Skip to main content

macOS

Key Mapping​

macOS has different modifier keys to Windows and Linux. By default modifier keys are mapped as follows:

  • Control -> Key.LeftCtrl / Key.RightCtrl / ModifierKeys.Control
  • Option -> Key.LeftAlt / Key.RightAlt / ModifierKeys.Alt
  • Command -> Key.LWin / Key.RWin / ModifierKeys.Windows

However there are problems with this mapping:

  1. macOS applications generally use the Command key where the Control key would usually be used on Windows and Linux. For example "Copy" is Command-C on macOS instead of Control+C
  2. ModifierKeys.Windows is actually not set in Keyboard.Modifiers in WPF
  3. Common controls such as text boxes are expected to have different keyboard shortcuts in macOS, such as "Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word" being Option+Left Arrow on macOS instead of Control+Left Arrow

Automatic macOS Key Mapping​

To fix many of these problems, one can call the XpfKeyboard.MapMacOSKeys() method on startup. This would usually be done in the same place as the XPF WinAPI shim setup; that is, in the constructor of your App class or Program.Main:

using System.Windows;
using Atlantis;

namespace XpfKeyboardMappingExample;

public partial class App : Application
{
    public App()
    {
        XpfKeyboard.MapMacOSKeys();
    }
}

Calling this method on macOS:

  • Maps the Command key to the Control key
  • Maps some common text box keyboard shortcuts to their XPF equivalents
    • Command+Left -> Home
    • Command+Right -> End
    • Option+Left Arrow-> Ctrl+Left Arrow
    • Option+Left Arrow -> Ctrl+Left Arrow

Automatic macOS Keyboard Mapping​

For more flexible key mapping you can add custom key mappings.