Aucb.116
fa.editor-p
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!C70:editor-p
Sun Dec 6 11:08:30 1981
meta keys
>From reid@Shasta Sun Dec 6 11:06:19 1981
Sender: reid at Shasta
Remailed-date: 6 Dec 1981 1055-PST
Remailed-from: J.Q. Johnson <ADMIN.JQJ AT SU-SCORE>
Remailed-to: editor-people-distribution at SU-SCORE
The meta (nee-escape) is always conveniently
located (on my terminal at least) in the upper left hand corner.
Meta is not nee escape; it's rather the other way 'round. The
difference is quite important. If I want to execute meta-control-d
three times, then I hold down meta and control and hit "ddd". If I want
to type "dw" three times, then I hit "dwdwdw". Terminals having no
proper "meta" key use the hack of a prefix escape, but in the process
of doing so lose the advantages of keystroke minimization.
Having the commonly-used prefix or chord characters located at the
periphery of the keyboard but still within reach of the home row is
definitely a win. I don't know how much of a win.
I don't consider that the notions of keystroke minimization a la EMACS
and cross product languages a la ZED are in fact contradictory. A
keyboard could be designed that had chord keys labeled "word",
"character", and "paragraph"; one would hold down "word" and "d" to
delete a word. Right now my "word" key is labeled "meta"; my
"paragraph" key is actually the combination of "control" and "meta",
and my "character" key is labeled "control". Using sequences rather
than chords has the advantage of permitting longer sequences, but the
disadvantage of being permutation-selective: DN2W and 2NDW don't mean
the same thing.
The Laurel 6 editor in use at Xerox Parc offers an EMACS-style modeless
operation and a VI/ZED-style modal operation; the user can select
between those two styles of operation by tweaking some profile file. If
you are running modally, then you type "I" to enter insert mode and ESC
to get out of it, and "D" to delete something. If you are running
modelessly, then you hold down the "command" chord button and hit "D"
to delete something, and just type straight text in order to insert it.
I'd be curious to know what fraction of the users of that editor choose
to run it each of the two ways.
Today in the supermarket I was waiting in line behind a man who was
giving the checker fits about prices, and at one point the checker
needed to un-record something on the electronic cash register. He
shouted to the manager "Joe! I need a Delete Key". I expected to see
the manager rip a keytop off another cash register and hand it to him,
but what actually happened is that the manager brought over a large
brass key, which when applied caused the "+" button to mean "-".
So much for terminology. At least the manager didn't shout back "Just
type control-meta-D".
Brian Reid
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