Convention for typing keyboard shortcuts without triggering?

Factual Questions
1

I have created many macros and hotkey combinations for lots of things. I’m trying to compile a usable list for myself, but in certain cases, I can’t come up with a good way to show the key combination because just typing it out triggers it.

For instance, the letters T and S and Y together trigger an email address. Of course I could put spaces between or something, I can do whatever I please, but I would like to retain the appearance of exactly the way the shortcut should be typed, or as closely as I possibly can.

Showing code is a similar matter; if you type code exactly, you will have actually coded the page and you are not showing the code itself anymore.

I can’t recall what conventions are used to get around this, if any. I had hoped that putting it in quotes would stop the trigger, but so far not so much. (Thanks, Excel). I don’t like periods, because they can be part of a combination, as can most things. The best answer would be an answer that somehow allows the exact typing of the keys but leaves no trace of itself behind…cute trick, but one that seems possible somehow… some odd key? Messing around, I see that on my keyboard, option-H leaves a very tiny mark: ˙ looks like a speck of dirt…that could work.

So what is “officially” done when preparing something to be read/printed?

2

Type them in reverse order: Type Y first, then click the left arrow, then type S, then left arrow, then T. Or just disable the hotkey/macro program while you type up your documentation.

3

Are you pushing them at the same time. I mean, do you depress T and S and Y at once? If you do, the traditional way of writing that is T+S+Y.

4

In Microsoft applications, you have an “Undo” function (usually Control-Z) that undoes the most recent edit. Every time it does an auto-correct or auto-macro expansion or anything similar, you can immediately use Ctrl-Z to undo that too.

You should investigate whether you have a similar option in whatever kind of software you are using. First look for an Undo feature to un-do the last edit, and then see if it also works to un-do any auto-correct or similar.

5

DING DING DING we have TWO winners, but the one I like best is undo. DUH… I knew there was a way! (Mac OSX = Command-Z=Universal Undo)

And no, it isn’t simultaneous, it is sequential as with most normal typing.

Sweet. Thanks, peeps.

6

The standard convention is to wrap the key in square brackets. Combinations are indicated with a +, sequences with a space, alternatives with a comma.

example:
[Ctrl] + [z] means hold ctrl key while pressing z (undo shortcut)
[Alt] [F] [S] means type alt followed by f, followed s (saves file in most office apps)
[Ctrl] + [V], [Insert] means hold control while hitting the v or insert keys

For showing code, you’ll need to use that code languages commenting syntax (i.e. /* this is a comment */), or the applications ‘treat the following code as text’ function. In html, this is a simple <noscript> tag. As for showing code in MS office, this page offers one option: http://superuser.com/questions/616565/how-to-properly-show-code-snippets-in-ms-word , that sounds like it might do what you need.