Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Samuel Banya]

Hey there,

I saw Prot's video on keyboard macros, and saw a useful one at Timestamp: 18:15, for this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5yH_8nl9LU

I tried immediately doing this idea within an Org file I use for work, aka a todo list.

I recorded a macro with 'F3', and then stopped recording with 'F4'.

I then tried using the function that Prot used in that video, aka 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' but nothing happens for me.

I'm using 'Helm' mode if that helps since Helm's 'helm-M-x' function is bound to 'M-x' on my config.

Here's my Emacs config for reference:
https://github.com/samuelbanya/samsemacs

Any ideas on 'Why' this is occurring?

I tried checking '*Messages*' but don't see anything relevant in that buffer. I also tried using a scratch buffer without Org Mode, but have the same issue unfortunately.

Thanks,

Sam

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Emanuel Berg]

Samuel Banya wrote:

> I then tried using the function that Prot used in that
> video, aka 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' but nothing happens
> for me.

Beware, keyboard macros are poor man's programming.
Compared to programming they have no advantages but many, many
disadvantages. And one of them is they are difficult to debug.

That said, what macro name did you give? It is

  M-x insert-kbd-macro RET MACRONAME RET

so that might explain this or the other behavior :)

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Samuel Banya]

That's the thing, when I hit return, literally nothing happens. I don't get the prompt that everyone else seems to get, so I'm assuming the return key is getting eaten by Helm Mode for some reason, its really weird.

Let me know how I can give some debug output, kind of clueless for this kind of thing.

On Thu, May 19, 2022, at 11:49 PM, Emanuel Berg wrote:
> Samuel Banya wrote:
> 
> > I then tried using the function that Prot used in that
> > video, aka 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' but nothing happens
> > for me.
> 
> Beware, keyboard macros are poor man's programming.
> Compared to programming they have no advantages but many, many
> disadvantages. And one of them is they are difficult to debug.
> 
> That said, what macro name did you give? It is
> 
>   M-x insert-kbd-macro RET MACRONAME RET
> 
> so that might explain this or the other behavior :)
> 
> -- 
> underground experts united
> https://dataswamp.org/~incal
> 
> 
> 

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Emanuel Berg]

Samuel Banya wrote:

> That's the thing, when I hit return, literally nothing
> happens. I don't get the prompt that everyone else seems to
> get, so I'm assuming

...

> the return key is getting eaten by Helm

Does M-x work if you if you disable it?

C-h k M-x should be `execute-extended-command' ...

> its really weird

Not really ...

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Samuel Banya]

I tried C-h M-x 'execute-extended-command', followed by 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' but it still doesn't work after I hit return.

It just does nothing, despite the fact that I recorded the macro previously with F3 and F4 keys respectively.

On Fri, May 20, 2022, at 1:35 AM, Emanuel Berg wrote:
> Samuel Banya wrote:
> 
> > That's the thing, when I hit return, literally nothing
> > happens. I don't get the prompt that everyone else seems to
> > get, so I'm assuming
> 
> ...
> 
> > the return key is getting eaten by Helm
> 
> Does M-x work if you if you disable it?
> 
> C-h k M-x should be `execute-extended-command' ...
> 
> > its really weird
> 
> Not really ...
> 
> -- 
> underground experts united
> https://dataswamp.org/~incal
> 
> 
> 

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Emanuel Berg]

Samuel Banya wrote:

> I tried C-h M-x 'execute-extended-command'

Okey, what's that supposed to do? C-h M-x is undefined.

> followed by 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' but it still doesn't work
> after I hit return.

If M-x has been redefined obviously there is no telling what
it will do. Try after starting Emacs with 'emacs -Q' and see
what happens.

-- 
underground experts united
https://dataswamp.org/~incal

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Michael Heerdegen]

"Samuel Banya" <sbanya@fastmail.com> writes:

> I recorded a macro with 'F3', and then stopped recording with 'F4'.

Were you able to execute that recorded macro?

> I then tried using the function that Prot used in that video, aka 'M-x
> insert-kbd-macro' but nothing happens for me.

Were you asked for the name of the recorded macro to insert?  What did
you answer?

And then you hit RET and "nothing happened" - no message, no error?

...I tried the command `insert-kbd-macro' just now and it worked
normally even when usin the helmish version of M-x.

Michael.

Re: Need Some Help Figuring Out Why 'M-x insert-kbd-macro' Doesn't Work With Helm Mode For Some Reason

[Samuel Banya]

Hey there,

So 'F4' works as intended, I can easily just play back the macro as intended without a hitch.

The problem is calling that function manually AFTER its being recorded does literally nothing.

I will try to see if its a Helm specific problem though by using 'emacs -q'. I get a strong feeling, its related since I already bind the M-x command to the Helm specific one, so its probably eating the input or totally ignoring it.

But yeah, no error, and no message afterwards, just nothing appears in the buffer as intended even though it should be dumping the contents of the macro I created.

On Fri, May 20, 2022, at 7:28 PM, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> "Samuel Banya" <sbanya@fastmail.com> writes:
> 
> > I recorded a macro with 'F3', and then stopped recording with 'F4'.
> 
> Were you able to execute that recorded macro?
> 
> > I then tried using the function that Prot used in that video, aka 'M-x
> > insert-kbd-macro' but nothing happens for me.
> 
> Were you asked for the name of the recorded macro to insert?  What did
> you answer?
> 
> And then you hit RET and "nothing happened" - no message, no error?
> 
> ...I tried the command `insert-kbd-macro' just now and it worked
> normally even when usin the helmish version of M-x.
> 
> Michael.
> 
> 
> 
>