Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!whuts!homxb!homxc!kant
From: kant@homxc.UUCP (K.KANT)
Newsgroups: comp.emacs
Subject: key bindings in GNU emacs
Message-ID: <3973@homxc.UUCP>
Date: 29 Oct 88 02:32:46 GMT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 27

I recently started using GNU emacs and having a tough time with key 
bindings. The trouble is that I started with my own massive global
key rebindings, so that I could use arrow keys, numeric keypad, etc.
on a vt220 compatible monster. (On a well designed terminal like 
televideo 965, I would have no reason to change bindings, but nearly
everything else seems to be require it).

Everythings seemed perfect until I went into another major mode and
found that some of my keys on the numeric keypad started doing crazy
things. Some poking around in the source code cleared the mystry --
some keys were re-bound behind my back!

So first a question: is there an easy way to get over this problem?

And second, some thoughts: It is poor practice to even provide any
kind of default bindings, much less change them indiscriminately!
I do understand the need for replacing some functions by others in
some modes, however, the replacement should be at the function level,
and not at the key binding level. Thus in picture mode, the function
delete-backward-char could be replaced by picture-delete-back-char.
Then whatever happens to be my delete key would behave as desired.
(I haven't thought about the implementation of this...).

Thanks. 
--Krishna      (kant@gondor.cs.psu.edu, kant@homxc.att.com)

PS: I hardly know any lisp, so pl. keep the solution simple!