From xemacs-m  Sun May 18 20:36:53 1997
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Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 02:39:19 +0100
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From: Glynn Clements <glynn@sensei.co.uk>
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To: XEmacs Developers <xemacs-beta@xemacs.org>
Subject: More DEL/BS nonsense, alas (Was Re: DEL patch, as promised.)
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OK, how about the `lets start from scratch' option:

Introduce two completely new keysyms. `delete-backwards' and
`delete-forwards' should be sufficiently unambiguous.

Bind all deletion functions to one or the other.

Change tty event code to make \177 produce a completely new keysym,
e.g. ascii-delete.

Change the terminal init files to make \e[3~ and the like produce a
completely new keysym, e.g. `terminal-delete'.

Change the X event code to map `Delete' and `BackSpace' onto two
completely new keysyms, e.g. `x-delete' and `x-backspace'.

Provide a convenient mechanism to translate the `physical' keysyms
into the `virtual' keysyms, in whatever manner the user desires.

My chosen configuration would look like this:

	ascii-delete	->	delete-backwards
	x-backspace	->	delete-backwards

	terminal-delete	->	delete-forwards
	x-delete	->	delete-forwards

Other people's configurations would doubtless be different.

Ideally get rid of `delete' and `backspace' altogether; they seem to
mean too many things to too many people.

If they have to stay, put them in some kind of compatibility package,
so that they're on the fringes, not at the heart of things.

Yes, I know this would mean loads of work, but I just don't
see any other clean way around it.

The current system boils down to the user having to rebind the keys
themselves in every mode, assuming they know about all of the modes in 
the first place.

-- 
Glynn Clements <glynn@sensei.co.uk>

