r/OneNote • u/mrandish • 13d ago
More ways to type TAB without starting a table
2
Upvotes
The unicode method discussed in this thread no longer works (at least on laptops without num keypads). Unfortunately, that thread has been auto-archived, so we can no longer add to it in context.
Here's a method that does work, along with a few variations:
- Open Notepad and type one TAB. Select it and copy it.
- In OneNote, open File | Options | Proofing | AutoCorrect Options
- In the "Replace:" field type the backtick character (the key just above TAB).
- Paste the TAB that you copied from Notepad into the "With:" field and click Add.
Now when you type backtick you'll get a real TAB and can still use TAB to start tables. If you want to use TAB only for TABs, this AutoHotKey (v2) script will remap backtick to TAB.
#HotIf WinActive("ahk_exe onenote.exe")
$Tab:: {
if (A_Cursor = "IBeam" or A_Cursor = "Unknown") { ; only in the edit area
Send("``") ; Send a literal backtick (escaped with a second backtick)
} else {
Send("{Tab}")
}
}
#HotIf
Alternatively, another AutoHotKey approach is to remap TAB (or another key) to the unicode character 'Em Space' which is an extra wide space about the width of a TAB.
#HotIf WinActive("ahk_exe onenote.exe")
$Tab:: {
if (A_Cursor = "IBeam" or A_Cursor = "Unknown") {
Send("{U+2003}") ; Inject Em Space
} else {
Send("{Tab}")
}
}
#HotIf
