Re: Meta-key Madness (argh!!)

[Eric Hanchrow <offby1@blarg.net>]

>>>>> "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.

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