# How to implement NormalKey hook **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [March 7, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/how-to-implement-normalkey-hook/1618 "2021-03-07T14:36:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/dmerejkowsky/32/696_2.png) [@dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/dmerejkowsky)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/how-to-implement-normalkey-hook/1618/1 "2021-03-07T14:36:08Z")
So, I’m trying to fix [Add more key bindings to the `*spelling*` buffer · Issue #11 · dmerejkowsky/kak-spell · GitHub](https://github.com/dmerejkowsky/kak-spell/issues/11) Here’s what I’ve got so far: First, the `kak-spell` script generates a `*spelling*` scratch buffer containing one selection per line, like this: ```auto 1.3,1.5 kak 3.1,3.9 PyEnchant ``` Then it calls the following commands: ```auto hook buffer -group kak-spell NormalKey kak-spell-jump hook buffer -group kak-spell NormalKey a 'kak-spell-add-from-spelling-buffer en_US' ``` The idea is that can you press ‘enter’ while in the `*spelling*` buffer to jump to the error, and ‘a’ to add the word from the line into the personal dictionary. The kak-spell-jump command works fine: ```auto define-command kak-spell-jump -hidden %{ execute-keys ' :edit -existing *spelling* gi :set-option global kak_spell_current_error %val{selection} ga :select %opt{kak_spell_current_error} ' } ``` But I did not manage to make `kak-spell-add-from-spelling-buffer` work. I tried this: ```auto define-command -hidden kak-spell-add-from-spelling-buffer -params 1 %{ execute-keys ' gi l Gl ' nop %sh{ kak-spell --lang $1 add $kak_selection } ``` But the problem is that the `a` command still gets executed, and I end up with this: ```auto 1 .3,1.5 kak 3.1,3.9 PyEnchant ``` which breaks everything else because the buffer is no longer formatted properly. I’ve tried using `-draft` with `-save-reg` but to no avail. What am I doing wrong ? ---
**Author:** ![dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/dmerejkowsky/32/696_2.png) [@dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/dmerejkowsky)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2021, 2:46pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/how-to-implement-normalkey-hook/1618/2 "2021-03-07T14:46:19Z")
_Update_: I’ve also tried using `-draft` ```auto define-command -hidden kak-spell-add-from-spelling-buffer -params 1 %{ execute-keys -draft ' gi l Gl :set-option global kak_spell_word_to_add %val{selection} ' nop %sh{ kak-spell --lang $1 add $kak_opt_kak_spell_word_to_add } execute-keys ' ga :kak-spell :kak-spell-list ' } ``` But for some reason I end up adding several words instead of just the one from the line under the cursor … ---
**Author:** ![dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/dmerejkowsky/32/696_2.png) [@dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/dmerejkowsky)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 11:21am UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/how-to-implement-normalkey-hook/1618/3 "2021-03-09T11:21:01Z")
_Update_: I got the answer by looking at `plug.kak` implementation. Things that helped: One, using `` instead of ``. That way I don’t need to “undo” what pressing “a” does. Two, using this pattern: ```auto evaluate-commands -save-regs t %{ execute-keys -save-regs '' "gi l Gl" set-register t %val{selection} evaluate-commands %sh{ word="${kak_reg_t%:*}" # Now we are ready to add $word with for lang $1" } } ``` The trick is we need to keep the `$1` param of the command, execute some keys to select the word from the line, and access the selection from the `execute-keys` call. Note that this destroys whatever was on the `t` register. Please tell me if you see a better way to do this. ---
**Author:** ![prion](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/prion/32/404_2.png) [@prion](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/prion)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 9:27pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/how-to-implement-normalkey-hook/1618/4 "2021-03-09T21:27:55Z")
It seems like you’ve already figured some of this out yourself but I’m just going to go through point by point. First the `execute-keys` command takes a list of strings and execute all keys in them. Commonly you might see something like. `execute-keys x s ^.* ` this is a list of space seperated strings. Comparatively, `execute-keys " x s ^.* "` is a single string where the whitespace is interpreted as the space key, or ``. The idiomatic way to write your `kak-spell-jump` is ```auto define-command kak-spell-jump -hidden %{ edit -existing *spelling* execute-keys gi set-option global kak_spell_current_error %val{selection} execute-keys ga select %opt{kak_spell_current_error} } ``` where commands are written as statements rather than as key presses with `:` and ``. As you figured out when your hook executes after the `a` key you’re in insert mode and the exec keys inserts all those spaces in your strings into the buffer as if you typed them. I believe your `-save-regs` is unnecessary in that command. You can simply go. ```auto exec gi l Gl eval %sh{ word="$kak_val_selection" #... } ``` One more point. Normally when you execute a command in kakscript you want to write it as `: edit ... ` or `s abc` with the space between a key that creates a prompt (`:` or `s`). Doing this means the prompt entry is not added to the history to pollute it. ---
**Author:** ![dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/user_avatar/discuss.kakoune.com/dmerejkowsky/32/696_2.png) [@dmerejkowsky](https://discuss.kakoune.com/u/dmerejkowsky)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://discuss.kakoune.com/t/how-to-implement-normalkey-hook/1618/5 "2021-03-09T21:50:53Z")
Wow. This was really useful feedback! The thing is, this kind of advice is really hard to find - maybe we should write a 'kak script best practices" somewhere … Anyway, thanks a bunch!