In this series of in-depth blog posts about Leasey 11.5, we have been looking at features which are new, features which have been redesigned, and features which now connect more closely with the wider Leasey environment.
This time, we come to a feature with a long history.
LeaseyCuts.
LeaseyCuts have been part of Leasey since the very first version, released in 2014. For many longstanding users, the idea will be very familiar. A LeaseyCut is a quick way of getting to something you use often.
A folder.
A file.
A web page.
Instead of remembering where something is stored, searching through File Explorer, browsing a list of favourites, or trying to reconstruct the address of a web page, you create a LeaseyCut and return to it quickly.
That basic idea has always been useful.
But in Leasey 11.5, LeaseyCuts has been redesigned.
The new version keeps the spirit of the original. It still gives you quick access to the places and resources you use all the time. It still preserves familiar keystrokes wherever possible, because we know that many users have been relying on LeaseyCuts for years.
But it is now much more flexible.
You can organise LeaseyCuts into categories. You can filter the current list. You can search across everything. You can decide whether folders open in File Explorer or Leasey File Manager. You can assign presets. You can copy the target path or web address. You can type a stored folder path into an edit field. You can import from previous LeaseyCuts. And, as with many of the redesigned Leasey 11.5 features, short status messages can be sent to Braille as well as speech.
This is a good example of what Leasey 11.5 is trying to do.
It does not throw away the old feature.
It respects it.
Then it gives it more room to grow.
A LeaseyCut is a stored quick access entry.
It can point to a file, a folder or a web page.
You might create LeaseyCuts for a folder containing work documents, a music folder, a frequently used spreadsheet, an executable file which launches a portable program, a web page you visit every day, a podcast dashboard, a support page, or a download page.
The purpose is simple.
You should not have to keep finding the same thing over and over again.
If something matters enough that you return to it regularly, LeaseyCuts gives it a place.
This is particularly useful for people who work with the keyboard and JAWS because locating the same folder or web page repeatedly can take time. Even when you know where something is, getting there may involve several steps. A LeaseyCut reduces that movement.
The feature is not only about speed. It is also about reducing memory load.
You do not need to remember the exact path. You do not need to remember which browser favourite folder contains the page. You do not need to remember whether a file is in Documents, Downloads, OneDrive, Dropbox, an external drive or a work folder.
You give the item a name, and LeaseyCuts remembers the target.
Because LeaseyCuts has been in Leasey for so long, familiar commands matter.
The usual Leasey command for showing file and folder LeaseyCuts is the Leasey Key followed by Control+L.
This opens LeaseyCuts with the Show combo box already set to Files and folders.
There is also a command for showing only web page LeaseyCuts: the Leasey Key followed by Control+Semicolon.
When that command is used, LeaseyCuts opens with the Show combo box already set to Web pages.
In both cases, focus is placed in the LeaseyCuts list when the window opens, so you can immediately use the Arrow keys to move through the items.
That is important.
Longstanding Leasey users should not feel they have to learn a completely different habit just to continue using a familiar feature. The new LeaseyCuts window has more controls than the old system, but the starting point remains direct.
Press the command. Land in the list. Choose the item. Press Enter.
The main window contains a Show combo box, a Category combo box, a Filter edit box, the LeaseyCuts list, and a row of action buttons.
The LeaseyCuts list is the most important control. Each item is spoken by JAWS. If the current view includes files and folders, the item type is also included.
For example:
Decades Monday, Folder.
Another Town Another Train, File.
Hartgen Consultancy, Web page.
This is useful because a file, a folder and a web page can sometimes have similar names. Hearing the type confirms what will happen when you open it.
To open a LeaseyCut, move to it in the list and press Enter. You can also activate the Open button.
If the item is a web page, it opens in your default web browser. If it is a file, Windows opens it using the usual program for that file type. If it is a folder, LeaseyCuts opens the folder using the method chosen in Options.
Folders can be opened in either File Explorer or Leasey File Manager.
This is chosen in Options, opened with Control+Comma.
If you choose File Explorer, folders open in the normal Windows way. If you choose Leasey File Manager, folders open there instead.
This is a very natural addition in Leasey 11.5. Leasey File Manager is designed around the way JAWS users work with files and folders, so many users may prefer folder LeaseyCuts to open there.
This means LeaseyCuts can become a front door to your most important folder locations, and Leasey File Manager can then take over the browsing, searching, tagging, copying and pasting work.
Some people like a launcher window to remain open after launching an item, because they may want to open several things in a row.
Other people prefer the older LeaseyCuts style, where there was no application window left behind.
LeaseyCuts supports both preferences.
Options includes Close LeaseyCuts after launching an item.
If this is checked, LeaseyCuts waits briefly after opening the selected item and then closes itself. The short delay is intentional. It gives the browser, file or folder time to appear before LeaseyCuts closes, which can reduce unnecessary focus chatter from JAWS.
This is a small setting, but we hope it shows the care taken with the redesign.
The new feature is more flexible, but users who prefer the older feel can keep that behaviour.
The Show combo box controls what kind of items are displayed.
The choices are Files and folders, and Web pages.
You can switch quickly from anywhere in the main window. Alt+1 shows Files and folders. Alt+2 shows Web pages.
If Files and folders is selected, only file and folder LeaseyCuts are shown. If Web pages is selected, only web page LeaseyCuts are shown.
LeaseyCuts remembers the last Show choice you used.
It does not remember the last category or the last item, so the list starts in a predictable place while still returning to the kind of LeaseyCuts you were working with.
When you move through the choices in the Show combo box, focus stays in the combo box. The list changes, but focus does not jump away unexpectedly. Press Tab or Alt+L to move to the LeaseyCuts list when you are ready.
One of the main changes from the older system is categories.
LeaseyCuts can now be divided into categories, but you do not have to use them.
That is important.
Some users may prefer one straight list, especially if they only have a small number of LeaseyCuts. They can continue to work that way.
Other users may have many entries and want to group them. Work. Music. Training. Shopping. Support. Podcasts. Downloads. Favourite folders. Daily web pages.
The Category combo box lets you choose which category to view.
The choices include All categories, Uncategorised, and any categories you have created.
All categories shows everything in the current Show view. Uncategorised shows items which are not currently assigned to a category. Choosing a specific category shows only items in that category.
Press Alt+C to move directly to the Category combo box.
This gives the new LeaseyCuts room to grow. A small list can stay small. A larger collection can be organised.
The Filter edit box lets you narrow the current list.
Press Control+F to move to it, then type part of the name, target or category.
For example, you might type tax, music, YouTube or Monday.
As you type, LeaseyCuts tells you how many matches there are and reads the first matching item.
For example:
2 matches. Retro Hits, Web page.
Press Enter in the Filter edit box to move focus to the first result in the LeaseyCuts list.
The filter works within the current Show and Category selections. If Show is set to Web pages, the filter searches the visible web page LeaseyCuts. If you are in a particular category, the filter narrows that category.
This is ideal when you broadly know where you are.
You are in the right list. You just want to narrow it quickly.
Sometimes you do not know which category an item is in.
For that, press Control+Shift+F.
This searches across all LeaseyCuts. Type the text you want to find and press Enter. A list of matching items is displayed. Move through the results with Up and Down Arrow, and press Enter on the item you want.
The item is launched immediately.
This is different from the normal Filter edit box.
Control+F filters the current list.
Control+Shift+F searches everywhere.
That distinction is very useful. Filtering is for narrowing what you are already looking at. Search Everywhere is for finding something when you are not sure where it lives.
LeaseyCuts includes Where Am I with Control+Shift+I.
In the main window, this gives a short description including the current Show choice, category, focused control and selected item position when you are in the LeaseyCuts list.
In dialogs such as Options, Search, Presets, categories, and New or Edit LeaseyCut, Where Am I gives the current dialog and field without reading the whole screen.
Leasey Command Centre is also available with Control+Shift+C.
The Command Centre contains a command edit field, matching commands list, OK and Cancel. Type part of a command name, shortcut or related word to filter the list. For example, settings can find Options, favourite or favorite can find web-related commands, and search can find Find or Search Everywhere.
This is useful because LeaseyCuts now has more power than it used to. Command Centre provides another way to find the action you want without remembering every keystroke immediately.
There are two ways to create a new LeaseyCut.
The first is manual creation from the LeaseyCuts main window.
This is useful if you want to set up several LeaseyCuts quickly, perhaps for yourself or for someone you are training.
Open LeaseyCuts with the Leasey Key followed by Control+L, then press Control+N.
The New LeaseyCut dialog opens. It contains Name, Type, Category, Target, Browse for File, Browse for Folder, OK and Cancel.
The type choices are File, Folder and Web page.
If you are creating a file or folder LeaseyCut, you can use the Browse buttons. You can also type or paste the full path into the Target edit field. If you are creating a web page LeaseyCut, type or paste the web address into the Target field.
The Name is what appears in the LeaseyCuts list.
The Target is the actual file path, folder path or web address which will be opened.
One nice efficiency detail is that you do not need to Tab through the remaining controls in the dialog if you do not want to. Once the important information is entered, press Enter when focused on the field. This makes adding LeaseyCuts quick and efficient.
The second method preserves the existing Leasey approach.
Focus on the item you want. This can be in File Explorer, Leasey File Manager or a web page.
Then press the Leasey Key followed by Control+S.
After a short pause, a dialog appears. It should contain the name of the web page, file or folder. You can change the name if you want. As in the old system, the name is for your reference.
The dialog also contains a Target field. Press Tab to reach it. This contains the location of the file, folder or URL so you can check it.
Press Enter to save.
When you create a LeaseyCut using this special Leasey command, LeaseyCuts closes after the item has been saved and returns you to where you were working. If you cancel the dialog, LeaseyCuts also closes.
Manual creation with Control+N is different. After saving manually, the main LeaseyCuts window stays open so you can keep adding or editing items.
This is a good balance.
The old method is still there for fast capture from where you are working. The new manual method is better when you are deliberately building or tidying a collection.
Existing LeaseyCuts can be edited, renamed or deleted.
To edit an item, move to it in the LeaseyCuts list and activate Edit. You can change the name, type, category and target.
To rename quickly, move to the item and press F2. Type the new name and press Enter.
To delete, move to the item and press Delete. You can also activate the Delete button. A confirmation message is displayed, with Yes focused by default. This keeps deletion efficient while still preventing accidental removal without confirmation.
To move a LeaseyCut into a category, move to it and press Control+M.
The Move to Category dialog opens. Choose the category and press Enter.
If you choose Top level, the item is removed from any category and becomes uncategorised.
To create a new category, press Control+Shift+N, type the category name and press Enter. The category becomes available in the Category combo box and in the Move to Category dialog.
This is where the new version becomes much more flexible than the original.
You can begin with a simple list, then gradually organise it as the list grows.
The order of items in the list can be changed manually.
Alt+U moves an item up. Alt+D moves it down. JAWS announces what happened.
This is useful if you want your most important items near the top of a category or list.
Move Up and Move Down work within the current visible list. For example, if Show is set to Web pages, moving an item changes its position among the visible web page LeaseyCuts and does not speak about hidden file or folder LeaseyCuts.
You can also sort the current list alphabetically with Control+Shift+S.
Only the current visible list is sorted. If you are viewing one category, sorting affects the items in that category view.
Options also includes Sort LeaseyCuts alphabetically automatically. If this is checked, each visible list is shown alphabetically. While this option is checked, Move Up and Move Down are unavailable because the visible list is controlled by the alphabetical sort.
Again, users can choose.
Some people like a carefully arranged manual order. Others prefer automatic alphabetical order.
Sometimes you want the actual file path, folder path or web address rather than opening it.
Press Control+C on a LeaseyCut to copy the target to the clipboard.
This could copy a path such as H:\Documents\Letters, or a web address such as https://www.hartgenconsultancy.com.
This is very practical when filling in forms, sending someone a link, pasting a folder path into another program, or recording where something is stored.
You can assign up to 10 frequently used LeaseyCuts as presets.
Move to a LeaseyCut in the list, press Alt+P, choose the preset number and press Enter on Add preset or Change preset.
To launch a preset, press Control+1 through to Control+9 for presets 1 through to 9. Press Control+0 for preset 10.
The Presets dialog also lets you delete an assigned preset.
Presets are ideal for the resources you use constantly. They let the most important LeaseyCuts become even faster than opening the list.
There is also a Leasey command for typing a stored folder path into an edit field.
This is useful in places such as a Save As dialog or an Attach File dialog.
Move to the edit field where the path should be inserted, then press the Leasey Key followed by Control+P.
A list of folder LeaseyCuts appears. Choose the folder you want and press Enter.
JAWS types the folder path into the edit field.
This is a very practical feature. It means folder LeaseyCuts are not only launchers. They can also help you fill in path fields quickly and accurately.
The first time the new LeaseyCuts runs, it automatically tries to import items from the previous LeaseyCuts system.
This is exactly what most users would expect. If someone has used LeaseyCuts for years, their existing items should not vanish just because the feature has been redesigned.
LeaseyCuts keeps a note that the first automatic import has been attempted, so it will not keep importing the same old items every time the program starts.
If you need to try the import again, open Options with Control+Comma and activate Import from Previous LeaseyCuts. The manual import avoids creating duplicate items where possible.
This matters because redesigning an old feature should not punish loyal users. The new version makes room for the old data.
LeaseyCuts sends short status messages to the Leasey Braille support bridge.
This is used for confirmations such as item added, item updated, options saved, opening, errors and similar workflow messages.
That is part of a wider pattern in Leasey 11.5. Speech is important, but Braille users should also receive useful status information where appropriate.
LeaseyCuts matters because it saves repeated effort.
Every computer user has places they return to again and again.
The folder where current work is stored.
The page used to manage podcasts.
The spreadsheet opened every week.
The support page needed often.
The download folder.
The music collection.
The file which launches a portable application.
LeaseyCuts gives those places names and brings them closer.
What makes the Leasey 11.5 version exciting is that the feature now scales better. A handful of LeaseyCuts can remain a simple list. A larger collection can be categorised, filtered, searched, sorted and assigned to presets. Folder LeaseyCuts can open in Leasey File Manager. Stored folder paths can be typed into edit fields. Existing LeaseyCuts can be imported. Short confirmations can reach Braille.
At the same time, longstanding users still have the commands they expect.
Leasey Key then Control+L for files and folders.
Leasey Key then Control+Semicolon for web pages.
Leasey Key then Control+S to create a LeaseyCut from the item currently in focus.
The old idea remains.
The new version simply gives it more strength.
For users who already depend on LeaseyCuts, this should feel like a familiar feature made more capable.
For users who have never used LeaseyCuts before, this may become one of the simplest ways to make the computer feel more personal, more organised and much faster to move around.