Using the 'delete' key in custom keyboard shortcut or archive mail with the delete key

[l0uismustdie]

I am looking to change the Delete command in the OS X Mail app (in Yosemite) such that when I click delete my messages are archives as opposed to placed to the trash. I have spent some time googling around trying to find a way to change this in the Mail app settings but have had no success. My next idea what to add a custom keyboard shortcut but I am unable to add a shortcut which uses the delete key.

1. Is this possible?

2. Does anyone know a way to archive message as opposed to sending them to the trash?

Thanks.

 

[Partron22]

I use FastScripts to tie cmd-del to sleep my displays. I can can assign the command to just the delete key if I wish. Such commands are easy to make Application specific. You could tie the delete key in messages to an archive script rather than the usual delete operation.
FastScripts is somewhat better than Automator for this sort of task as it gets a hold of your keystrokes before Finder decides to use them for its own evil ends.

 

[l0uismustdie]

I use FastScripts to tie cmd-del to sleep my displays. I can can assign the command to just the delete key if I wish. Such commands are easy to make Application specific. You could tie the delete key in messages to an archive script rather than the usual delete operation.
FastScripts is somewhat better than Automator for this sort of task as it gets a hold of your keystrokes before Finder decides to use them for its own evil ends.

This makes sense. I'd really like to find a way to do this without moving to third party apps. Maybe that isn't possible but if there is a way I'd sure like to find it.

 

[Partron22]

I'd really like to find a way to do this without moving to third party apps.

You can make many such shortcuts with Apple's Automator App, using Keyboard prefs to assign a shortcut to them.
This might well work for you in this case, but as I said, Finder can grab specific shortcut keystrokes before they make it to your App. If that happens, you can usually change shortcuts from say just del to cmd-opt-del and things will work fine. You just have to try it and see.
Since I do this sort of stuff a lot, I prefer not to have to argue with Finder, Automator, and keyboard prefs, each time I make a new one, so I just routinely use FastScripts.