Re: Key bindings proposal

[Xah Lee]

Uday S Reddy <address@hidden> writes:

> Hi guys, I am not sure where this discussion is headed.  Whether these
> applications of the windows key are "useful" or not is for the users
> to determine, is it not?

Chong Yidong wrote:
> The problem is that Lennart's proposed solution seems to be the wrong
> one.  If you want to rebind the Windows key to a modifier key, the
> conceptually correct way to do it should be via a separate program,
> separate from Emacs.  That is exactly how it is done on GNU/Linux (where
> conventions like Alt-TAB are commonly respected, nowadays).
>
> If there is any technical reason why this cannot be done on Windows, I
> have not yet seen anyone argue it.

Emacs on Mac all allow either Cmd or Opt to be Meta though.

doesn't matter which choice, they step on the OS's function. Cmd is 
Mac's primary modifier (e.g. copy is Cmd+c, open is Cmd+o), and Opt is 
for inserting special chars (e.g. like AltGr).

same can be said on Windows. Both Alt and Win key have OS purposes.

doesn't matter which key emacs uses a meta by default on either Mac or 
Windows, they intrude the OS keys. Doesn't make sense to me to say 
setting Win key as Meta is not stepping on OS operation while setting it 
to Win is.

(personally i prefer Alt as Meta on Windows and i don't agree with 
Lennart or Uday that Alt is more critical than Win in Windows. I think 
they are both rather important, and i use both heavily on Windows 
outside of emacs. Win key in general is for system-wide operation, and 
Microsoft in last few years has more and more emphazied that key's 
importance thru Windows Vista and now Windows 7. Alt is importance 
because it provides a system wide method to access any app's menu by 
pressing key sequences. Quite efficient and is commonly used by power 
users (e.g. programers).)

Overall, i don't think there's any conclusive argument whether by 
default Alt or Win should be Meta, but providing this choice to user i 
think is critical for emacs.

 Xah