Where are keyboard shortcuts stored (for backup and sync purposes)?

Question

Where can I access OS X keyboard shortcuts, say for Dropbox sync?

Answer 1

The shortcuts that can be set in System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts are stored in ~/Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences.plist and the property lists of applications (like ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.iTunes.plist or ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.chess/Data/Library/Preferences/com.apple.chess.plist).

The shortcuts for services are stored in ~/Library/Preferences/pbs.plist.

Answer 2

As described in the accepted answer, you can determine an app's shortcuts by converting the plist to xml and then parsing the xml. You can also (tested on macOS Sierra 10.12.6) get the values directly with the defaults read command.

To write out the user key commands that apply in all applications run defaults read NSGlobalDomain NSUserKeyEquivalents:

$ defaults read NSGlobalDomain NSUserKeyEquivalents
{
    "Enter Full Screen" = "@^f";
    "Exit Full Screen" = "@^f";
    "Merge All Windows" = "@$m";
}

To write out the user keyboard shortcuts for a particular app, use defaults read <app-plist-name> NSUserKeyEquivalents. For example, to get the user keyboard shortcuts for Safari run (in this example, the user hasn't set any custom keyboard shortcuts for Safari)

$ defaults read com.apple.safari NSUserKeyEquivalents
The domain/default pair of (com.apple.safari, NSUserKeyEquivalents) does not exist

Key mappings I have discovered in this string syntax:

• command = @
• control = ^
• option = ~
• shift = $

Answer 3

This command will print the keyboard shortcuts along with the prefix required to set them:

printf "defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSUserKeyEquivalents '$(defaults read NSGlobalDomain NSUserKeyEquivalents)'"

For an app like Safari, run:

printf "defaults write -app Safari NSUserKeyEquivalents '$(defaults read -app Safari NSUserKeyEquivalents)'"

Those commands will output something like: defaults write [...] NSUserKeyEquivalents '{...}', which can then be used in a shell script

Answer 4

I don't know about later OS versions but on macOS 10.13 High Sierra (and recognised from earlier versions), apart from what the accepted answer says and likely needed after neovr's answer, there's also the ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.universalaccess.plist key com.apple.custommenu.apps used by System Preferences's user interface to show applications with set shortcuts.

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I had an application that had modified shortcuts but it wasn't showing in System Preferences's user interface (because I had copied the app plist from a backup into ~/Library/Preferences), so I did following.
Type any command line code on your keyboard or copy and paste it after starting bash in Terminal (actually I'm using iTerm). Hit the return or enter key on your keyboard after any ; (semicolon).

1. Quit System Preferences

2. Store a CFBundleIdentifier

   • If you know the CFBundleIdentifier you can type it in or paste it after CFBundleIdentifier= and hit enter or return on your keyboard.
   • Otherwise:

     1. Store a pathToTheApplication.

        You can type the filesystem path after pathToTheApplication=/ using your keyboard, optionally completing partial paths with one or two hits on the tab key,
        or by other means:

        1. pathToTheApplication= - don't type return or enter on your keyboard yet.
        2. Drag and drop the application from the Finder into the Terminal.
        3. Type return or enter on your keyboard.

     2. CFBundleIdentifier=$(defaults read "$pathToTheApplication"/Contents/Info CFBundleIdentifier);

3. /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "add :com.apple.custommenu.apps: string \"$CFBundleIdentifier\"" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.universalaccess.plist; - I made a backup copy of the plist first cause I haven't got a working TimeMachine.

4. killall cfprefsd; - this will restart a background daemon, updating any changed preferences plists from the filesystem.

5. Open System Preferences

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Other useful command lines:

• To see the current list of applications used in the System Preferences's user interface:
  defaults read com.apple.universalaccess com.apple.custommenu.apps
• To find other apps having keyboard shortcuts set:
  defaults find NSUserKeyEquivalents