Re: Proposal: Bind backspace and delete like DEL in view-mode

[Kai Großjohann]

address@hidden (Kim F. Storm) writes:

> Basically, I still feel that when emacs prints a certain name for an
> event, then it should be possible to use that same name when making a
> binding for that event.

Of course, my suggestion is to advise people to use the kbd syntax,
as it gives what you want.

Please note that using the non-kbd syntax already requires some
knowledge.  In particular, when Emacs 20 prints "C-f1" you have to
write [C-f1] in define-key but when Emacs 20 prints "C-a" you have to
write "\C-a" or [?\C-a] in define-key.  (Emacs 21 prints "<C-f1>" and
"C-a" so the presence of the angle brackets is some indication.  But
it's still a lot easier to just copy the string that Emacs 21 prints,
verbatim, to kbd.)

I strongly believe that the kbd syntax should be somehow default.
For example, define-key could look whether the key definition is a
string, and if so, it could look for \C-x and suchlike constructs in
it.  If none are present, it could hand the string to kbd and use the
result.  I'm not sure if this is feasible.

But I am convinced that the kbd syntax is the best syntax to use for
newbies, because it is (since Emacs 21) exactly equal to the printout
from C-h c, C-h l, C-h k and friends!

kai
-- 
Simplification good!  Oversimplification bad!  (Larry Wall)