capslock

CapsLock keyboard layouts switching in Parallels Desktop

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I like Mac OS X very much. But I also have to use MS Windows for some tasks that Mac OS X cannot do, such as full-featured MS Office, MS Project, MS Visio, MindJet/MindManager, stock trading terminals, most games, etc.

And I also like to switch my keyboard layouts with CapsLock instead of default Cmd+Space or Alt+Shift.  You would never believe how convenient it is until you try it for yourself.

But when I use both Parallels Desktop with MS Windows as a guest OS and PCKeyboardHack for CapsLock keyboard layout switching, I find myself limited to only one of these scenarios:

  • Use CapsLock to switch keyboard layouts in Windows as in Mac OS X, but Cmd+Tab goes to Windows and switches between Windows applications instead of Mac OS X applications.
  • Use Cmd+Tab to switch between Mac OS X applications, but Windows keyboard layouts should be switched with native Alt+Shift or Ctrl+Shift, not with CapsLock as in Mac OS X.

Actually, this limitation affects all Mac OS X system shortcuts, not only Cmd+Tab. For example, Cmd+Shift+4 does not work for screenshots, Cmd+Ctrl+N does not work for Evernote, etc.

The perfect scenario — Cmd+Tab for Mac OS X applications and CapsLock for keyboard layouts both in Mac OS X and Windows — is impossible with these tools. Here is a solution how to implement this perfect scenario.

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CapsLock input source switching in Mac OS X

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As a software developer and true introvert, I type a lot. I type for coding, I type for blogging, I type for chatting, I type for sexing ;-) My two most used keyboard layouts are English and Russian; I also use Esperanto sometimes. And as I type, I want to switch the keyboard layouts fast and insensibly.

Mac OS X default installation suggests Cmd+Space keyboard shortcut for selecting the input source, yet it is configurable. Windows suggests Alt+Shift or Ctrl+Shift, and you cannot change it to anything more sophisticated.

Both these options are far from convenient since they require the user to press two keys simultaneously, which is not good when you type fast and focus on the content rather than typing itself. Two-key shortcut in the corner of the keyboard forces you to move your whole palm from its position over the keyboard, and then to reposition it back — this causes a break in text flow for a fraction of second.

There is much better option for Mac OS X: select input sources with CapsLock key, which is almost never used for its direct purpose of locking the capital case mode (two Shifts are more than enough). Besides it is only one single key to press, you can also press it with your left little finger, keeping your other fingers on their positions, thus not causing the break.

I know there are lots of manuals how to do that. Here is yet another one just for further references in this blog, and as a beginning episode of a keyboard tricks series.

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