sindresorhus/caprine

Show/hide window with system-wide hotkey (globalShortcut)

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#827 opened on Mar 22, 2019

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 (6 comments) (3 reactions) (0 assignees)TypeScript (7,365 stars) (601 forks)user submission
enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Would it be possible to add a global shortcut to show/hide the application window (i.e. interact with application when not in focus)?

The use would be similar to iTerm2's Alt+Space hotkey.

The justification is for an increase in productivity when working on something:

  1. Receive chat notification
  2. Display the Caprine application via hotkey
  3. Scroll through the chats (via hotkeys) to respond
  4. Hide the window and continue working where you previously left off

All without touching the mouse.

Note that this is different to minimizing the window as it gives you the ability to access the application when not in focus as well.

Would love to submit a pull request myself, just wondering if the interest is there.

Contributor guide

Tech stack
typescriptelectron
Domain
desktop
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-3 hours
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
Basic understanding of Electron main processFamiliarity with globalShortcut API
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
50
Research direction
The issue requests a global shortcut (e.g., Alt+Space) to show/hide the Caprine window. To implement, explore Electron's globalShortcut module in the main process. Likely need to modify src/main.ts or similar main entry file. Check existing window state handling and IPC communication between main and renderer. The PR can register a global shortcut that toggles window visibility (win.isVisible() ? win.hide() : win.show()). Ensure to unregister the shortcut on app quit.