Not all keyboard events can be represented as a character. For example,
while ?\C-h is a character, represented as 8 in decimal, C-M-h is
represented by 134217736 in decimal, as can be obtained from:
(elt (kbd "C-M-h") 0)
It is useful to allow help-char to be set to something other than a
character, as characters cover only a very small region of possible
input events. This is especially important because help-char is used to
bring up the pagination menu (when which-key-use-C-h-commands is t), and
this won't work if it conflicts with any keybinding within the prefix
command that led to the activation of which-key.
If help-char is left set to ?\C-h things work fine because as a
convention keymaps avoid binding that due to it being the default
binding for help. That is just a convention, however, and things become
more difficult with a heavily user-customized set of keybindings that
preclude the use of ?\C-h for that purpose.
In that case, if ?\C-h cannot be used, it is much easier to find a
binding for help-char that is unlikely to conflict with any bindings if
it is permitted to use the full range of modifier keys.
This patch modifies which-key--next-page-hint, which is the only place
that broke when I set help-char to a keyboard event that wasn't a
character. Rather than doing a string comparison, help-char and prefix
keys are put in vectors and equality is checked that way.
Pull requests are welcome as long as the following apply.
The issue you are fixing or feature you are adding is clearly described and/or referenced in the pull request or github issue.
Since which-key is on GNU ELPA, any legally significant changes must have their copyright assigned to the FSF (more info). If you have not done so and would like to assign copyright, please see the request form. This process is easy, but can be slow.
justbur
commented
3 years ago
Not all keyboard events can be represented as a character. For example, while ?\C-h is a character, represented as 8 in decimal, C-M-h is represented by 134217736 in decimal, as can be obtained from:
(elt (kbd "C-M-h") 0)
It is useful to allow help-char to be set to something other than a character, as characters cover only a very small region of possible input events. This is especially important because help-char is used to bring up the pagination menu (when which-key-use-C-h-commands is t), and this won't work if it conflicts with any keybinding within the prefix command that led to the activation of which-key.
If help-char is left set to ?\C-h things work fine because as a convention keymaps avoid binding that due to it being the default binding for help. That is just a convention, however, and things become more difficult with a heavily user-customized set of keybindings that preclude the use of ?\C-h for that purpose.
In that case, if ?\C-h cannot be used, it is much easier to find a binding for help-char that is unlikely to conflict with any bindings if it is permitted to use the full range of modifier keys.
This patch modifies which-key--next-page-hint, which is the only place that broke when I set help-char to a keyboard event that wasn't a character. Rather than doing a string comparison, help-char and prefix keys are put in vectors and equality is checked that way.
Pull requests are welcome as long as the following apply.