, 2017#42017-03-01T08:00+00:00

The Modify Macro dialog can be opened in ribbon mode by clicking on ribbon tab Advanced in group Macro on down arrow right of Configure and click on popup menu item Configure macros.

The Modify Macro dialog can be opened in toolbar/menu mode with contemporary menus by clicking in menu Advanced in submenu Configure on menu item Configure macros.

The Modify Macro dialog can be also opened from within Edit Macro dialog by clicking on button Modify.

RAH · Mar 01, 2017#52017-03-01T11:46+00:00

OK, got it! I had noticed that "Modify" button on the Edit macro dialog but thought that was for use after you had edited it to SAVE the modifications. Sometimes the wording used in UE can be confusing, although with any complex product it is difficult to make things easy. Thanks!