[OS X TeX] Switching between TeXShop and BibDesk

[Luis Sequeira]

> It is a bit cumbersome to switch between two applications. The cmd-tab
> command only switches back to last used application. Hence I offer two
> Applescripts to switch between TeXShop and BibDesk. One should be
> installed in BibDesk's Scripts menu, the other as a macro in TS.
>
> To define a key shortcut for the script in BibDesk and also one for
> copying the cite-keys to the clipboard see the screen shot below.
>
> Claus
>
> -- Applescript
>
> do shell script "open " & "/Applications/BibDesk.app"
>
>
>
> -- Applescript
>
> do shell script "open " & "/Applications/TeXShop.app"
>

Since I'm using Snow Leopard, this got me thinking that this would be  
an opportunity to try out the new and improved functionality of  
Services. And, lo and behold, one can easily use Automator and  
Services to create, for example, a global hot key to launch, or switch  
to TeXShop (or any other application).

One just has to create the Service - in this case, a merely one-action  
workflow to lauch the application - and then assign a keyboard  
shortcut to it, in the Keyboard section of System Preferences.
I now launch TeXShop with Cmd-option-control T :-)

Here is how to do it:

1) Launch Automator, and select to create a Service. From the left  
pane of the Automator window, select "Utilities" and then drag "Run  
Shell Script" to the right side. As text of the script, just write  
"open -a TeXShop" (no quotes, of course).
Save it. You may call whatever makes sense to you, such as "Launch  
TeXShop".

2) Now, open System Preferences, click on Keyboard and select the  
Keyboard Shortcuts tab. Select "Services" on the left side, look for  
"Launch TexShop" (or whatever you called it), click the area in front  
of it and hit the desired key combination.

3) Ah!, there is no step 3 :-)

Luis Sequeira