Re: help-gnu-emacs Digest, Vol 62, Issue 20

[Nick Roberts <nickrob@snap.net.nz>]

Mike Mattie writes:
 > On Tue, 8 Jan 2008 15:38:08 +0800
 > Forrest <forrest.yu@gmail.com> wrote:
 > 
 > > > > global-set-key (kbd "C-,")
 > > > > '(lambda () "scroll the page down" (interactive) (scroll-
 > > > > down 1)))
 > 
 > try a space like this:
 > (kbd "C-c ,")

Have you tried this?  It won't work.

 > If that fixes it try using a function I previously posted that eliminates
 > the errors from the process of defining keys.

If it were so simple don't you think Emacs would do this?

 > (defun insert-key-notation ()
 >   "inject a complete \(kbd \"sequence\"\) with key notation for a key sequence given by prompt"
 >   (interactive)
 >   (insert "(kbd \"")
 >   (insert (format-kbd-macro (read-key-sequence "Key? " nil t)))
 >   (insert "\")"))
 > 
 > it will define the kbd sexp for you after it prompts you for the key sequence.

It looks like the reason that it doesn't work has already been explained but
Forrest has decided not to accept the answer (or perhaps there is a
communication problem)...

 > > > The console and other terminal emulations can only produce "key
 > > > events" in the ASCII or extended ASCII range, i.e. 8 bit characters
 > > > (man ascii). Therefore not every time you hold down the control
 > > > "modifier" key and press some other key something with a meaning is
 > > > produced. It's like when you're scribbling on paper: not every
 > > > "picture" is a letter or a digit or worth an exhibition at MOMA ...
 > > > C-, can work X which has its own concept of events that are
 > > > abstracted from ASCII codes.
 > > 
 > > C-x C-c work well in console, so i guess there must be something
 > > wrong with my key-binding settings. and also, emacs was designed in
 > > ages when X was not popular, it's unreasonable that custom
 > > key-binding doesn't work

Do "man ascii". This is 128 character set and 96, or thereabout, are printing
characters.  If there were a control character counterpart for each one that
would result in 192 character set.  Presumably control characters only exist
for C-@ to C-_ (0 to 32, @ to _ being 64 to 96).

 > > i'm a newbie, could you give me any detailed clue to solve it?

On a normal console, I don't think you can.

-- 
Nick                                           http://www.inet.net.nz/~nickrob