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From: danny@calgary.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: Re: If you REALLY don't like the arrangement of C-h and DEL in GNU...
Message-ID: <979@vaxb.calgary.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Jun-87 12:12:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: vaxb.979
Posted: Fri Jun 19 12:12:38 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 21-Jun-87 05:00:49 EDT
References: <247@cbstr1.att.com> <3038@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Organization: U. of Calgary, Calgary, Ab.
Lines: 70
Keywords: keyboard-translate-table
Summary: another way to rebind C-h

In article <3038@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, walton@tybalt.caltech.edu (Steve Walton) writes:
>
> Karl describes keyboard-translate table in the referenced message for
> swapping C-H and DEL.  One real anamoly of doing it this way is that
> quoted-insert (C-Q by default) will insert a DEL if you type C-Q C-H
> at your keyboard;  similarly, C-Q followed by the DEL key will insert
> a C-H.  There's gotta be a better way...

There is:

	(aset global-map 8 'delete-backward-char)

overrides the binding of C-h to 'help-command while bypassing the checking
for a keymap performed by define-key.  Thenceforth, both C-h and DEL will
delete characters backwards, although, in some modes, DEL may get locally
bound to 'backward-delete-char-untabify.

You can also bind 'help-command to anything you want.  I bind it to a
function key transmitting a multi-character sequence (esc-[-208z on the sun).
Unfortunately, I like to have a double hit of the help key do a
'describe-key-briefly (aka help-c).  This is tricky as, although
global-set-key and local-set-key create extra keymaps as required, define-key
doesn't.  The code I am forced to is:

	(setq special-help-map1 (make-sparse-keymap))
	(setq special-help-map2 (make-sparse-keymap))
	(setq special-help-map3 (make-sparse-keymap))
	(setq special-help-map4 (make-sparse-keymap))
	(setq special-help-map5 (make-sparse-keymap))
	(define-key help-map "\e" special-help-map1)
	(define-key help-map "\e[" special-help-map2)
	(define-key help-map "\e[2" special-help-map3)
	(define-key help-map "\e[20" special-help-map4)
	(define-key help-map "\e[208" special-help-map5)
	(define-key help-map "\e[208z" 'describe-key-briefly)

On a related topic, I have had a lot of difficulty binding
'universal-argument (simple.el) to a multicharacter function key.  Eventually
I came up with the following alternative function:

(defun my-universal-argument ()
  "Begin a numeric argument for the following command.
Digits or minus sign following this command make up the numeric argument.
If no digits or minus sign follow, this command by itself provides 4 as argument.
Used more than once, this command multiplies the argument by 4 each time."
Fixed for tying to a function (multi-char sequence) key."
  (interactive nil)
  (let ((c-u 4)
	key-seq)
    (setq key-seq (read-key-sequence nil))
    (while (eq (key-binding key-seq) 'my-universal-argument)
      (setq c-u (* 4 c-u))
      (setq key-seq (read-key-sequence nil)))
    (if (equal (length key-seq) 1)
	(prefix-arg-internal (string-to-char key-seq) c-u nil)
      (setq prefix-arg (list c-u))
      (command-execute (key-binding key-seq)))))

Note: the else part of the if statement is needed because
'prefix-arg-internal uses "unread-command-char" to dispose of its first
argument if it is not a digit or "-".  I don't guarantee that my fix will
work in all circumstances but I have not mayself found any problems.  Of
course, the clean way to handle it (HINT, HINT) would be for gnu emacs to
permit pushing back (i.e. unreading) more than a single character as gosmacs
does.  Oh well, perfection is not achieved in a day.

-- danny levinson			   ...ihnp4!alberta!calgary!danny (?)
   university of calgary

[Seen on a local door: "So many pedestrians, so little time"]