# Macros
-Macros allow you to send multiple keystrokes when pressing just one key. QMK has a number of ways to define and use macros. These can do anything you want: type common phrases for you, copypasta, repetitive game movements, or even help you code.
+Macros allow you to send multiple keystrokes when pressing just one key. QMK has a number of ways to define and use macros. These can do anything you want: type common phrases for you, copypasta, repetitive game movements, or even help you code.
-{% hint style='danger' %}
-**Security Note**: While it is possible to use macros to send passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information it is a supremely bad idea to do so. Anyone who gets ahold of your keyboard will be able to access that information by opening a text editor.
-{% endhint %}
+!> **Security Note**: While it is possible to use macros to send passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information it is a supremely bad idea to do so. Anyone who gets a hold of your keyboard will be able to access that information by opening a text editor.
-## The new way: `SEND_STRING()` & `process_record_user`
+## The New Way: `SEND_STRING()` & `process_record_user`
Sometimes you just want a key to type out words or phrases. For the most common situations we've provided `SEND_STRING()`, which will type out your string (i.e. a sequence of characters) for you. All ASCII characters that are easily translated to a keycode are supported (e.g. `\n\t`).
-For example, you could write in your `keymap.c`:
+Here is an example `keymap.c` for a two-key keyboard:
```c
enum custom_keycodes {
if (record->event.pressed) {
switch(keycode) {
case MY_CUSTOM_MACRO:
- SEND_STRING("QMK is the best thing ever!");
- return false; break;
+ SEND_STRING("QMK is the best thing ever!"); // this is our macro!
+ return false;
}
}
return true;
};
-```
-To activate this macro, assign the keycode `MY_CUSTOM_MACRO` to one of your keys in your keymap.
+const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
+ [0] = {
+ {MY_CUSTOM_MACRO, KC_ESC}
+ }
+};
+```
What happens here is this:
We first define a new custom keycode in the range not occupied by any other keycodes.
Then we use the `process_record_user` function, which is called whenever a key is pressed or released, to check if our custom keycode has been activated.
If yes, we send the string `"QMK is the best thing ever!"` to the computer via the `SEND_STRING` macro (this is a C preprocessor macro, not to be confused with QMK macros).
We return `false` to indicate to the caller that the key press we just processed need not be processed any further.
+Finally, we define the keymap so that the first button activates our macro and the second button is just an escape button.
You might want to add more than one macro.
You can do that by adding another keycode and adding another case to the switch statement, like so:
switch(keycode) {
case MY_CUSTOM_MACRO:
SEND_STRING("QMK is the best thing ever!");
- return false; break;
+ return false;
case MY_OTHER_MACRO:
SEND_STRING(SS_LCTRL("ac")); // selects all and copies
- return false; break;
+ return false;
}
}
return true;
};
+
+const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
+ [0] = {
+ {MY_CUSTOM_MACRO, MY_OTHER_MACRO}
+ }
+};
```
### TAP, DOWN and UP
You may want to use keys in your macros that you can't write down, such as `Ctrl` or `Home`.
-You can send arbitary keycodes by wrapping them in:
+You can send arbitrary keycodes by wrapping them in:
* `SS_TAP()` presses and releases a key.
* `SS_DOWN()` presses (but does not release) a key.
* `SS_LCTRL(string)`
* `SS_LGUI(string)`
* `SS_LALT(string)`
+* `SS_LSFT(string)`
+* `SS_RALT(string)`
These press the respective modifier, send the supplied string and then release the modifier.
They can be used like this:
Which would send LCTRL+a (LCTRL down, a, LCTRL up) - notice that they take strings (eg `"k"`), and not the `X_K` keycodes.
-### Alternative keymaps
+### Alternative Keymaps
By default, it assumes a US keymap with a QWERTY layout; if you want to change that (e.g. if your OS uses software Colemak), include this somewhere in your keymap:
#include <sendstring_colemak.h>
-### Strings in memory
+### Strings in Memory
If for some reason you're manipulating strings and need to print out something you just generated (instead of being a literal, constant string), you can use `send_string()`, like this:
SEND_STRING(".."SS_TAP(X_END));
```
-## The old way: `MACRO()` & `action_get_macro`
+## The Old Way: `MACRO()` & `action_get_macro`
-{% hint style='info' %}
-This is inherited from TMK, and hasn't been updated - it's recommend that you use `SEND_STRING` and `process_record_user` instead.
-{% endhint %}
+?> This is inherited from TMK, and hasn't been updated - it's recommend that you use `SEND_STRING` and `process_record_user` instead.
By default QMK assumes you don't have any macros. To define your macros you create an `action_get_macro()` function. For example:
* W() wait (milliseconds).
* END end mark.
-### Mapping a Macro to a key
+### Mapping a Macro to a Key
Use the `M()` function within your `KEYMAP()` to call a macro. For example, here is the keymap for a 2-key keyboard:
When you press the key on the left it will type "Hi!" and when you press the key on the right it will type "Bye!".
-### Naming your macros
+### Naming Your Macros
If you have a bunch of macros you want to refer to from your keymap while keeping the keymap easily readable you can name them using `#define` at the top of your file.
};
```
-## Advanced macro functions
+## Advanced Macro Functions
There are some functions you may find useful in macro-writing. Keep in mind that while you can write some fairly advanced code within a macro if your functionality gets too complex you may want to define a custom keycode instead. Macros are meant to be simple.
This will clear all keys besides the mods currently pressed.
-## Advanced Example: Single-key copy/paste
+## Advanced Example: Single-Key Copy/Paste
-This example defines a macro which sends `Ctrl-C` when pressed down, and `Ctrl-V` when released.
+This example defines a macro which sends `Ctrl-C` when pressed down, and `Ctrl-V` when released.
```c
const macro_t *action_get_macro(keyrecord_t *record, uint8_t id, uint8_t opt) {
return MACRO_NONE;
};
```
-
-
projects / qmk_firmware.git / blobdiff