Re: What does 'run' do in cperl-mode?

[Xah Lee <xah@xahlee.org>]

On Jul 28, 6:39 am, Ted Zlatanov <t...@lifelogs.com> wrote:
> Meta is not the name of the key, it's the modifier name in today's
> Emacs.

As i mentioned previously, Meta was the name of a key, of which
emacs's term Meta came from.

> As I said, the modifier can be bound to any key (sorry I didn't
> state the terminology clearly originally).  Many think this is a plus.

It doesn't make sense to use a name that's obsolete.

> I doubt your suggestion will find much support because it would break a
> convention that goes back (AFAIK) far further than Windows or Linux.

In technology, terminologies and meaning change rather fast. Some
stays, some gone, not necessarily corresponding to better or worse
with respect to the quality of terms.

> You have to consider the *cost* of breaking something like the Meta
> convention, not just the benefit.

The cost of changing emacs's notation from “M-‹key›” to “Alt+‹key›” in
emacs's manual is about maybe 4 hour's work by a few interactive find-
replace operations in emacs, helped with eye balling.

There is basically no cost to users. Any new user will immediately
understand “Alt+‹key›” and perhaps feel this is a great improvement.
Old emacs users might get a mental shock for the first hour when their
hear about this change in emacs 23's change log, that's about it. Same
for “C-” vs “Ctrl+” notation.

> But feel free to suggest it through
> the proper channels as others have mentioned.

Thanks. If you find this point about notation in manual has some
merit, please help me set records straight.  You can mention it to
your emacs buddies, or link to my article in your blog, etc.

When this issue came up, a lot tech geekers will just think “Oh i
don't want emacs to become another Microsoft Word or be dumbed down”,
which is not rational.

-----------------------

PS I clarified and extended some points about the issue today, please
see:
“Emacs's M-‹key› Notation vs Alt+‹key› Notation”
 http://xahlee.org/emacs/modernization_meta_key.html

The essay's sub headings pretty much summarize it:

• Universally understood
• Notation Same as Key Label
• Meta is Alt in practice
• Keyboards don't have Meta key today
• Misc

  Xah
∑ http://xahlee.org/

☄