Disable Spotlight keyboard shortcut for selected applications

Question

Spotlight search is activated by Ctrl+Space.

Unfortunately, this collides with code completion in Eclipse.

I could change the shortcut for either function, but I'd like to stick with the defaults.

Is there a way to disable the Spotlight shortcut when a given application is active (in this case Eclipse)?

Answer 1

I don't think it is possible to disable the Spotlight shortcut just when a specific application is in focus. The closest thing for you to do would be to re-map the shortcut (either Spotlight's or Eclipse's).

To change the keyboard shortcut systemwide for Spotlight:

• In System Preferences, go to Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts.
• In the column on the left, select Spotlight.
• Double click the shortcut (in this case ⌘ Space) and hold down the new shortcut. I suggest something similar, such as option + Space.

Answer 2

Follow these steps:

1. System Preferences
2. Spotlight
3. Untick Spotlight menu keyboard shortcut

Answer 3

Change the keyboard shortcut for showing the Spotlight menu to something like control-command-space:

Then use a private.xml like this with KeyRemap4MacBook:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
  <appdef>
    <appname>ECLIPSE</appname>
    <equal>org.eclipse.eclipse</equal>
  </appdef>
  <item>
    <name>test</name>
    <identifier>test</identifier>
    <not>ECLIPSE</not>
    <autogen>__KeyToKey__ KeyCode::SPACE, VK_COMMAND | ModifierFlag::NONE,
    KeyCode::SPACE, ModifierFlag::CONTROL_L | ModifierFlag::COMMAND_L</autogen>
  </item>
</root>

Answer 4

Sounds like a job for Autohotkey. Use the ifwinactive or ifwinexist functions. Can't yet work out the exact code, but shouldn't be too hard with a bit of time.