Re: Sparse key maps garbage?

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@IRO.UMontreal.CA>]

>>> If you do
>> 
>>> (defvar my-sparse-map (make-sparse-keymap))
>>> (define-key my-sparse-map [f4] nil)
>> 
>>> then there will be an entry with f4 in my-sparse-keymap. I do not think
>>> that is used for anything. Is it? Should it be there?
>> 
>> Actually, IIRC it's (been) used at some places to create a place holder
>> in the keymap which is later on replaced with the actual binding.
>> But I do wonder why you care,

> I was looking a bit at how to undefine a key, for example at
> local-unset-key. So what I really wondered was how do you undefine a
> key? Is there a standard way to do that?

Depends how you define "un define a key".  Binding it to nil is such
a way.  Binding it to `undefined' is another.  Removing the binding from
the keymap is yet another (one that does not come with a ready-to-use
function for it).


        Stefan