From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: don provan Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.help Subject: Re: How to type when using Emacs? Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:04:12 -0700 Message-ID: References: NNTP-Posting-Host: lo.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1215834492 14303 80.91.229.12 (12 Jul 2008 03:48:12 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:48:12 +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 05:48:59 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 1KHW6O-0007AO-VF for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Sat, 12 Jul 2008 05:48:53 +0200 Original-Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:45744 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.43) id 1KHW5X-0006CD-EP for geh-help-gnu-emacs@m.gmane.org; Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:47:59 -0400 Original-Path: news.stanford.edu!headwall.stanford.edu!newshub.sdsu.edu!Xl.tags.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!local02.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.comcast.com!news.comcast.com.POSTED!not-for-mail Original-NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:56:50 -0500 Original-Newsgroups: gnu.emacs.help User-Agent: Gnus/5.1006 (Gnus v5.10.6) Emacs/21.3 (windows-nt) Cancel-Lock: sha1:C4xVVUlnwxdFvtZf1Y1ppXgXWs4= Original-Lines: 26 X-Usenet-Provider: http://www.giganews.com Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: 24.4.45.18 Original-X-Trace: sv3-WziYRIYpsniimXeV47uhooxAkSGk9iFZtDS9QY94dTXU5Hi/WXfve3dfiDqjSheZ7O/p/E2JthKbP78!KfVQJrZ8wZqBQqM3nawbtdPitNcEQlkbgkAyOLNitZOD2p1eAoJEUaQxRgnCzqfPUUx62JMbxDHo Original-X-Complaints-To: abuse@comcast.net X-DMCA-Complaints-To: dmca@comcast.net X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly X-Postfilter: 1.3.39 Original-Xref: news.stanford.edu gnu.emacs.help:160098 X-Mailman-Approved-At: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:38:51 -0400 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:55466 Archived-At: SomeDeveloper writes: > Just getting started with Emacs. Would like to get advice on how to > train finger movement when learning/using Emacs. I touch type, just making a slight adjustment for the left pinkie when necessary to issue commands. Keep in mind that the whole idea of Emacs text entry is that you enter text normally, and issuing commands is a exception involving doing something physically different such as holding down control. So whatever you do, in my opinion, it should be very easy to type normally. I actually make a couple of adjustments to the commands to avoid having to go off base for common commands. (I use ^H for backspace, for example.) I also avoid using the keypad keys for the most part. Speaking of left pinkie and Xah's suggestion that you use right control, I rarely use right control. To a large extent this is habit, but I think it's also because of something else Xah said: I find that on most keyboards, right control is way too far away. If you can find a keyboard with control pulled in to the position Xah suggests, you might find right control more useful. But do you want to get in the habit and then have to deal with it when you end up using a standard layout with right control way out in right field? -don