Hotkey Settings

In this chapter, we will learn how to use the hotkey_manager package to implement global hotkey functionality, allowing users to show the application window through customized hotkey combinations.

Hotkey Settings

Register Hotkey

3. Complete Example

class HotKeySettingsPage extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _HotKeySettingsPageState createState() => _HotKeySettingsPageState();
}

class _HotKeySettingsPageState extends State<HotKeySettingsPage> {
  HotKey? _currentHotKey;
  bool _isRecording = false;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return Scaffold(
      appBar: AppBar(
        title: Text('Hotkey Settings'),
      ),
      body: Padding(
        padding: EdgeInsets.all(16.0),
        child: Column(
          crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
          children: [
            Text(
              'Current Hotkey: ${_currentHotKey?.toJson() ?? "Not Set"}',
              style: Theme.of(context).textTheme.titleMedium,
            ),
            SizedBox(height: 20),
            ElevatedButton(
              onPressed: () {
                setState(() {
                  _isRecording = true;
                });
              },
              child: Text('Set New Hotkey'),
            ),
            if (_isRecording)
              KeyboardListener(
                // Implementation details will be covered in the next section
              ),
          ],
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Hotkey Settings

Common Issues

1. Why doesn’t the hotkey work in certain applications?

   • Some applications may intercept system-level hotkeys
   • Check if other applications have registered the same hotkey
   • Ensure the application has appropriate system permissions

2. How to handle hotkey conflicts?

   try {
     await hotKeyManager.register(hotKey);
   } catch (e) {
     print('Hotkey registration failed: $e');
     // Prompt user to choose another hotkey combination
   }

3. How to save hotkey settings?

   • Use shared_preferences or other local storage solutions to save configurations
   • Load saved configurations when the application starts

Hotkey Settings

Exercises

1. Implement a complete hotkey configuration interface that supports adding, modifying, and deleting hotkeys.
2. Add hotkey conflict detection functionality to prompt users when their chosen hotkey is already in use by other applications.
3. Implement import/export functionality for hotkey configurations.

Hotkey Settings

Next Steps

Now that we have implemented the global hotkey functionality, we will learn how to use Provider for state management in the next chapter State Management.