---
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
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
---
# Sequences and grammars
id: keyboard--family-sequences
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/keyboard--family-sequences
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/keyboard--family-sequences/
Ordered key presses form a command with its own grammar. In Hacknet a terminal line is typed first and then submitted for execution.
## At a glance
[Hacknet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/) · © Team Fractal Alligator / Fellow Traveller. All rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.
1. Quick Reference Guide explains the commands
- Show command boundaries and allow correction before submission.
- [Hacknet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/)
## How it works
The result depends on the order of events, boundaries, and parsing rules.
## Variants
### Variants and applications
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
## Context and limits
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.
## Connected materials
## Sources and 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.
- [Hacknet](https://store.steampowered.com/app/365450/) (id: source-839dfd6aadadd7e9)
CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors