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Glossary

Action​

Something Input.Observer does for you, such as sending keys, moving a window or opening a program. An action has one or more triggers that start it, and belongs to one app group. See Actions.

App group​

A named set of windows, described by rules, such as "every window of notepad.exe". Its actions work only in those windows. See App groups.

Apply​

Saving your changes in the configuration window so the engine starts using them. Nothing you change takes effect before that. See Saving and applying.

AutoHotkey​

One of the ways an action can be written, run by an AutoHotkey installation you provide. See Steps, Script and AutoHotkey.

Before and after actions​

Actions that run just before, or just after, the actions of an app group. Advanced mode only. See Before and after actions.

Configuration window​

The program you open from the tray icon to change what Input.Observer does. It is separate from the engine and can be closed at any time. See The configuration window.

Console​

The engine's diagnostic window, opened with Show Console on the tray menu. It shows messages from the engine and from scripts, and can run a script directly. See Console.

Draw button​

A mouse button that starts a gesture when you press it. The right button is the only draw button unless you choose others on the General page. See Drawing a gesture.

Engine​

The part of Input.Observer that runs in the background with the tray icon. It watches the mouse and keyboard and runs your actions. See How it works.

Example​

One saved drawing of a gesture. A gesture can have several examples; a stroke is scored against each of them. See The gesture library.

Exclusion zone​

An area of the screen where pressing a draw button never starts a gesture, so the click reaches the program. See Exclusion zones.

Fall back to Global​

An app group setting, on unless you turn it off. When the app group has no action for a gesture, hotkey or typed code, Global's action runs instead. See Scope and fallback rules.

Gesture​

A named shape you draw with a draw button held, such as "a straight line up" or "the letter C". The shapes live in the gesture library; an action's gesture trigger names one. See Gestures.

Gesture library​

Every gesture you have, on the Gestures page, whether or not an action uses it. See The gesture library.

Global​

The app group that applies to every window. It is used for a window that no other group claims, and as the fallback for groups that have no action for a trigger. It has no rules and can't be deleted. See App groups.

Global event​

One of a fixed set of moments, such as Nothing matched or Draw button released, that can run an action. See Global events.

Hint​

The small window near the pointer that shows, while you draw, which action your stroke matches. See Hints and messages.

Hint note​

An action's Hint note: a short text the hint shows under the action's name. See The Actions page.

Hotkey​

A key combination that runs an action. See Hotkeys.

Ignore group​

A set of windows Input.Observer leaves alone: no gestures, no text expansion and no actions run in them. Ignore groups are checked before every app group. See Ignore groups.

Ignored modifier keys​

Keys that, held while you press a draw button, send that press to the program instead of starting a gesture. Ctrl by default. See Ignored modifier keys.

Match threshold​

How closely a stroke must match a gesture to count, from Forgiving to Strict. 75 by default. See How a stroke is matched.

Modifier​

A key or mouse button held with a gesture, such as Shift or the wheel, so the same shape can run different actions. See Modifiers and timing.

Modifier timing​

Whether a gesture's modifier must be held before you start drawing, pressed while drawing, or either. Advanced mode only. See Modifiers and timing.

Passive watch​

A hotkey that isn't reserved with Windows: Input.Observer notices the keys, and the program in front receives them too. Advanced mode only. See Hotkeys.

Plugin​

A separate program the engine starts to add features, such as the Styles plugin that draws styled trails. See Plugins.

Profile​

A named mode, such as "Work" or "Gaming". Actions and app groups can be limited to some profiles, and you switch profiles from the tray menu. Advanced mode only. See Profiles.

Quick create​

The step-by-step wizard that makes a gesture action, a hotkey action, a text expansion or an ignore group. See Quick create.

Region​

A cell of a grid laid over a window, so the same gesture can do different things in different parts of the window. Advanced mode only. See Regions.

Replacement​

One text expansion entry: the code you type and the text it turns into. See Text expansion.

Reserved with Windows​

A hotkey that Windows hands only to Input.Observer, so no other program receives those keys. Every hotkey made in Simple mode is reserved. Advanced mode calls this Registered. See Hotkeys.

Rule​

One line in an app group's or ignore group's Which windows count as this group table, such as "program name is notepad.exe". See App groups.

Safe Mode​

Starting Input.Observer with Ctrl held: no hooks, hotkeys, plugins or actions, so you can fix a problem in the configuration window. See Pause, bypass and exit.

Sandbox​

A pretend desktop where you can run steps without touching your real windows. See Sandbox.

Scope​

Where an action applies: which app group it belongs to, and so which windows it works in. See Where actions apply.

Script​

What an action does, written as text in Input.Observer's script language. See Script language reference.

Simple and Advanced mode​

The two modes of the configuration window. Simple hides advanced pages and settings without changing them. See Simple and Advanced.

Snippet​

A reusable piece of steps or script, kept on the Snippets page, that actions can run by name. See Snippets.

Starter set​

The gestures, actions and groups Input.Observer adds the first time it runs, which you can keep or remove in the welcome. See First run.

Step​

One instruction in an action written as Steps, such as Send keys or Wait. See Steps.

Stop all actions hotkey​

Ctrl+Shift+Alt+F9 by default. Stops every running action, then switches off input handling until you choose Reload Config. See Pause, bypass and exit.

Stroke​

The path you actually draw with a draw button held. It is compared with your gestures. See How a stroke is matched.

Style​

A ready-made look for the trail, the hint and messages, with sounds, chosen on the Appearance page. See Gesture trails.

Text expansion​

Replacing a short code you type with longer text. See Text expansion.

Trail​

The line drawn behind the pointer while you draw a gesture. See Gesture trails.

Training​

Drawing a gesture several times in the Gestures page's training window, to see how it scores and save the drawings as examples. See The gesture library.

Trigger​

What starts an action: a gesture, a hotkey or a typed code. One action can have several triggers. See The Actions page.