Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Howard Yeh!]

Hi,

I can't figure out how to bind "C-["

For some reason

(global-set-key "\C-[" 'insert-parentheses)

unbinds all my meta keys, and pressing "C-[" gives me the ESC key. What
gives?

I also has trouble binding c-i, m-i, because they are synonyms for
<TAB>. Though I have really ugly work around for them. Is there any
established way to deal with this sort of problems?

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Eric Hanchrow]

>>>>> "Howard" == Howard Yeh! <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:

    Howard> (global-set-key "\C-[" 'insert-parentheses)

    Howard> unbinds all my meta keys, and pressing "C-[" gives me the
    Howard> ESC key.  What gives?

That's because you're using a text-mode console, as opposed to running
Emacs under X, or Microsoft Windows, or OS X.

In text-mode consoles, the keyboard is capable of delivering only
ASCII characters (or sequences of them) when you press a key, and in
ASCII, control-[ and ESC _are the same character_.  They're
indistinguishable.

(They even do the same thing in my Windows Emacs, although there, I
suspect it might be possible to distinguish them, with some wizardry.)

    Howard> I also has trouble binding c-i, m-i, because they are
    Howard> synonyms for <TAB>.  

Yup.  Same deal.

    Howard> Is there any established way to deal with this sort of
    Howard> problems?

Other than "use a window system" (which as you can see isn't even
sufficient), I can't think of one.

-- 
Most people don't even know what a rootkit is, so why should they
care about it?
        -- Thomas Hesse, Sony BMG's president of global digital business

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[David Kastrup]

"Howard Yeh!" <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:

> I can't figure out how to bind "C-["
>
> For some reason
>
> (global-set-key "\C-[" 'insert-parentheses)
>
> unbinds all my meta keys, and pressing "C-[" gives me the ESC key. What
> gives?

That's how things are on text terminals.  On graphical terminals,
(local-set-key [C-\[] 'insert-parentheses)
could conceivably make a difference, but apparently it doesn't.

> I also has trouble binding c-i, m-i, because they are synonyms for
> <TAB>. Though I have really ugly work around for them. Is there any
> established way to deal with this sort of problems?

Accept that ESC is the same as C-[.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Howard Yeh!]

Eric Hanchrow wrote:
> >>>>> "Howard" == Howard Yeh! <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:
>
>     Howard> (global-set-key "\C-[" 'insert-parentheses)
>
>     Howard> unbinds all my meta keys, and pressing "C-[" gives me the
>     Howard> ESC key.  What gives?
>
> That's because you're using a text-mode console, as opposed to running
> Emacs under X, or Microsoft Windows, or OS X.
>

I am using emacs under X.

And that's the truly bizarre thing is, C-[ works in my lisp mode
keymap.

(define-key slime-mode-map (kbd "C-[") 'insert-parentheses)

Works perfect.

> (They even do the same thing in my Windows Emacs, although there, I
> suspect it might be possible to distinguish them, with some wizardry.)

Oh, man. I tried so hard (in X). It's totally confusing.

> Other than "use a window system" (which as you can see isn't even
> sufficient), I can't think of one.

Use a window system is NOT sufficient...

Do you know if  X-emacs better for key bindings?

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Howard Yeh!]

David Kastrup wrote:
> "Howard Yeh!" <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > I can't figure out how to bind "C-["
> >
> > For some reason
> >
> > (global-set-key "\C-[" 'insert-parentheses)
> >
> > unbinds all my meta keys, and pressing "C-[" gives me the ESC key. What
> > gives?
>
> That's how things are on text terminals.  On graphical terminals,
> (local-set-key [C-\[] 'insert-parentheses)
> could conceivably make a difference, but apparently it doesn't.

You mean emacs still can't tell when used under a graphical terminal?

> > I also has trouble binding c-i, m-i, because they are synonyms for
> > <TAB>. Though I have really ugly work around for them. Is there any
> > established way to deal with this sort of problems?
>
> Accept that ESC is the same as C-[.

I remapped c-i to c-> in emacs, and bind the function i want to c->. So
emacs *can* tell apart c-i and <tab>. But simply binding to c-i doesn't
work as advertised.

Strangely, it works to bind C-[ in my lisp-mode.

I am anal retentive about my key bindings...  This is not the first
time I've struggled with bindings to control key synonyms.

I absolutely need C-i because I bind my arrow keys to C-i,j,k,l.
This is so my hand doesn't have to move as much. The default
emacs bindings are not very ergonomic.

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Howard Yeh!]

On the same tune, is it possible to dissociate ESC from meta?

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[David Kastrup]

"Howard Yeh!" <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:

> On the same tune, is it possible to dissociate ESC from meta?

Are you sure you don't want to use viper-mode?

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Howard Yeh!]

David Kastrup wrote:
> "Howard Yeh!" <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:
>
> > On the same tune, is it possible to dissociate ESC from meta?
> 
> Are you sure you don't want to use viper-mode?

No.

Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Johan Bockgård]

"Howard Yeh!" <hayeah@gmail.com> writes:

> On the same tune, is it possible to dissociate ESC from meta?

,----[ C-h v meta-prefix-char RET ]
| meta-prefix-char is a variable defined in `C source code'.
| Its value is 27
| 
| Documentation:
| Meta-prefix character code.
| Meta-foo as command input turns into this character followed by foo.
`----