What is meant by a "chord" in context of key mapping?

L.Willms · Feb 27, 2017#12017-02-27T20:21+00:00

I was first amazed by the German language help file for registering a script, where I was asked to enter a "Schnellzugriffstaste". I could not imagine what was meant by that, and it is explained nowhere. Besides with a "Schnellzugriffstaste" I could also register an "Akkord".

Here at the scripting engine tutorial I learned that the translator meant a "Hotkey" like the key combination CTRL-G with "Schnellzugriffstaste". But at lease the German Akkord appears here in its English regular meaning, namely Chord.

Now I know about chords or Akkorde in music, and I do also master musical score editors and musical score OCR on computers, but I have no idea what a chord could mean in a universe which is managed by keyboard and mouse. I am supposed to operate UltraEdit with my USB musical keyboard?

Could anybody please lift the veil of secrecy of this riddle?

mwb1100 · Feb 27, 2017#22017-02-27T22:47+00:00

"Chord" for PC keyboards simply means pressing several keys at once for a particular action - such as Ctrl-Alt-Del or Ctrl-S. I'm sure the origin is from musical keyboards where you press several keys simultaneously to create a musical chord as you mention.

Most of the time the term I see used for this is "key combination". I have seen the term "chord" used on occasion, but I think it's pretty uncommon. Sounds like it might be even less common in German.

L.Willms · Feb 27, 2017#32017-02-27T23:01+00:00

Thanks to mwb1100.

CTRL-ALT-DEL is also a hotkey. After your explanation I don't see a difference between that and any other key combination, except, maybe, function keys.

Whatever. It is clear now for me.

mwb1100 · Feb 28, 2017#42017-02-28T00:31+00:00

This time I actually played around with the dialog for that help page. It looks like UE uses the term "chord" for an action that is invoked by two "hotkeys" instead of one.

The help for "Key mapping (Configuration)" says this:

Code: Select all

Chords

Users may use both text fields under Press new (multi-)key to define "chords".  For example:

    Ctrl+R
    M

could be used to toggle a bookmark when "CTRL+R, and M" are pressed in quick succession.

The maximum delay between the two hotkeys where it will still be recognized as a chord can be configured by the "Multi-key delay" value in the "Key mapping (Configuration)" dialog.

So this use of "chord" by UltraEdit - as multiple hotkeys in quick succession - is different than the generic term I mentioned before. Sorry for my first misleading post.

L.Willms · Feb 28, 2017#52017-02-28T06:07+00:00

Thanks for your research.

Actually, I am using the German language UltraEdit, so those help pages are different.

Mofi · Feb 28, 2017#62017-02-28T06:35+00:00

Yes, chords are two keys or key combinations quickly pressed to execute a command in comparison to a hotkey on which just a key with 1 or more modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Shift) are pressed once.

Examples where usage of multi-key assignments are very useful are multiple scripts, or multiple macros saved in a macro file being configured for automatic load on startup, or global templates, or user tools, or project tools.

For example for scripts it is possible to assign Ctrl+Shift+S as first key and next the first letter/key of each script file name to run each script easily by key. Ctrl+Shift+S is the main key to run any script and the next key press defines which script to run from scripts list. Ctrl+Shift+M plus one more letter/key can be used for the automatically loaded macros. And Ctrl+Shift+T plus one more letter/key can be used to insert global templates quickly by key. And ... I think it is clear now.

L.Willms · Mar 01, 2017#72017-03-01T06:06+00:00

Mofi wrote:Yes, chords are two keys or key combinations quickly pressed to execute a command in comparison to a hotkey on which just a key with 1 or more modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Shift) are pressed once.

That is not clearly explained in the Help files. I did now find the "Akkord" by searching in the Help, and found it in "Setting up a macro".

I rephrase the above in the way which I understand it now:

Chords are two keys or key combinations quickly pressed in fast sequence, one after the other, to execute a command in comparison to a hotkey on which just a key with 1 or more modifier keys (Ctrl, Alt, Shift) are pressed together, at the same time.

Right?

Mofi · Mar 01, 2017#82017-03-01T08:01+00:00

That's right.