Display the key bindings on the screen

Display the key bindings on the screen

[marc tfardy]

I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I 
would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or in 
a small separate frame). This means: when I type some key combination 
that is bound to a Emacs lisp function - or this keys are a prefix - 
these keys are displayed on the screen and are further normally 
processed. Think of something like key visualisation in this video:
https://tutsplus.com/lesson/the-command-palette/
but not as a separate software, but a part of Emacs. This could could be 
an advantage for extension, e.g. displaying of the command name.

Is there any package that cover this functionality?


-- 
(or greets gruesse pozdro)
tfardy

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[rustompmody]

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 12:45:11 AM UTC+5:30, marc tfardy wrote:
> I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I 
> would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or in 
> a small separate frame). This means: when I type some key combination 
> that is bound to a Emacs lisp function - or this keys are a prefix - 
> these keys are displayed on the screen and are further normally 
> processed. Think of something like key visualisation in this video:
> https://tutsplus.com/lesson/the-command-palette/
> but not as a separate software, but a part of Emacs. This could could be 
> an advantage for extension, e.g. displaying of the command name.
> 
> Is there any package that cover this functionality?

http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/CommandLogMode
Ive been trying to tweak it to make it usable... not very successful

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Michael Heerdegen]

marc tfardy <tfardy@tfardoland.net> writes:

> I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I
> would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or
> in a small separate frame). This means: when I type some key
> combination that is bound to a Emacs lisp function - or this keys are
> a prefix - 
> these keys are displayed on the screen and are further normally
> processed. Think of something like key visualisation in this video:
> https://tutsplus.com/lesson/the-command-palette/
> but not as a separate software, but a part of Emacs. This could could
> be an advantage for extension, e.g. displaying of the command name.
>
> Is there any package that cover this functionality?

You may want to try

  http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractionLogMode

as a start.


Regards,

Michael.

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Tim Visher]

On Sat, Jun 22, 2013 at 3:15 PM, marc tfardy <tfardy@tfardoland.net> wrote:
> I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I would
> like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or in a small
> separate frame). This means: when I type some key combination that is bound
> to a Emacs lisp function - or this keys are a prefix - these keys are
> displayed on the screen and are further normally processed. Think of
> something like key visualisation in this video:
> https://tutsplus.com/lesson/the-command-palette/
> but not as a separate software, but a part of Emacs. This could could be an
> advantage for extension, e.g. displaying of the command name.
>
> Is there any package that cover this functionality?

[vimgolf-minor-mode][] does most of this, but not in a way that you'd
directly like. I've been meaning to rip out the key-recording part of
it into something separate as I've wanted it enough times in other
places that I think it would be useful as a composable library. You
might be interested in doing that.

Other than that, I don't know what your platform is, but I used
[KeyCastr][] to great effect in my own [VimGolf in Emacs Series][]. I
think there are things like that for every major platform. Might
consider using that even though it won't do everything you want it to
do. Better to ship something than nothing.

[vimgolf-minor-mode]: https://github.com/igrigorik/vimgolf/tree/master/emacs
[KeyCastr]: http://download.cnet.com/KeyCastr/3000-2075_4-125977.html
[VimGolf in Emacs Series]: http://blog.twonegatives.com/tagged/vimgolf/

--

In Christ,

Timmy V.

http://blog.twonegatives.com/
http://five.sentenc.es/ -- Spend less time on mail

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Rustom Mody]

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 7:36:07 AM UTC+5:30, Rustom Mody wrote:
> On Sunday, June 23, 2013 12:45:11 AM UTC+5:30, marc tfardy wrote:
> > I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I 
> > would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or in 
> > a small separate frame). This means: when I type some key combination 
> > that is bound to a Emacs lisp function - or this keys are a prefix - 
> > these keys are displayed on the screen and are further normally 
> > processed. Think of something like key visualisation in this video:
> > https://tutsplus.com/lesson/the-command-palette/
> > but not as a separate software, but a part of Emacs. This could could be 
> > an advantage for extension, e.g. displaying of the command name.
> > 
> > Is there any package that cover this functionality?
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/CommandLogMode
> 
> Ive been trying to tweak it to make it usable... not very successful

Well I did tweak it a bit and its a little better.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
(load "command-log-mode")
(defun rusi/open-command-log-buffer ()
  (interactive)
  (let ((pop-up-frames t))
    (clm/open-command-log-buffer))
)
(add-hook 'haskell-mode-hook 'command-log-mode)
(add-hook 'inferior-haskell-hook 'command-log-mode)
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Since I currently want it to work in teaching haskell, I need it to kick in for haskell-mode and inferior-haskell-mode -- that explains the two hook setups.
The rusi/open-command-log-buffer is just clm/open-command-log-buffer advised to open in a separate frame.

I further wanted to make the frame look better eg no header, minibuffer etc.
However my attempts at hacking the frame commands are unsuccessful at a completely noob level and my question http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/help-gnu-emacs/2013-06/msg00465.html is unanswered so far :-((

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Rustom Mody]

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 8:39:39 AM UTC+5:30, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> marc tfardy < > writes:
> > I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I
> > would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or
> > in a small separate frame).
> > Is there any package that cover this functionality?
> 
> You may want to try
> 
> 
>   http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractionLogMode

I tried this and could only get a blank buffer, whatever I tried.

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Michael Heerdegen]

Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> writes:

> >   http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractionLogMode
>
> I tried this and could only get a blank buffer, whatever I tried.

Sorry about that.

Which Emacs version are you using (note that I didn't spend the time to
make it compatible with versions prior 24)?

If you are using Emacs 24, could you please send me a recipe starting
with emacs -Q?


Thanks,

Michael.

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[marc tfardy]

Am 24.06.13 18:30, schrieb Rustom Mody:

First, thanks at this place for all responses and your help!


> On Sunday, June 23, 2013 8:39:39 AM UTC+5:30, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
>> marc tfardy < > writes:
>>> I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I
>>> would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or
>>> in a small separate frame).
>>> Is there any package that cover this functionality?
>>
>> You may want to try
>>
>>
>>    http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractionLogMode
>
> I tried this and could only get a blank buffer, whatever I tried.

Unfortunately, the same here - I didn't get it running. Always empty 
"*Emacs Log*" buffer. But CommandLog has worked. However, there is still 
potential for improvement. E.g. copy-to-register prints only C-x r s - 
the register letter is missing. I think fixing this problem could be 
very difficult.



-- 
(or greets gruesse pozdro)
tfardy

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Sebastien Vauban]

Hello,

marc tfardy wrote:
> Am 24.06.13 18:30, schrieb Rustom Mody:
>> On Sunday, June 23, 2013 8:39:39 AM UTC+5:30, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
>>> marc tfardy < > writes:
>>>> I plan a Emacs video tutorial. For better key chords visualisation I
>>>> would like to display the pressed keys on the screen (in a window or
>>>> in a small separate frame).
>>>> Is there any package that cover this functionality?
>>>
>>> You may want to try
>>>
>>>    http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractionLogMode
>>
>> I tried this and could only get a blank buffer, whatever I tried.
>
> Unfortunately, the same here - I didn't get it running. Always empty "*Emacs
> Log*" buffer. But CommandLog has worked. However, there is still potential for
> improvement. E.g. copy-to-register prints only C-x r s - 
> the register letter is missing. I think fixing this problem could be very
> difficult.

I just used it with success, under Emacs 24.3.50.1.

Very, very, very nice, even if I'd suggest 3 small (?) improvements:

- having the same keys not repeated in sequence over separate lines (try to
  write, for example, "Down 47 times").

- respect `ilog-log-max' as soon as the limit is exceeded (for example, after
  10 keystrokes), instead after some apparent idle time.

- remove the name of the buffer where things occur -- it makes it (much, with
  long buffer names) harder to read, while looking at the screencast (if used
  for that) gives all the needed information about where keys are pressed.

- don't write `self-insert-command': useless to read, for such cases, that the
  key pressed had no special effect other than inserting itself. I would
  possibly allow the user to be able to customize whether he wants to see the
  command for the other cases, but that's really helpful, in many cases (a
  great functionality).

Thanks a lot, Michael!  A great package!

Best regards,
  Seb

-- 
Sebastien Vauban

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Rustom Mody]

On Monday, June 24, 2013 11:35:36 PM UTC+5:30, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> Rustom Mody <> writes:
> 
> 
 > >   http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/InteractionLogMode
> 
> > I tried this and could only get a blank buffer, whatever I tried.
> 

> Sorry about that.
> Which Emacs version are you using (note that I didn't spend the time to
> make it compatible with versions prior 24)?
> 
> If you are using Emacs 24, could you please send me a recipe starting
> with emacs -Q?
> 

The only 24 I have is 24.0.50 (after that Ive not compiled) so I guess its a rather odd buggy version?

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Peter Dyballa]

Am 25.06.2013 um 03:51 schrieb Rustom Mody:

> The only 24 I have is 24.0.50 (after that Ive not compiled) so I guess its a rather odd buggy version?

Indeed!

--
Greetings

  Pete

I wouldn't recommend sex, drugs or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me.
				– Hunter S. Thompson

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Michael Heerdegen]

Rustom Mody <rustompmody@gmail.com> writes:

> The only 24 I have is 24.0.50 (after that Ive not compiled) so I guess
> its a rather odd buggy version?

You can eval

  (defun ilog-entering-password-p () nil)

after loading the file, but before turning on the mode.  That makes it
work, but disables the feature of hiding entered passwords.

Didn't think that so many people are still using such old Emacsen...  


Regards,

Michael.

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Michael Heerdegen]

"Sebastien Vauban" <sva-news@mygooglest.com>
writes:

> I just used it with success, under Emacs 24.3.50.1.

Thanks for testing!

> [...] I'd suggest 3 small (?) improvements:

> - having the same keys not repeated in sequence over separate lines (try to
>   write, for example, "Down 47 times").

I totally agree.  Although the fact that I want to merge in messages
complicates the matter a bit.

> - respect `ilog-log-max' as soon as the limit is exceeded (for
> example, after
>   10 keystrokes), instead after some apparent idle time.

What is the advantage you have in mind?

> - remove the name of the buffer where things occur -- it makes it
> (much, with
>   long buffer names) harder to read, while looking at the screencast
> (if used
>   for that) gives all the needed information about where keys are pressed.
>
> - don't write `self-insert-command': useless to read, for such cases,
> that the
>   key pressed had no special effect other than inserting itself. I would
>   possibly allow the user to be able to customize whether he wants to
> see the
>   command for the other cases, but that's really helpful, in many cases (a
>   great functionality).

No doubt, that would improve readability.  Note that when I wrote it, I
had a totally different use case in mind: to let you reconstruct what
happened the last seconds.  I didn't think of presentation.

Anyway, feel free to contact me when you want to answer:

  (concat "michael" [95] "heerdegen" [64] "web.de")


Regards,

Michael.

Re: Display the key bindings on the screen

[Rustom Mody]

On Wednesday, June 26, 2013 2:50:47 AM UTC+5:30, Michael Heerdegen wrote:
> Rustom Mody  writes:
> 
> > The only 24 I have is 24.0.50 (after that Ive not compiled) so I guess
> > its a rather odd buggy version?
> 
> 
> 
> You can eval
>   (defun ilog-entering-password-p () nil)
> after loading the file, but before turning on the mode.  That makes it
> work, but disables the feature of hiding entered passwords.

Ok it seems to work now. Thanks

Is there some way of specifying a set of 'obvious' keys/commands to not show.
eg self-insert, cursor-movement etc?

> 
> Didn't think that so many people are still using such old Emacsen...  

Well 23.4 is what comes default with most linuxes I know