[Top][All Lists]
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?
From: |
Deniz Dogan |
Subject: |
Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound? |
Date: |
Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:54:30 +0100 |
2011/1/12 Drew Adams <address@hidden>:
>> > There is no reason for Emacs to bind Alt-F4 (or M-f4) by default.
>> > It should be kept for anyone to bind to anything. (Just
>> > one more opinion.)
>>
>> On the other hand, it wouldn't be a big deal for Emacs to have a
>> default binding. Anyone who cares enough will be able to rebind it.
>>
>> There's always discussion about making Emacs a more well behaved
>> application on Windows and this seems like a low-hanging fruit?
>
> I respectfully disagree.
>
> 1. There's _no special reason_ to give _this_ key a default binding.
>
> 2. While it is true that a default binding can be overridden, that's not a
> good
> enough argument for making a _particular_ default binding.
>
> 3. Default bindings tend to become sacrosanct in the eyes of many over time.
> A
> library (or even a user) that binds one can be thought by some to be going
> against the grain (convention).
>
> 4. It's not because some key is unbound that we should give it a default
> binding. If the argument that a default binding can always be overridden were
> sufficient for creating default bindings, then we would bind _every_ key by
> default. Even a random default binding would be bound to please someone, and
> "Anyone who cares enough will be able to rebind it."
>
> 5. Slippery slope. Windows uses key XYZ for blah, so we bind it. Then
> someone
> says "Hey, we respect the Windows binding by default for XYZ, why not also for
> UVW and RST and ...?
>
> "It wouldn't be a big deal for Emacs to have a default binding" - epitaph on a
> tombstone in Boot Hill, Tombstone, Arizona.
>
I'm neither for nor against this proposal anymore, but I'd like it if
we keep the discussion going, so here are my thoughts.
1. But there is a point to it! I may be wrong, but isn't M-f4 what
most desktop environments, e.g. KDE and Gnome, use to close a window
by default? To a new Emacs user, which we have to consider, M-f4 *not*
closing the window on a Windows system could potentially be confusing
and maybe even irritating. The new user maybe doesn't know that she
can make new key bindings herself and even if she knows she *can* make
new bindings, maybe she doesn't know what command to bind it to.
save-buffers-kill-terminal probably isn't what first comes to mind.
4. No one is saying we should bind M-f4 because it is unused. It's
just that it could have a very useful default binding for Windows
users which just happens to be unused today.
--
Deniz Dogan
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, (continued)
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Eli Zaretskii, 2011/01/05
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Deniz Dogan, 2011/01/05
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Óscar Fuentes, 2011/01/05
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Lennart Borgman, 2011/01/09
- RE: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Drew Adams, 2011/01/09
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Lennart Borgman, 2011/01/09
- RE: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Drew Adams, 2011/01/09
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Lennart Borgman, 2011/01/09
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Stuart Hacking, 2011/01/12
- RE: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Drew Adams, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?,
Deniz Dogan <=
- RE: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Drew Adams, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Chad Brown, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Stefan Monnier, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Deniz Dogan, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Stefan Monnier, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Lennart Borgman, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Óscar Fuentes, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Lennart Borgman, 2011/01/12
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Óscar Fuentes, 2011/01/13
- Re: Bikeshedding go! Why is <M-f4> unbound?, Stefan Monnier, 2011/01/13