TL; DR
What does the first parameters value in com.apple.symbolichotkeys:AppleSymbolicHotKeys ?
more details ...
AppleSymbolicHotKeys structure
OS X symbolic hotkeys file
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
stores shortcuts in a dict called "AppleSymbolicHotKeys", with entries that look like
<action:int> = Dict { enabled = <enabled:bool> value = Dict { type = <type:string> parameters = Array { <param_1:int> <param_2:int> <param_3:int> } } }
Example:
10 = Dict { enabled = true value = Dict { type = standard parameters = Array { 56 28 1572864 } } }
pro tip: you can take a look at
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print :AppleSymbolicHotKeys" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.symbolichotkeys.plist
values
action:int
this is the identifier of the action that the hotkey will take. there are quite complete lists on the net, some search queries, because I don’t have enough points to publish links or something else.
enabled:bool
Is the hotkey enabled?
type:string
always seems "standard."
param_1:int
this is one that I can’t get. it is not necessarily associated with parameters 2 and 3, although it often changes as other parameters change. eg...
I can click Restore Defaults in the System Preferences -> Keyboard -> Shortcuts -> Mission Control view, and it will set "Switch to desktop 1" to "ctrl + 1". reading the value for this action (number 118), I see that param_1 set to 65535 . if I manually set the key combination to "ctrl + 1" in the user interface, I set param_1 to 49 . the values of param_2 and param_3 remain unchanged.
param_2:int
these are apparently the key codes from
/System/Library/Frameworks/Carbon.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/HIToolbox.framework/Versions/A/Headers/Events.h
to press the non-modifier key, except for the value 65535 , which is very often found in param_1 and displayed in param_2 on my local machine for actions 160, 163 and 175.
param_3:int
seems to indicate a modifier key press, as indicated in
MODS = { 0=>"No modifier", 131072=>"Shift", 262144=>"Control", 524288=>"Option", 1048576=>"Command", 393216=>"Shift + Control", 655360=>"Shift + Option", 1179648=>"Shift + Command", 786432=>"Control + Option", 1310720=>"Control + Command", 1572864=>"Option + Command", 917504=>"Shift + Control + Option", 1441792=>"Shift + Control + Command", 1703936=>"Shift + Option + Command", 1835008=>"Control + Option + Command", 1966080=>"Shift + Control + Option + Command", }
where you will notice that the numbers representing several modifiers are the sum of the modifiers that they represent, for example.
"Shift + Control" = 393216 = 131072 + 262144 = "Shift" + "Control"
So...
any understanding will be appreciated, and we hope that this can serve as background information for the information that I dug up to everyone who is relevant to the topic.