Problem (syntax errors) using `hexCodeOf($macroArg.1)`

Configuration question
1

Following very interesting hints here I tried the following:

ifShift {
tapKey A-keypadPlus
delayUntil 100
suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.2) enter
}
else {
tapKey A-keypadPlus
delayUntil 100
tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.1) enter
}

and on saving the configuration to kbd got the following syntax errors:

Error at Unicode NotShift-Shift 1/4/78: Expected closing parenthesis at the end of parameter list.
> 4 |  suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.2) enter
>   |                                                                              ^
Error at Unicode NotShift-Shift 1/4/79: Unrecognized key abbreviation: roArg.2)
> 4 |  suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.2) enter
>   |                                                                               ^
Error at Unicode NotShift-Shift 1/9/65: Expected closing parenthesis at the end of parameter list.
> 9 |  tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.1) enter
>   |                                                                 ^
Error at Unicode NotShift-Shift 1/9/66: Unrecognized key abbreviation: roArg.1)
> 9 |  tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.1) enter
>   |                                                                  ^
Error at Unicode NotShift-Shift 1/4/78: Expected closing parenthesis at the end of parameter list.
> 4 |  suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf($macroArg.2) ente

Agent is 10.1.0, firmware LHS is 17.2.0, RHS is 17.0.0.

2

I don’t have time to help with the macros ATM, but honestly, you should probably wait until you get your firmware flashed properly to the same version on each half.

3

hexCodeOf expects literally an ascii char and does not accept variables at the moment, so you need to force the expansion via hexCodeOf(&macroArg.2).

4

Ok. Syntax issue turned out to be:

Not accepted:

suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace hexCodeOf(&macroArg.2) enter

Was accepted:

suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace hexCodeOf(&macroArg.2)
tapKey enter

For some reason enter wasn’t accepted after the hexCodeOf(...).

Also I switched to & from $ - not sure what the difference is or if I needed to switch.

So what’s going on here, in case you wanted to know: I can’t get the Windows hex input for Unicode characters to work, even with the proper registry key. For example, Notepad takes Alt-Np+ and pops up a “insert hyperlink” dialog (which is very odd, as that shortcut is not documented and the actual documented shortcut C-k doesn’t work). And other programs also do random things on Alt-Np+.

So instead I’m using an old program unicodeinput (not open source) that you run (at login) and it grabs, at the system level, the key Alt-Np+ and opens up a window with a text edit you can type your unicode hexcode into, and the you hit the Send button and it sends it. This works ok except it has a couple of problems:

a) It takes a little bit of time to pop up and start grabbing keystrokes to its window - so you need to insert a delay
b) When you pop it up it hasn’t cleared the text edit field of its previous entry, and it doesn’t understand C-a to select all characters in the field, so I have to send 4 backspaces to clear the old entry

Anyway, I now have a macro that takes 2 parameters: A unicode character to send on unshifted keystroke, and a unicode character to send on shifted keystroke. I map it to a bunch of keys on a new layer and I can type (preselected) unicode characters pretty easily. I currently have the superscript/subscript digits mapped, and also some unicode “lookalike” substitutes for :, ?, / which can’t be used in filenames on Windows but which I want to put in filenames (to properly name academic papers which frequently have these characters in the title.

The macro looks like:

ifShift {
 tapKey A-keypadPlus
 delayUntil 100
 suppressMods tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf(&macroArg.2)
 suppressMods tapKeySeq tab enter
}
else {
 tapKey A-keypadPlus
 delayUntil 100
 tapKeySeq backspace backspace backspace backspace hexCodeOf(&macroArg.1)  
 tapKeySeq tab enter
}

and an example mapping looks like:

image
image753Ă—333 12 KB

1 Like
5

Can’t look into it now, but filed it here so that it doesn’t get forgotten :wink: : Templating bug · Issue #1600 · UltimateHackingKeyboard/firmware · GitHub

6

Indeed, nice catch!

Fixed at Fix tapkeyseq hexcode · UltimateHackingKeyboard/firmware@76626ce · GitHub

7

This is - from a user perspective - an incomprehensible detail of the macro language. I have a PR (code change) pending for the firmware that should take care of a number of those “variations” and allow the use of $macroArg consistently.

8

$ expands variables. I.e., it can substitute just a single legal value in a strictly guarded context.
& expands as macro text without any guards. I.e., can be used to construct macro code.