Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!dogie!uwmcsd1!ig!agate!ucbvax!zermatt.lcs.mit.EDU!RWS
From: RWS@zermatt.lcs.mit.EDU (Robert Scheifler)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: KeySyms and KeyCodes
Message-ID: <880315094459.1.RWS@KILLINGTON.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Date: 15 Mar 88 14:44:00 GMT
References: <8803151103.AA18904@ATHENA.MIT.EDU>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 14


    Date: Tue, 15 Mar 88 05:00 EDT
    From: DAVIS%scrvx2.sdr.slb.com@relay.cs.net

    However, a fundamental question remains in my mind - what is the lowest
    level in all this ? Is KeyCode x02020 or whatever what's actaully generated
    when I press a given key on the keyboard, or is this yet another mapping
    from a terminal dependent sequence to some defined table of KeyCodes ? 

The (8-bit) keycode will typically be whatever the hardware or OS
generates, but there is no requirement for this; a server can use
absolutely any keycode values it wants to.  Keycodes are simply a data
compression mechanism; what matters is the keysyms that are (logically)
engraved on the keys.