M-! -- new or other binding ??

M-! -- new or other binding ??

[William Case]

Hi;

I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the reach
for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.  Have I
missed a keyboarding trick using one hand or can someone suggest another
binding that wouldn't disturb the default key bindings but would still
be an easier reach?
-- 
Regards Bill

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[Lennart Borgman (gmail)]

William Case wrote:
> Hi;
> 
> I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the reach
> for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.  Have I
> missed a keyboarding trick using one hand or can someone suggest another
> binding that wouldn't disturb the default key bindings but would still
> be an easier reach?

You may have missed this hand-saver

   http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/StickyModifiers

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[William Case]

Thanks Lennart;

On Wed, 2007-04-11 at 23:53 +0200, Lennart Borgman (gmail) wrote:
> William Case wrote:
> > Hi;
> > 
> > I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the reach
> > for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.  Have I
> > missed a keyboarding trick using one hand or can someone suggest another
> > binding that wouldn't disturb the default key bindings but would still
> > be an easier reach?
> 
> You may have missed this hand-saver
> 
>    http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki/StickyModifiers

Yes, I saw the .../wiki/StickyModifiers and after receiving your
suggestion read it carefully.  As a first solution I was hoping to find
a keyboarding slight of hand or an alternative key binding.  The problem
with the sticky key solution is that it affects all keys and I am only
having a problem with one key combination at the moment.  But I haven't
thrown out stickkeys as a solution if I can't find something else.

-- 
Regards Bill

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[Lennart Borgman (gmail)]

William Case wrote:

> Yes, I saw the .../wiki/StickyModifiers and after receiving your
> suggestion read it carefully.  As a first solution I was hoping to find
> a keyboarding slight of hand or an alternative key binding.  The problem
> with the sticky key solution is that it affects all keys and I am only
> having a problem with one key combination at the moment.  But I haven't
> thrown out stickkeys as a solution if I can't find something else.

What is the problem with stickykeys really? You can continue typing as 
you used to. (As long as you do not accidently hit any of the modifier 
keys Alt, Ctrl or Shift. And if you do some system can display their 
status too which you might check when you are unsure.)

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[Kai Grossjohann]

William Case <billlinux@rogers.com> writes:

> I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the reach
> for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.

I often type ESC Shift-1.  I think sometimes it may work to type
Shift-ESC Shift-1.  This way, you hold the Shift key, then hit ESC and
1 (they are next to each other on my keyboard - all hail HHKL!), then
release the Shift key.

Kai

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[Dieter Wilhelm]

William Case <billlinux@rogers.com> writes:

> I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the reach
> for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.  Have I
> missed a keyboarding trick using one hand or can someone suggest another

I use the left thumb on ALT the little finger of the same hand on 1
and the little finger on the right hand on SHIFT.  (In this way your
hand remains in touch type position.)

-- 
    Best wishes

    H. Dieter Wilhelm
    Darmstadt, Germany

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[Bill White]

William Case <billlinux@rogers.com> writes:

> I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the
> reach for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.
> Have I missed a keyboarding trick using one hand or can someone
> suggest another binding that wouldn't disturb the default key
> bindings but would still be an easier reach?

Have you looked into training your right hand to type those modifier
keys while your left types '1'?  M-^ (delete-indentation) is awkward
for my left hand so I took a day or so to train my right hand to type
the right <shift> and <alt> keys for it.

Cheers -

bw
--
"No, ma'am, we're musicians."

Re: M-! -- new or other binding ??

[Maciej Katafiasz]

Den Sun, 29 Apr 2007 23:01:39 +0000 skrev Bill White:

>> I find myself using the shell-command (M-!) a lot lately and the
>> reach for all the keys (on my keyboard Alt+Shft+!) is difficult.
>> Have I missed a keyboarding trick using one hand or can someone
>> suggest another binding that wouldn't disturb the default key
>> bindings but would still be an easier reach?
> 
> Have you looked into training your right hand to type those modifier
> keys while your left types '1'?  M-^ (delete-indentation) is awkward
> for my left hand so I took a day or so to train my right hand to type
> the right <shift> and <alt> keys for it.

Note that right Alt is not usable for that on most layouts other than
pure US QWERTY (even US Intl I believe), because it's used as AltGr.

Cheers,
Maciej