{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/keyboard--family-sequences","type":"mechanic","id":"keyboard--family-sequences","lang":"en","title":"Sequences and grammars","summary":"Ordered key presses form a command with its own grammar. In Hacknet a terminal line is typed first and then submitted for execution.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/keyboard--family-sequences/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/keyboard--family-sequences.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/keyboard--family-sequences.md","aliases":[],"tags":["Physical keyboard interactions","Signals and timing"],"sourceIds":["source-839dfd6aadadd7e9"],"sources":[{"id":"source-839dfd6aadadd7e9","title":"Hacknet","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The result depends on the order of events, boundaries, and parsing rules."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants and applications\n\n<a id=\"family-sequences-variants\"></a>\n\n- Fixed chain. Action: Press the given keys in the exact order. Application: Lock code, combo, startup procedure, secret command. Conditions: Secrecy and memorization are the conditions for submitting the same chain. Equipment: Regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k033\"></a>\n- Sequence with timeout. Action: The next event must be entered before the interval expires. Application: Continue the attack, quickly execute the emergency procedure. Conditions: Determine whether the error resets the progress or starts a new chain. Equipment: Normal keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k034\"></a>\n- Directed gesture. Action: Directions form a recognizable trajectory in time. Application: Special move, rotation of a rune, control of a conventional steering wheel. Conditions: Rules may allow skipping of intermediate diagonals. Equipment: Regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k035\"></a>\n- Accumulation of retention in front of the team. Action: Hold the direction or key, then perform the final input. Application: Charged reception, tensioning the mechanism, switching a powerful gear. Conditions: The duration of accumulation and the permissible gap are set separately. Equipment: A regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k036\"></a>\n- Command grammar. Action: The sequence is parsed as “object → action → parameter”. Application: Orders to a squad, combination of runes, editor control. Conditions: Unambiguous rules for completing and canceling a command are needed. Equipment: Regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k037\"></a>\n- Prefix tree. Action: The first keys select a branch, the next ones specify the command. Application: Hierarchical menu without a mouse, typing hundreds of abilities with a few keys. Conditions: The incomplete prefix must remain visible to the user. Equipment: Regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k038\"></a>\n- Input buffer command. Action: Events are received in advance and executed when a valid state occurs. Application: Next jump before landing, order queue, musical transition. Conditions: Buffer is a processing rule; set its validity period. Equipment: Regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k039\"></a>\n- Sequence with cancellation or return. Action: A separate key deletes the last step, resets or replaces the collected chain. Application: Correcting a spell, disarming a device, editing a route. Conditions: It is necessary to distinguish between canceling entered steps and canceling an action already performed. Equipment: Regular keyboard. <a id=\"variant-k040\"></a>"},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Author's working classification for designing games and interactions. Options can overlap and combine; the list is not a generally accepted standard or proven exhaustive list. Application examples are conditional unless a specific verifiable observation is indicated nearby. Sources support individual techniques and technical limitations."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"keyboard","id":"family-sequences","title":"Physical keyboard interactions","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/keyboard/#family-sequences","categoryIds":["section-1"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Sequences and grammars","description":"Ordered key presses form a command with its own grammar. In Hacknet a terminal line is typed first and then submitted for execution.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/interface-hacknet-00.webp","width":1440,"height":809,"game":"Hacknet","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/365450/ss_182ebf5aa570fc0ad0d1d974d43137e858ddeb54.1920x1080.jpg?t=1758156718","credit":"Team Fractal Alligator / Fellow Traveller","rights":"© Team Fractal Alligator / Fellow Traveller. All rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Hacknet: a quick command reference beside the terminal","alt":"Hacknet: a quick command reference beside the terminal","markers":[{"x":7,"y":31,"label":"Quick Reference Guide explains the commands"}]},"tips":["Show command boundaries and allow correction before submission."],"examples":[{"title":"Hacknet","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/keyboard"}}