SiteMap Search ElispArea HowTo Glossary RecentChanges News Problems Suggestions
Cameroon, National Day

key-chord.el

Download

;;; key-chord.el --- map pairs of simultaneously pressed keys to commands
;;-------------------------------------------------------------------
;;
;; Copyright (C) 2003,2005,2008 David Andersson
;;
;; This file is NOT part of Emacs.
;;
;; This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
;; modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as
;; published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of
;; the License, or (at your option) any later version.
;;
;; This program is distributed in the hope that it will be
;; useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied
;; warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
;; PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License for more details.
;;
;; You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public
;; License along with this program; if not, write to the Free
;; Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston,
;; MA 02111-1307 USA
;;
;;-------------------------------------------------------------------

;; Author: David Andersson <l.david.andersson(at)sverige.nu>
;; Created: 27 April 2003
;; Version: 0.5 (2008-09-15)
;; Keywords: keyboard chord input

;;; Commentary:

;; ########   Compatibility   ########################################
;;
;; Works with Emacs-20.3, 20.6, 20.7, 21.2, 21.4 and 22.1.
;; Does not work with Emacs-19.31 nor XEmacs-20.4 and 21.4.

;; ########   Quick start   ########################################
;;
;; Add to your ~/.emacs
;;
;;	(require 'key-chord)
;;	(key-chord-mode 1)
;;
;; and some chords, for example
;;
;;      (key-chord-define-global "hj"     'undo)
;;      (key-chord-define-global ",."     "<>\C-b")

;; ########   Terminology   ########################################
;;
;; In this package, a "key chord" is two keys pressed simultaneously,
;; or a single key quickly pressed twice.
;;
;; (Sometimes pressing SHIFT and/or META plus another key is call a chord,
;; but not here. However SHIFT plus two normal keys can be a "key chord".)

;; ########   Description   ########################################
;;
;; Key chord mode acts like a global minor mode controlled by the function
;; `key-chord-mode'.
;;
;; Key chord definitions are stored in ordinary key-maps.
;; The function `key-chord-define-global' defines a chord in the global
;; key-map and `key-chord-define' defines a chord in a specified key-map,
;; for example for a specific mode.
;;
;; A TWO-key chord is two distinct keys pressed simultaneously (within
;; one tenth of a second, or so).
;;
;; Examples:
;;
;;      (key-chord-define-global ",."     "<>\C-b")
;;      (key-chord-define-global "hj"     'undo)
;;      (key-chord-define-global [?h ?j]  'undo)  ; the same
;;      (key-chord-define-global "jk"     'dabbrev-expand)
;;      (key-chord-define-global "cv"     'reindent-then-newline-and-indent)
;;      (key-chord-define-global "4r"     "$")
;;
;; Comma and dot pressed together insert a pair of angle brackets.
;; `h' and `j' pressed together invoke the undo command.
;; `j' and `k' pressed together invoke the dabbrev-expand command.
;; 'c' and 'v' pressed together insert a newline.
;; `4' and `r' pressed together insert a dollar sign.
;;
;; A ONE-key chord is a single key quickly pressed twice (within one third
;; of a second or so). 
;;
;; Examples:
;;
;;      (key-chord-define-global "''"     "`'\C-b")
;;      (key-chord-define-global ",,"     'indent-for-comment)
;;      (key-chord-define-global "qq"     "the ")
;;      (key-chord-define-global "QQ"     "The ")
;;
;; Tick (') pressed twice inserts a back-tick and a tick (`').
;; Comma (,) pressed twice indents for and/or inserts a comment.
;; `q' pressed twice inserts the word "the ".
;;
;; Examples: Mode specific chords
;;
;;      (key-chord-define c++-mode-map ";;"  "\C-e;")
;;      (key-chord-define c++-mode-map "{}"  "{\n\n}\C-p\t")
;;
;; The command `key-chord-describe' lists currently defined key chords.
;; The standard command `describe-bindings' (C-h b) will also show key chords.
;;
;; The standard command `describe-key' (C-h k) will accept a key chord and
;; show its definition. (Isn't that amazing. There is no explicit code to
;; carry out this functionality.)

;; ########   Tips   ########################################
;;
;; Don't chord key combinations that exists in the languages you typically
;; write. Otherwise, if you are typing fast, two key intended to be separate
;; letters might instead trig a chord.
;; E.g. "uu" would be a good chord in spanish but not in finnish, and
;; "hj" would be a good chord in english but not in swedish. 
;;
;; Don't rely solely on /usr/dict/words to find unusual combination.
;; For example "cv" or "fg" can be quite common in certain kinds of
;; programming. Grep your own texts to verify that a combination is unusual.
;; And don't forget to check both permutations: "fg" and "gf".
;;
;; Choose two keys that are close to each other on the keyboard, so they
;; can be quickly typed without effort. Chords involving two hands (as
;; opposed to two fingers on one hand) are harder to type (quickly).
;; The idea is that key chords are to replace function keys for functions
;; that are frequently performed while the hands are in writing position.
;;
;; Key chords might not work well over a slow network.

;; ########   Limitations   ########################################
;;
;; When recording keyboard macros, the time between keyboard inputs are not
;; recorded. Thus, the key-chord-input-method cannot know for sure if two keys
;; in a macro was a chord or not. The current solution remembers the first key
;; of the chords typed during macro recording, and keys that match those (and
;; are defined as chords) are considered key-chords during macro execution.
;; This knowledge is not saved with `name-last-kbd-macro', so they may
;; execute wrong if they contain pair of keys that match defined chords.
;;
;; Emacs will not call input-method-function for keys that have non numeric
;; codes or whos code is outside the range 32..126. Thus you cannot define
;; key chords involving function keys, control keys, or even your non-english
;; letters (on national keyboards) that otherwise are well positioned for
;; chording on your keyboard.
;; (I think chording left and right arrow keys would be useful, but cannot do.
;; I consider this a bug in Emacs. Input methods could happily return
;; unmodified *any* key they don't know about.)
;;
;; Key chords longer that 2 keys are not supported. It could be done, but I
;; don't think it is worth the trubbel since most keyboards will not reliably
;; send all key codes when 3 or more keys are pressed simultaneously.
;; It might also be a bit trickier to maintain performance.
;;
;; Key chord mode uses input-method-function. And so do internationalisation
;; packages (mule, quail, etc). Do not expect them to work well together.
;; The last one that gets the input-method-function rules.

;; ########   Implementation   ########################################
;;
;; Key chords piggy back in ordinary key maps, so they can be defined
;; per mode without having to add hooks to all modes.
;;
;; Key chord key codes are vectors beginning with the atom `key-chord'.
;; A two key chord, e.g. "hj", will add two entries in the key-map.
;; E.g. [key-chord ?h ?j] and [key-chord ?h ?j].
;;
;; When key-chord-mode is enabled input-method-function is set to
;; key-chord-input-method.

;; ########   To do   ########################################
;;
;; * Find a way to save key-chord info in keyboard macros.
;;
;; * Save previous value of input-method-function? And call it?
;;
;; * input-method-function is reset in *info* buffers! What to do?
;;
;; * How to enter interactively command OR string in key-chord-define-global?
;;
;; * Customize public vars (defcustom).

;; ########   History   ########################################
;;
;; 0.5 (2008-09-15) l.david.andersson(at)sverige.nu
;;      Bugfix sit-for; Improved examples; New E-mail in comment
;; 0.4 (2005-05-07) david(at)symsoft.se
;; 	Slightly better macro heuristics; Added option key-chord-in-macros
;; 0.3 (2005-04-14) david(at)symsoft.se
;; 	Require advice; More examples
;; 0.2 (2003-09-13) david(at)symsoft.se
;; 	Quick and dirty fix for keyboard macros
;; 0.1 (2003-04-27) david(at)symsoft.se
;;	First release

;;; Code:

(defvar key-chord-two-keys-delay 0.1	; 0.05 or 0.1
  "Max time delay between two key press to be considered a key chord.")

(defvar key-chord-one-key-delay 0.2	; 0.2 or 0.3 to avoid first autorepeat
  "Max time delay between two press of the same key to be considered a key chord.
This should normally be a little longer than `key-chord-two-keys-delay'.")

(defvar key-chord-in-macros t
  "If nil, don't expand key chords when executing keyboard macros.
If non-nil, expand chord sequenses in macros, but only if a similar chord was
entered during the last interactive macro recording. (This carries a bit of
guesswork. We can't know for sure when executing whether two keys were
typed quickly or slowly when recorded.)")

;; Internal vars
(defvar key-chord-mode nil)

;; Shortcut for key-chord-input-method: no need to test a key again if it
;; didn't matched a chord the last time. Improves feedback during autorepeat.
(defvar key-chord-last-unmatched nil)

;; Macro heuristics: Keep track of which chords was used when the last macro
;; was defined. Or rather, only the first-char of the chords. Only expand
;; matching chords during macro execution.
(defvar key-chord-in-last-kbd-macro nil)
(defvar key-chord-defining-kbd-macro nil)

;;;###autoload
(defun key-chord-mode (arg)
  "Toggle key chord mode.
With positive ARG enable the mode. With zero or negative arg disable the mode.
A key chord is two keys that are pressed simultaneously, or one key quickly
pressed twice.
See functions `key-chord-define-global' or `key-chord-define'
and variables `key-chord-two-keys-delay' and `key-chord-one-key-delay'."
  (interactive "P")
  (setq key-chord-mode (if arg
			   (> (prefix-numeric-value arg) 0)
			 (not key-chord-mode)))
  (cond (key-chord-mode
	 (setq input-method-function 'key-chord-input-method)
	 (message "Key Chord mode on"))
	(t
	 (setq input-method-function nil)
	 (message "Key Chord mode off"))))

;;;###autoload
(defun key-chord-define-global (keys command)
  "Define a key-chord of two keys in KEYS starting a COMMAND.
\nKEYS can be a string or a vector of two elements. Currently only elements
that corresponds to ascii codes in the range 32 to 126 can be used.
\nCOMMAND can be an interactive function, a string, or nil.
If COMMAND is nil, the key-chord is removed."
  (interactive "sSet key chord globally (2 keys): \nCSet chord \"%s\" to command: ")
  (key-chord-define (current-global-map) keys command))

;;;###autoload
(defun key-chord-define (keymap keys command)
  "Define in KEYMAP, a key-chord of two keys in KEYS starting a COMMAND.
\nKEYS can be a string or a vector of two elements. Currently only elements
that corresponds to ascii codes in the range 32 to 126 can be used.
\nCOMMAND can be an interactive function, a string, or nil.
If COMMAND is nil, the key-chord is removed."
  (if (/= 2 (length keys))
      (error "Key-chord keys must have two elements"))
  ;; Exotic chars in a string are >255 but define-key wants 128..255 for those
  (let ((key1 (logand 255 (aref keys 0)))
	(key2 (logand 255 (aref keys 1))))
    (if (eq key1 key2)
	(define-key keymap (vector 'key-chord key1 key2) command)
      ;; else
      (define-key keymap (vector 'key-chord key1 key2) command)
      (define-key keymap (vector 'key-chord key2 key1) command))))

(defun key-chord-lookup-key1 (keymap key)
  "Like lookup-key but no third arg and no numeric return value."
  (let ((res (lookup-key keymap key)))
    (if (numberp res)
	nil
      ;; else
      res)))

(defun key-chord-lookup-key (key)
  "Lookup KEY in all current key maps."
  (let ((maps (current-minor-mode-maps))
	res)
    (while (and maps (not res))
      (setq res (key-chord-lookup-key1 (car maps) key)
	    maps (cdr maps)))
    (or res
	(if (current-local-map) 
	    (key-chord-lookup-key1 (current-local-map) key))
	(key-chord-lookup-key1 (current-global-map) key))))

(defun key-chord-describe ()
  "List key chord bindings in a help buffer.
\nTwo key chords will be listed twice and there will be Prefix Commands.
Please ignore that."
  (interactive)
  (describe-bindings [key-chord]))

(defun key-chord-input-method (first-char)
  "Input method controlled by key bindings with the prefix `key-chord'."
  (if (and (not (eq first-char key-chord-last-unmatched))
	   (key-chord-lookup-key (vector 'key-chord first-char)))
      (let ((delay (if (key-chord-lookup-key (vector 'key-chord first-char first-char))
		       key-chord-one-key-delay
		     ;; else
		     key-chord-two-keys-delay)))
	(if (if executing-kbd-macro
		(not (memq first-char key-chord-in-last-kbd-macro))
	      (sit-for delay 0 'no-redisplay))
	    (progn
	      (setq key-chord-last-unmatched nil)
	      (list first-char))
	  ;; else input-pending-p
	  (let* ((input-method-function nil)
		 (next-char (read-event))
		 (res (vector 'key-chord first-char next-char)))
	    (if (key-chord-lookup-key res)
		(progn
		  (setq key-chord-defining-kbd-macro
			(cons first-char key-chord-defining-kbd-macro))
		  (list 'key-chord first-char next-char))
	      ;; else put back next-char and return first-char
	      (setq unread-command-events (cons next-char unread-command-events))
	      (if (eq first-char next-char)
		  (setq key-chord-last-unmatched first-char))
	      (list first-char)))))
    ;; else no key-chord keymap
    (setq key-chord-last-unmatched first-char)
    (list first-char)))

(require 'advice)

(defadvice start-kbd-macro (after key-chord activate)
  (setq key-chord-defining-kbd-macro nil))

(defadvice end-kbd-macro (after key-chord activate)
  (setq key-chord-in-last-kbd-macro key-chord-defining-kbd-macro))

(provide 'key-chord)

;;; key-chord.el ends here