How to assign number keys to sublime text keybinding - macros

Question

I want to create a macro in sublime text using the number key on my keyboard. Is this possible?
My attempts have given me these results:
This works for the number 1 key on the keypad but not on the number 1 key on the keyboad
{"keys": ["alt+keypad1"], "command": "run_macro_file", "args": {"file": "Packages/User/action_self.sublime-macro"}}
This works for the f1 key on the keypad.
{"keys": ["alt+f1"], "command": "run_macro_file", "args": {"file": "Packages/User/action_self.sublime-macro"}}
This does not work!
{"keys": ["alt+1"], "command": "run_macro_file", "args": {"file": "Packages/User/action_self.sublime-macro"}}
It seems like the last mentioned should work. Is there a way to use the numbers of the keyboard to run macros?
Any help will be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

That should work just fine. For example, under Windows/Linux, that key is bound by default to switch to the first tab in the current tab group:
{ "keys": ["alt+1"], "command": "select_by_index", "args": { "index": 0 } },
Possible problems with this include your operating system/window manager seeing the key and handling it before it gets to sublime or having a keyboard layout that makes that key not map to what you think it does.
To check both, open the Sublime console (View > Show Console from the menu or press Ctrl+`) and enter the command:
sublime.log_input (True)
This will make sublime output to the console whenever you press a key. Press Alt+1 and see what it displays in the console.
If nothing displays, something global is eating the key before Sublime gets to see it, which might be a shortcut in your OS of some sort.
Otherwise, it will display what key it thinks you pressed. If it shows you alt+1, then it's seeing the key and your key binding is just not taking effect for some other reason (wrong filename, the command does not do what you think it does, etc) which is a different issue.
If it shows you a key but not what you expect it to be, that's a result of your keyboard layout. In this case you can either switch to a different keyboard layout or just bind with the key as Sublime is reporting it.
Once you're done, you should run sublime.log_input (False) in the console to turn off input logging (or restart Sublime).