Re: How to get rid of *GNU Emacs* buffer on start-up?

[Xah]

On Sep 24, 10:15 am, Nikolaj Schumacher <m...@nschum.de> wrote:
> Xah Lee <x...@xahlee.org> wrote:
> > After a while coming back to your message, i think i got it. You mean,
> > basically, the Cmd key's function on the mac is roughly equivalent to
> > Windows's Ctrl. So, Ctrl+n doesn't actually crate a new something, it
> > is actually Cmd+n. Ctrl+n on the mac in fact does nothing in most
> > browsers.
>
> > Is that what you are saying? It's quite silly you know?
>
> You're looking at my note from the wrong direction.
>
> First of all, we need to clear something up:  Ctrl+n on the mac does in
> fact do something.  It moves the cursor to the next line in many apps.
> That includes browsers (I've tested Firefox, Safari and Camino).
>
> Ctrl+d, Ctrl+p, Ctrl+f, Ctrl+b, Ctrl+a, Ctrl+e and Ctrl+k work as well.


> > Similarly, in our context, when i say Ctrl+n is a standard or
> > familiar with most software users, you can't argue that Mac is a
> > exception just because it uses Cmd instead of Ctrl.
>
> My argument goes the other way around.
>
> I'm not saying Ctrl+n for "new thing" is not standard.  I'm just saying
> that Ctrl+n for "next line" is /also/ a standard, even if less common.
> (But more common than 0.01%, even in browsers)
>
> Clearly those two clash, except on the Macs, where one of them was
> conveniently moved to another modifier.  It's not silly to bring that up,
> because it shows that both standards have /some/ relevance in modern
> systems.
>
> I hope you're getting what I'm saying.  It's not that I don't associate
> Ctrl+n with "new window" (just because it's Cmd+n on my Mac), it's that
> I somewhat associate it with both commands.  The same goes for a bunch
> of other people, who aren't "cave-dwelling, text-browser-using tech
> geekers".
>
> Of course, there's nothing wrong with picking "new thing" for Ctrl+n,
> because it's (by far) the most popular choice.  But you can't simply
> dismiss the other meaning as obscure, especially not given Emacs' current
> audience, where the "next line" interpretation is arguable more common
> than anywhere else.

I disagree the above is a good argument.

The Ctrl+n behavor on the mac, is limited to text editing contexts.
So, in fact, Ctrl+n does not do anything in any app, unless your are
in a text editing mode. For example, in Safari, Ctrl+n doesn't do
anything unless you are in a text form or text field, then it does
behave like a down arrow key.

These emacs based editing shortcuts on the Mac, is a special class of
keyboard shortcuts, quite distinct from typical shortcuts that control
apps. They appeared in Mac OS X only in about 2004. They do not always
work even today. The work only for apps written using the Cocoa Text
System. (practically, there are few mainstream apps this doesn't work.
I don't remember, but i think it didn't work in Firefox 2. Haven't
tested in Firefox 3 neither. It does not even in Apple's apps such as
Finder and iTune.)

These emacs-based editing shortcuts on the Mac, are also not widely
known even among Mac users. (am not even sure it is officially
documented somewhere in Help) They are not listed in any app's
graphical menu as far as i know.

So, i don't think this Mac case takes away any force in saying that
Ctrl+n for New is familiar and a universal practical standard in UI.

-------

It might be of interest to readers here that you can actually
customize these OS wide. For a complete tutorial, see:

• How To Create Your Own Keybinding In Mac Os X
http://xahlee.org/emacs/osx_keybinding.html

  Xah
∑ http://xahlee.org/

☄