Possible to launch Everythig with double CTRL key?

[burgundy]

Is it possible to configure Everything so it can be launched with a double tap other CTRL (or some other) key?

I saw another search app launch this way and I like the action. Can we do it with Everything?

[raccoon]

Everything cannot register a double key press, but you can write an AutoHotkey script that can handle this. The folks on the AutoHotkey Forums and Discord server should be able to lend a hand.

Such a key binding should be expected to interfere with many PC games, so you'll need a scripting engine like AutoHotkey to help you draft an exclusion list where the key presses should be ignored.

(I personally use the Pause key on my full keyboard, because it's right next to my mouse and convenient to press, and it's rarely ever used by anything else.)

[ovg]

2burgundy
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=378&p=923#p923

[burgundy]

Thanks guys. Sadly I don't use Autohotkey or anything similar.

[void]

I will consider an option to use double Ctrl to launch Everything.

For now, please consider setting a Hotkey to launch Everything:

• In Everything, from the Tools menu, click Options.
• Click the Keyboard tab on the left.
• Click to the right of Show window Hotkey and press a new keyboard shortcut, eg: Ctrl + F12
• Click OK.

[burgundy]

"Double Control" to launch Everything would be really great" Thank you.

Although Everything is superior to Listary, I sometimes launch Listary using Double Control because that key combination is so convenient.

[horst.epp]

Such an hotkey in Everything should be optional as all other hotkeys.
I already use double Ctrl key in Listary and some Autohotkey apps.

[horst.epp]

"Double Control" to launch Everything would be really great" Thank you.

Although Everything is superior to Listary, I sometimes launch Listary using Double Control because that key combination is so convenient.

Everything beats Listary as search engine
but Listary is superior in open/save dialogs supporting a lot of file managers
and its own indexing.
I still run Listary parallel with Everything as it doesn't produce any remarkable system load
and simply is available where it should be.
Now its even being updated after a very long pause

[void]

Everything 1.5.0.1310a adds a double_ctrl_action ini setting.

To set Everything to open on double ctrl:

• In Everything, type in the following search and press ENTER:
  /double_ctrl_action=1
• If successful, double_ctrl_action=1 is shown in the status bar for a few seconds.
• where 1 can be one of the follow values:
  • 0 = no action. (default)
  • 1 = show the existing window. (creates a new window if one does not exist)
  • 2 = create a new window.
  • 3 = toggle the existing window.
• Restart Everything:
• Type in the following search and press ENTER:
  /restart

This is disabled by default because it will hook all key presses, which might be seen as malicious.

Both left and right Ctrl keys will work.
The Ctrl key must be pressed in quick succession (same delay as a double click) to activate.
Pressing any other key will cancel the double Ctrl press.

[wer]

awesome, work totally fine just like listary way

[EggRoll]

Dear developer,

I hope this message finds you well. I have noticed an issue: when the Everything UI process runs as a standard user, double-pressing the Ctrl key in a window running as administrator has no effect. However, the same double Ctrl action works as intended in a window running under a standard user account—for example, it successfully brings up the Everything window as configured.

I suspect this is caused by a permission issue, though I have not conducted in-depth research. I believe attaching the double-Ctrl detection logic to the Everything service would be an effective solution to this problem.

[void]

It's a User Interface Privilege Isolation limitation with SetWindowsHookEx.
When double_ctrl_action is enabled, Everything injects a low level keyboard hook into each process to detect double ctrl presses.
This injection doesn't work for programs running as admin.

Please consider running an Autohotkey script as admin to detect double ctrl and launch Everything.
Another option is to run Everything as admin (not recommended)

The Everything service cannot see keyboard events. (runs in a different session)

[Xavierarmand]

This can also happen in AHK. It struggles to run commands thru elevated windows. They're usually blocked.

Running an ahk script as admin to launch everything would also run it elevated as admin. At least if it's a compiled app. It's a semi annoying side effect of ahk.

That being said, if you're running a .ahk script thru autohotkey itself there's a launcher option inside ahk the allows "UIA" access. It lets such hotkeys\sub routines act on thru elevated windows.

[Xavierarmand]

this ahk v1 script will work, eg, call EV over elevated windows, (without EV itself being elevated), as long as you have AutoHotkey installed and set to run with UIA Access.

save it has a .ahk file, eg, "EVDoubleTap.ahk", its just a text file that ahk will run, you can\should edit it to change the hotkey, ev's filepath and double tap time.

; < that's a commented line, its ignored by the script, there's comments in the script to pick the key you want from control, shift or alt. Left, right or both.

Code: Select all

#SingleInstance, Force
#Persistent
#Requires Autohotkey v1
#InputLevel, 27
#UseHook
#InstallKeybdHook
#MaxThreads 10
SetBatchLines, -1
SetTitleMatchMode, 2
CoordMode, mouse, window
menu, tray, UseErrorLevel, On

global ImportantEncodingMSG := "!IMPORTANT! - **THIS FILE MUST BE ENCODED WITH UTF8+BOM** !"
;--------------------------------------------------

;;;; set a custom icon here... https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5873
global trayicon := "X:\XI\EverythingIcons\Everything-1.5a.ico"
If FileExist(trayicon)
    Menu, tray, icon, %trayicon%

;--------------------------------------------------

;;;;; Set your path to Everything inside the quotes here if you have it installed somewhere other than the default install location.
Global EVPath := "C:\Program Files\Everything 1.5a\Everything.exe"

;--------------------------------------------------

;;;;; Pick Your Double-Tap Modifier key here, PICK ONLY ONE
;;;;; to change the default key pic ONLY 1 of the following 9 options remove the "; " to active, add the same to deactive the other to turn it off.
;;;;; "LControl" is default, if more than one is left on the bottom most un-commented key take precedence

;;;;; Either\BOTH Sides 
; Global DoubleTapKey := "Alt"
; Global DoubleTapKey := "Control"
; Global DoubleTapKey := "Shift"

;;;;; Left Side 
; Global DoubleTapKey := "LAlt"
Global DoubleTapKey := "LControl"
; Global DoubleTapKey := "LShift"

;;;;; Right Side 
; Global DoubleTapKey := "RAlt"
; Global DoubleTapKey := "RControl"
; Global DoubleTapKey := "RShift"

;--------------------------------------------------

;;;;; Set your Double-Tap Time, default := 300
;;;;; This is in milliseconds. eg 500 = half of a second, 200~400 is recommended. 
global DoubleTapTime := 300

;--------------------------------------------------

If !FileExist(EVPath)
    ExitApp  ;; if EV is not found at the path above ▲ this program will exit\close itself

Menu, tray, add, ; line -------------------------
Menu, tray, add, Show Tray Menu, ShowTrayMenu
Menu, tray, default, Show Tray Menu
Menu, tray, click, 1


Hotkey, ~%DoubleTapKey%, GetEverything, On

Return

GetEverything:
if (A_PriorHotkey != "~" DoubleTapKey || A_TimeSincePriorHotkey > DoubleTapTime)
{
    KeyWait, %DoubleTapKey%
    return  ; not a double tap, bail
}
; if we get here it's a double tap
if WinExist("ahk_class EVERYTHING ahk_exe Everything.exe")
    WinActivate, ahk_class EVERYTHING ahk_exe Everything.exe
else
    Run, %EVPath%
return

[ChrisGreaves]

To set Everything to open on double ctrl:

Thanks for this, Void! I installed it and delighted in its superb action. Then I had to uninstall it because I basically super-glue my little finger to the Ctrl key and use Ctrl+shortcuts 24/7

In the vein of super-fast single-key actions I would recommend tapping the <Tab> key twice as a way to jump to the search box and select the contents; super-fast way to initiate a new search, I find.
Cheers, Chris