🌌 ⌨️ HyperKey.spoon

If you have a lot of global key binds to super, hyper, or other modifier keys, this Hammerspoon library lets you easily setup your key binds to switch/launch applications or call a function.

As well, if you hold down the modifier key(s), a popup help menu will appear showing you all your key binds:

This was inspired by the Spacemacs spacebar leader menu, and vim-leader-guide.

Installation

The easiest thing to do is paste this in:

mkdir -p ~/.hammerspoon/Spoons
git clone https://github.com/dbalatero/HyperKey.spoon.git ~/.hammerspoon/Spoons/HyperKey.spoon

then move onto the next section for configuration.

Usage

local hyper = {'cmd', 'alt', 'ctrl', 'shift'}

-- Load and create a new switcher
local HyperKey = hs.loadSpoon("HyperKey")
hyperKey = HyperKey:new(hyper)

-- Bind some applications to keys
hyperKey
  :bind('c'):toApplication('/Applications/Google Chrome.app')
  :bind('s'):toApplication('/Applications/Spotify.app')
  :bind('t'):toApplication('/Applications/Alacritty.app')

-- Bind some functions to keys
local reloadHammerspoon = function()
  hs.application.launchOrFocus("Hammerspoon")
  hs.reload()
end

hyperKey
  :bind('h'):toFunction("Reload Hammerspoon", reloadHammerspoon)
  :bind('l'):toFunction("Lock screen", hs.caffeinate.startScreensaver)

Adding a hyper key to OS X

If you don't have a QMK-based keyboard, you can easily add a hyper key to MacOS using Karabiner Elements. There are many tutorials out there; here's one that might work.

Controlling the popup delay

The popup delay defaults to 250ms. You can control this with an option:

local hyper = {'cmd', 'alt', 'ctrl', 'shift'}

hyperKey = HyperKey:new(hyper, {
  overlayTimeoutMs = 1000, -- wait 1000ms instead
})

Multiple popup menus

Having different menus for different modifiers is easy - just create an object for each set of modifier keys:

hyperKey = HyperKey:new({'cmd', 'alt', 'ctrl', 'shift'})
hyperKey:bind('s'):toApplication('/Applications/Safari.app')

superKey = HyperKey:new({'cmd', 'alt', 'ctrl'})
superKey:bind('L'):toFunction('Lock screen', hs.caffeinate.startScreensaver)

Methods

HyperKey:new(modifiers, options)

Creates a new set of hotkeys triggered by modifiers. Holding the modifiers down will show a popup overlay of all registered keybinds.

• modifiers - a Lua table of modifiers, e.g. {'cmd','shift','alt','ctrl'}
• options - a Lua table of options, with the following keys:
  • overlayTimeoutMs: number - number of milliseconds to wait before fading in the hotkey overlay. Defaults to 250ms.

Usage:

hyperKey = HyperKey:new(
  {'cmd', 'shift', 'alt', 'ctrl'},
  { overlayTimeoutMs = 1000 }
)

-- then bind some keys to it

HyperKey:bind(displayedKey, [bindKey]):toFunction(name, fn)

Binds modifiers + bindKey to a given fn to be called.

Returns self, so you can chain keybinds.

• displayedKey - the key character to display on the popup.
• bindKey - the Hammerspoon key to bind. Defaults to displayedKey.
  • This is the same set of key values that hs.hotkey.bind takes.
• name - the description of this key bind to display on the popup.
• fn - the function to call when the hotkey is pressed.

Usage:

local function doSomethingCool()
  -- fill me in
end

hyperKey = HyperKey:new({'cmd', 'shift'})

hyperKey
  :bind('c'):toFunction("Do a cool thing", doSomethingCool)

HyperKey:bind(displayedKey, [bindKey]):toApplication(applicationPath)

Binds modifiers + bindKey to quick-switch to a given application. If the application is not running, it will launch it.

Returns self, so you can chain keybinds.

• displayedKey - the key character to display on the popup.
• bindKey - the Hammerspoon key to bind. Defaults to displayedKey.
  • This is the same set of key values that hs.hotkey.bind takes.
• applicationPath - the application to launch/switch, e.g. /Applications/Safari.app

Usage:

hyperKey = HyperKey:new({'cmd', 'shift'})

hyperKey
  :bind('m'):toApplication('/Applications/Mail.app')
  :bind('s'):toApplication('/Applications/Safari.app')