Help: Fn+h lists the keys of the screen you're on, and no screen names its keys any more (#69)

Fn+h on any screen, text fields included, and ? outside Text Entry, open a
panel over the content area: the screen's own keys, then the ones that work
everywhere. Every App declares its keys for the state it is in (pages,
viewers, dialogs and text fields answer for themselves); the App manager
opens the panel and takes every key while it is open.

About 30 hint lines are gone, from every App. What stays on a screen is
state. The first-start Setup keeps its hints and teaches the key; a device
set up before gets one Toast, once. The guide and the FAQ open with it.
`key help` over the consoles.

476 host tests (8 new). Checked on the device with key help and screenshots:
the Launcher, all nine Apps and several of their states. 8.5 KB of flash and
40 bytes of static RAM. Decisions Q196 to Q203 in docs/milestones/U1.md.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01EhqxQ49eCju4CzKYNjZzwT

lib/core/src/app.h

@@ -2,7 +2,10 @@
 
 #include <cstdint>
 
+#include <vector>
+
 #include "key_event.h"
+#include "key_help.h"
 
 namespace roro {
 
@@ -25,6 +28,12 @@ class App {
     // True while the App is editing text: the arrow keys then type ; . , / and need Fn to move.
     virtual bool textEntryActive() const { return false; }
 
+    // The keys that work right now, for the help panel (Fn+h): the App's own, in the state it's
+    // in. Back, Home and the arrows are added for it. No screen names keys any other way.
+    virtual void help(std::vector<KeyHelp>& out) const { (void)out; }
+    // What the panel is titled with, when the App's name isn't enough ("Notes: editor").
+    virtual const char* helpTitle() const { return nullptr; }
+
     // Called every main-loop pass while in the foreground (e.g. to refresh live values).
     virtual void update(uint32_t nowMs) { (void)nowMs; }
 

lib/core/src/app_manager.cpp

@@ -52,6 +52,21 @@ void AppManager::endModal() {
 }
 
 void AppManager::handleKey(const KeyEvent& event) {
+    if (help_.isOpen()) {  // scrolls or closes; nothing reaches the App, Home included
+        help_.onKey(event);
+        redraw_ = true;
+        return;
+    }
+    if (event.key == Key::Help) {
+        std::vector<KeyHelp> rows;
+        foreground_->help(rows);
+        help::everywhere(rows);
+        const char* scope = foreground_->helpTitle();
+        const char* app = foregroundTitle();
+        help_.open(scope ? scope : app ? app : "Launcher", std::move(rows));
+        redraw_ = true;
+        return;
+    }
     if (modal_) {
         foreground_->onKey(event);
         return;
@@ -77,6 +92,7 @@ bool AppManager::takeRedraw() {
 }
 
 void AppManager::switchTo(App& app) {
+    help_.close();  // an App opened from elsewhere (a Notification, a command): its keys, not the last one's
     if (&app == foreground_) return;
     foreground_->onExit();
     foreground_ = &app;

lib/core/src/app_manager.h

@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ class AppManager {
     App& foreground() const { return *foreground_; }
     const char* foregroundTitle() const;  // nullptr for the Launcher
 
+    // The help panel (Fn+h): open, it takes every key, and the App sees none of them.
+    const HelpModel& help() const { return help_; }
+
     // True once after the screen needs redrawing (App switch, or the App asked for it).
     bool takeRedraw();
 
@@ -47,6 +50,7 @@ class AppManager {
     App& launcher_;
     App* foreground_;
     std::vector<AppInfo> apps_;
+    HelpModel help_;
     bool redraw_ = true;
     bool modal_ = false;
 };

lib/core/src/key_event.h

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ enum class Key : uint8_t {
     Home,
     Tab,
     Delete,
+    Help,  // Fn+h anywhere, or ? outside Text Entry: the keys of this screen (issue #69)
 };
 
 struct KeyEvent {

lib/core/src/key_help.h

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <algorithm>
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "key_event.h"
+
+// The help panel (issue #69, docs/milestones/U1.md): Fn+h on any screen lists the keys that work
+// there. Every App says what its keys are in the state it's in; nothing on a screen names keys.
+namespace roro {
+
+// One line of the panel: a key (or keys) and what it does. A line with no action is a heading.
+struct KeyHelp {
+    const char* keys;
+    const char* action;
+};
+
+namespace help {
+
+// Lists that several screens share.
+inline void list(std::vector<KeyHelp>& out, const char* enter = "open") {
+    out.push_back({"; .", "up, down"});
+    out.push_back({"Enter", enter});
+}
+inline void dialog(std::vector<KeyHelp>& out) {
+    out.push_back({", /", "the other answer"});
+    out.push_back({"Enter", "choose it"});
+    out.push_back({"`", "cancel"});
+}
+inline void textEntry(std::vector<KeyHelp>& out, const char* enter = "save") {
+    out.push_back({"Enter", enter});
+    out.push_back({"`", "cancel"});
+    out.push_back({"Del", "delete backwards"});
+    out.push_back({"Fn , /", "move the cursor"});
+    out.push_back({"opt ' e", "an accent: \xC3\xA9"});
+}
+// What works on every screen: the end of every panel.
+inline void everywhere(std::vector<KeyHelp>& out) {
+    out.push_back({"Everywhere", nullptr});
+    out.push_back({"`", "back"});
+    out.push_back({"Fn `", "home, the Launcher"});
+    out.push_back({"; . , /", "arrows (Fn+ while typing)"});
+    out.push_back({"Fn h  ?", "these keys (? not typing)"});
+}
+
+}  // namespace help
+
+// The panel itself: what it lists, and how far it's scrolled. The keys it takes while open are the
+// arrows; any other key closes it, and none reaches the App.
+class HelpModel {
+   public:
+    explicit HelpModel(int visibleRows = 8) : visible_(visibleRows) {}
+
+    void open(const std::string& title, std::vector<KeyHelp> rows) {
+        title_ = title;
+        rows_ = std::move(rows);
+        top_ = 0;
+        open_ = true;
+    }
+    void close() {
+        open_ = false;
+        rows_.clear();
+        rows_.shrink_to_fit();  // nothing is kept while it's closed
+    }
+    bool isOpen() const { return open_; }
+
+    void onKey(const KeyEvent& e) {
+        int last = std::max(0, static_cast<int>(rows_.size()) - visible_);
+        switch (e.key) {
+            case Key::Up: top_ = std::max(0, top_ - 1); break;
+            case Key::Down: top_ = std::min(last, top_ + 1); break;
+            case Key::Left: top_ = std::max(0, top_ - visible_); break;
+            case Key::Right: top_ = std::min(last, top_ + visible_); break;
+            default: close(); break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    const std::string& title() const { return title_; }
+    const std::vector<KeyHelp>& rows() const { return rows_; }
+    int top() const { return top_; }
+    int visibleRows() const { return visible_; }
+
+   private:
+    std::string title_;
+    std::vector<KeyHelp> rows_;
+    int top_ = 0;
+    int visible_;
+    bool open_ = false;
+};
+
+}  // namespace roro

lib/input/src/key_mapper.cpp

@@ -99,6 +99,20 @@ void KeyMapper::onChar(char c, const RawKeys& keys, std::vector<KeyEvent>& out)
                     return;
                 }
                 break;
+            case 'h':
+            case 'H':
+                if (keys.fn) {  // Fn+h: help, while typing too
+                    out.push_back(KeyEvent::of(Key::Help));
+                    return;
+                }
+                break;
+            case '?':
+                if (!textEntry_ && !keys.fn) {  // ? alone, when it wouldn't be typed
+                    out.push_back(KeyEvent::of(Key::Help));
+                    return;
+                }
+                if (keys.fn) return;
+                break;
             default:
                 if (keys.fn) return;  // other Fn combos are unassigned
                 break;

lib/input/src/key_mapper.h

@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ struct RawKeys {
 
 // Turns keyboard state changes into logical KeyEvents: only newly pressed keys produce events;
 // Fn + ; . , / are arrows, and so are ; . , / alone when no text is being entered; ` is Back and
-// Fn + ` is Home; the Compose Key (opt) followed by an accent and a letter types the accented
+// Fn + ` is Home; Fn + h is Help anywhere, and so is ? when no text is being entered; the Compose Key (opt) followed by an accent and a letter types the accented
 // letter (opt ' e -> é).
 class KeyMapper {
    public:

lib/services/src/settings.cpp

@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ const Definition kDefinitions[] = {
     {"check_updates", Kind::Bool, 1, nullptr, 0, 1},  // on: it only looks, and says so (R1, Q165)
     {"debug_on", Kind::Bool, 0, nullptr, 0, 1},  // off: nothing listens until the owner says so (Q189)
     {"debug_token", Kind::String, 0, "", 0, 64},  // empty, or a valid token
+    {"help_told", Kind::Bool, 0, nullptr, 0, 1},
 };
 static_assert(sizeof(kDefinitions) / sizeof(kDefinitions[0]) == static_cast<size_t>(Setting::Count),
               "every Setting needs a definition");

lib/services/src/settings.h

@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ enum class Setting : uint8_t {
     CheckUpdates,     // bool: look for a newer release on Gitea once a day (R1, Q165)
     DebugConsole,     // bool: the Debug Console listens on Wi-Fi (ADR 0010, Q189: off unless switched on)
     DebugToken,       // string: its token, tidied (debug_auth.h); empty until the console is first switched on
+    HelpTold,         // bool: this device has been told about the help key once (issue #69, Q201)
     Count
 };