Re: Backspace direction reversion

Kyle> Martin Buchholz writes: SL> My argument against is simple. The failure mode is catastrophic SL> in exactly the same way that we wanted to fix when we first got SL> into this. There are keyboards in the mule lab that XEmacs is SL> completely clueless to deal with[1]. With them, the big key SL> labeled "Delete" stops deleting backwards and in order to get a SL> delete backwards requires a shifted keystroke. Kyle> The keys are used differently. Chars are deleted backward Kyle> typically as an integral part of entering text. You type "teh" Kyle> instead of "the", tap backspace a couple of times, fix it and Kyle> keep typing. Forward deletes typically occur when text is being Kyle> proofed and edited after being entered. This is a different Kyle> typing dynamic. I agree that the BackSpace and Delete keys are often used in the way you describe, but I don't understand how this affects the argument. It is also true that the `=' character is much more likely to be used during initial text input than subsequent text editing, when compared to the use of the Delete key, but I don't see why the usage pattern makes a difference to our keybinding strategy. Kyle> If this Happy Hacking keyboard is the only keyboard where we lose Kyle> on the DEL/BS issue, and this keyboard isn't in widespread use, Kyle> then I'm ready to declare victory. We have come a long way. Kyle> The question is, are we there yet? Are keyboards like this in Kyle> widespread use in Japan? And what is the source of the difficulty Kyle> exactly? Why doesn't the tty-erase-char rule produce the Kyle> correct behavior? The current debate is only about the behavior under X11, I think. The tty problem is related, but different. It's funny - X11 has the problem `Why doesn't the Delete key delete forwards', while ttys have the problem `Why doesn't the BackSpace key delete backwards'. Martin