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Create Shortcuts to Frequent Tasks

Create Shortcuts

In a project, create shortcuts for common project tasks and to make it easy to find and access important files and operations. For example, find and open top models, run code (for example, to load data), and simulate models. To run startup or shutdown code, see instead Automate Startup Tasks.

To configure an existing project file as a shortcut, use any of the following methods:

  • In the Files view, right-click the project file and select Create Shortcut. In the Create New Shortcut dialog box, you can edit the shortcut name, choose an icon, and select a group if you have created a shortcut group you want to use. You can change shortcut group later. Click OK.

  • Click New Shortcut on the Project Shortcuts tab on the toolstrip and browse to select a file.

The shortcut appears on the Project Shortcuts tab on the toolstrip.

In the files view, the Status column displays an icon and tooltip indicating the file is a shortcut.

Note

Shortcuts are included when you commit your modified files to source control, so you can share shortcuts with other project users.

Group Shortcuts

You can group shortcuts to organize them by type. For example, you can group shortcuts for loading data, opening models, generating code, and running tests.

You can select a shortcut group when creating shortcuts, or manage groups later on the Project Shortcuts toolstrip tab.

Create new shortcut groups to organize your shortcuts:

  • On the Project Shortcuts tab, click Organize Groups.

  • Click Create, enter a name for the group and click OK.

    The new shortcut group appears on the Project Shortcuts tab.

To organize your shortcuts by group, either:

  • Select a group when creating a shortcut.

  • In the Project files view, right-click a file and select Edit Shortcut.

  • On the Project Shortcuts tab, right-click a file and select Edit Shortcut.

The shortcuts are organized by group in the Project Shortcuts toolstrip tab.

Annotate Shortcuts to Use Meaningful Names

Annotating shortcuts makes their purpose visible, without changing the file name or location of the script or model the shortcut points to. For example, you can change a cryptic file name to a descriptive name for the shortcut. To put shortcuts in a workflow order on the toolstrip, prefix the shortcut names with numbers.

When creating a shortcut, edit the Name. The shortcut name does not affect the file name or location.

Your specified shortcut name appears on the Project Shortcuts tab, to make it easier to find your shortcuts.

Customize Shortcut Icons

You can specify an icon to use for your shortcut buttons on the Project Shortcuts tab. Icons such as "build" can aid other project users to recognize frequent tasks.

  1. When creating a shortcut, choose an icon.

  2. Select an image file. Images must be exactly 16 pixels square, and a png or a gif file.

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