Differences

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--- Frequently_Asked_Questions [2019/08/12 01:24]
peternlewis [What is the upgrade price?]
+++ Frequently_Asked_Questions [2019/08/12 01:47]
peternlewis
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 After that, you will have a direct download version and can upgrade to Keyboard Maestro 6 for $25.
+==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with Yosemite? ====
+No, Keyboard Maestro 9 requires 10.11 or later.
 ==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with El Capitan? ====
@@ Line 35: / Line 39: @@
 Keyboard Maestro does not install anything on your harddisk, and uses public APIs, so the security measures added to OS X in El Capitan do not affect Keyboard Maestro's facilities.
-==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with Yosemite? ====
+==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with Sierra? ====
-Yes, Keyboard Maestro is, for all practical purposes, fully compatible with Yosemite. In fact, Keyboard Maestro versions going back as far as version 2.x still work fine on Yosemite.
+Yes, Keyboard Maestro is fully compatible with Sierra. In fact, Keyboard Maestro versions going back as far as version 2.x still work fine on Yosemite.
-There are, however, two cosmetic bugs in Yosemite that affect some versions of Keyboard Maestro and up. Keyboard Maestro versions 4.0-6.4.8 has a weird flashing of the focus ring in some fields. In Keyboard Maestro version 4.0-6.4.7, the popup menus used in most Keyboard Maestro actions turn white (almost invisible) when you hover over them. Both of these have been reported to Apple, and it is disappointing they were never fixed. Still, they are cosmetic only, so other than being slightly irritating they do not affect the behaviour of Keyboard Maestro.
+Keyboard Maestro 7.x, 8.x and 9.x have no known issues with Sierra.
-There is a bug in the NSSpeechSynthesizer that returns isPlaying as false immediately. This means the Speak Text Action in Keyboard Maestro versions up to 6.4.7 finishes immediately, so the text is not spoken. As a workaround, you can set a variable named "Text to Speak" to the text you want, then you can use the Execute Shell Script action with the command: say "$KMVAR_Text_to_Speak" - actually, Ivan Fetch describes a [better workaround](http://blog.ivanfetch.com/2014/11/29/workaround-for-keyboard-maestro-no-longer-speaking-text-in-yosemite/) of just adding a pause after the action, since the action wont be destroyed (taking the NSSpeechSynthesizer object with it) until the macro complete (it probably should destroy it when the action completes, but it doesn't, which turns out to be a good thing in this case).
+==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with High Sierra? ====
-There is also a bug in the Yosemite 10.10.0-10.10.2 accessibility setting system which can cause problems allowing accessibility access to applications including the Keyboard Maestro Engine(([[rdar://problem/18643648]])), see the [Troubleshooting Yosemite GM and Accessibility Settings Problems](Troubleshooting#Yosemite_GM_and_Accessibility_Settings_Problems) section for a workaround.  Upgrading to 10.10.4 should resolve the issues.
+Keyboard Maestro is fully compatible with High Sierra, however for some very small set of people the Keyboard Maestro Engine can sometimes crash after sleep.  This crash is caused by a very low level bug in the system software, resolved in 10.14 Mojave.  Relaunching the Keyboard Maestro Engine (by launching Keyboard Maestro or by selecting File ➤ Launch Engine) will restart the engine and allow the macros to be processed.
-==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with Sierra? ====
+==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with Mojave? ====
-Yes, Keyboard Maestro is fully compatible with Sierra. In fact, Keyboard Maestro versions going back as far as version 2.x still work fine on Yosemite.
+Yes, Keyboard Maestro is fully compatible with Mojave. In fact, Keyboard Maestro versions going back as far as version 2.x still work fine on Yosemite.
-Keyboard Maestro 7.3.1 and 8.x have no issues with Sierra.
+Mojave has bugs with its Accessibility System Preferences which may require toggling the Accessibility permissions of Keyboard Maestro Engine off and on again.  Generally this is only required once when upgrading to Mojave. See the [[assistance:Accessibility_Permission_Problem|Accessibility Permission Problem assistance]] for more information.
-==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with High Sierra? ====
+Note that Mojave adds some nagging for security permissions that can be tedious when first using Keyboard Maestro or when first controlling a specific facility or application.
+==== Is Keyboard Maestro compatible with Catalina? ====
+Keyboard Maestro is believed to be fully compatible with Catalina.  Versions of Keyboard Maestro prior to version 4.0 will no longer run on Catalina due to it dropping support for 32-bit applications.
+Catalina appears to continue with the bugs with its Accessibility System Preferences introduced in Mojave which may require toggling the Accessibility permissions of Keyboard Maestro Engine off and on again, and/or deleting the Keyboard Maestro Engine preference from the Accessibility system and having it re-added.  Generally this is only required once when upgrading to Catalina. See the [[assistance:Accessibility_Permission_Problem|Accessibility Permission Problem assistance]] for more information.
+Note that Mojave adds lots of nagging for security permissions that can be tedious when first using Keyboard Maestro or when first controlling a specific facility or application.
-Keyboard Maestro is fully compatible with High Sierra, however for some small set of people the Keyboard Maestro Engine can sometimes crash after sleep.  This crash appears to be a memory corruption issue, and it is unclear whether the memory corruption is caused by Keyboard Maestro or by the OS X system software or some other software.  Unfortunately so far efforts to track down this crash have not found a cause.  Relaunching the Keyboard Maestro Engine (by launching Keyboard Maestro or by selecting File ➤ Launch Engine) will restart the engine and allow the macros to be processed.
+Catalina is still in beta testing at this time, so the final details of any issues are unknown.
 ==== Reporting a bug ====
@@ Line 67: / Line 79: @@
 ==== How do I sync macros between two Macs? ====
-Keyboard Maestro 6 includes built in support for syncing.
+Keyboard Maestro (v6+) includes built in support for syncing.
 First, all except the first Mac will have their macros entirely replaced, so if you have different macros on each Mac you should export any unique macros for latter import after you have set up syncing.
@@ Line 94: / Line 106: @@
 The API for the Touch Bar does not appear to allow non-front applications to affect the Touch Bar, except that Apple does this themselves in Xcode and Screen Capture and the like.  So Apple knows and understands the need, but have not made the facility available for Third Party macro trigger style applications.
-The Keyboard Maestro 8 editor supports the Touch Bar in the future for use within the editor.
+The Keyboard Maestro (v8+) editor supports the Touch Bar in the future for use within the editor.
-Keyboard Maestro 8 includes some Touch Bar actions ([[action:Show_Palette_of_Macros|Show Palette of Macros]] action and [[action:Get_Touch_Bar_Selection|Get Touch Bar Selection]] action) and allows you to have Conflict Palettes show up in the Touch Bar (though the limited space may make this impractical in practice).
+Keyboard Maestro (v8+) includes some Touch Bar actions ([[action:Show_Palette_of_Macros|Show Palette of Macros]] action and [[action:Get_Touch_Bar_Selection|Get Touch Bar Selection]] action) and allows you to have Conflict Palettes show up in the Touch Bar (though the limited space may make this impractical in practice).
 Because of Apple's restrictions, actions showing in the Touch Bar require that the current application loses keyboard focus, which is not ideal but may not be a problem.
@@ Line 107: / Line 119: @@
 See [[Keyboard Maestro Control]] for more information.
+Note that generally the [[trigger:Remote|Remote]] trigger is a better solution that Keyboard Maestro Control, which has not been updated in many years.
 ==== Why is the clipboard not restored after any clipboard action? ====
@@ Line 195: / Line 209: @@
 You can control the order of macros in a macro palette (or the status menu) by prefixing their name with a code like "xx)" (eg "01)").  The macros will be sorted based on the code, but the code will be stripped off before display in the palette (or status menu).
 ==== How do I use a multiple keystroke trigger? ====
@@ Line 237: / Line 252: @@
 An alternative is to use a non-keyboard keyboard, something like an [XK-24](http://xkeys.com/xkeys/xk24.php) or the like, that does not perform any normal function.  You can use device key triggers with that kind of keyboard.
+Also, with version 9, Keyboard Maestro adds direct support for the [[Stream Deck]], including the ability to trigger macros as well as control the image and title of the buttons.
 ==== What is the difference between text token fields and calculation fields? ====
@@ Line 242: / Line 258: @@
 In Keyboard Maestro, there are two kinds of processed fields, text token fields and calculation fields.  Most text fields are the text token fields.  Most numeric fields are calculation fields.
-In version 8, a small indicator appears in the field when you are editing to tell you what kind of field it is, Token, Calculation, or Variable.
+A small indicator appears (v8+) in the field when you are editing to tell you what kind of field it is, Token, Calculation, or Variable.
 Text token fields typically (but not always) have an Insert Token pull down menu, and are always quite long.  They are designed to allow you to enter text, rather than a numeric value.
@@ Line 259: / Line 275: @@
 For example, the Display Text action field is a text field, and is parsed for text tokens.  It can optionally uses the %Calculate% text token to evaluate expressions, whereas the Draw a Shape action fields are calculation fields, so no text tokens, just raw calculations.
 ==== What is the difference between different kinds of hot keys? ====
@@ Line 288: / Line 305: @@
 Which brings us to the point of this article: *naming best practices*.
-In version 8, variables that start with "Local " will be local to the macro in question, and that start with "Instance " will be local to the macro instance (ie, that macro and all the macros that it executes).  Consider availing yourself of these local variables if appropriate.
+Variables that start with "Local " (v8+) will be local to the macro in question, and that start with "Instance " will be local to the macro instance (ie, that macro and all the macros that it executes).  Consider availing yourself of these local variables if appropriate.
 Keyboard Maestro variables can have whitespace characters in their name. This is good for human readability. It also makes for better user experience in User Input dialogs. Whitespace characters are converted to underscores in scripts. From a Shell or AppleScript'ers point of view these don't look “natural”.
-As I’ve been working on Markdown for Keyboard Maestro 2, Keyboard Maestro introduced a new feature for variable names. Everything that is before two underscores in a variable name will not be shown in User Input actions.
-Example:
-Variable name: ''MMD\_\_Title Case''
-Will be displayed as: ''Title Case''
-This variable can be accessed from an AppleScript like so:
-    tell application "Keyboard Maestro Engine"
-        set MMDTitleCase to make variable with properties {name:"MMD__Title Case"}
-        set MMDTitleCaseValue to value of MMDTitleCase
-    end tell
-So the best practice recommendation: start your scripts by assigning Keyboard Maestro variables to script variables.
-In Markdown for Keyboard Maestro all variables are prefixed with ''MMD__'' and they use space in their variable name. Prefix *groups* of variables with the same prefix. This way it is easier to keep track of belonging variables, e.g. in Preferences → Variables.
-As a last best practice recommendation:
-Good programmers clean up after themselves, so when you've finished using a variable it's good practice to delete it.
-One method is to use a ''Set Varible to Text'' action:
-set <your-variable-name> to the text-token ''%Delete%'', and it will be completely deleted.
-Another method is to use AppleScript:
-    tell application "Keyboard Maestro Engine" to delete variable "myVariableName"
-Keywords: delete variable
 ==== People have suggested I use regular expressions to solve a problem, but how? ====
@@ Line 337: / Line 322: @@
 ==== How can I close the Keyboard Maestro editor window? ====
-The Keyboard Maestro editor is designed to be run only when needed, and then quit. By not allowing the main window to be closed, the application encourages you to quit it instead.
+The Keyboard Maestro editor is designed to be run only when needed, and then quit.
-In Keyboard Maestro 8, you can click the close box on the editor window and it will quit the editor for you.
+You can (v8+) click the close box on the editor window and it will quit the editor for you.
 The Keyboard Maestro Engine will continue running and processing your macros after you quit the Keyboard Maestro editor. Read the [Quick Start](http://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/Quick_Start) for more details about the difference between the editor and the engine.
@@ Line 345: / Line 330: @@
 ==== What does Keyboard Maestro use the Address Book for? ====
-Mountain Lion adds an alert to tell you when an application is accessing the Address Book, but unfortunately, that alert does not distinguish between an application reading your email address and an application reading your whole contacts database.
+The system adds an alert to tell you when an application is accessing the Address Book, but unfortunately, that alert does not distinguish between an application reading your “My Card” email address and an application reading your whole contacts database.
-Keyboard Maestro accesses your Me card information only, for the purposes of pre-filling your contact information if you wish to subscribe to the Getting Started emails (highly recommended!), and for the use in the AddressBook tokens (eg %AddressBook%First%).
+Keyboard Maestro accesses your My Card information only, for the purposes of pre-filling your contact information if you wish to subscribe to the Getting Started emails (highly recommended!), and for the use in the AddressBook tokens (eg %AddressBook%First%). Keyboard Maestro does not directly access any of the remainder of your contacts database (although you can access them via AppleScript).
 ==== How can I get the mouse coordinates on the screen or in a window? ====
@@ Line 420: / Line 405: @@
 There are also [actions for Cancelling All, This, or Other Macros](https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/action/Cancel_All_Macros), which you can use and trigger in any way you like.
 ==== What are the differences between the Mac App Store version and the version purchased directly from Stairways? ====
@@ Line 426: / Line 412: @@
 The Mac App Store had only version 5.  It is an old version and you should not buy Keyboard Maestro from the Mac App Store.
-The MAS requires sandboxing for any non-bugfix updates (Apple's requirement). and this excludes workflow applications like Keyboard Maestro, so version 5.3.2 will likely be the last version available on the MAS.
+The Mac App Store requires sandboxing for any non-bugfix updates (Apple's requirement). and this excludes workflow applications like Keyboard Maestro, so version 5.3.2 will likely be the last version available on the Mac App Store.
 * The MAS version does not support secure https in the web server.  So all web use (including clipboard transfers) are done in clear text (Apple's requirement).
@@ Line 446: / Line 432: @@
 ==== Should I buy from the Mac App Store or Buy Direct? ====
-Keyboard Maestro is no longer available from the Mac App Store, you cannot buy from the Mac App Store.  You could never buy version 6 from the Mac App Store.
+Keyboard Maestro is no longer available from the Mac App Store, so you cannot buy from the Mac App Store.
+You could never buy any version from version 6 onwards from the Mac App Store.

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