Conditional Bindkey Function

You can read the current bindkey assignment with hiGetBindKey and set/change it with hiSetBindKey, this can also be done inside procedures, which should sufficiently cover your wish for conditionals,

So in your example you could inside a() set the bindkey 'b' to execute b(), so this 'b'-key binding is only available after pressing 'a'-key; and remove the bindkey iwith another function that is called when 'q' is pressed, etc.pp.

Or set a and b bindkey unconditionally and have a global variable (questionable style) that is set to 'a is activated' inside the a() function, and inside b()  is checked if the variable contains what is expected and continues, or bails out.

But your wording is IMHO inconsistent, so I might have misunderstood, e.g. while I think that 'to activate a function' just means to call it, I've struggled with 'to deactivate a function'; I boldly assumed it means that further calling of the function is prevented; which here could be done e.g. by removing the bindkey assignment.

Anyway, as note from a bystander; your scheme sounds awfully complicated:

The user not only has to remember multiple bindkeys, he also has to remember the order (first 'a' then 'b', then 'q' to quit, etc.) and has also to follow the state changes, e.g. was a() called or not, was b() called or not, etc. This gets even more complicated with error handling, e.g. what if a() fails, does enabling the 'b'-key make even sense, or is the whole thing aborted; how is the user informed that a/b/c/... is 'activated' or 'deactivated'.

However, as you already plan a form, it may be much easier to just open the form directly on a single bindkey or a menu, and the form could then contain e.g. buttons to execute a(), b(), etc. The conditionals could than enable the b-button only when the a-button is clicked and succeed, and so on. So the user can directly see the current state and the next possible steps. Just as rough idea.

Also I guess you have a wrong understanding of the mechanism regarding 'the form xyz() that's bound to the <key> F3'.
Forms are not bound to F3, forms (more specifically 'option forms') can be specified on enter functions, than the F3 will toggle the mapping of this option form when inside this enter function. I'd recommend to have a look into the documentation, keywords 'User Entry Functions', 'hiCreateOptionsForm', and 'hiToggleEnterForm'.

Regards,

I agree that it sounds awfully complicated.

There is a new mechanism coming in IC25.1 called "dynamic bindkeys" which allow you to define a set of bindkeys that are only applicable whilst another command (generally an enter function) is active. This means that commands (e.g. Quick Align) can define special bindkeys that make sense when that command is active, and the same keys can be used during a "Move" to do something else (for example). It has more granularity than the simple normal/enterfunction bindkey mechanism we have right now.

I'm not sure it's quite what's needed to implement your complex approach, but I think it offers a reasonable use model, so maybe that would allow you to achieve what you want (if you can wait another couple of months).

Andrew