Item Settings - Perfect Keyboard

There are two types of items: Macro items and clip items. While macro item allows you to perform variety of different tasks (from simple text inserting or starting application to complex scripts) clip item allows you just one thing: pasting clipboard data. Using clip items you can simply insert pictures, formatted texts, tables or charts to Windows applications.

There are two types of item properties dialog box - simple and normal. The simple one is intended for text replacement items and doesn't contain attributes like item name, item icon, etc. It is designed to allow you quickly and easily add/edit text shortcut and long text. Normal item properties dialog is designed to allow you simple editing of complex macros.
To access item properties double-click on an item in the main window.

Simple Text Replacement Item Properties Dialog Box:

General:

- Text shortcut - text shortcut that can be used to run macro.
- Key shortcut - key shortcut that can be used to run macro.
- Auto-expand - if checked, it is not necessary to press space bar after the text shortcut is typed.
- Can be part of word - if checked, the text shortcut doesn't have to be typed as a separate word but can be typed as a part of other word. For example, if "sct" is text shortcut and user types "gosct " then the "sct" shortcut will be correctly expanded.
- Description - description of the item.
- Disable - if checked, the item is disabled and user is not able to run it using text shortcut or key shortcut.
- Text (macro) - the text that will replace text shortcut. Use "Add/Insert" buttons to add/insert special keys, time & date or other simple commands.

Normal Item Properties Dialog Box:

General
General item settings are provided mostly for user's convenience (easy navigation, searching and orientation among items).

- Name - the name of the item is used just for your easy navigation.
- Description - description of the item.
- Change icon - allows to select/change icon.
- Disable - if checked, the item is disabled and user is not able to run it using text shortcut or key shortcut.

Shortcuts
In this section, the user defines text shortcut and key shortcut and other associated options.

- Text shortcut - text shortcut that can be used to run macro.
- Key shortcut - key shortcut that can be used to run macro.
- Auto-expand - if checked, it is not necessary to press space bar after the text shortcut is typed.
- Can be part of word - if checked, the text shortcut doesn't have to be typed as a separate word but can be typed as a part of other word. For example, if "sct" is text shortcut and user types "gosct " then the "sct" shortcut will be correctly expanded.

Macro
In this section, the user can edit macro. If the item was created as a "clip item" this page is not available.

- Macro - define the macro you want to run here. Just type the macro text in or use "Add/Insert" buttons of the "Available Commands" window. Depending on the "Raw source text / Formatted" switch the macro is displayed as plain text or sequence of steps.
- Raw source text - if selected, the macro is displayed as a plain text and can be edited as any other text.
- Formatted - if selected, the macro is displayed as a sequence of steps (commands).
- Edit - allows to visually edit command.
- |< << >> >| - use these arrows for navigation in macro.
- Up - moves the macro steps one row up (only if "formatted" macro view).
- Down - moves the macro steps one row down (only if "formatted" macro view).
- Copy - copies selected macro step (only if "formatted" macro view).
- Delete - deletes selected macro step (only if "formatted" macro view).
- Other / Insert recorded macro - inserts macro recorded in the memory.
- Other / Remove timing commands - removes timing commands <wx> from the macro. These commands are in the macro if user records macro with real time information.
- Other / Remove mouse move commands - removes mouse move commands <mm> from the macro. These commands are in the macro if user records macro with mouse move information.
- Available Commands - all the available commands organized in the tree. Just select the command in the tree and press "Add" (adds the command to the end of macro) or "Insert" button. This window appears automatically when "Item Properties - Macro" page is selected.

Clip:
Insert clipboard data. If the item was created as a "macro item" this page is not available.

- Paste -click this button to insert data from the clipboard to the item.
- Copy - click this button to copy data from the item to the clipboard.

Options:
In this section, there are additional options the user can set for each item.

- Pass text through clipboard - if the macro is just a text with no commands or special keys then it can be inserted to the destination window through the clipboard. It is faster especially if the text is bigger. If this option is checked and the macro contains commands then the commands are not executed.
- Playback macro - user can control the playback speed of macro if it contains wait commands (usually recorded macros).
- Repeat macro - how many times should be the macro repeated.
- Run macro in separate process - during the macro execution no other macro can start. This is not convenient for macros that can take very long to finish (for example, FTP download). In such case there is an option to start time consuming macro in separate process so that it doesn't block other macros from starting.
- Add to tray menu - if checked, the item is available in the tray menu.
- Run this macro on the program startup - if checked, the macro is automatically executed when the program starts.
- Use this item as template - if checked, this item is available in the list of templates that can be used to create new items.

Related topics: Running Macros