docs/keymap.md

   1 # Keymap Overview
   2
   3 QMK keymaps are defined inside a C source file. The data structure is an array of arrays. The outer array is a list of layer arrays while the inner layer array is a list of keys. Most keyboards define a `LAYOUT()` macro to help you create this array of arrays.
   4
   5
   6 ## Keymap and Layers :id=keymap-and-layers
   7 In QMK,  **`const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS]`** holds multiple **layers** of keymap information in **16 bit** data holding the **action code**. You can define **32 layers** at most.
   8
   9 For trivial key definitions, the higher 8 bits of the **action code** are all 0 and the lower 8 bits holds the USB HID usage code generated by the key as **keycode**.
  10
  11 Respective layers can be validated simultaneously. Layers are indexed with 0 to 31 and higher layer has precedence.
  12
  13     Keymap: 32 Layers                   Layer: action code matrix
  14     -----------------                   ---------------------
  15     stack of layers                     array_of_action_code[row][column]
  16            ____________ precedence               _______________________
  17           /           / | high                  / ESC / F1  / F2  / F3   ....
  18       31 /___________// |                      /-----/-----/-----/-----
  19       30 /___________// |                     / TAB /  Q  /  W  /  E   ....
  20       29 /___________/  |                    /-----/-----/-----/-----
  21        :   _:_:_:_:_:__ |               :   /LCtrl/  A  /  S  /  D   ....
  22        :  / : : : : : / |               :  /  :     :     :     :
  23        2 /___________// |               2 `--------------------------
  24        1 /___________// |               1 `--------------------------
  25        0 /___________/  V low           0 `--------------------------
  26
  27
  28 Sometimes, the action code stored in keymap may be referred as keycode in some documents due to the TMK history.
  29
  30 ### Keymap Layer Status :id=keymap-layer-status
  31
  32 The state of the Keymap layer is determined by two 32 bit parameters:
  33
  34 * **`default_layer_state`** indicates a base keymap layer (0-31) which is always valid and to be referred (the default layer).
  35 * **`layer_state`** has current on/off status of each layer in its bits.
  36
  37 Keymap layer '0' is usually the `default_layer`, with other layers initially off after booting up the firmware, although this can configured differently in `config.h`. It is useful to change `default_layer` when you completely switch a key layout, for example, if you want to switch to Colemak instead of Qwerty.
  38
  39     Initial state of Keymap          Change base layout
  40     -----------------------          ------------------
  41
  42       31                               31
  43       30                               30
  44       29                               29
  45        :                                :
  46        :                                :   ____________
  47        2   ____________                 2  /           /
  48        1  /           /              ,->1 /___________/
  49     ,->0 /___________/               |  0
  50     |                                |
  51     `--- default_layer = 0           `--- default_layer = 1
  52          layer_state   = 0x00000001       layer_state   = 0x00000002
  53
  54 On the other hand, you can change `layer_state` to overlay the base layer with other layers for features such as navigation keys, function keys (F1-F12), media keys, and/or special actions.
  55
  56     Overlay feature layer
  57     ---------------------      bit|status
  58            ____________        ---+------
  59       31  /           /        31 |   0
  60       30 /___________// -----> 30 |   1
  61       29 /___________/  -----> 29 |   1
  62        :                        : |   :
  63        :   ____________         : |   :
  64        2  /           /         2 |   0
  65     ,->1 /___________/  ----->  1 |   1
  66     |  0                        0 |   0
  67     |                                 +
  68     `--- default_layer = 1            |
  69          layer_state   = 0x60000002 <-'
  70
  71
  72
  73 ### Layer Precedence and Transparency
  74 Note that ***higher layer has higher priority on stack of layers***, namely firmware falls down from top layer to bottom to look up keycode. Once it spots keycode other than **`KC_TRNS`**(transparent) on a layer it stops searching and lower layers aren't referred.
  75
  76 You can place `KC_TRANS` on overlay layer changes just part of layout to fall back on lower or base layer.
  77 Key with `KC_TRANS` (`KC_TRNS` and `_______` are the alias) doesn't has its own keycode and refers to lower valid layers for keycode, instead.
  78
  79 ## Anatomy of a `keymap.c`
  80
  81 For this example we will walk through an [older version of the default Clueboard 66% keymap](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/blob/ca01d94005f67ec4fa9528353481faa622d949ae/keyboards/clueboard/keymaps/default/keymap.c). You'll find it helpful to open that file in another browser window so you can look at everything in context.
  82
  83 There are 3 main sections of a `keymap.c` file you'll want to concern yourself with:
  84
  85 * [The Definitions](#definitions)
  86 * [The Layer/Keymap Datastructure](#layers-and-keymaps)
  87 * [Custom Functions](#custom-functions), if any
  88
  89 ### Definitions
  90
  91 At the top of the file you'll find this:
  92
  93     #include QMK_KEYBOARD_H
  94
  95     // Helpful defines
  96     #define GRAVE_MODS  (MOD_BIT(KC_LSHIFT)|MOD_BIT(KC_RSHIFT)|MOD_BIT(KC_LGUI)|MOD_BIT(KC_RGUI)|MOD_BIT(KC_LALT)|MOD_BIT(KC_RALT))
  97
  98     /* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
  99      *  You can use _______ in place for KC_TRNS (transparent)   *
 100      *  Or you can use XXXXXXX for KC_NO (NOOP)                  *
 101      * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * */
 102
 103     // Each layer gets a name for readability.
 104     // The underscores don't mean anything - you can
 105     // have a layer called STUFF or any other name.
 106     // Layer names don't all need to be of the same
 107     // length, and you can also skip them entirely
 108     // and just use numbers.
 109     #define _BL 0
 110     #define _FL 1
 111     #define _CL 2
 112
 113 These are some handy definitions we can use when building our keymap and our custom function. The `GRAVE_MODS` definition will be used later in our custom function, and the following `_BL`, `_FL`, and `_CL` defines make it easier to refer to each of our layers.
 114
 115 Note: You may also find some older keymap files may also have a define(s) for `_______` and/or `XXXXXXX`. These can be used in place for `KC_TRNS` and `KC_NO` respectively, making it easier to see what keys a layer is overriding. These definitions are now unecessary, as they are included by default.
 116
 117 ### Layers and Keymaps
 118
 119 The main part of this file is the `keymaps[]` definition. This is where you list your layers and the contents of those layers. This part of the file begins with this definition:
 120
 121     const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {
 122
 123 After this you'll find a list of LAYOUT() macros. A LAYOUT() is simply a list of keys to define a single layer. Typically you'll have one or more "base layers" (such as QWERTY, Dvorak, or Colemak) and then you'll layer on top of that one or more "function" layers. Due to the way layers are processed you can't overlay a "lower" layer on top of a "higher" layer.
 124
 125 `keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS]` in QMK holds the 16 bit action code (sometimes referred as the quantum keycode) in it.  For the keycode representing typical keys, its high byte is 0 and its low byte is the USB HID usage ID for keyboard.
 126
 127 > TMK from which QMK was forked uses `const uint8_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS]` instead and holds the 8 bit keycode.  Some keycode values are reserved to induce execution of certain action codes via the `fn_actions[]` array.
 128
 129 #### Base Layer
 130
 131 Here is an example of the Clueboard's base layer:
 132
 133       /* Keymap _BL: Base Layer (Default Layer)
 134        */
 135     [_BL] = LAYOUT(
 136       F(0),    KC_1,    KC_2,   KC_3,   KC_4,   KC_5,   KC_6,   KC_7,   KC_8,   KC_9,    KC_0,     KC_MINS,  KC_EQL,   KC_GRV,  KC_BSPC,          KC_PGUP, \
 137       KC_TAB,  KC_Q,    KC_W,   KC_E,   KC_R,   KC_T,   KC_Y,   KC_U,   KC_I,   KC_O,    KC_P,     KC_LBRC,  KC_RBRC,  KC_BSLS,                   KC_PGDN, \
 138       KC_CAPS, KC_A,    KC_S,   KC_D,   KC_F,   KC_G,   KC_H,   KC_J,   KC_K,   KC_L,    KC_SCLN,  KC_QUOT,  KC_NUHS,  KC_ENT,                             \
 139       KC_LSFT, KC_NUBS, KC_Z,   KC_X,   KC_C,   KC_V,   KC_B,   KC_N,   KC_M,   KC_COMM, KC_DOT,   KC_SLSH,  KC_RO,    KC_RSFT,          KC_UP,            \
 140       KC_LCTL, KC_LGUI, KC_LALT, KC_MHEN,          KC_SPC,KC_SPC,                        KC_HENK,  KC_RALT,  KC_RCTL,  MO(_FL), KC_LEFT, KC_DOWN, KC_RGHT),
 141
 142 Some interesting things to note about this:
 143
 144 * From a C source point of view it's only a single array, but we have embedded whitespace to more easily visualize where each key is on the physical device.
 145 * Plain keyboard scancodes are prefixed with KC_, while "special" keys are not.
 146 * The upper left key activates custom function 0 (`F(0)`)
 147 * The "Fn" key is defined with `MO(_FL)`, which moves to the `_FL` layer while that key is being held down.
 148
 149 #### Function Overlay Layer
 150
 151 Our function layer is, from a code point of view, no different from the base layer. Conceptually, however, you will build that layer as an overlay, not a replacement. For many people this distinction does not matter, but as you build more complicated layering setups it matters more and more.
 152
 153     [_FL] = LAYOUT(
 154       KC_GRV,  KC_F1,   KC_F2,  KC_F3,  KC_F4,  KC_F5,  KC_F6,  KC_F7,  KC_F8,  KC_F9,   KC_F10,   KC_F11,   KC_F12,   _______, KC_DEL,           BL_STEP, \
 155       _______, _______, _______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______,KC_PSCR,KC_SLCK, KC_PAUS,  _______,  _______,  _______,                   _______, \
 156       _______, _______, MO(_CL),_______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______, _______,  _______,  _______,  _______,                           \
 157       _______, _______, _______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______, _______,  _______,  _______,  _______,          KC_PGUP,         \
 158       _______, _______, _______, _______,        _______,_______,                        _______,  _______,  _______,  MO(_FL), KC_HOME, KC_PGDN, KC_END),
 159
 160 Some interesting things to note:
 161
 162 * We have used our `_______` definition to turn `KC_TRNS` into `_______`. This makes it easier to spot the keys that have changed on this layer.
 163 * While in this layer if you press one of the `_______` keys it will activate the key in the next lowest active layer.
 164
 165 # Nitty Gritty Details
 166
 167 This should have given you a basic overview for creating your own keymap. For more details see the following resources:
 168
 169 * [Keycodes](keycodes.md)
 170 * [Keymap FAQ](faq_keymap.md)
 171
 172 We are actively working to improve these docs. If you have suggestions for how they could be made better please [file an issue](https://github.com/qmk/qmk_firmware/issues/new)!