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I have 3 input languages installed and it is very annoying to change them with standard Windows keys because I am often overflow the language.

I would prefer to improve this. One improvement would be to make switch like in Ubuntu, where Ctrl-Right Shift switches "right" and stop at the end of language list and Ctrl-Left Shift switches "left" and stop at the beginning of a list.

But I don't see it is possible.

Also, probably better behavior would be like Alt-Tab behavior.

Is it possible to improve?

UPDATE

I know how to set change shortcuts in Windows, the problem is that options are very poor:

enter image description here

Most of these combinations are used in many popular programs like Google Chrome, so they are unusable.

And in switch choice:

enter image description here

there is no way to disable cycling and palette is very poor. Actually I can choose between Ctrl-Shift and Alt-Shift.

I emphasize: the entire setting of language switch is nearly unusable in Windows. Most of options are conflicting with other programs and overall functionality is extremely poor.

So the question persists: how to set my own combination, not limited to this strange choice by MS? Or how to do something what I described in question?

|improve this question
  • How is it Windows issue if other programs use the same shortcut? – Dave Nov 7 '16 at 13:56
  • These "other programs" is Windows itself -- this is how it is related to Windows. – Dims Nov 7 '16 at 14:08
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You could set the shortcuts using these poor options that are found in Windows, then map them to your own additional shortcuts.

The tool for that is AutoHotkey, that can map keys, but can also invoke general-purpose scripts that can do much more than mapping. AutoHotkey can do all that you asked for.

There is extensive help to be found on the Web for writing AutoHotkey scripts, but I can also give hints if you wish.

For example, if the shortcut to the first language is Ctrl+0, while that for the third and last language is Ctrl+2, then the following AutoHotkey script will switch to the first language on entering Ctrl+Left-Shift and to the third language on entering Ctrl+Right-Shift.

#InstallKeybdHook
^Shift::                   ; map ctrl-shift
If GetKeyState("LShift")   ; if left-shift
  Send ^0                  ; send ctrl-0
else                       ; else right-shift
  Send ^2                  ; send ctrl-2
return

AutoHotkey scripts are stored in files with the .ahk suffix. If you wish to have the script run when Windows is started, put it in the Startup folder, for example a file named C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp\AutoHotkey startup.ahk.

Remark: I would in general counsel to not to map Ctrl+Shift, since this disables some useful shortcuts. For example, in many applications the select-word-to-left shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+Left-arrow.

Further reading :

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  • A bit of an addition: If you don't want the windows shortcuts contradict with anything else, you can use 3 keys that you don't actually use in control panel(like F13-F15 or whatever), and make the autohotkey script determine what keyboard you're currently using (I think that's possible, but I'm not sure) and press the right noexistent button accordingly. that would be cool. If somebody something like this does please tell me – MegaBluejay Nov 19 '16 at 15:52
  • How exactly does this relate to switching layouts? It seems hugely speculative. At the very least an example hotkey script showing an example of how to solve the issue at hand sounds like a minimum – Journeyman Geek♦ Nov 26 '16 at 1:12
  • @JourneymanGeek: An example script is trivial to write, but the poster hasn't expressed any interest in this solution. The script will simply map for example "Ctrl+Left-Shift" to "Ctrl+0" to switch to the first language. – harrymc Nov 26 '16 at 6:56
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    The point of answering questions isn't just to handle the immediate issue. We also want the next person with the same problem to find an answer. This answer, quite frankly does not meet that goal at all. Feel free to edit this to an acceptable answer, then let us know so we can undelete it. – Journeyman Geek♦ Nov 26 '16 at 7:01

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