[Docs] New section to modifier docs: Checking Modifier State (#10550)

* Added new section to docs: Checking Modifier State

* Added id anchors to all headers in modifiers docs

* Added a Wikipedia link to bitwise operators and...

crosslinked to the QMK macro docs.

* Added an explanation on the format of mod bitmask

* Added .md extension to hyperlinks to macros docs

* Corrected mod mask order and changed notation

* Documented add_oneshot_mods and del_oneshot_mods

* Mentioned modifier checks in the macro docs

* Explained strict modifier checking

i.e. using `get_mods() & MOD_MASK == MOD_MASK` instead of simply
`get_mods() & MOD_MASK`

* Added (un)register_mods to the docs

* Put left term of comparison in parens

docs/feature_advanced_keycodes.md

@@ -23,6 +23,141 @@ These allow you to combine a modifier with a keycode. When pressed, the keydown
 
 You can also chain them, for example `LCTL(LALT(KC_DEL))` or `C(A(KC_DEL))` makes a key that sends Control+Alt+Delete with a single keypress.
 
+# Checking Modifier State :id=checking-modifier-state
+
+The current modifier state can mainly be accessed with two functions: `get_mods()` for normal modifiers and modtaps and `get_oneshot_mods()` for one-shot modifiers (unless they're held, in which case they act like normal modifier keys).
+
+The presence of one or more specific modifiers in the current modifier state can be detected by ANDing the modifier state with a mod mask corresponding to the set of modifiers you want to match for. The reason why bitwise operators are used is that the modifier state is stored as a single byte in the format (GASC)<sub>R</sub>(GASC)<sub>L</sub>.
+
+Thus, to give an example, `01000010` would be the internal representation of LShift+RAlt.
+For more information on bitwise operators in C, click [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitwise_operations_in_C) to open the Wikipedia page on the topic.
+
+In practice, this means that you can check whether a given modifier is active with `get_mods() & MOD_BIT(KC_<modifier>)` (see the [list of modifier keycodes](keycodes_basic.md#modifiers)) or with `get_mods() & MOD_MASK_<modifier>` if the difference between left and right hand modifiers is not important and you want to match both. Same thing can be done for one-shot modifiers if you replace `get_mods()` with `get_oneshot_mods()`.
+
+To check that *only* a specific set of mods is active at a time, AND the modifier state and your desired mod mask as explained above and compare the result to the mod mask itself: `get_mods() & <mod mask> == <mod mask>`.
+
+For example, let's say you want to trigger a piece of custom code if one-shot left control and one-shot left shift are on but every other one-shot mods are off. To do so, you can compose the desired mod mask by combining the mod bits for left control and shift with `(MOD_BIT(KC_LCTL) | MOD_BIT(KC_LSFT))` and then plug it in: `get_oneshot_mods & (MOD_BIT(KC_LCTL) | MOD_BIT(KC_LSFT)) == (MOD_BIT(KC_LCTL) | MOD_BIT(KC_LSFT))`. Using `MOD_MASK_CS` instead for the mod bitmask would have forced you to press four modifier keys (both versions of control and shift) to fulfill the condition.
+
+The full list of mod masks is as follows:
+
+| Mod Mask Name      | Matching Modifiers                             |
+|--------------------|------------------------------------------------|
+| `MOD_MASK_CTRL`    | LCTRL       , RCTRL                            |
+| `MOD_MASK_SHIFT`   | LSHIFT      , RSHIFT                           |
+| `MOD_MASK_ALT`     | LALT        , RALT                             |
+| `MOD_MASK_GUI`     | LGUI        , RGUI                             |
+| `MOD_MASK_CS`      | CTRL        , SHIFT                            |
+| `MOD_MASK_CA`      | (L/R)CTRL   , (L/R)ALT                         |
+| `MOD_MASK_CG`      | (L/R)CTRL   , (L/R)GUI                         |
+| `MOD_MASK_SA`      | (L/R)SHIFT  , (L/R)ALT                         |
+| `MOD_MASK_SG`      | (L/R)SHIFT  , (L/R)GUI                         |
+| `MOD_MASK_AG`      | (L/R)ALT    , (L/R)GUI                         |
+| `MOD_MASK_CSA`     | (L/R)CTRL   , (L/R)SHIFT , (L/R)ALT            |
+| `MOD_MASK_CSG`     | (L/R)CTRL   , (L/R)SHIFT , (L/R)GUI            |
+| `MOD_MASK_CAG`     | (L/R)CTRL   , (L/R)ALT   , (L/R)GUI            |
+| `MOD_MASK_SAG`     | (L/R)SHIFT  , (L/R)ALT   , (L/R)GUI            |
+| `MOD_MASK_CSAG`    | (L/R)CTRL   , (L/R)SHIFT , (L/R)ALT , (L/R)GUI |
+
+Aside from accessing the currently active modifiers using `get_mods()`, there exists some other functions you can use to modify the modifier state, where the `mods` argument refers to the modifiers bitmask.
+
+* `add_mods(mods)`: Enable `mods` without affecting any other modifiers
+* `register_mods(mods)`: Like `add_mods` but send a keyboard report immediately.
+* `del_mods(mods)`: Disable `mods` without affecting any other modifiers
+* `unregister_mods(mods)`: Like `del_mods` but send a keyboard report immediately.
+* `set_mods(mods)`: Overwrite current modifier state with `mods`
+* `clear_mods()`: Reset the modifier state by disabling all modifiers
+
+Similarly, in addition to `get_oneshot_mods()`, there also exists these functions for one-shot mods:
+
+* `add_oneshot_mods(mods)`: Enable `mods` without affecting any other one-shot modifiers
+* `del_oneshot_mods(mods)`: Disable `mods` without affecting any other one-shot modifiers
+* `set_oneshot_mods(mods)`: Overwrite current one-shot modifier state with `mods`
+* `clear_oneshot_mods()`: Reset the one-shot modifier state by disabling all one-shot modifiers
+
+## Examples :id=examples
+
+The following examples use [advanced macro functions](feature_macros.md#advanced-macro-functions) which you can read more about in the [documentation page on macros](feature_macros.md).
+
+### Alt + Escape for Alt + Tab :id=alt-escape-for-alt-tab
+
+Simple example where chording Left Alt with `KC_ESC` makes it behave like `KC_TAB` for alt-tabbing between applications. This example strictly checks if only Left Alt is active, meaning you can't do Alt+Shift+Esc to switch between applications in reverse order. Also keep in mind that this removes the ability to trigger the actual Alt+Escape keyboard shortcut, though it keeps the ability to do AltGr+Escape.
+
+```c
+bool process_record_user(uint16_t keycode, keyrecord_t *record) {
+    switch (keycode) {
+
+    case KC_ESC:
+        // Detect the activation of only Left Alt
+        if ((get_mods() & MOD_BIT(KC_LALT)) == MOD_BIT(KC_LALT)) {
+            if (record->event.pressed) {
+                // No need to register KC_LALT because it's already active.
+                // The Alt modifier will apply on this KC_TAB.
+                register_code(KC_TAB);
+            } else {
+                unregister_code(KC_TAB);
+            }
+            // Do not let QMK process the keycode further
+            return false;
+        }
+        // Else, let QMK process the KC_ESC keycode as usual
+        return true;
+
+    }
+    return true;
+};
+```
+
+### Shift + Backspace for Delete :id=shift-backspace-for-delete
+
+Advanced example where the original behaviour of shift is cancelled when chorded with `KC_BSPC` and is instead fully replaced by `KC_DEL`. Two main variables are created to make this work well: `mod_state` and `delkey_registered`. The first one stores the modifier state and is used to restore it after registering `KC_DEL`. The second variable is a boolean variable (true or false) which keeps track of the status of `KC_DEL` to manage the release of the whole Backspace/Delete key correctly.
+
+As opposed to the previous example, this doesn't use strict modifier checking. Pressing `KC_BSPC` while one or two shifts are active is enough to trigger this custom code, regardless of the state of other modifiers. That approach offers some perks: Ctrl+Shift+Backspace lets us delete the next word (Ctrl+Delete) and Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Backspace lets us execute the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard shortcut.
+
+```c
+// Initialize variable holding the binary
+// representation of active modifiers.
+uint8_t mod_state;
+bool process_record_user(uint16_t keycode, keyrecord_t *record) {
+    // Store the current modifier state in the variable for later reference
+    mod_state = get_mods();
+    switch (keycode) {
+
+    case KC_BSPC:
+        {
+        // Initialize a boolean variable that keeps track
+        // of the delete key status: registered or not?
+        static bool delkey_registered;
+        if (record->event.pressed) {
+            // Detect the activation of either shift keys
+            if (mod_state & MOD_MASK_SHIFT) {
+                // First temporarily canceling both shifts so that
+                // shift isn't applied to the KC_DEL keycode
+                del_mods(MOD_MASK_SHIFT);
+                register_code(KC_DEL);
+                // Update the boolean variable to reflect the status of KC_DEL
+                delkey_registered = true;
+                // Reapplying modifier state so that the held shift key(s)
+                // still work even after having tapped the Backspace/Delete key.
+                set_mods(mod_state);
+                return false;
+            }
+        } else { // on release of KC_BSPC
+            // In case KC_DEL is still being sent even after the release of KC_BSPC
+            if (delkey_registered) {
+                unregister_code(KC_DEL);
+                delkey_registered = false;
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        // Let QMK process the KC_BSPC keycode as usual outside of shift
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    }
+    return true;
+};
+```
+
 # Legacy Content :id=legacy-content
 
 This page used to encompass a large set of features. We have moved many sections that used to be part of this page to their own pages. Everything below this point is simply a redirect so that people following old links on the web find what they're looking for.

docs/feature_macros.md

@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ SEND_STRING(".."SS_TAP(X_END));
 
 There are some functions you may find useful in macro-writing. Keep in mind that while you can write some fairly advanced code within a macro, if your functionality gets too complex you may want to define a custom keycode instead. Macros are meant to be simple.
 
-?> You can also use the functions described in [Useful functions](ref_functions.md) for additional functionality. For example `reset_keyboard()` allows you to reset the keyboard as part of a macro.
+?> You can also use the functions described in [Useful function](ref_functions.md) and [Checking modifier state](feature_advanced_keycodes#checking-modifier-state) for additional functionality. For example, `reset_keyboard()` allows you to reset the keyboard as part of a macro and `get_mods() & MOD_MASK_SHIFT` lets you check for the existence of active shift modifiers.
 
 ### `record->event.pressed`