From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Florian Beck Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: How to type when using Emacs? Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:34:18 +0200 Organization: T-Online Message-ID: <8763rcm4np.fsf@sophokles.streitblatt.de> References: NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1215816056 9051 80.91.229.12 (11 Jul 2008 22:40:56 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 22:40:56 +0000 (UTC) To: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org Original-X-From: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Sat Jul 12 00:41:43 2008 Return-path: Envelope-to: geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([199.232.76.165]) by lo.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.50) id 1KHRJ1-0005OS-U0 for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:41:36 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:39443 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KHRI9-00063D-UK for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:40:41 -0400 Original-Path: news.stanford.edu!newsfeed.stanford.edu!goblin1!goblin.stu.neva.ru!newsfeed.straub-nv.de!newsfeed01.sul.t-online.de!newsmm00.sul.t-online.de!t-online.de!news.t-online.com!not-for-mail Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help Original-Lines: 76 Original-X-Trace: news.t-online.com 1215815658 01 28333 DBRIOnXrgdiMehI 080711 22:34:18 Original-X-Complaints-To: usenet-abuse@t-online.de X-ID: GF3DLOZ-weGkJfj9Fyuf+QHX47DaFPdF7tVpvWZC5O3OyJiqWhBZZY User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/23.0.60 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:0Fk/w5HxauAs81U4FRFODZERdqc= Original-Xref: news.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:160107 X-BeenThere: help-gnu-emacs@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Users list for the GNU Emacs text editor List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Original-Sender: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Errors-To: help-gnu-emacs-bounces+geh-help-gnu-emacs=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.help:55450 Archived-At: harven writes: > Hi, > > I am typing on a laptop keyboard. Switching the control and > caps lock key really was a big relief for me. For me too. I rediscovered Emacs about a year ago, and I am almost exclusively working on my laptop. Using the former CAPS key for CTR means I only have to move my little finger *one* position from home row (as opposed to one to the left and two down for the former CONTROL.) I wouldn't outright dismiss Xah's recommendation, though: it really depends on your keyboard – if Xah can press CONTROL with his palm, his keyboard is very different from mine. So, how to type - that *also* depends on your keyboard. In my case, CONTROL is almost home row, just left of the »a«. What I would recommend is to distinguish between commands you use during editing and all other commands. Command *frequency* is not really the issue. It is more about work flow. Everything I use when I write has to be near home row, modulo CTR and META. I use C-j for return (which is *three* steps from home row) and have bound C-h to backspace. In my setup, the control keys are somewhat asymmetrically, the right one being below »_«. This is something you get used to quickly, I think. I use them pretty much like the SHIFT keys. Also, I would recommend not to waste home row keybindings on convenience commands. Even if you are using them as often as once per minute (help for example), moving my fingers does not hurt in this case. I bound all convenience commands to ESC (alias C-ü in my case), eg »ESC f m« for setting the default font to monospace. So, my recommendation is: learn touch typing, perhaps move your control key (depending on your keyboard) and rebind any key you feel is awkward to reach. Oh, by the way: if you have a non-US keyboard and you do a lot of programming you might think about switching back some keys to the US position, or some other convenient one (e.g »{» or »[»). Other keys I have thought about rebinding are the number keys: nicely placed, (relatively) rarely used and duplicated on the numpad. Finally, if you are using X, you should definitely make your keyboard use ALT, SUPER, HYPER and COMPOSE. (Probably not for editing, though, I use ALT for »viewing« (e.g. ALT-u outline-up-heading), SUPER for rearranging (transposing paragraphs) and reserve HYPER for my window manager). > > Another spot that some people consider is right to the side > of the space bar. This is however the standard position for > the meta key on many keyboards, and a perfect position for it. > > I use now the meta key as much as I use the control key. > I think that this will be the case for you as soon as your > emacs skills improve. These two modifiers are really meant > to work together e.g. to reach some point on the line, first > jump over words with M-f then move into the word with > C-f. The combination of the two modifiers also gives > you access to powerful commands -- try for example > C-M-f or C-M-k in front of a parenthesis group. > A well-balanced use of the meta and control > modifiers makes for faster editing and halves the use > of the control key. Definitely. I placed my meta key just above CONTROL (i.e. where the tab key was – which swapped which whatever was above it). Do not be afraid to heavily modify your .Xmodmap. > Finally, if you want to learn touch-typing, you may want > to have a look to the dvorak layout. I would love to, but I cannot change my keyboard. -- Florian Beck