Re: Why all the Alt bindings by default?

[Stefan Monnier]

> A-SPC          
> A-!           ¡
> A-"           Prefix Command
> A-$           ¤
> A-'           Prefix Command
> A-*           Prefix Command
> A-+           ±
> A-,           Prefix Command
> A--           ­
> A-.           ·
> A-/           Prefix Command
> A-1           Prefix Command
> A-3           Prefix Command
> A-<           «
> A-=           ¯
> A->           »
> A-?           ¿
> A-C           ©
> A-L           £
> A-P           ¶
> A-R           ®
> A-S           §
> A-Y           ¥
> ...

These are key remappings implemented in key-translation-map.  They are
available under C-x 8 as well as under the Alt modifier (I didn't
remember this and had to track it down to re-learn it).

> Actually, I don't know what these keys do.  The fancy characters are shown in
> the `binding' column.  What does it mean for a key to be bound to a character
> (as opposed to command `self-insert-command')?

These are not key bindings, but key remappings.

> I don't even know how to hit such keys to see what `C-h k' says.  By default,
> Alt is Meta, at least on most platforms.

Yes.  I think that's why it doesn't get in the way.

> I tried `(describe-key (kbd "A-/"))' etc., but that just says "A-/ is
> undefined".

Indeed, it's not bound.

BTW in my tests "emacs -Q" followed by "C-h b" does not show those Alt
mappings.  Only after loading iso-transl (which is triggered by hitting
C-x 8 but also by C-h b, so a second C-h b will show the Alt mappings
oddly enough).


        Stefan