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authorstein3 <stein3@gmail.com>2020-10-06 07:15:41 -0700
committerstein3 <stein3@gmail.com>2020-10-06 07:15:41 -0700
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+A keymap for 34 keys with 4 layers and no mod-tap.
+
+![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/callum-oakley/keymap/master/keymap.svg)
+
+## Details
+
+- Hold `sym` to activate the symbols layer.
+- Hold `nav` to activate the navigation layer.
+- Hold `sym` and `nav` together to activate the numbers layer.
+- The home row modifiers are oneshot so that it's possible to modify the
+ keys on the base layer, where there are no dedicated modifiers.
+- `swap win` sends `cmd-tab` for changing focus in macOS but holds `cmd`
+ between consecutive presses.
+- `swap lang` behaves similarly but sends `ctrl-space`, for changing input
+ language in macOS.
+
+## Oneshot modifiers
+
+The home row modifiers can either be held and used as normal, or if no other
+keys are pressed while a modifier is down, the modifier will be queued and
+applied to the next non-modifier keypress. For example to type `shift-cmd-t`,
+type `sym-o-n` (or `nav-a-t`), release, then hit `t`.
+
+You can and should hit chords as fast as you like because there are no timers
+involved.
+
+Cancel unused modifiers by tapping `nav` or `sym`.
+
+### Userspace oneshot implementation
+
+For my usage patterns I was hitting stuck modifiers frequently with [`OSM`][]
+(maybe related to [#3963][]?). I'd like to try to help fix this in QMK proper,
+but implementing oneshot mods in userspace first was:
+
+1. Fun.
+2. A good exploration of how I think oneshot mods should work without timers.
+
+So in the meantime, this [userspace oneshot implementation][] is working well
+for me.
+
+## Swapper
+
+`swap win` sends `cmd-tab`, but holds `cmd` between consecutive keypresses.
+`cmd` is released when some other key is hit or released. For example
+
+ nav down, swap win, swap win, nav up -> cmd down, tab, tab, cmd up
+ nav down, swap win, enter -> cmd down, tab, cmd up, enter
+
+`swap lang` sends `ctrl-space` to swap input languages in macOS and behaves
+similarly.
+
+[Swapper implementation.][]
+
+## Why no mod-tap?
+
+[Mod-tap][] seems to be by far the most popular tool among users of tiny
+keyboards to answer the question of where to put the modifiers, and in the
+right hands it can clearly work brilliantly, but I've always found myself error
+prone and inconsistent with it.
+
+With dedicated modifiers, there are three ways one might type `ctrl-c`:
+
+ ctrl down, ctrl up, c down, c up
+ ctrl down, c down, ctrl up, c up
+ ctrl down, c down, c up, ctrl up
+
+Basically, you never have to worry about the keyups, as long as the keydowns
+occur in the correct order. Similarly, there are three ways one might type
+`ac`:
+
+ a down, a up, c down, c up
+ a down, c down, a up, c up
+ a down, c down, c up, a up
+
+Replace `a` with `ctrl` and this is exactly what we had before! So if we want
+to put `a` and `ctrl` on the same key we have a problem, because without
+considering timing these sequences become ambiguous. So let's consider timing.
+
+The solution to the ambiguity that QMK employs is to configure the
+`TAPPING_TERM` and consider a key held rather than tapped if it is held for
+long enough. My problem with this is that it forces you to slow down to use
+modifiers. By its very nature the tapping term must be longer than the longest
+you would ever hold a key while typing on the slowest laziest Sunday afternoon.
+I'm not typing at 100% speed at all times, but when I am, having to think about
+timing and consciously slow down for certain actions never fails to trip me up.
+
+So alas, mod-tap is not for me -- but if it works for you, more power to you.
+:)
+
+* * *
+
+[My github][]
+
+[`OSM`]: /docs/one_shot_keys.md
+[#3963]: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/issues/3963
+[userspace oneshot implementation]: oneshot.c
+[swapper implementation.]: swapper.c
+[Mod-tap]: https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/master/docs/mod_tap.md
+[My github]: https://github.com/callum-oakley