Re: Emacs on OS X - configuration package

[Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca>]

> I've looked briefly at this package and since I use Emacs under
> Apple's X11 interface not Aqua, much of it would have to be altered to
> be useful for me.

For the X11 build of Emacs, I think we want to stay as "plain Emacs" as
possible: people who want a Macish feel should use the Carbon version.

> The Apple key, a.k.a. the Command (Cmd) key, serves as Meta
> inconsistently.

What do you mean by inconsistently?

> If (setq mac-command-key-is-meta nil) is set, then
> these keybindings would not override any Emacs Meta keybindings, I
> would think; that setq makes Alt function as Meta.

My question was: what will it appear as.  From what you say it will appear
as Meta by default and can be changed to appear as ... what ... Alt?

> IME however, this is *highly* inconsistent, and may function differently
> in Emacs built for Apple's Mac OS X Aqua interface vs. the OS X X11

Inconsistent with what?  Under X11, the Apple key appears as Meta, so it
seems the defaults are consistent.

>>> - Emacs has a normal menu.
>> Good.
> This probably means "normal" in Mac terms, which puts the menu bar at
> the top of the screen, separate from the window (frame) of the
> application.  Although Emacs built with Andrew's patches for Mac OS X
> Aqua does have "normal" Mac menus.

I believe he was talking about the Carbon version and was hence referring
to the Emacs *menu* (not menubar) which until now was fairly non-standard
(e.g. no `exit' entry IIRC).

> Most Mac applications open files in a new window (frame) with one
> buffer per frame.

Hmmm AFAIK most Mac applications don't have the notion of buffer-vs-window,
and this equally applies to Windows and X11.  Emacs does it differently,
but the difference is not specific to Mac.

> You can bring any window forward by clicking on it.  The Emacs approach to
> this takes quite a bit of getting used to for Mac users.

Again, non-specific to Mac.  I'm not arguing the feature is bad (after all,
I've been using such a one-frame-per-buffer scheme for years and it took
a good bit of effort), just that it should be available to non-Mac users
as well.

>>> - Mouse Wheel works
>> Didn't it already work before?
> Inconsistent again.  I find that the mouse wheel worked in some Aqua
> builds but does not work at all in builds for Apple's X11 interface.

Which Emacs build are you referring to?  Have you tried Emacs-CVS recently?
I use my mouse wheel all the time with no problem in Emacs/X11/Mac.


        Stefan