Shortcuts KWH - AutoHotkey Utilities

Windows keyboard shortcuts utility using AutoHotkey to enhance productivity with special character shortcuts and file creation utilities.

KWH stands for Keyboard shortcuts for "Windows habens" (Latin for "Windows having/possessing").

Specifically designed for Italian keyboard users and developers who need quick access to special characters and file operations.

🎯 Features

Special Italian Characters

Quickly type uppercase Italian accented characters that are hard to reach on standard keyboards:

• ALT + è → È (uppercase E with grave accent)
• ALT + à → À (uppercase A with grave accent)
• ALT + ì → Ì (uppercase I with grave accent)
• ALT + ò → Ò (uppercase O with grave accent)
• ALT + ù → Ù (uppercase U with grave accent)
• ALT + e → ə (schwa, for inclusive language)

Developer Utilities

Common characters and markdown helpers for developers:

• ALT + - → ~ (tilde, for Unix paths and home directory)
• ALT + ' → ` (backtick, for markdown inline code and shell commands)
• CTRL + ALT + ' → ``` (triple backticks, for markdown code blocks)
• CTRL + ALT + V → Paste clipboard text with newlines removed and double spaces reduced to single space
• CTRL + F12 → Convert clipboard text to snake_case and paste it
• WIN + SHIFT + F12 → Convert clipboard text to kebab-case and paste it

Help & Reference

• CTRL + ALT + H → Show quick reference modal with all shortcuts
• Right-click on tray icon → Access help menu

File Creation Shortcuts

Quick file operations in Windows Explorer (only work when Explorer or Desktop is active):

• CTRL + ALT + M → Create README.md in current folder and open it
• ALT + N → Create new file with custom name in current folder

📦 Installation

Option 1: Use the Compiled Executable (Recommended)

1. Download start@aborruso.exe
2. Double-click to run
3. (Optional) Add to Windows Startup folder for automatic launch

Option 2: Run from Source

1. Install AutoHotkey v1 (Note: Requires v1, not v2)
2. Double-click start@aborruso.ahk to run
3. (Optional) Add to Windows Startup folder

⚠️ Windows SmartScreen Warning

When running the .exe file for the first time, Windows Defender SmartScreen may show a warning:

Windows protected your PC
Microsoft Defender SmartScreen prevented an unrecognized app from starting

Why does this happen?

• The executable is not digitally signed (code signing certificates cost hundreds of euros per year)
• The file has low download reputation (SmartScreen doesn't recognize new/uncommon files)
• This is normal for free, open-source tools

How to proceed safely:

1. Click "More info" on the warning dialog
2. Click "Run anyway" button that appears
3. The script will run normally

Is it safe?

• ✅ Source code is fully visible in this repository (start@aborruso.ahk)
• ✅ You can inspect the code before running
• ✅ You can compile it yourself using compile.bat
• ✅ Alternative: Use Option 2 (run .ahk source directly) to avoid the warning entirely

Note: If you prefer to avoid the warning completely, use Option 2 (Run from Source) instead of the pre-compiled executable.

🚀 Deployment

To deploy the script to the Windows filesystem (WSL environment):

./deploy.sh

Options:

• --help, -h - Show help information
• --verbose, -v - Verbose output with detailed information

The script automatically:

• Creates a backup of existing files
• Verifies file integrity after copy
• Provides clear success/error feedback

🔨 Compilation

To recompile the script after making changes:

compile.bat

Requirements:

• AutoHotkey v1 must be installed (Note: v2 is not compatible)
• The script automatically finds Ahk2Exe.exe in standard installation locations

🛠️ Customization

To create your own personalized version:

1. Copy start@aborruso.ahk to start@yourname.ahk
2. Edit the file to add/modify shortcuts
3. Update compile.bat to use your new filename
4. Compile with compile.bat

📋 Technical Details

• Language: AutoHotkey v1
• Platform: Windows only
• Single Instance: Only one copy runs at a time to prevent conflicts
• Persistent: Runs in background with keyboard hook

👥 Credits

This script incorporates community contributions from:

• aubricus - Original new file creation
• davejamesmiller - IfWinActive check
• syon - Non-English Windows compatibility

📄 License

See LICENSE file for details.

🔗 Links

• AutoHotkey Official Site
• AutoHotkey Documentation

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Author: @aborruso