Steno Tape

This repo contains libraries and helper code that I use to customise my stenography tape log output.

Setup

Clone repository

In your terminal program, use Git to clone the repository from its home on GitHub:

git clone git@github.com:paulfioravanti/steno_tape.git
cd steno_tape

Sections

The repo consists of the following parts:

Custom Tape Entries

The steno_tape C library is concerned with outputting custom entries into a Tapey Tape steno tape file that would not be output normally with Plover (or any other stenographic theory).

I use it heavily when playing Steno Doom in order to output things like keyboard mode changes (steno/gaming modes) to the tape, even though they're not steno strokes. Doing this requires HIDAPI to talk to keyboards, and so this library gets used in my HID host.

Install

The Makefile takes care of compiling and installing the library to enable its usage in other programs:

make install

NOTE: I've tested this for macOS only, so some code changes may be needed for other operating systems.

Usage

In your C code header file, add the following:

#include <steno_tape.h>

Custom Tape Entry Client

This is just a small client that uses the steno_tape library to turn integer parameters into custom tape entries. I currently use this with Alfred workflows, where I want to output chords done in QWERTY mode (aka combos) to the tape.

Usage

The client can be used as follows:

Build

cd clients
./build.sh

Run

./steno_tape_client <COMMAND_INTEGER>

Currently, the following commands are supported:

SWITCH_TO_STENO_MODE:  0
SWITCH_TO_GAMING_MODE: 1
DASH_FORWARD:          2
DASH_BACKWARD:         3
DASH_LEFT:             4
DASH_RIGHT:            5

"Dashing" is related to Steno Doom.

So, for switching to steno mode, the command would be:

./steno_tape_client 0

This is how I run the program from an Alfred workflow:

You can see examples of the complex key combos in the Alfred workflow (eg ^⌥⇧⌘S) being called in my Georgi firmware code like so:

SEND_STRING(
  SS_DOWN(X_LCTRL) SS_DOWN(X_LALT) SS_DOWN(X_LSHIFT) SS_DOWN(X_LGUI)
  SS_TAP(X_S)
  SS_UP(X_LCTRL) SS_UP(X_LALT) SS_UP(X_LSHIFT) SS_UP(X_LGUI)
);

Tape Filter Script

The Problem

In my steno dictionaries, I use a lot of commands that use the COMMAND:SHELL: syntax from the Plover Run Shell plugin, wrapped in a bash -ci '...' command (for reasons). Those entries can have quite long values like:

"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/actions/load.scpt'}"
"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/actions/refresh.scpt'}{^^}"
"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/application/activate-application.scpt Firefox'}"
"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/application/activate-application.scpt \"Google Chrome\"'}"
"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/application/use-web-application.scpt \"https://www.youtube.com\"'}"
"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/actions/output-env-var.scpt EMAIL'}"
"{:COMMAND:SHELL:bash -ci 'osascript $STENO_DICTIONARIES/src/command/application/focus-application.scpt Plover'}{:COMMAND:LOOKUP}"

Tapey Tape outputting these values as-is to the log is absolutely fine from a functionality standpoint. However, when I'm in the situation of having limited horizontal room in the terminal that's showing the tape, I find I'd rather remove some of the cruft and have the above entries outputting like the following so they can fit on a single line:

"{:COMMAND: load.scpt}"
"{:COMMAND: refresh.scpt}{^^}"
"{:COMMAND: activate-application.scpt Firefox}"
"{:COMMAND: activate-application.scpt "Google Chrome"}"
"{:COMMAND: use-web-application.scpt "https://www.youtube.com"}"
"{:COMMAND: output-env-var.scpt EMAIL}"
"{:COMMAND: focus-application.scpt Plover}{:COMMAND:LOOKUP}"

The run-tape-feed.sh script aims to perform this filtering.

Usage

The shell script can be run as follows:

./bin/run-tape-feed.sh

However, I personally run it from an iTerm2 profile that can be created via a hotkey combo so I can call up a dedicated Tapey Tape terminal window whenever I want one:

Steno Tape Custom Entries Architecture

---
title: Steno Tape Custom Entries
---
flowchart BT
  FirmwareRawHID["Raw HID"]
  FirmwareProcessRecordUser["Process Record User"]
  HIDHost["HID Host"]
  HIDHostClient["HID Host Client"]
  StenoTapeLibrary["Steno Tape Library"]
  StenoTapeClient["Steno Tape Client"]
  StenoTapeCustomEntriesWorkflow["Steno Tape Custom Entries Workflow"]
  StreamDeck["Stream Deck"]
  StreamDeckPedal[/"STREAM DECK PEDAL"\]
  TapeyTape[Tapey Tape]
  TapeLogFile["Tape Log\n(tapey_tape.txt)"]
  TapeFilterScript["Tape Filter Script"]

  classDef current fill:#ffb3b3, stroke:#333, stroke-width:4px, color:black

  subgraph Computer["COMPUTER"]
    subgraph Alfred["Alfred"]
      StenoTapeCustomEntriesWorkflow
    end

    subgraph Elgato["Elgato"]
      StreamDeck
    end

    subgraph HIDHosts["HID Hosts"]
      HIDHost
      HIDHostClient -- "`./hid_host`" --> HIDHost
    end

    subgraph Plover["Plover"]
      subgraph Plugins
        TapeLogFile
        TapeyTape -- outputs to --> TapeLogFile
      end
    end

    subgraph StenoTape["Steno Tape"]
      StenoTapeLibrary:::current
      StenoTapeClient:::current -- "calls API" --> StenoTapeLibrary
      TapeFilterScript:::current
    end
    class StenoTape current

    Terminal(Terminal)
  end

  subgraph Keyboard["KEYBOARD"]
    subgraph QMKFirmware["QMK Firmware"]
      FirmwareProcessRecordUser
      FirmwareRawHID
    end
  end

  Terminal -- "`./run-tape-feed.sh --filter`" --> TapeFilterScript
  TapeFilterScript -- filters --> TapeLogFile
  StenoTapeLibrary -- outputs to --> TapeLogFile
  StenoTapeCustomEntriesWorkflow -- "`./steno_tape_client`" --> StenoTapeClient
  FirmwareProcessRecordUser -- "SEND_STRING(...)" --> StenoTapeCustomEntriesWorkflow
  HIDHost -- "calls API" --> StenoTapeLibrary
  FirmwareRawHID -. "hid_read/\nraw_hid_send" .-> HIDHost
  HIDHost -- "hid_write/\nraw_hid_receive" --> FirmwareRawHID
  StreamDeck -- "`./hid_host_client.sh`" --> HIDHostClient
  StreamDeckPedal -- connects --> StreamDeck

  click Dictionaries href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/steno-dictionaries" "Steno Dictionaries" _blank
  click FirmwareRawHID href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/qmk_keymaps/blob/master/keyboards/gboards/georgi/keymaps/paulfioravanti/user/hid.c" "Georgi HID" _blank
  click FirmwareProcessRecordUser href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/qmk_keymaps/blob/master/keyboards/gboards/georgi/keymaps/paulfioravanti/user/process_record_user.c" "Georgi Process Record User" _blank
  click HIDHost href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/hid_hosts/blob/main/hid_host.c" "HID Host" _blank
  click HIDHostClient href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/hid_hosts/blob/main/hid_host_client.sh" "HID Host Client" _blank
  click StenoTapeClient href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/steno_tape/blob/main/clients/steno_tape_client.c" "Steno Tape Client" _blank
  click StenoTapeCustomEntriesWorkflow href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/dotfiles/tree/master/macos/alfred" "Steno Tape Custom Entries Workflow" _blank
  click StenoTapeLibrary href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/steno_tape/blob/main/src/steno_tape.c" "Steno Tape" _blank
  click StreamDeck href "https://www.elgato.com/us/en/s/welcome-to-stream-deck" "Stream Deck" _blank
  click StreamDeckPedal href "https://www.elgato.com/us/en/p/stream-deck-pedal" "Stream Deck Pedal" _blank
  click TapeyTape href "https://github.com/rabbitgrowth/plover-tapey-tape" "Tapey Tape" _blank
  click TapeFilterScript href "https://github.com/paulfioravanti/steno_tape/blob/main/bin/run-tape-feed.sh" "Tape Filter Script" _blank

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