serializing multi

[bogorad]

I use English and Rusaian keyboard layouts in win-10. English is Colemak-DH, for Russian the layout must be Qwerty so that win-10 properly processes it.

So, I first switch layer in Kanata, then send the hotkey combination to win-10. I tried doing it via macro (first change layer, then send LA-LS-0 or LA-LS-1) , so it's serialized, but Kanata doesn't allow this for some reason. And so, I do it like this:

eng (multi (layer-switch U_BASE)   lalt lsft 0)
rus (multi (layer-switch U_QWERTY) lalt lsft 1)

And it works beautifully.

However, I also want to have window-switching (windows' hotkey I use is alt-escape), and while window-switching, I additionally want to reset current language to English.

Here's what I came up with:

(defcfg
  process-unmapped-keys yes
)

(defalias
  ;; aliases for keyboard switching
  eng (multi (layer-switch U_BASE)   lalt lsft 0)
  rus (multi (layer-switch U_QWERTY) lalt lsft 1)
  ;; temp nav layer
  nav (layer-while-held U_NAV)
  ;; Windows backward/forward, while switching to English
  wbw (multi @eng A-S-esc)
  wfw (multi @eng A-esc)
)

(defsrc
  del   j k l ;
)

(deflayer U_BASE
  @nav  j k l ;
)

(deflayer U_QWERTY
  @nav  j k l ;
)

(deflayer U_NAV
  XX    @eng @rus  @wfw @wbw
)

But it doesn't work: Kanata sends all commands simultaneously, so win-10 gets not just lalt + slft + 0, but also escape.

What should I use to get desired behavior?

Some logs: swithcing to Russian, works great.

2024-02-21T23:46:45.796729+01:00 [INFO] Entered layer:

(deflayer U_NAV
  XX    @eng @rus  @wfw @wbw
)
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0036055+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_K, value: Press }
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0052797+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_K, value: Press }
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0054799+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     LAlt
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0064228+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     LShift
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0081613+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     Kb1
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0756472+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_K, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0770892+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_K, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:46:46.077199+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   LAlt
2024-02-21T23:46:46.078035+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   LShift
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0793112+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   Kb1
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0813333+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata::windows: lsft-arrowkey workaround: releasing LShift at its typical coordinate
2024-02-21T23:46:46.0815416+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata::windows: releasing LShift from pressed keys
2024-02-21T23:46:46.2356443+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_DELETE, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:46:46.2373234+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_DELETE, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:46:46.2375685+01:00 [INFO] Entered layer:

(deflayer U_QWERTY
  @nav  j k l ;
)

But when switching windows, here's what happens:

2024-02-21T23:49:06.556307+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_DELETE, value: Press }
2024-02-21T23:49:06.5583057+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_DELETE, value: Press }
2024-02-21T23:49:06.5584779+01:00 [INFO] Entered layer:

(deflayer U_NAV
  XX    @eng @rus  @wfw @wbw
)
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0363297+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_L, value: Press }
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0373265+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_L, value: Press }
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0375953+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     LAlt
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0386173+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     LShift
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0404563+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     Kb0
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0417222+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key press     Escape
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0923317+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_L, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0937927+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_L, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0940323+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   LAlt
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0948901+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   LShift
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0956688+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   Kb0
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0967649+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   LAlt
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0977641+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: key release   Escape
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0986686+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata::windows: lsft-arrowkey workaround: releasing LShift at its typical coordinate
2024-02-21T23:49:07.0988272+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata::windows: releasing LShift from pressed keys
2024-02-21T23:49:07.4763714+01:00 [DEBUG] (1) kanata::kanata::windows::llhook: event loop: KeyEvent { code: KEY_DELETE, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:49:07.4783498+01:00 [DEBUG] (2) kanata::kanata: process recv ev KeyEvent { code: KEY_DELETE, value: Release }
2024-02-21T23:49:07.4784679+01:00 [INFO] Entered layer:

(deflayer U_BASE
  @nav  j k l ;
)

[jtroo]

I haven't fully read in detail but from my brief read, I think what might solve your issue is using on-press-fakekey ... tap within a macro.

Aside: one might ask why fake keys (which support any action) work inside of macro, but macro itself does not support those actions - and the answer would be "implementation details", hah.

[bogorad]

Major config rewrite - and it works!

[CosmoDm]

Major config rewrite - and it works!

Can you please share your working config that uses fake keys 🙏🏻

[bogorad]

Sure. Note that when switching to Russian I also set a five second timeout, so I don't have to switch back :)

(deffakekeys
  ;; windows input switching - add more here
  fake-win-eng (multi lalt lsft 0)
  fake-win-rus (multi lalt lsft 1)

  ;; permanent layer-switching
  fake-lsw-bas (layer-switch U_BASE)
  fake-lsw-qwe (layer-switch U_QWERTY)

  ;; this one references previous two
  fake-lang-switch-eng (multi
    (on-press-fakekey fake-win-eng tap)
    (on-press-fakekey fake-lsw-bas tap)
  )

  ;; this one references previous three
  fake-lang-switch-rus (multi
    (on-press-fakekey fake-win-rus tap)
    (on-press-fakekey fake-lsw-qwe tap)
    (on-idle-fakekey  fake-lang-switch-eng tap 5000)
  )
)

;; shorter names for fake keys etc
(defalias
  ;; shorter names for layer switches
  lsw-bas (on-press-fakekey fake-lsw-bas tap)
  lsw-qwe (on-press-fakekey fake-lsw-qwe tap)

  ;; shorter names for input swithing in Windows
  win-eng (on-press-fakekey fake-win-eng tap)
  win-rus (on-press-fakekey fake-win-rus tap)

  ;; finally, language switching
  eng (on-press-fakekey fake-lang-switch-eng tap)
  rus (on-press-fakekey fake-lang-switch-rus tap)

  ;; Tabs back/forward, while switching to English
  nav-h (macro A-S-tab @eng)
  nav-, (macro A-tab   @eng)

  ;; Windows back/forward, while switching to English
  nav-. (macro A-S-esc @eng @lsw-bas)
  nav-/ (macro A-esc   @eng @lsw-bas)
)

[CosmoDm]

Thank you so much! I got the idea. I'll try it in practice later...