From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: "Drew Adams" Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.bugs Subject: bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:51:39 -0700 Message-ID: Reply-To: Drew Adams , 4472@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1253228844 7976 80.91.229.12 (17 Sep 2009 23:07:24 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:07:24 +0000 (UTC) To: Original-X-From: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Fri Sep 18 01:07:17 2009 Return-path: Envelope-to: geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1MoQ4L-0007xJ-3I for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:07:17 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:49861 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1MoQ4K-0007D6-9c for geb-bug-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:07:16 -0400 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MoQ4E-0007CH-70 for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:07:10 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MoQ48-0007BC-KN for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:07:08 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=43260 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1MoQ48-0007B9-Hf for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:07:04 -0400 Original-Received: from rzlab.ucr.edu ([138.23.92.77]:42014) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1MoQ47-0008QG-Sk for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:07:04 -0400 Original-Received: from rzlab.ucr.edu (rzlab.ucr.edu [127.0.0.1]) by rzlab.ucr.edu (8.14.3/8.14.3/Debian-5) with ESMTP id n8HN71Ql019586; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:07:01 -0700 Original-Received: (from debbugs@localhost) by rzlab.ucr.edu (8.14.3/8.14.3/Submit) id n8HN063a017821; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:00:06 -0700 Resent-Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:00:06 -0700 X-Loop: owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com Resent-From: "Drew Adams" Resent-To: bug-submit-list@donarmstrong.com Resent-CC: Emacs Bugs 2Resent-Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:06 +0000 Resent-Message-ID: Resent-Sender: owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com X-Emacs-PR-Message: report 4472 X-Emacs-PR-Package: emacs X-Emacs-PR-Keywords: Original-Received: via spool by submit@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com id=B.125322790916710 (code B ref -1); Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:00:06 +0000 Original-Received: (at submit) by emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com; 17 Sep 2009 22:51:49 +0000 X-Spam-Bayes: score:0.5 Bayes not run. spammytokens:Tokens not available. hammytokens:Tokens not available. Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org (lists.gnu.org [199.232.76.165]) by rzlab.ucr.edu (8.14.3/8.14.3/Debian-5) with ESMTP id n8HMpmYE016707 for ; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:51:49 -0700 Original-Received: from mailman by lists.gnu.org with tmda-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MoPpM-0007s1-1b for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:51:48 -0400 Original-Received: from exim by lists.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.43) id 1MoPpG-0007rX-De for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:51:46 -0400 Original-Received: from [199.232.76.173] (port=33094 helo=monty-python.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1MoPpG-0007rU-Av for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:51:42 -0400 Original-Received: from acsinet11.oracle.com ([141.146.126.233]:33623) by monty-python.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS-1.0:DHE_RSA_AES_256_CBC_SHA1:32) (Exim 4.60) (envelope-from ) id 1MoPpF-000632-RU for bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 18:51:42 -0400 Original-Received: from acsinet15.oracle.com (acsinet15.oracle.com [141.146.126.227]) by acsinet11.oracle.com (Switch-3.3.1/Switch-3.3.1) with ESMTP id n8HMqn6N032730 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=OK) for ; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:52:50 GMT Original-Received: from abhmt014.oracle.com (abhmt014.oracle.com [141.146.116.23]) by acsinet15.oracle.com (Switch-3.3.1/Switch-3.3.1) with ESMTP id n8HMq0MB002225 for ; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:52:00 GMT Original-Received: from dradamslap1 (/130.35.178.194) by default (Oracle Beehive Gateway v4.0) with ESMTP ; Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:51:36 -0700 X-Mailer: Microsoft Office Outlook 11 Thread-Index: Aco36Wsc+Q8uiYB0R0WHZJwv/3TYiA== X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 X-Source-IP: abhmt014.oracle.com [141.146.116.23] X-Auth-Type: Internal IP X-CT-RefId: str=0001.0A090206.4AB2BD79.005F:SCFSTAT5015188,ss=1,fgs=0 X-detected-operating-system: by monty-python.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6 (newer, 1) X-detected-operating-system: by monty-python.gnu.org: GNU/Linux 2.6 (newer, 2) Resent-Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:07:08 -0400 X-BeenThere: bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: "Bug reports for GNU Emacs, the Swiss army knife of text editors" List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: bug-gnu-emacs-bounces+geb-bug-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.bugs:31191 Archived-At: I find the Emacs manual not to be very helpful about how to bind key sequences. I couldn't even find the form (kbd...) in the manual, and I thought that was what we are now recommending in general (no?). I tried using `i' in the manual to find information about how to bind keys, but it wasn't very helpful. I looked for `binding', and the only index entry was for node Commands. I tried `i key TAB' and saw lots that looks similar (rebinding, binding,...). Not too clear to me. I finally found node Init Rebinding (weird name, BTW). It had examples of using strings such as "\C-z" and vectors such as [?\C-=] and [C-mouse-1], but it had nothing about `kbd' or the form [(control mouse-1)]. I didn't find a node that explained the various formats and their different uses and limitations. I didn't find any general format recommendations. I didn't find any link in Init Rebinding to another node that might explain such things - the only link there sends you to a node explaining details about keyboard encodings and binding non-ASCII keys. Where is the introductory, top-level explanation about recommended ways to bind keys? Surely that's something that even lots of non-expert users do. The Key Bindings node (from node Customization) sends you immediately into the depths of understanding keymaps - no introduction there about binding keys AFAICT. I did find information about `kbd' in the Elisp manual, and even some text that stresses its convenience and portability. But that information is missing from the Emacs manual AFAICT. IIUC, this is info that is quite important for most users. There are often questions at help-gnu-emacs about how to bind keys, and the answer there is typically: "Use kbd". If this is a FAQ, then the answer belongs in the Emacs manual, no? I this kind of info belongs in the Emacs manual and I hope that someone can find the time to add it (or move it) there. In GNU Emacs 23.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600) of 2009-07-29 on SOFT-MJASON Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600 configured using `configure --with-gcc (4.4)'