Making the tab key insert a tab

Making the tab key insert a tab

[rbell]

	In the good old days (23.3 and before?) emacs used to insert a
tab when I hit the tab key.  Now it ignores it.  I have to hit ctrl-q
tab.  I want emacs to insert a tab when I hit the tab key.  I've
searched the internet and tried many apparent solutions - to no avail.
I usually use Parindent mode.

russell bell

Re: Making the tab key insert a tab

[Gregory Heytings]

>
> In the good old days (23.3 and before?) emacs used to insert a tab when 
> I hit the tab key.  Now it ignores it.  I have to hit ctrl-q tab.  I 
> want emacs to insert a tab when I hit the tab key.  I've searched the 
> internet and tried many apparent solutions - to no avail. I usually use 
> Parindent mode.
>

You can use (global-set-key (kbd "TAB") 'self-insert-command).  Or perhaps 
(global-set-key (kbd "TAB") 'tab-to-tab-stop), which lets you configure 
the tab stops.

Re: Making the tab key insert a tab

[John Haman]

You might take a look at the documentation for variable
`tab-always-indent`. I bet if you set `tab-always-indent` to nil, you
can get the behavior you are looking for.

--
Dr. John Haman
Maryland, USA

Re: Making the tab key insert a tab

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2022 10:21:31 -0700
> From: rbell@alumni.caltech.edu
> 
> 
> 	In the good old days (23.3 and before?) emacs used to insert a
> tab when I hit the tab key.

In which mode was that?  I just tried Emacs 23.3, and TAB there behaves like
it does nowadays.

> I have to hit ctrl-q tab.  I want emacs to insert a tab when I hit the tab
> key.

You need to rebind TAB to a different command, most probably
self-insert-command.

Re: Making the tab key insert a tab

[rbell]

	Quoth Gregory Heytings:

	'You can use (global-set-key (kbd "TAB") 'self-insert-command).'
	We have a winner!  Thanks.  How could I have missed it.

	Quoth Dr. John Haman:

	'You might take a look at the documentation for variable
`tab-always-indent`. I bet if you set `tab-always-indent` to nil, you
can get the behavior you are looking for.'
	I had already tried this, to no avail.
	I used to live in Maryland.

russell bell