Why can't I bind to the "q"?

[agzam]

I have this prefix - nothing out of ordinary, I just wanted to have a key that binds to q, but not directly (q - is reserved for exiting the transient), but rather through a prefix, imagine something like this:

(transient-define-prefix my-transient ()
  "Stupid example"
  [[("C-c q" "foo"
  (lambda () (interactive) (print "foo")))]])

So, why can't I have it like that? Why can I bind it to e.g., C-c a or even C-c Q, but it doesn't work when q is involved? C-c C-q doesn't seem to work either. What's going on?

[agzam]

OMG, I'm such a fool. Turns out I have put these in my config at some point:

(:map transient-edit-map "q" #'transient-quit-one)
(:map transient-sticky-map "q" #'transient-quit-seq)

[tarsius]

(q - is reserved for exiting the transient)

q is not reserved for exiting the transient by default. In fact I think that it is important that q is available without restrictions for use in individual transients, just like all the other a...z are.

Maybe you once disagreed with that and made use of transient-bind-q-to-quit, and have since forgotten about that. See https://magit.vc/manual/transient/FAQ.html#Why-does-q-not-quit-popups-anymore_003f-1.

Or, as a second reading of your question suggests, you still want to use q (instead of the default C-g) to exit the menu, but want to be able to use q anywhere in a key sequence, except at as the first event.

This is not possible, because Transient binds some key (by default C-g, but you have chosen q) to a command that "exits the innermost 'incomplete key sequence' of any kind". That can be the inner most transient menu, but when you have entered an incomplete key sequence, then that's the inner most thing that can be exited.

C-g/q is not bound in just one place. It is (dynamically) bound in every keymap that one might want to abort from, while a transient menu is active, including each and every incomplete prefix key sequence. That key cannot be used for anything else while using a transient menu.

It is useful that the same key can be used at any level, because then it is possible to keep typing the same key, to keep moving up one level at a time. And because C-g is generally used for that sort of thing in Emacs, it makes sense to use that here as well.

IMO the only reason why one might want to use q instead, is being used that, because that is what was used in magit-popup.

... You just posted a follow up ... well I spend some time on this reply ... so I'll post it anyway. Might help someone else.

[agzam]

I spend some time on this reply

I am sincerely sorry for wasting your time. I'm still glad I was able to figure it out - this weirdness been haunting me for a while.

[tarsius]

Wasn't meant as a criticism, but to justify why I am posting outdated information. Well, maybe a little.

So, since we are (tongue in cheek) on the subject of "things you have done wrong": There are two text fields "Write a reply" and "Add your answer here...". You used the wrong one. 😁 (Like > 50% of people. It really is Github's fault for not making this more obvious.)