Keyboard Shortcuts

ProActions provides keyboard shortcuts for quick access to workflows and automation features. This guide explains how to configure and use keyboard shortcuts in Swing and Prime.

Default Shortcuts

ProActions comes with these default shortcuts:

Shortcut	Command	Description
Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) Cmd+K (Mac)	Open ProActions	Opens the command palette to search and execute actions
Ctrl+Shift+K (Windows/Linux) Cmd+Shift+K (Mac)	Instant Action	Executes context-specific instant action (optional)

Editor Context Shortcuts (Recommended)

The recommended way to configure ProActions shortcuts is through Swing's keyboard configuration file. This provides the most reliable integration with the editor context.

Configuration File

File: /SysConfig/XsmileKbd.cfg

Basic Configuration

Add this configuration within the <context type="Text"> section:

<context type="Text">
  <!-- ... other keyboard shortcuts ... -->

  <key description="K" charCode="75">
    <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>
  </key>

  <!-- ... other keyboard shortcuts ... -->
</context>

With Instant Action

To add the instant action shortcut:

<context type="Text">
  <!-- ... other keyboard shortcuts ... -->

  <key description="K" charCode="75">
    <!-- Open ProActions command palette -->
    <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>

    <!-- Instant action (context-specific) -->
    <modifier type="CS" shortcut="Ctrl+Shift+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.instantSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>
  </key>

  <!-- ... other keyboard shortcuts ... -->
</context>

Enhanced Configuration for Newer Swing Versions

In newer Swing versions (6.2025.06 and later), a new shortcut type customSwingExtension is available that enables ProActions to work in all contexts, including the dashboard:

<context type="all">
  <!-- ... other keyboard shortcuts ... -->

  <key description="K" charCode="75">
    <!-- Open ProActions in all contexts (dashboard, editor, etc.) -->
    <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+K">
      <function name="customSwingExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>

    <!-- Instant action (editor context only) -->
    <modifier type="CS" shortcut="Ctrl+Shift+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.instantSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>
  </key>

  <!-- ... other keyboard shortcuts ... -->
</context>

Key differences:

• Context: type="all" instead of type="Text" - enables shortcuts everywhere
• Function: customSwingExtension instead of editorExtension - works in dashboard and other contexts
• Instant actions: Still use editorExtension as they only work in editor context

Benefits of the new configuration:

• ✅ ProActions accessible from dashboard, reports, and other Swing contexts
• ✅ Consistent keyboard shortcut across all areas of Swing
• ✅ Better user experience for dashboard-based workflows

Note: For older Swing versions, keep using the editorExtension configuration shown above and the fallback shortcuts for the dashboard shown below.

Custom Key Combinations

You can change the key combination to suit your preferences:

<!-- Use Ctrl+Space instead of Ctrl+K -->
<key description="Space" charCode="32">
  <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+Space">
    <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
  </modifier>
</key>

<!-- Use Ctrl+P for ProActions -->
<key description="P" charCode="80">
  <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+P">
    <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
  </modifier>
</key>

Common Character Codes

Key	Char Code	Description
K	75	Letter K
P	80	Letter P
Space	32	Spacebar
Enter	13	Enter/Return

Fallback Shortcuts

For contexts where editor shortcuts are not available (like the Swing dashboard), ProActions provides a fallback shortcut mechanism.

Configuration

File: ~/methode-servlets/conf/swing/com.eidosmedia.swing.web-app/app/plugins/pro-actions/pro-actions-config.js

(() => {
  window.SwingProActionsConfig = {
    // Fallback keyboard shortcut
    // Uses hotkeys-js syntax: https://github.com/jaywcjlove/hotkeys-js
    openHotkey: 'cmd+k,ctrl+k',

    // ... other configuration ...
  };
})();

The openHotkey property uses hotkeys-js syntax:

Key combinations:

openHotkey: 'ctrl+k'      // Ctrl+K
openHotkey: 'cmd+k'       // Cmd+K (Mac)
openHotkey: 'alt+p'       // Alt+P
openHotkey: 'shift+space' // Shift+Space

Supported modifier keys:

• ctrl - Control key
• cmd / command - Command key (Mac)
• shift - Shift key
• alt / option - Alt/Option key
• meta - Meta key

Supported special keys:

• space, enter, tab, backspace
• escape, delete
• up, down, left, right
• f1 through f12
• And many more...

Instant Actions (Swing only!)

Instant actions allow you to execute specific actions based on the current cursor context without opening the command palette.

Configuring Instant Actions

In your action configuration, use the instantActionContext property:

- title: 'Improve Selected Text'
  instantActionContext: "/doc/story/body/p,/doc/story/headline/p"
  flow:
    - step: HUB_COMPLETION
      instruction: "Improve this text: {selectedText}"

    - step: REPLACE_TEXT
      at: CURSOR

XPath Context Specification

The instantActionContext property accepts a comma-separated list of XPath expressions:

# Single context
instantActionContext: "/doc/story/body/p"

# Multiple contexts
instantActionContext: "/doc/story/body/p,/doc/story/headline/p,/doc/story/standfirst/p"

When the user presses the instant action shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+K), ProActions:

1. Checks the current cursor position
2. Matches it against configured instant action contexts
3. Executes the matching action automatically

Keyboard Shortcut Best Practices

1. Avoid Conflicts

Check for conflicts with existing Swing/Prime shortcuts:

<!-- Common conflicts to avoid: -->
<!-- Ctrl+S - Save -->
<!-- Ctrl+C - Copy -->
<!-- Ctrl+V - Paste -->
<!-- Ctrl+Z - Undo -->
<!-- Ctrl+F - Find -->

2. Use Consistent Patterns

Choose shortcuts that are:

• Easy to remember
• Consistent with common conventions
• Not accidentally triggered

3. Document for Users

Create a reference document for your team:

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+K	Open ProActions
Ctrl+Shift+K	Quick improve text

4. Platform Considerations

Remember platform differences:

• Windows/Linux use Ctrl
• Mac uses Cmd
• Configure both when possible:

openHotkey: 'cmd+k,ctrl+k'

Testing Keyboard Shortcuts

1. Test in Editor Context

1. Open a document in Swing editor
2. Press your configured shortcut
3. Verify ProActions command palette opens

2. Test in Dashboard

1. Navigate to Swing dashboard
2. Press the fallback shortcut
3. Verify ProActions opens

3. Test Instant Actions

1. Place cursor in configured context (e.g., body paragraph)
2. Press instant action shortcut
3. Verify action executes automatically

Troubleshooting Shortcuts

Shortcut doesn't work in editor

Check:

• /SysConfig/XsmileKbd.cfg is configured correctly
• XML syntax is valid
• Key character code is correct
• No conflicting shortcuts exist

Solutions:

• Reload editor context
• Clear browser cache
• Check browser console for errors
• Try a different key combination

Shortcut doesn't work in dashboard

Check:

• pro-actions-config.js has openHotkey configured
• Syntax follows hotkeys-js format
• No browser extension conflicts

Solutions:

• Verify config file is loaded
• Check browser console for errors
• Try incognito/private mode
• Disable browser extensions

Instant action doesn't execute

Check:

• instantActionContext XPath is correct
• Cursor is in the specified context
• Instant action shortcut is configured

Solutions:

• Verify XPath matches your document structure
• Use browser inspector to check current element
• Test with simpler XPath first

Shortcut triggers wrong action

Check:

• Only one action has the specific instantActionContext
• No duplicate shortcut registrations

Solutions:

• Review all instant action configurations
• Use more specific XPath expressions
• Disable conflicting actions temporarily

Advanced: Custom Shortcut Registration

For advanced use cases, you can programmatically register shortcuts using the Swing API:

// Custom shortcut registration - ~/methode-servlets/conf/swing/com.eidosmedia.swing.web-app/app/plugins/pro-actions-custom/my-proactions-shortcuts.js
eidosmedia.webclient.commands.add({
  name: "custom.myProAction",
  label: "My ProAction",
  isActive: function(ctx) { return true; },
  isEnabled: function(ctx) { return true; },
  action: function(ctx, params, callbacks) {
    SwingProActions.executeAction(ctx, "my_action_id");
  }
});

<!-- /SysConfig/XsmileKbd.cfg -->
<context type="Text">
  <key description="K" charCode="80">
    <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+P">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.myProAction"/>
    </modifier>
  </key>
</context>

This allows for:

• Dynamic shortcut registration
• Direct access to ProActions' actions
• Context-aware shortcuts
• Integration with other Swing features

Example Configurations

Minimal Setup

<!-- /SysConfig/XsmileKbd.cfg -->
<context type="Text">
  <key description="K" charCode="75">
    <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>
  </key>
</context>

Full Setup with Instant Actions

<!-- /SysConfig/XsmileKbd.cfg -->
<context type="Text">
  <key description="K" charCode="75">
    <modifier type="C" shortcut="Ctrl+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.openSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>
    <modifier type="CS" shortcut="Ctrl+Shift+K">
      <function name="editorExtension" command="custom.instantSwingProActions"/>
    </modifier>
  </key>
</context>

// pro-actions-config.js
(() => {
  window.SwingProActionsConfig = {
    openHotkey: 'cmd+k,ctrl+k',
    // ... other config ...
  };
})();

Next Steps

• Create Your First Flow - Build your first workflow
• Configuration Guide - Learn about action configuration
• Best Practices - Optimize your workflows