microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys

text insert list shortcuts in the "quick accent" panel style

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Idea-Enhancement Needs-Triage Product-Quick Accent
Dominant language
C
Stars
139k
Forks
8.6k
PR merge metrics
PR metrics pending

Description

Description of the new feature / enhancement

in the same fashion the quick accent menu would be brought out, pressing a user defined shortcut would bring out a list of user defined text inputs, shortcuts, macros... (anything that could be useful)
any number of lists could be summoned from any kind of shortcut
options to order and style each list in various ways and how to navigate them (position, horizontal, vertical, grid, last used, most used; etc. also : options to setup a name for the shortcut that is different from its content, encrypted shortcuts (not accessible easily through the app or visible in the panel) and hidden shortcuts or lists (the entry or panel doesn't even appear, you know its there)

Scenario when this would be used?

accessing a user built array of characters that are difficult to access otherwise (as in needing to copy and past them from a website) such as foreign characters used for emojis/kaomojis, or simply normal emojis as they are troublesome to access in windows.
quickly entering long strings of text such as different emails or passwords (hence encrypt option) without having to bind a different shortcut to each of them.
or simply accessing different actions from one shortcut, so different groups could be accessed through different shortcuts

Supporting information

Perhaps this whole function could fit in an "advanced shortcuts" section in the keyboard manager.
generally in the app, the possibility of easily assigning shortcuts to inputs that aren't physically available on your keyboard, such as F13-F24 to be able to use it on for say thumbs buttons on a mouse which has dozens of them, would be welcome.
Unrelated, but a low level atypical keyboard/mouse input remapper that could detect such inputs (and completely complement or replace deprecated or bad software/drivers for various input devices at the same time) would be very welcome too, but this suggestion deserves its own separate entry.
thank you for your read

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First steps

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Research direction

No files, tests, or concrete entry points are named. Start by reading the Quick Accent panel and Keyboard Manager, especially the proposed advanced shortcuts section. Done would require a defined, implemented scope for user-defined lists, shortcuts, navigation, styling, and visibility options.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
c
Domain
desktop
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
20/100

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