[GH-ISSUE #227] Show also when just hitting a modifier key alone (with no additional character key) #190

New issue

Open

opened 2026-05-05 05:05:04 -06:00 by gitea-mirror · 4 comments

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 05:05:04 -06:00

Owner

Originally created by @jmuheim on GitHub (Feb 16, 2022).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr/issues/227

Thank you for the awesome work with KeyCastr! ♥️ I love it for demonstration purposes of a screen reader called NVDA. I run it inside a Windows virtual machine (VMware Fusion).

NVDA has some really quirky special keyboard combos. For example, by hitting Control alone, I stop NVDA while announcing something (through the audio channel). Or by hitting Shift alone, I skip the current announcement and let NVDA announce the next one (if there is one).

Sadly, KeyCastr seems to display only "real" keyboard combos like Ctrl + A or Shift + 1, but not a modifier key alone. Wouldn't it make sense to do that? The logic would be something like: if a modifier's keyUp event is fired, and there has no "real" keyboard combo been pressed since its keyDown, just show the modifier key.

Originally created by @jmuheim on GitHub (Feb 16, 2022). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr/issues/227 Thank you for the awesome work with KeyCastr! ♥️ I love it for demonstration purposes of a screen reader called NVDA. I run it inside a Windows virtual machine (VMware Fusion). NVDA has some really quirky special keyboard combos. For example, by hitting `Control` alone, I stop NVDA while announcing something (through the audio channel). Or by hitting `Shift` alone, I skip the current announcement and let NVDA announce the next one (if there is one). Sadly, KeyCastr seems to display only "real" keyboard combos like `Ctrl + A` or `Shift + 1`, but not a modifier key alone. Wouldn't it make sense to do that? The logic would be something like: if a modifier's `keyUp` event is fired, and there has no "real" keyboard combo been pressed since its `keyDown`, just show the modifier key.

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 05:05:08 -06:00

Author

Owner

@akitchen commented on GitHub (Feb 26, 2022):

Hey, @jmuheim thanks for opening an issue about this.

Yes, I agree something like this should be supported via a user-facing configuration and/or a new visualizer mode entirely, since there are so many use cases for needing to visualize keystrokes. Indeed, the two currently open PR's have to do with this use case.

I struggle with what to call this as an additive configuration option though... something like "Include all modifiers" Y/N

What do you think?

@akitchen commented on GitHub (Feb 26, 2022): Hey, @jmuheim thanks for opening an issue about this. Yes, I agree something like this should be supported via a user-facing configuration and/or a new visualizer mode entirely, since there are so many use cases for needing to visualize keystrokes. Indeed, the two currently open PR's have to do with this use case. I struggle with what to call this as an additive configuration option though... something like "Include all modifiers" Y/N What do you think?

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 05:05:11 -06:00

Author

Owner

@jmuheim commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2022):

Thanks for your response, @akitchen. I would call it "Show modifier-only keystrokes", which would include a single Ctrl as well as a combination like Cmd-Shift: as soon as all keyUp events are fired and only modifier keys were pressed, display them!

@jmuheim commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2022): Thanks for your response, @akitchen. I would call it "Show modifier-only keystrokes", which would include a single `Ctrl` as well as a combination like `Cmd-Shift`: as soon as all `keyUp` events are fired and only modifier keys were pressed, display them!

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 05:05:13 -06:00

Author

Owner

@setanarut commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2022):

doesn't work
ctrl
ctrl + mouse drag

I uninstall the app with frustration.

@setanarut commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2022): doesn't work `ctrl` `ctrl + mouse drag` I uninstall the app with frustration.

gitea-mirror commented

2026-05-05 05:05:15 -06:00

Author

Owner

@porg commented on GitHub (May 20, 2022):

I took the expressed user need here and integrated it into a concrete user experience design proposal.

@porg commented on GitHub (May 20, 2022): I took the expressed user need here and integrated it into a concrete [user experience design proposal](https://github.com/keycastr/keycastr/issues/155#issuecomment-1132653281).