Re: `C-b' is backward-char, `left' is left-char - why?

[Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org>]

> From: Kenichi Handa <handa@m17n.org>
> Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2011 09:47:59 +0900
> Cc: emacs-devel@gnu.org
> 
> In article <vz18vtk34dn.fsf@gmail.com>, Andy Moreton <andrewjmoreton@gmail.com> writes:
> 
> > So for forward-char, movement of point is always N characters forward in
> > the buffer. The effect on the screen position must be considered as a
> > sequence of single character movements in the buffer, each of which may
> > move the screen position left or right (depending on the bidirectional
> > context).
> 
> > Is that more accurate ?
> 
> I'm not sure we should make the docstring more complex by
> mentioning about composition, but when forward-char is used
> interactively (i.e. by typing C-f), the resulting buffer
> position is changed more than one character if the character
> at point is composed with the following few characters.

I know about this, but is that really part of forward-char?  I rather
thought that the main command loop advances point in these cases.  It
also does that when we enter a portion of text that is intangible,
e.g. covered by display strings or by invisible text property.  Aren't
composed characters handled the same way?  If not, where does
forward-char do what you describe?