Re: Emacs on OS X - configuration package

[Tim McNamara <timmcn@bitstream.net>]

Stefan Monnier <monnier@iro.umontreal.ca> writes:

>> - OS X standard keyboard shortcuts: Apple-S saves a file, Apple-Q
>> for quit, Apple-C/X/V for clipboard operations, Apple-F to find a
>> string - and many more
>
> What is `Apple' mapped to in Emacs terms?  If those bindings
> override some of the default bindings, then maybe it would be better
> to get your behavior by hacking on cua-mode.

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.  However, as an 18 year veteran of Mac OS I can
address a few things.

The Apple key, a.k.a. the Command (Cmd) key, serves as Meta
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.  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 interface (which
BTW runs rootless by default and is interleaved with Aqua application
windows).  However, if Cmd = Meta, then there are conflicts in the
keybindings- M-q and Cmd-q, for example.

Cmd-Q is the universal keybinding for quitting an application under
Mac OS.  It doesn't work with Andrew Choi's patches- you have to use
C-x C-c to quit Emacs.  Cmd-Q would in this instance be the same as
C-x C-c; I presume this is an additional keymapping rather than an
override.  C-w would become Cmd-x in this scheme, and C-y would become
Cmd-v; M-w would be Cmd-c.

>> - 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.

>> - When you load a file, a new window opens (Emacs calls this: a
>> frame). ( Closing with Apple-W currently has a few glitches.)
>
> This seems completely orthogonal to the OS you're running on.

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

>> - 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.
It does function at button 2 if clicked, but provides no scrolling.
No settings in .emacs will make the mouse wheel work IME.

Pressing the mouse wheel and scrolling will do a C-y of the most
recent item in the kill ring, though.