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(Backspace invokes help): Clarify that keyboard-translate is better
than global-set-key. Add reference to the manual's section about DEL vs BS. Mention normal-erase-is-backspace.
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man/faq.texi
49
man/faq.texi
@ -4631,6 +4631,7 @@ actually behaves.
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@section Why does the @key{Backspace} key invoke help?
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@cindex Backspace key invokes help
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@cindex Help invoked by Backspace
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@cindex DEL key does not delete
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The @key{Backspace} key (on most keyboards) generates ASCII code 8.
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@kbd{C-h} sends the same code. In Emacs by default @kbd{C-h} invokes
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@ -4660,22 +4661,45 @@ keyboard or because they don't even have a separate @key{Delete} key.
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In this case, the @key{Backspace} key should be made to behave like
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@key{Delete}. There are several methods.
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@itemize @minus
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@item
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Some terminals (e.g., VT3## terminals) allow the character generated
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by the @key{Backspace} key to be changed from a setup menu.
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Some terminals (e.g., VT3## terminals) and terminal emulators (e.g.,
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TeraTerm) allow the character generated by the @key{Backspace} key to be
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changed from a setup menu.
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@item
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You may be able to get a keyboard that is completely programmable.
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You may be able to get a keyboard that is completely programmable, or a
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terminal emulator that supports remapping of any key to any other key.
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@item
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Under X or on a dumb terminal, it is possible to swap the
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@key{Backspace} and @key{Delete} keys inside Emacs:
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With Emacs 21.1 and later, you can control the effect of the
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@key{Backspace} and @key{Delete} keys, on both dumb terminals and a
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windowed displays, by customizing the option
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@code{normal-erase-is-backspace-mode}, or by invoking @kbd{M-x
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normal-erase-is-backspace}. See the documentation of these symbols
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(@pxref{Emacs Lisp documentation}) for more info.
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@item
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It is possible to swap the @key{Backspace} and @key{DEL} keys inside
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Emacs:
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@lisp
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(keyboard-translate ?\C-h ?\C-?)
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@end lisp
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@xref{Swapping keys}, for further details of "keyboard-translate".
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@noindent
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This is the recommended method of forcing @key{Backspace} to act as
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@key{DEL}, because it works even in modes which bind @key{DEL} to
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something other than @code{delete-backward-char}.
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Similarly, you could remap @key{DEL} to act as @kbd{C-d}, which by
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default deletes forward:
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@lisp
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(keyboard-translate ?\C-? ?\C-d)
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@end lisp
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@xref{Swapping keys}, for further details about @code{keyboard-translate}.
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@item
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Another approach is to switch key bindings and put help on @kbd{C-x h}
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@ -4688,7 +4712,16 @@ instead:
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(global-set-key "\C-xh" 'help-command)
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@end lisp
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@noindent
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This method is not recommended, though: it only solves the problem for
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those modes which bind @key{DEL} to @code{delete-backward-char}. Modes
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which bind @key{DEL} to something else, such as @code{view-mode}, will
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not work as you expect when you press the @key{Backspace} key. For this
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reason, we recommend the the @code{keyboard-translate} method, shown
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above.
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Other popular key bindings for help are @kbd{M-?} and @kbd{C-x ?}.
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@end itemize
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Don't try to bind @key{DEL} to @code{help-command}, because there are
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many modes that have local bindings of @key{DEL} that will interfere.
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@ -4699,6 +4732,10 @@ When Emacs 21 or later runs on a windowed display, it binds the
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@key{Delete} key to a command which deletes the character at point, to
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make Emacs more consistent with keyboard operation on these systems.
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For more information about troubleshooting this problem, see @ref{DEL
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Does Not Delete, , If @key{DEL} Fails to Delete, emacs, The GNU Emacs
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Manual}.
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@node stty and Backspace key, Swapping keys, Backspace invokes help, Key bindings
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@section Why doesn't Emacs look at the @file{stty} settings for @key{Backspace} vs. @key{Delete}?
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@cindex @file{stty} and Emacs
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