Macros

Development reference · View source

Macros live in the Space m namespace.

Key	Action
`Space m m`	Start recording the default macro, or stop the recording
`Space m M` then a register	Start recording a macro under that register
`Space m r`	Replay the default macro; accepts a count
`Space m R` then a register	Replay that macro; accepts a count
`Space m l`	List every recorded macro; Enter replays the selected one

Recording:

Space m m starts recording and the same keys stop it. The stopping keys are not recorded.
Space m m records into the default macro, register @. Space m M asks for a register first; any printable key names one.
Only one recording runs at a time. Starting a second is refused rather than replacing the first.
A recording captures raw input in arrival order and replays it through the same dispatch, so a replay does exactly what the typing did.

Example: add a semicolon to the end of several lines.

Space m m — start recording.
A ; Escape j — append ;, return to Normal, move down.
Space m m — stop.
Space m r — replay on the next line. It accepts a count.

Replaying:

Replay runs between frames, not by holding the input loop.
Escape or Ctrl-c cancels the remaining work. Inputs already run are kept, because a macro may have done things that cannot be rolled back.
While work remains, the interaction line shows progress and the cancel keys.

Safety limits (reaching any of them stops the whole replay):

Direct and mutual recursion are refused, naming the register chain.
Distinct macro calls may nest up to 16 levels.
One top-level replay has a 10,000-unit budget shared by raw key events, characters of literal text, counted repetitions, and nested macros. Counted commands expand between frames.
Range operations whose exact meaning cannot be split are limited to 128 repetitions in one recorded input, and refused before taking effect when larger.