Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxn!mhuxm!mhuxf!mhuxi!mhuhk!mhuxt!houxm!whuxl!whuxlm!akgua!gatech!cbosgd!keyboard From: keyboard@cbosgd.UUCP Newsgroups: net.info-terms,net.internat Subject: Re: In search of a sane keyboard standard Message-ID: <2088@cbosgd.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-May-86 14:40:39 EDT Article-I.D.: cbosgd.2088 Posted: Tue May 6 14:40:39 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 9-May-86 10:25:02 EDT References: <2071@cbosgd.UUCP> <245@myrias.UUCP> Sender: mark@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Horton) Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Oh Lines: 107 Xref: watmath net.info-terms:918 net.internat:273 I appreciate the interest in this topic from the community. I'm saving up comments and will make appropriate modifications. From what I've seen so far, changes will probably include: (1) Tightening up the spec a bit, to mention that the caps lock key, if between CTRL and A, must be single width (not VT100 style), that the control keys must do the right thing, that the strange punct keys [ ] \ ` must be somewhere in the upper right, and the like. (2) Rearranging the right keys a bit, e.g. BREAK at far upper right. (My preliminary picture grew to past 80 chars wide, sorry.) (3) Including a third "Horton's Standard Extended ASCII keyboard" which includes META/ALT, arrows, function keys, arrow keys, and numeric pad, along with what they generated ala X3.64. Right now, I'd like to take a survey on some unclear issues. Please reply by mail for this, your 'r' key will probably generate something reasonable, but mail to ...!cbosgd!keyboard or keyboard@seismo.CSS.GOV will work if that fails. In answering these, please include the codes (e.g. BS-1) with each answer; this will help me tabulate the responses. One easy way to do this is to use your R command (from rn) or equivalent option to include the body of this survey, then delete all inappropriate lines. Or you can write down the codes (there are 7 questions a-f) on a scrap of paper and then reply by hand, typing them in on separate lines. Please try to keep your answers to one of the choices given, unless you strongly feel a different answer is needed. I will read the responses for human-readable comments, but I'll use grep -n to count the results. Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to respond to this survey. (a) Backspace key. Please answer ONLY if you use your backspace key regularly - if you're a CTRL H user, respond that you are. Do you prefer: BS-0) I don't use my BS key much, I use CTRL H instead. BS-1) Two keys between BS and zero. BS-2) Three keys between BS and zero. BS-3) Either is fine - I use both and it doesn't matter. BS-4) I don't know - my keyboard has 2 keys between BS/0 and I like it. BS-5) I don't know - my keyboard has 3 keys between BS/0 and I like it. (b) CR, Return or Enter key. Do you prefer: CR-0) I never use this key, I generally use ________ instead. CR-1) Two keys between L and CR. CR-2) Three keys between L and CR. CR-3) Three keys between L and CR, except the IBM PC is too far. CR-4) Either is fine - I use both and it doesn't matter. CR-5) I don't know - my keyboard has 2 keys between L/CR and I like it. CR-6) I don't know - my keyboard has 3 keys between L/CR and I like it. (c) How big does the Return key need to be? CRW-0) I never use this key. CRW-1) Double wide is fine. CRW-2) Single wide but double high (IBM PC) is better. CRW-3) L shaped (VT100/Sun) is minimum acceptable. CRW-4) 2x2 key is minimum acceptable. (d) How do you want NULL generated? (Note - I have a problem here. I tend to be a bit slow getting off the CTRL key, and hit CTRL SPACE sometimes when I wanted a space, and get a NULL I didn't want. This motivates this question.) NU-0) I don't care, I never type nulls. NU-1) I don't care, but I want CTRL-SPACE to generate SPACE. NU-2) CTRL 2 should be the only way. NU-3) CTRL SHIFT 2 should be the only way. NU-4) CTRL SPACE should be the only way. NU-5) Either CTRL 2 or CTRL SHIFT 2 should work, but not CTRL SPACE. NU-6) Either CTRL 2, CTRL SHIFT 2, or CTRL SPACE should work. NU-7) Other (specify.) (e) When CTRL and CAPS LOCK are both to the left of A, and both keys are single width, which best describes your experience? CL-0) I've never used such a terminal. CL-1) CTRL must be to the left of CAPS LOCK. CL-2) CAPS LOCK must be to the left of CTRL. CL-3) I am happy with either arrangement. CL-4) I hate both arrangements - CTRL should be double-wide here. CL-5) I hate both arrangements - CAPS LOCK should be double-wide here. CL-6) I've only used CTRL to left of CAPS LOCK and I like it. CL-7) I've only used CAPS LOCK to left of CTRL and I like it. (f) When comparing keyboards with CTRL to the left of a single width CAPS LOCK key (e.g. Ann Arbor or Concept), to keyboards with CTRL to the left of a double width CAPS LOCK key (e.g. VT100 or Keytronics) which do you prefer? CLW-0) I've never used such a terminal. CLW-1) CAPS LOCK must be single width CLW-2) CAPS LOCK must be double width CLW-3) I am happy with either arrangement. CLW-4) I hate both arrangements - CAPS LOCK should be elsewhere CLW-5) I hate both arrangements - CTRL should be elsewhere CLW-6) I've only used single width CAPS LOCK and I like it. CLW-7) I've only used double width CAPS LOCK and I like it. g) Here are some proposed alternate locations for CAPS LOCK. Please bear in mind that political reality suggests using a location that is commonly used today, such as to the left of A or on one side of the space bar. CLL-0) I don't care, I never use it. CLL-1) I prefer to the left of A. CLL-2) I prefer under the left shift, e.g. to the left of ALT or META. CLL-3) I prefer directly to the left of space, to the right of ALT or META. CLL-4) I prefer directly to the right of space, to the left of a 2nd CTRL. CLL-5) I prefer to the far right of space, to the right of a 2nd CTRL. CLL-6) I think CAPS LOCK should go way off in the boonies somewhere.