Re: one key-press to comment out lines of code?

[Dale Snell <ddsnell@frontier.com>]

On Fri, 02 May 2014 01:42:23 +0200
Emanuel Berg <embe8573@student.uu.se> wrote:

> Dale Snell <ddsnell@frontier.com> writes:
> 
> > Heh, yeah, the old terminals had keys wandering all
> > over the place.  Every manufacturer had a different
> > idea of where things like escape, |, \, `, ~, and so
> > on belonged.  Sometimes they would change their minds
> > from one model to the next.  As I recall, the DEC
> > VT-101 that I learned Emacs on had the escape key
> > where the /~ usually is now.  The `/~ key was between
> > the =/+ and backspace keys, and the |/\ key was to
> > the right of the return key.  (An awful place.  One
> > had to be careful if one used those characters.)
> 
> Cool. I found the old exchange:
> 
> YT:
> 
> ... was the Escape key placed anywhere else than it is
> on today's keyboards? The reason I ask is - well, just
> try hitting a couple of familiar shortcuts, but instead
> of Meta, use Escape. I think it would take a master at
> the accordion to be productive using that.
> 
> Bob Proulx:
> 
> Yes.  The escape key has been located in other
> locations.  Here is an example.  On the HP HIL keyboard
> it was left of the left shift key.  (Also note that
> control was left of the A.)  A good keyboard layout for
> the touch typist.  Everything was relatively close to
> the home row.
> 
> http://www.hpmuseum.net/display_item.php?hw=575
> 
> Mostly escape has been located in the upper left
> "somewhere".  Although not always left of the 1 key.
> 
> >> But perhaps you re-routed Esc for Caps Lock?
> >
> > No, I swapped control for caps-lock, putting the
> > control key next to the A key, where it's much more
> > accessible.
> 
> Yeah, I've heard a lot of people doing that. I actually
> think left control is kind of close and good for the
> left little finger. Caps-lock is better, yes, but is it
> better enough to make it worthwhile to re-learn? Don't
> know.

For me, the position of the control key next to the A key is far
more convenient than the default in the lower-left-hand corner.
Besides, my fingers are trained for that position.  Every time I
use an un-modified keyboard, it drives me buggy.  Plus, that
lower-left corner is far enough from the home row that I have to
take my left hand off the keys.

> [...] But there
> should be one million things to do with the caps-lock
> key that is more sensible than changing the case...

One idea I've been tossing around is to turn the caps lock into a
"super" or "hyper" modifier key.  Then change the right-hand
control key into the opposite.  Those modifiers aren't used much,
if at all, but Emacs will respond to them.  That would give me a
lot more key-chords I could tie to functions that are normally
un-bound. 

> > (The most inconvenient position, imnsho, is the right
> > control key.  Next to the left arrow key.  Ugh.)
> 
> Agreed. I actually don't have it. To the right of the
> space bar, I have "Alt Graph" (which is Meta as well,
> it seems), then a key with a solid diamond (seems to be
> escape), and then "Compose Key" which doesn't seem to
> do anything. (I actually have the compose key somewhere
> else.) But: why are those keys so inconvenient? What's
> stopping from using them as the control and Meta on the
> left side? They are just one centimeter too far to the
> right and that does it.

Ooh, I *liked* the old Sun keyboards.  It's been a long time since
I used a Sun, but I think the diamond key was a sort of "command"
key, like on an Apple Mac.  (When I was using a Sun, it was a Sun
Three, with dual 68020 CPUs running at 20MHz.  And we thought it
was great!  Ah, how times have changed. :-) )  But yes, I can
understand your frustration with the keyboard layout.  The only
thing I can suggest is re-mapping the keys to be what you want,
where you want.  As much a physically possible, at any rate.

--Dale

--
"Don't only practice your Art, but force your way into its
Secrets, for it and Knowledge can raise Men to the Divine."
    -- Ludwig van Beethoven