How to change a layer-while-held layer afterwards without releasing the while-held key!

[gerhard-h]

Consider you have a convieniently reachable key mapped to (layer-while-held symbols)
but somtimes you'd prefer it to be another layer like (layer-while-held numbers).
There are ways in kanata to do this beforehand like fork chord tap-dance, but I want

1. to change the layer, after I already pressed the layer key.
2. the layer should also be released, by releasing the very same layer key.

The easy but not obvious way to do it is:

• Replace (layer-while-held symbols) with (multi (layer-while-held numbers) (layer-while-held symbols))
  (still activates symbols layer)
• now put a key with (release-layer symbols) on the symbols layer and you end up in numbers layer

done :)

[ADIX7]

Exactly what I was looking for! Although a replace-layer-while-held action would be nice, as this one does not "scale", so adding an another layer means you have to add an other release for every other case... If I understand it correctly.

[gerhard-h]

you can use a virtual-keys for each layer. the 'while-held key' will then on-release release all layers.
that should solve:

• scaling more layers
• reentering a layer

[Masca1919]

Thanks ! That was not obvious indeed, at least not to me.
I also tried the second solution you pointed to, using fake keys, because I would like to cycle through the layers rather than only "step down" to the next layer. However, my "while-held" key is a tap-hold key, and I found the fake keys introduced a noticeable delay in the hold action. Maybe there is a way around this ?

[gerhard-h]

You are right the .bug versions below will wait the full 200ms before activating the layer. @jtroo is this a bug?

(defvirtualkeys capsswitch (layer-while-held CAPS))
(defalias
.bug1  (tap-hold-press 1 200  a  (multi  (on-press press-vkey  capsswitch) (on-release release-vkey  capsswitch) ))
.bug2  (tap-hold       1 200  a  (multi  (on-press press-vkey  capsswitch) (on-release release-vkey  capsswitch) ))
.good  (tap-hold       1 200  a  (layer-while-held  CAPS) ) )

@Masca1919 (tap-hold 1 200 a (multi (layer-while-held CAPS) (on-release release-vkey capsswitch)) ) behaves fine, maybe you can exploit that for your usecase.

[Masca1919]

Hey, thanks for the quick response ! I experimented a bit around the problem, and here is the solution I came up with, since using "on-release release-vkey" for the holding key resulted in getting stuck in one of the layers held.

Here is the holding key, keeping your example:

sym (tap-hold-press 1 200 a (multi (layer-while-held CAPS) (layer-while-held NUMS) (on-release tap-vkey baseswitch)))

I cycle with :

toNUMS (multi (on-press-fakekey numswitch tap) (release-layer CAPS))
toCAPS (multi (on-press-fakekey capsswitch tap) (release-layer NUMS))