make_key not working; issue with lambda?

[dschil138]

when I use the code from the docs (combos page), I get an error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "code.py", line 191, in <module>
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 424, in go
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 477, in _main_loop
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 101, in _handle_matrix_report
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 151, in _on_matrix_changed
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 182, in pre_process_key
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 188, in process_key
  File "kmk/keys.py", line 474, in on_press
TypeError: function takes 0 positional arguments but 4 were given

(in this instance, I am not trying to use it in a combo yet, just assigning KC.MYKEY to a key on my keyboard)

If I do try to use it in a combo, I get a different error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "code.py", line 192, in <module>
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 424, in go
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 484, in _main_loop
  File "kmk/kmk_keyboard.py", line 255, in _process_timeouts
  File "kmk/modules/combos.py", line 153, in <lambda>
  File "kmk/modules/combos.py", line 240, in on_timeout
ValueError: object not in sequence

I attempted to look for a keymap in the repo which used make_key to see if I could use their code and try to make it work. I ended up finding the "shrek_is_love" code (lol) in the Klarank keymap. This code works, in that it will print Shrek's face to my debug console, but it won't actually type anything like an HID keyboard. I attempted to change the print statements to send_string and even simple_key_sequence, but neither worked. The keyboard functions fine, it even registers the keypresses. That key just doesn't type anything.

I also tried incorporating lambda into the shrek code, but receive the same error as before with the code from the docs (but often with different numbers - "takes 4 positional arguments and 5 were given" etc)

So, I can print stuff to the console just fine, but if I try to use it to actually output text using lambda, I get the positional arguments error.

I am not sure if this is a bug or I am simply making a mistake somehow! Any help would be appreciated.

I am using an ItsyBitsy nRF52840 Express

[xs5871]

That sounds like a configuration issue and may be best addressed in matrix/discord chat.

[dschil138]

I'm not sure I totally understand what you mean by configuration issue, could you be more specific? Like configuration in the OS?

I forgot to mention in the original post that I have made three different KMK keyboards now, with three different MCUs (ItsyBitsy, SeeedStudio nRF, and a wired board with the Pi Pico) and have had this same issue across all the boards.

[kdb424]

TLDR: bad code. Feel free to stop by to get real time support in the matrix/discord bridge. Harder to work on when we don't have real time chat.

[dschil138]

The thing is that I have now stripped almost everything out of my code and it still has the same problem. In general I find Discord servers to be really unhelpful, so before moving there, I just want to post this - if people look at this and tell me this is still something I am doing wrong in my code, I will take it to discord for further help.

Here is my entire code.py file:

print("Starting")

import board
from kb import KMKKeyboard
from kmk.keys import KC, make_key
from kmk.handlers.sequences import simple_key_sequence
from kmk.handlers.sequences import send_string
from kmk.modules.combos import Combos, Chord, Sequence

combos = Combos()

keyboard = KMKKeyboard()
keyboard.modules.append(combos)

keyboard.debug_enabled = True

make_key(
    names=('MYKEY',),
    on_press=lambda: print('I pressed MYKEY'),
)

keyboard.keymap = [
    [
        KC.MYKEY, KC.B,\
        KC.C, KC.D,\
    ],
]

if __name__ == '__main__':
    keyboard.go()

and my entire kb.py file:

import board

from kmk.kmk_keyboard import KMKKeyboard as _KMKKeyboard
from kmk.scanners import DiodeOrientation

class KMKKeyboard(_KMKKeyboard):
    row_pins = (board.GP4, board.GP5,)

    col_pins = (board.GP9, board.GP8,)

    diode_orientation = DiodeOrientation.COL2ROW

I am currently running this on a Pi Pico. Everything works except for KC.MYKEY, which gives me the positional arguments error mentioned above.

[kdb424]

Docs have been changed to reflect the problem in #578 Closing for now, but let us know if you have any more issues

[dschil138]

This fixed the "positional arguments" error for me, but it still just prints the text to the debug console, doesn't output HID text.

In general, should a print statement act like a key? Should running print('a') "type" the same as pressing KC.A? I tried substituting send_string but I get the same behavior. I also tried turning off the debug console, but still no output.

[xs5871]

print is a python builtin and "prints" to standard out, which in this case is the serial console.
Check out our sequences doc if you want macros.

[dschil138]

I've got a bunch of those, and they work great. But when you use them in conjunction with make_key, they no longer actually type the text. And since the output of a combo must be another key, you have to use make_key to get that sequence to be the output of your combo.

If I want a combo to actually type several letters, how would I do that? Specifically I want a U+Y combo to type "you". The docs seem to suggest this is possible using make_key, but from what I can tell, make_key only can output text to the console - is that the case?

Even ignoring the combo use, just replacing the print statement in make_key with send_string or simple_key_sequence also just outputs the text to the console.

I guess the base question here is: can you use make_key make a key that actually types HID output? or can it only output to the console?

[klardotsh]

It's possible something has regressed (the sequences section of KMK is practically an easter egg at this point: I wrote it in 2018-19 at some point with almost no docs (oops) and the core of KMK has been refactored a lot since then, so this is probably barely-if-at-all tested), but in general, send_string is what you want. It creates a key object which can be put into a keymap directly, or into TapDance sequences:

kmk_firmware/user_keymaps/klardotsh/klarank_featherm4.py

Lines 51 to 56 in fdb07dd

	HELLA_TD = KC.TD(
	KC.A,
	KC.B,
	send_string('macros in a tap dance? I think yes'),
	KC.TG(1),
	)

kmk_firmware/user_keymaps/klardotsh/klarank_featherm4.py

Line 118 in fdb07dd

KC.LCTL, KC.DBG, HELLA_TD, xxxxxxx, _______, _______, xxxxxxx, xxxxxxx, KC.MUTE, KC.VOLD, KC.VOLU, xxxxxxx,

[klardotsh]

Impl of send_string if it helps you (see that it calls a fn that then in turn calls make_key for you. this whole file could do with #205)

kmk_firmware/kmk/handlers/sequences.py

Lines 33 to 52 in fdb07dd

	def simple_key_sequence(seq):
	return make_key(
	meta=KeySequenceMeta(seq),
	on_press=sequence_press_handler,
	on_release=passthrough,
	)
	def send_string(message):
	seq = []
	for char in message:
	kc = getattr(KC, char.upper())
	if char.isupper():
	kc = KC.LSHIFT(kc)
	seq.append(kc)
	return simple_key_sequence(seq)