Simulating a keystroke

[avirambm]

Hi,

 

My Mac keyboard is not working so well unfortunately as I spilt coffee on it. As a result, I can't invoke the "greater/lower than" keys (i.e. `<` and `>`), and I need them badly as I write a lot of HTML code. Is there a way to simulate a keystroke using Alfred's Workflow? For example, I'd love to configure a hotkey that will result in printing the `<` symbol, for example.

 

Thanks.

[jdfwarrior]

You could do that with AppleScript

 

tell application "System Events" to keystroke "<"

 

Or change it to ">" for the other end of course.

 

You could create a workflow that uses a hotkey or a keyword to action that AppleScript. Should work great.

[avirambm]

Thanks David, but I couldn't make it work. I'm an Alfred workflows newbie so I guess I didn't do it right: I used "Actions -> Run NSAppleScript" and I copied the exact command there, but it doesn't work. Any idea? Thanks!

[jdfwarrior]

Thanks David, but I couldn't make it work. I'm an Alfred workflows newbie so I guess I didn't do it right: I used "Actions -> Run NSAppleScript" and I copied the exact command there, but it doesn't work. Any idea? Thanks!

 

Oh man, my bad. Sorry, I should have been a little more specific. When using an NSAppleScript module, you need wrap your code like this:

on alfred_script(q)
   tell application "System Events" to keystroke "<"
end alfred_script

 

You don't have to wrap the text if you use a Run Script module and just set the language to be /usr/bin/osascript

 

Ping back and let me know that you got things going  Sorry again for the confusion

[avirambm]

Awesome, it worked! Thank you so much!

[jdfwarrior]

Awesome, it worked! Thank you so much!

 

Great. Glad to hear it.