CharShift

CharShift allows you to independently assign symbols to shifted and unshifted positions of keymap entries. Either or both symbols can be ones that normally requires the shift modifier, and either or both symbols can be ones normally produced without it.

For example you can configure your keyboard so that a single key produces , when pressed unshifted, but ; when pressed with shift held. Or ( unshifted, and [ shifted. Or +/* — all without changing your OS keyboard layout.

Using the plugin

Using the plugin with its defaults is as simple as including the header, and enabling the plugin:

#include <Kaleidoscope.h>
#include <Kaleidoscope-CharShift.h>

KALEIDOSCOPE_INIT_PLUGINS(CharShift);

Further configuration is required, of course; see below.

Note: CharShift should be registered in KALEIDOSCOPE_INIT_PLUGINS() after any plugin that changes the event’s Key value to that of an CharShift key.

Configuring CharShift keys

To use CharShift, we must first define KeyPair objects, which can then be referenced by entries in the keymap. This is easiest to do by using the CS_KEYS() preprocessor macro in the sketch’s setup() function, as follows:

void setup() {
  Kaleidoscope.setup();
  CS_KEYS(
    kaleidoscope::plugin::CharShift::KeyPair(Key_Comma, Key_Semicolon),                   // `,`/`;`
    kaleidoscope::plugin::CharShift::KeyPair(Key_Period, LSHIFT(Key_Semicolon)),          // `.`/`:`
    kaleidoscope::plugin::CharShift::KeyPair(LSHIFT(Key_9), Key_LeftBracket),             // `(`/`[`
    kaleidoscope::plugin::CharShift::KeyPair(LSHIFT(Key_Comma), LSHIFT(Key_LeftBracket)), // `<`/`{`
  );
}

The first argument to the KeyPair() constructor is the value for when the key is pressed without shift held, the second is what you’ll get if a shift modifier is being held when the key toggles on. If that second (”upper”) value doesn’t have the shift modifier flag (i.e. LSHIFT()) applied to it, the held shift modifier will be suppressed when the key is pressed, allowing the “unshifted” symbol to be produced.

These KeyPairs can be referred to in the sketch’s keymap by using the CS() preprocessor macro, which takes an integer argument, referring to items in the CS_KEYS() array, starting with zero. With the example above, an entry of CS(2) will output ( when pressed without shift, and [ if shift is being held.

Adding CharShift keys in Chrysalis

As of this writing, CharShift keys can’t be defined in Chrysalis; they can only be defined in a custom sketch (see above). This doesn’t mean that you can’t use them in Chrysalis-defined keymaps, however. To add a CharShift key in Chrysalis, select Custom key code, and add the offset 53631 to the index number of the CharShift key.

In other words, where you would use CS(2) in a Kaleidoscope sketch, you would need to use 53633 (53631 + 2) as the custom key code in Chrysalis. Any CharShift keys referenced in this way still need to be defined in a custom Kaleidoscope sketch (see above), but they can still be used in a Chrysalis keymap.

In general, the formula for the Chrysalis custom key code corresponding to the CharShift key with index N is:

CS(N) ⟹ 53631 + N

Further reading

Starting from the example is the recommended way of getting started with the plugin.