hotkeys-js

What is hotkeys-js?

The hotkeys-js npm package is a simple library for handling keyboard shortcuts in web applications. It allows developers to define and manage keyboard shortcuts with ease, providing a straightforward API for binding and unbinding keys.

What are hotkeys-js's main functionalities?

Binding a single key

This feature allows you to bind a single key to a function. In this example, pressing the 'A' key will trigger a console log message.

hotkeys('a', function(event, handler) {
  console.log('You pressed A!');
});

Binding multiple keys

This feature allows you to bind multiple keys to a single function. In this example, pressing either 'Ctrl+A' or 'Ctrl+B' will trigger the same console log message.

hotkeys('ctrl+a, ctrl+b', function(event, handler) {
  console.log('You pressed either Ctrl+A or Ctrl+B!');
});

Binding key combinations

This feature allows you to bind key combinations to a function. In this example, pressing 'Ctrl+Shift+K' will trigger a console log message.

hotkeys('ctrl+shift+k', function(event, handler) {
  console.log('You pressed Ctrl+Shift+K!');
});

Unbinding keys

This feature allows you to unbind a previously bound key. In this example, the 'A' key will no longer trigger any function.

hotkeys.unbind('a');

Filtering key events

This feature allows you to filter which key events should be processed by hotkeys-js. In this example, all key events will be processed.

hotkeys.filter = function(event) {
  return true; // Process all key events
};

Other packages similar to hotkeys-js

mousetrap

Mousetrap is a simple library for handling keyboard shortcuts in Javascript. It is similar to hotkeys-js in that it allows you to bind and unbind keys and key combinations. However, Mousetrap has a slightly different API and includes additional features such as sequence bindings and key event handling in specific DOM elements.

keymaster

Keymaster is a simple micro-library for defining and dispatching keyboard shortcuts. It is similar to hotkeys-js in its simplicity and ease of use. Keymaster focuses on providing a minimalistic API for binding keys and key combinations, but it does not include some of the more advanced features found in hotkeys-js, such as filtering key events.

keyboardjs

KeyboardJS is a robust library for handling keyboard input. It offers more advanced features compared to hotkeys-js, such as support for key sequences, key states, and context-specific bindings. While it is more feature-rich, it also has a steeper learning curve compared to the simplicity of hotkeys-js.

README

Hotkeys

HotKeys.js is an input capture library with some very special features, it is easy to pick up and use, has a reasonable footprint (~3kb) (gzipped: 1.73kb), and has no dependencies. It should not interfere with any JavaScript libraries or frameworks. Official document demo preview. More examples.

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Usage

You will need Node.js installed on your system.

$ npm install hotkeys-js --save

import hotkeys from 'hotkeys-js';

hotkeys('f5', function(event, handler){
  // Prevent the default refresh event under WINDOWS system
  event.preventDefault() 
  alert('you pressed F5!') 
});

Or manually download and link hotkeys.js in your HTML, It can also be downloaded via UNPKG:

CDN: UNPKG | jsDelivr | Githack | Statically | bundle.run

<script src="https://unpkg.com/hotkeys-js/dist/hotkeys.min.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
hotkeys('ctrl+a,ctrl+b,r,f', function (event, handler){
  switch (handler.key) {
    case 'ctrl+a': alert('you pressed ctrl+a!');
      break;
    case 'ctrl+b': alert('you pressed ctrl+b!');
      break;
    case 'r': alert('you pressed r!');
      break;
    case 'f': alert('you pressed f!');
      break;
    default: alert(event);
  }
});
</script>

Used in React

react-hotkeys is the React component that listen to keydown and keyup keyboard events, defining and dispatching keyboard shortcuts. Detailed use method please see its documentation react-hotkeys.

react-hotkeys-hook - React hook for using keyboard shortcuts in components. Make sure that you have at least version 16.8 of react and react-dom installed, or otherwise hooks won't work for you.

Browser Support

Hotkeys.js has been tested and should work in.

Internet Explorer 6+
Safari
Firefox
Chrome

Supported Keys

HotKeys understands the following modifiers: ⇧, shift, option, ⌥, alt, ctrl, control, command, and ⌘.

The following special keys can be used for shortcuts: backspace, tab, clear, enter, return, esc, escape, space, up, down, left, right, home, end, pageup, pagedown, del, delete, f1 through f19, num_0 through num_9, num_multiply, num_add, num_enter, num_subtract, num_decimal, num_divide.

⌘ Command()
⌃ Control
⌥ Option(alt)
⇧ Shift
⇪ Caps Lock(Capital)
fn Does not support fn
↩︎ return/Enter space

Defining Shortcuts

One global method is exposed, key which defines shortcuts when called directly.

hotkeys([keys:<String>], [option:[string|object|function]], [callback:<function>])

hotkeys('f5', function(event, handler) {
  // Prevent the default refresh event under WINDOWS system
  event.preventDefault();
  alert('you pressed F5!');
});

// Returning false stops the event and prevents default browser events
// Mac OS system defines `command + r` as a refresh shortcut
hotkeys('ctrl+r, command+r', function() {
  alert('stopped reload!');
  return false;
});

// Single key
hotkeys('a', function(event,handler){
  //event.srcElement: input 
  //event.target: input
  if(event.target === "input"){
      alert('you pressed a!')
  }
  alert('you pressed a!') 
});

// Key Combination
hotkeys('ctrl+a,ctrl+b,r,f', function (event, handler){
  switch (handler.key) {
    case 'ctrl+a': alert('you pressed ctrl+a!');
      break;
    case 'ctrl+b': alert('you pressed ctrl+b!');
      break;
    case 'r': alert('you pressed r!');
      break;
    case 'f': alert('you pressed f!');
      break;
    default: alert(event);
  }
});

hotkeys('ctrl+a+s', function() {
    alert('you pressed ctrl+a+s!');
});

// Using a scope
hotkeys('*','wcj', function(event){
  console.log('do something', event);
});

option

• scope<String>
• element<HTMLElement>
• keyup<Boolean>
• keydown<Boolean>
• splitKey<string> (default is +)
• capture<Boolean>

hotkeys('o, enter', {
  scope: 'wcj',
  element: document.getElementById('wrapper'),
}, function(){ 
  console.log('do something else');
});

hotkeys('ctrl-+', { splitKey: '-' }, function(e) {
  console.log('you pressed ctrl and +');
});

hotkeys('+', { splitKey: '-' }, function(e){
  console.log('you pressed +');
})

keyup

key down and key up both perform callback events.

hotkeys('ctrl+a,alt+a+s', {keyup: true}, function(event, handler) {
  if (event.type === 'keydown') {
    console.log('keydown:', event.type, handler, handler.key);
  }

  if (event.type === 'keyup') {
    console.log('keyup:', event.type, handler, handler.key);
  }
});

API REFERENCE

Asterisk "*"

Modifier key judgments

hotkeys('*', function() {
  if (hotkeys.shift) {
    console.log('shift is pressed!');
  }

  if (hotkeys.ctrl) {
    console.log('ctrl is pressed!');
  }

  if (hotkeys.alt) {
    console.log('alt is pressed!');
  }

  if (hotkeys.option) {
    console.log('option is pressed!');
  }

  if (hotkeys.control) {
    console.log('control is pressed!');
  }

  if (hotkeys.cmd) {
    console.log('cmd is pressed!');
  }

  if (hotkeys.command) {
    console.log('command is pressed!');
  }
});

setScope

Use the hotkeys.setScope method to set scope. There can only be one active scope besides 'all'. By default 'all' is always active.

// Define shortcuts with a scope
hotkeys('ctrl+o, ctrl+alt+enter', 'issues', function(){
  console.log('do something');
});
hotkeys('o, enter', 'files', function(){ 
  console.log('do something else');
});

// Set the scope (only 'all' and 'issues' shortcuts will be honored)
hotkeys.setScope('issues'); // default scope is 'all'

getScope

Use the hotkeys.getScope method to get scope.

hotkeys.getScope();

deleteScope

Use the hotkeys.deleteScope method to delete a scope. This will also remove all associated hotkeys with it.

hotkeys.deleteScope('issues');

You can use second argument, if need set new scope after deleting.

hotkeys.deleteScope('issues', 'newScopeName');

unbind

Similar to defining shortcuts, they can be unbound using hotkeys.unbind.

// unbind 'a' handler
hotkeys.unbind('a');

// Unbind a hotkeys only for a single scope
// If no scope is specified it defaults to the current scope (hotkeys.getScope())
hotkeys.unbind('o, enter', 'issues');
hotkeys.unbind('o, enter', 'files');

Unbind events through functions.

function example() {
  hotkeys('a', example);
  hotkeys.unbind('a', example);

  hotkeys('a', 'issues', example);
  hotkeys.unbind('a', 'issues', example);
}

To unbind everything.

hotkeys.unbind();

isPressed

For example, hotkeys.isPressed(77) is true if the M key is currently pressed.

hotkeys('a', function() {
  console.log(hotkeys.isPressed('a')); //=> true
  console.log(hotkeys.isPressed('A')); //=> true
  console.log(hotkeys.isPressed(65)); //=> true
});

trigger

hotkeys.trigger('ctrl+o');
hotkeys.trigger('ctrl+o', 'scope2');

getPressedKeyCodes

Returns an array of key codes currently pressed.

hotkeys('command+ctrl+shift+a,f', function(){
  console.log(hotkeys.getPressedKeyCodes()); //=> [17, 65] or [70]
})

filter

By default hotkeys are not enabled for INPUT SELECT TEXTAREA elements. Hotkeys.filter to return to the true shortcut keys set to play a role, false shortcut keys set up failure.

hotkeys.filter = function(event){
  return true;
}
//How to add the filter to edit labels. <div contentEditable="true"></div>
//"contentEditable" Older browsers that do not support drops
hotkeys.filter = function(event) {
  var target = event.target || event.srcElement;
  var tagName = target.tagName;
  return !(target.isContentEditable || tagName == 'INPUT' || tagName == 'SELECT' || tagName == 'TEXTAREA');
}

hotkeys.filter = function(event){
  var tagName = (event.target || event.srcElement).tagName;
  hotkeys.setScope(/^(INPUT|TEXTAREA|SELECT)$/.test(tagName) ? 'input' : 'other');
  return true;
}

noConflict

Relinquish HotKeys’s control of the hotkeys variable.

var k = hotkeys.noConflict();
k('a', function() {
  console.log("do something")
});

hotkeys()
// -->Uncaught TypeError: hotkeys is not a function(anonymous function) 
// @ VM2170:2InjectedScript._evaluateOn 
// @ VM2165:883InjectedScript._evaluateAndWrap 
// @ VM2165:816InjectedScript.evaluate @ VM2165:682

Development

To develop, Install dependencies, Get the code:

$ git https://github.com/jaywcjlove/hotkeys.git
$ cd hotkeys     # Into the directory
$ npm install    # or  yarn install

To develop, run the self-reloading build:

$ npm run watch

Run Document Website Environment.

$ npm run doc

To contribute, please fork Hotkeys.js, add your patch and tests for it (in the test/ folder) and submit a pull request.

$ npm run test
$ npm run test:watch # Development model

Contributors

As always, thanks to our amazing contributors!

Made with github-action-contributors.

License

MIT © Kenny Wong