Re: C-p, C-b, C-f, and C-n... why?

[Tim Johnson <tim@johnsons-web.com>]

On 2005-11-30, casioculture@gmail.com <casioculture@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> In the tutorial it suggests I use  C-p, C-b, C-f, and C-n rather than
> arrow keys, why should i?
>
> What's even more annoying is this: C-p requires left hand C and right
> hand p, and then C-b requries right hand C and left hand b. Same goes
> for C-f and C-n.
>
> Trying to get used to this is such a pain. It's ludicrous.

    Much of this thread has been devoted to explaining *why*, as if
	emacs' chording paradigm should be defended. I'd like to take
	a different approach and speak briefly about the advantages.

	First of all, tho' let me point out that if your control key is
	not in an advantageous position it makes getting used to 'chording'
	more difficult. On my linux computers, I use xmodmap to swap
	the original caps lock and control keys so that the control key
	is next to the "a" key. Googling this topic should find some
	register scripts that enable this on Windows XP

    Having put the control key in that position, I find the control
	key combinations to be preferable in most cases to arrow keys, but
	having both is the best of both worlds.

    I have found learning emacs to be *extremely* difficult, but
	enabled by this newsgroup, and I have found the learning curve
	well worth the effort and emacs has enable me (and just speaking
	for myself here) to be much more productive than with
	point-and-click and traditional arrow keys, but that is just me..

	When my partner, who uses Kedit watches me on the keyboard, he
	just shakes his head, sighs and says "If only I could learn that!".
	But he can, just by learning a few keystrokes at a time.

	JMTCW
	Tim (who programs in emacs and writes email in Vim)
-- 
Tim Johnson <tim@johnsons-web.com>
      http://www.alaska-internet-solutions.com