Re: Right Alt/Meta keys on Windows systems

[Paul Pogonyshev <pogonyshev@gmx.net>]

Stefan Monnier wrote:
> >> That's another issue altogether, let's not add to confusion.
> 
> > No it's not.  If someone proposes to override system differentiation
> > of the two Alt keys and treat them the same, while I propose to fully
> > honor the system differentiation of the Alt keys (if they are considered
> > different by the system to begin with), that's not another issue.  Those
> > are two opposing views on the same issue.
> 
> Actually you are not proposing to "fully honor the system differentiation of
> the Alt keys".  You are only proposing to make LEIM understand the
> Mode_switch key.  Emacs already obeys your system's setup where what you
> think of as a "right alt key" is actually not an alt key but a Mode_switch.
> As a matter of fact, it'd be hard for Emacs not to obey this differentiation
> because as far as Emacs is concerned this is *not* an alt key in any sense
> of the word (otherwise it would send an Alt_L or Alt_R event and it'd be
> bound to some modifier bit rather than sending a Mode_switch event).

Frankly, I don't care a little bit how it looks from Emacs point of view.
It is not there for Emacs convenience, it is there for the user convenience.
When I configure `xkb' to make right Alt disable the current layout while
pressed, I expect right Alt to disable the current layout, sort of.  When
in Emacs right Alt is essentially ignored ([right Alt]-ъ types `ъ' just as
simple `ъ' does), that has no useful value for me at all.

If Mode_switch has multiple functions (I don't really know about `xkb'),
then it should possible for Emacs to decide which exact operation it should
perform on Mode_switch.  If it is not possible to deduce automatically, then
Emacs should ask the user (probably passively, by providing a customization
option.)

Yes, I'm proposing that LEIM behaves more like `xkb' layout switcher.  Do
you not see that they do the same thing: they switch layouts?  Do you not
agree that when there are such strong parallels between two different
mechanism functionalities, it is very convenient when they also have the
same interface?

> So as Eli said, please let's not add to confusion.

The current ignoring of Mode_switch confuses _me_ as a user.

Paul