hydra VS key-chord

You can also use Hydra for Emacs.[1] Once I discovered how to configure Hydra, I made it a habit to make one for every new major mode I need to use.

[1] https://github.com/abo-abo/hydra

Have you considered a hydra?

An Emacs specific example: I'm working on a few go projects at the moment and go requires recompilation after changes. Step one was finding auto-recompilers for my projects (I'm using both air and reflex in various projects). Step two was realizing that I spent a lot of time switching to the buffer where the output is printed, so I wrote a little hydra menu to make that easier. Then I found myself having to restart those processes each time I restarted Emacs, so I went digging and found detached to manage the processes. Then I got tired of having to hunt for where the detached output was displayed in my frame so dug into sidebars to manage the windows more effectively.

I think the goal of the hydra package is to provide such functionality.

I would I also encourage anyone who does not want to use modal editing to look into repeat-mode, hydras, and key-chord.

The C-c prefix is designed for you, the user, to use for your nefarious deeds. Some things that may help with both binding and knowing what key does what would be a menu such as hydras or transient menus (which apparently are part of Emacs now so that's new).

For the very same reason, I started to use hydras: https://github.com/abo-abo/hydra - see my config at https://github.com/novoid/dot-emacs/blob/master/config.org

Hydra lets you define mini-modes with limited scope.

general.el also works well with hydra.el. Here's my hydra for window operations - it activates when I press ,w:

Alternatively, you could try a hydra. I also bound god-mode-all to a key-chord, which makes it easier to go between god-mode and insert mode, but wouldn't make it automatic.

I would I also encourage anyone who does not want to use modal editing to look into repeat-mode, hydras, and key-chord.

Key chords are another great way of bonding commonly used commands

To implement, you can use the key-chord package.

Using key chords (untested though)

However, the key-chord package comes sort of close. It lets you bind a command to 2 keys that you press at the same time.

Using emacs since about 1995. I use many suggestions found on this thread. One less well known one I like a lot is key chord mode. https://github.com/emacsorphanage/key-chord. I use it primarily for window navigation/management but may try it for other things. Also ace-jump is very handy. And smudge if you listen to Spotify.

You might be interested in https://github.com/emacsorphanage/key-chord

I think this might be able to emulate the results purely from Emacs, although that comes at the downside of needing to define a H- chord for every binding you want. That library also wouldn't support something like "C-M-H-S-a" at the moment.

Not directly what you asked but one thing i use a lot is the keychord : press two keys simultaneously like as, sd, df, etc.