Out-of-box HotKeys at a glance -
Inputting diacritics and symbols in the Alma MDE via Macro Express is supported in Firefox.
The method requires the installation of the Unicode Input extension in your web browser. It does not support MS Edge and, as of April 2021 does not operate as reliably in Chrome.
An alternative Version B of the diacritics macro is available, which supports Chrome and Edge but may or may not be supported by the keyboard of laptops.
| Macro book | Firefox | Chrome | MS Edge | On laptop | Speed | Ease of configuration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Version A (1.0) |
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Currently not reliable |
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| Need to install browser extension |
| Version B |
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May or may not be supported |
30% are slower than Version A | It takes a few more steps to install and configure Version B. |
Configuration
Step 1: Install Unicode Input
1) Open Firefox and visit the link - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/unicode-input/ Install the extension Unicode Input (courtesy of Thomas Meehan) in your browser | |
2) You can choose whether or not to allow the extension in Private Window. The choice - represented by It is relevant only if you plan to run Alma in Private Window. |
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| 3) The icon of the extension may not be visible in the upper-right corner of the Firefox Toolbar |
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4) Once installed, verify that Unicode Input shows up as having been enabled - Firefox browser Options >> Extensions (Ctrl + Shift + A) |
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Step 2: Download the macro book
Right-click DiacriticsA1.0.mex (last modified 07/01/2021) and save it to your computer.
Run the macro
Now you should be able to input diacritics in the Metadata Editor.
1) Double-click DiacriticsA1.0.mex from the folder where you have saved the file to activate the Macro.
This means the Macro Express icon 2) Click on the icon to see the list of diacritics/symbols and HotKeys. Alternatively, Diacritics-macro-hotkeys.pdf provides a clearer view of what keyboard shortcuts to apply for what diacritics and symbols. Always place the cursor after some text or a subfield tag before running a macro. The character may not show up if the cursor is placed at the beginning of the field box. 3) If you use the macro on a daily basis, make Macro Express run automatically at startup so that you can skip step 1) above
will appears in the Windows notification area, typically hiding in the lower-right corner of your screen.
Contingent: Resolve shortcut conflicts
The diacritics macro book contains about 100 characters and symbols. Some of the HotKeys may coincide with keyboard shortcuts already in use on your computer, for two main reasons. 1. A HotKey coincides with a keyboard shortcut of Alma, web browsers, a particular piece of software installed on your computer, and the Windows environment 2. Alma releases monthly updates and enables new keyboard shortcuts for new functions, creating conflict with the out-of-box macro Hotkeys Most users need no more than half of the characters and symbols in the macro book. If you encounter a conflict, you may customize the out-of-box HotKeys in the diacritics mex file - Righ-click any diacritic that you don't need and whose HotKey has no conflict, disable its macro Visit Properties and swap its HotKeys for the macro you need
Connexion Client
Connexion offers two methods of inputting diacritics and symbols, by Character map (Ctrl + E) and shortcut keys.
If you plan to input diacritics in both Alma and Connexion Client using shortcut keys, optionally you may sync those keys between the two platforms. This saves you the trouble of memorizing different sets of keys for the two cataloging environments.