* bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys @ 2009-09-17 22:51 ` Drew Adams 2009-09-19 21:35 ` bug#4472: marked as done (23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys) Emacs bug Tracking System 0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread From: Drew Adams @ 2009-09-17 22:51 UTC (permalink / raw To: bug-gnu-emacs 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)' ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* bug#4472: marked as done (23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys) 2009-09-17 22:51 ` bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Drew Adams @ 2009-09-19 21:35 ` Emacs bug Tracking System 0 siblings, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread From: Emacs bug Tracking System @ 2009-09-19 21:35 UTC (permalink / raw To: Chong Yidong [-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 890 bytes --] Your message dated Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:28:54 -0400 with message-id <87ws3ur5d5.fsf@cyd.mit.edu> and subject line Re: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys has caused the Emacs bug report #4472, regarding 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys to be marked as done. This means that you claim that the problem has been dealt with. If this is not the case it is now your responsibility to reopen the bug report if necessary, and/or fix the problem forthwith. (NB: If you are a system administrator and have no idea what this message is talking about, this may indicate a serious mail system misconfiguration somewhere. Please contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com immediately.) -- 4472: http://emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=4472 Emacs Bug Tracking System Contact owner@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com with problems [-- Attachment #2: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 4823 bytes --] From: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> To: <bug-gnu-emacs@gnu.org> Subject: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:51:39 -0700 Message-ID: <E2306B43F9934BBEBEF5A949D82EEA5E@us.oracle.com> 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)' [-- Attachment #3: Type: message/rfc822, Size: 1536 bytes --] From: Chong Yidong <cyd@stupidchicken.com> To: "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> Cc: <4472-done@emacsbugs.donarmstrong.com> Subject: Re: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Date: Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:28:54 -0400 Message-ID: <87ws3ur5d5.fsf@cyd.mit.edu> "Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com> writes: > Please read the whole bug report, and filter out whatever has been fixed since > then. I've checked in some changes which should clarify things. ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys
@ 2009-09-18 23:11 Chong Yidong
2009-09-18 23:27 ` Drew Adams
0 siblings, 1 reply; 4+ messages in thread
From: Chong Yidong @ 2009-09-18 23:11 UTC (permalink / raw
To: Drew Adams; +Cc: 4472
> I couldn't even find the form (kbd...) in the manual, and I thought
> that was what we are now recommending in general (no?).
From the manual:
There are several ways to write a key binding using Lisp. The
simplest is to use the `kbd' macro, which converts a textual
representation of a key sequence--similar to how we have written key
sequences in this manual--into a form that can be passed as an argument
to `global-set-key'. For example, here's how to bind `C-z' to `shell'
(*note Interactive Shell::):
(global-set-key (kbd "C-z") 'shell)
etc., etc.
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys 2009-09-18 23:11 bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Chong Yidong @ 2009-09-18 23:27 ` Drew Adams 0 siblings, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread From: Drew Adams @ 2009-09-18 23:27 UTC (permalink / raw To: 'Chong Yidong'; +Cc: 4472 > > I couldn't even find the form (kbd...) in the manual, and I thought > > that was what we are now recommending in general (no?). > > From the manual: > ... My bad about that. Much of what I wrote in the bug report is still true, but the part about kbd is no longer true (good). I copied the text I has sent as a mail to emacs-devel in August of 2008 (to which I got no reply), and at that time what I said about kbd etc. was indeed true (for CVS Emacs). Please read the whole bug report, and filter out whatever has been fixed since then. ^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2009-09-19 21:35 UTC | newest] Thread overview: 4+ messages (download: mbox.gz follow: Atom feed -- links below jump to the message on this page -- [not found] <87ws3ur5d5.fsf@cyd.mit.edu> 2009-09-17 22:51 ` bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Drew Adams 2009-09-19 21:35 ` bug#4472: marked as done (23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys) Emacs bug Tracking System 2009-09-18 23:11 bug#4472: 23.1; Emacs manual not too helpful about binding keys Chong Yidong 2009-09-18 23:27 ` Drew Adams
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