Re: Insert Euro symbol

[Kai.Grossjohann@CS.Uni-Dortmund.DE (Kai Großjohann)]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

>     > That would be a good idea in principle--if we first extend the
>     > Latin-1 input methods so they can handle all the Latin-1 characters.
>     > Right now C-x 8 handles some that Latin-1-postfix does not.
>
>     For the C-x 8 case, it seems convenient that people can use either
>     C-x 8 ' e or C-x 8 e ' to insert the same character.  This would be
>     an argument in favor of a new input method.
>
> I don't exactly follow.  It is an argument in favor of which
> new input method?  To do what?

You suggested to change C-x 8 such that it reads a single key sequence
using an existing "secondary" input method.  Then people can use input
method A for the normal case and use C-x 8 (or another key) to insert
rarely used characters with input method B.

I like this suggestion.

I'm only making a very minor proposal: while people should be able to
choose any input method for C-x 8, it might be nice to create a new
input method that's specially designed for C-x 8.  Here's why:  A
normal input method should take care not to "steal" to many character
sequences from users, as users normally want to type in regular ascii
text.  But after the user has typed C-x 8 they don't want to type in
regular ascii text, they want to type in nonascii characters.  So it
is okay to "steal" more characters.

One specific example of "stealing" more characters is that existing
(Latin) input methods are either prefix or postfix methods, but not
both.  But the C-x 8 input method can be both, without
inconveniencing users.  So the C-x 8 input method could allow users
to type, say, "' e" to get é (like a latin-*-prefix input method), and
it could also allow users to type "e '" (like a latin-*-postfix
method).


How would one go about writing a command which reads a single key
sequence according to an input method?  Just tell me where to start
looking.

kai
-- 
Silence is foo!