Subject: Re: port-i386/2264: extremely annoying choice of key map for standard PC keyboard BACKSPACE key
To: Mike Long <mike.long@analog.com>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@most.weird.com>
List: port-i386
Date: 03/27/1996 17:46:30
[ On Wed, March 27, 1996 at 16:51:35 (EST), Mike Long wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: port-i386/2264: extremely annoying choice of key map for standard PC keyboard BACKSPACE key
>
> I actually get *much* more irritated when I hit the BackSpace key, and
> Emacs gives me:
> 
> C-h (Type ? for further options)-
> 
> That's why I'd like things to stay as they are.

But on X11, the backspace key again generates 0x8, so what do you do
there?  Of course you can map the keys, and various versions of emacs do
various mappings in the X11 interface, but not if started remotely using
an xterm as your interface.

Here's some stuff for your ~/.emacs file that'll cure the problem once
and for all, keeping everything consistent....  Well almost consistent
-- there are a couple of other modes which hard-wire keys in bad ways.

;;; first off, we do some fancy stuff to make C-h work "properly," but still
;;; have good access to the help functions!
;;;
;;; NOTE: this *should* work by simply reading termio for current erase char.
;;;
(global-set-key "\C-h" 'delete-backward-char)
(global-set-key "\C-?" 'delete-char)
(global-set-key "\e\C-h" 'backward-kill-word)
(global-set-key "\e\C-?" 'kill-word)
(global-set-key "\e?" 'help-command)		; smart enough to set itself up

;; I *USUALLY* EXPECT THE BACKSPACE KEY TO GENERATE AN ASCII BACKSPACE!
(define-key function-key-map [backspace] [8])
(define-key function-key-map [backspace] [?\C-h])
(define-key function-key-map [C-backspace] [?\C-h])
(define-key function-key-map [M-backspace] [?\M-\C-h])

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 443-1734			VE3TCP			robohack!woods
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