# Two different macros on one key with shift

**URL:** <https://community.keyboard.io/t/two-different-macros-on-one-key-with-shift/6984>\
**Category:** Programming\
**Created:** [December 30, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.keyboard.io/t/two-different-macros-on-one-key-with-shift/6984 "2024-12-30T20:35:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![electronic\_eel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@electronic\_eel](https://community.keyboard.io/u/electronic_eel)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2024, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.keyboard.io/t/two-different-macros-on-one-key-with-shift/6984/1 "2024-12-30T20:35:05Z")

</div>

Hi,

I recently upgraded my Model 01s with Model 100s and just ported my customizations. Took me a bit to find out that I had to disable some plugins to prevent all modifiers to become sticky. But went smooth otherwise. Now that I’m running a current Kaleidoscope and are into the code again I’d like to add some new features to my layout.

I have one key that I only use for macros. In the past I had one macro on the regular layer for this key and another on the fn layer. Now I’d like to add one more macro, this time differentiated by shift. But I don’t want to introduce an extra “shift” layer just for this one key. So I thought I could code this in macroAction() like this:

```auto
const macro_t *macroAction(uint8_t macro_id, KeyEvent &event)
{
    switch (macro_id)
    {
        case MACRO_TEST:
            if (keyToggledOn(event.state))
            {
                // Determine if one of the shift keys is being held.
                bool shift_held = false;
                bool shift_left = false;
                for (Key key : kaleidoscope::live_keys.all())
                {
                    if (key == Key_LeftShift)
                    {
                        shift_held = true;
                        shift_left = true;
                        break;
                    }
                    if (key == Key_RightShift)
                    {
                        shift_held = true;
                        shift_left = false;
                        break;
                    }
                }

                if (shift_held)
                {
                    // shift version of the macro
                    if (shift_left)
                    {
                        return MACRO(I(20),
                            U(LeftShift), T(X), T(Y), T(Z), D(LeftShift) );
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        return MACRO(I(20),
                            U(RightShift), T(X), T(Y), T(Z), D(RightShift) );
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    // macro without shift
                    [...]
                }
            }

```

Detecting that a shift key is pressed works fine. But for my macro to work, the shift key must not be active. So I thought sending a “U(LeftShift)” would help, but it doesn’t. I still get “XYZ” printed, but I want “xyz” instead (this is just a minimized example of course).

Is there a way to accomplish this?

Would it be easier if I use for example control for this (but control must be deactivated too for my macro to work)?

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![electronic\_eel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@electronic\_eel](https://community.keyboard.io/u/electronic_eel)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2024, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.keyboard.io/t/two-different-macros-on-one-key-with-shift/6984/2 "2024-12-31T17:53:26Z")

</div>

Ok, it seems that actually pressed keys are always reported to the host, regardless of how you override them in the macro.

After a bit of fiddling with the internal data structures I found a solution for the problem by masking the key:

```auto
const macro_t *macroAction(uint8_t macro_id, KeyEvent &event)
{
    switch (macro_id)
    {
        case MACRO_TEST:
            if (keyToggledOn(event.state))
            {
                // Determine if a shift key is being held - mask it if yes
                bool shift_held = false;
                for (KeyAddr key_addr : KeyAddr::all())
                {
                    Key key = kaleidoscope::live_keys[key_addr];
                    if (key == Key_LeftShift)
                    {
                        shift_held = true;
                        kaleidoscope::live_keys.mask(key_addr);
                        // continue loop: both shift keys could be pressed
                    }
                    if (key == Key_RightShift)
                    {
                        shift_held = true;
                        kaleidoscope::live_keys.mask(key_addr);
                        // continue loop: both shift keys could be pressed
                    }
                }

                if (shift_held)
                {
                    // macro to call when shift pressed
                    return MACRO(I(5),
                        T(X), T(Y), T(Z) );
                }
                else
                {
                    // macro to call when shift not pressed
                    return MACRO(I(5),
                        T(A), T(B), T(C) );
                }
            }

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Roy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4da419/32.png) [@Roy](https://community.keyboard.io/u/Roy)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2025, 11:30am UTC](https://community.keyboard.io/t/two-different-macros-on-one-key-with-shift/6984/3 "2025-06-04T11:30:07Z")

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Great work @electronic_eel, precisely what I was looking for - huge thank you!