From 1361b67bed9ce868e0a82788f090085b923b4ce0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Ian Gulliver <git@flamingcow.io>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:55:42 -0700
Subject: [PATCH] Post real modifier key presses around typed keys in hands

---
 hands/Sources/byre-hands/Input.swift | 73 ++++++++++++++++++++--------
 1 file changed, 52 insertions(+), 21 deletions(-)

diff --git a/hands/Sources/byre-hands/Input.swift b/hands/Sources/byre-hands/Input.swift
index a86168a..589b5f8 100644
--- a/hands/Sources/byre-hands/Input.swift
+++ b/hands/Sources/byre-hands/Input.swift
@@ -12,10 +12,20 @@ let keyCodes: [String: CGKeyCode] = [
     "forwarddelete": 117, "end": 119, "pagedown": 121, "left": 123, "right": 124, "down": 125, "up": 126,
 ]
 
-let modifierFlags: [String: CGEventFlags] = [
-    "cmd": .maskCommand, "command": .maskCommand, "shift": .maskShift, "alt": .maskAlternate,
-    "opt": .maskAlternate, "option": .maskAlternate, "ctrl": .maskControl, "control": .maskControl,
-    "fn": .maskSecondaryFn,
+struct Modifier: Equatable {
+    let code: CGKeyCode
+    let flag: CGEventFlags
+}
+
+// Each left-hand key's flag also carries its device-dependent bit (NX_DEVICEL*KEYMASK), as a real keyboard's does.
+let shiftKey = Modifier(code: 56, flag: CGEventFlags(rawValue: CGEventFlags.maskShift.rawValue | 0x2))
+let commandKey = Modifier(code: 55, flag: CGEventFlags(rawValue: CGEventFlags.maskCommand.rawValue | 0x8))
+let optionKey = Modifier(code: 58, flag: CGEventFlags(rawValue: CGEventFlags.maskAlternate.rawValue | 0x20))
+let controlKey = Modifier(code: 59, flag: CGEventFlags(rawValue: CGEventFlags.maskControl.rawValue | 0x1))
+
+let modifiers: [String: Modifier] = [
+    "cmd": commandKey, "command": commandKey, "shift": shiftKey, "alt": optionKey, "opt": optionKey,
+    "option": optionKey, "ctrl": controlKey, "control": controlKey, "fn": Modifier(code: 63, flag: .maskSecondaryFn),
 ]
 
 func pause(_ ms: Int) async throws {
@@ -29,15 +39,15 @@ let shifted: [Character: String] = [
 
 let named: [Character: String] = [" ": "space", "\n": "return", "\t": "tab"]
 
-func keystroke(_ ch: Character) -> (CGKeyCode, CGEventFlags)? {
+func keystroke(_ ch: Character) -> (CGKeyCode, [Modifier])? {
     if let name = named[ch], let c = keyCodes[name] {
         return (c, [])
     }
     if let base = shifted[ch], let c = keyCodes[base] {
-        return (c, .maskShift)
+        return (c, [shiftKey])
     }
     if ch.isUppercase, let c = keyCodes[ch.lowercased()] {
-        return (c, .maskShift)
+        return (c, [shiftKey])
     }
     if let c = keyCodes[String(ch)] {
         return (c, [])
@@ -45,6 +55,30 @@ func keystroke(_ ch: Character) -> (CGKeyCode, CGEventFlags)? {
     return nil
 }
 
+func postModifier(_ m: Modifier, down: Bool, _ flags: CGEventFlags) {
+    let e = CGEvent(keyboardEventSource: nil, virtualKey: m.code, keyDown: down)
+    e?.type = .flagsChanged
+    e?.flags = flags
+    post(e)
+}
+
+func press(_ code: CGKeyCode, _ mods: [Modifier]) {
+    var flags: CGEventFlags = []
+    for m in mods {
+        flags.insert(m.flag)
+        postModifier(m, down: true, flags)
+    }
+    for down in [true, false] {
+        let e = CGEvent(keyboardEventSource: nil, virtualKey: code, keyDown: down)
+        e?.flags = flags
+        post(e)
+    }
+    for m in mods.reversed() {
+        flags.remove(m.flag)
+        postModifier(m, down: false, flags)
+    }
+}
+
 func lockInput() async throws -> Int32 {
     let fd = open(NSTemporaryDirectory() + "byre-hands-input.lock", O_CREAT | O_RDWR, 0o600)
     if fd < 0 {
@@ -132,13 +166,12 @@ func scroll(_ p: CGPoint, dx: Int32, dy: Int32) {
 
 func type(_ s: String) async throws {
     for ch in s {
+        if let (code, mods) = keystroke(ch) {
+            press(code, mods)
+            try await pause(15)
+            continue
+        }
         for down in [true, false] {
-            if let (code, flags) = keystroke(ch) {
-                let e = CGEvent(keyboardEventSource: nil, virtualKey: code, keyDown: down)
-                e?.flags = flags
-                post(e)
-                continue
-            }
             let units = Array(String(ch).utf16)
             let e = CGEvent(keyboardEventSource: nil, virtualKey: 0, keyDown: down)
             e?.keyboardSetUnicodeString(stringLength: units.count, unicodeString: units)
@@ -149,11 +182,13 @@ func type(_ s: String) async throws {
 }
 
 func key(_ combo: String) throws {
-    var flags: CGEventFlags = []
+    var mods: [Modifier] = []
     var code: CGKeyCode?
     for part in combo.lowercased().split(separator: "+").map(String.init) {
-        if let f = modifierFlags[part] {
-            flags.insert(f)
+        if let m = modifiers[part] {
+            if !mods.contains(m) {
+                mods.append(m)
+            }
             continue
         }
         guard let c = keyCodes[part] else {
@@ -164,9 +199,5 @@ func key(_ combo: String) throws {
     guard let code else {
         throw ToolError("no key in \(combo.debugDescription)")
     }
-    for down in [true, false] {
-        let e = CGEvent(keyboardEventSource: nil, virtualKey: code, keyDown: down)
-        e?.flags = flags
-        post(e)
-    }
+    press(code, mods)
 }