Hi John,
Thanks for your inquiry. No, those keyboard commands only work when the action requires no further input on your part. Getting two objects to align left, for instance, is pretty straightforward, since the computer already knows their current locations. There is no butt command that I'm aware of, though I'm sure such a thing wouldn't be all that hard to build into the program.
The problem is that the position of the second rectangle requires the exact width of the first rectangle in order to precisely determine where to place it. That additional input required is what complicates matters.
The best work-around I can offer is as follows:
1. Use the keystroke to align the two rectangles left.
2. Click on the first rectangle and note its exact width.
3. With the Transformation docker opened to the Move tab, enter the width of the first rectangle into the Horizontal number box and click on Apply. The second rectangle will now butt up against the first one.
Almost instant. I hope that will save you some time. Thanks.