Re: [LONG] Some thougths and a patch for the search menu-bar functions

[Robert J. Chassell]

    I'm currently writing a serie of six to seven tutorials for Emacs
    aimed at the new to average user. ....

That is wonderful!  

Are you teaching an average user how to define his or her keyboard
more usefully?  In particular, are you teaching an average user how to
set his or her control key so that it works when you press the key to
the left of the `a' key on the main row?  With this setting, the
"Incremental Search" command is easy to type.

Many US (and I think many French) keyboards label the key to the left
of the `a' key on the main row as `Caps_Lock'.  This is an upper-case,
lower-case toggle command taken from the old days of manual
typewriters.  It is an ancient carry over from the days when a
`computer' was a human being who did computations, rather than an
electronic device.

For example, the keyboard I am now using has this labeling on its main row:

        Caps_Lock A S D F G H J K L ; ' RET

By default, computers with `Caps_Lock' on the label of a key set that
key to run the upper-case, lower-case toggle command.

But a much better command for the key to the left of the `a' key is
`Control'.

In particular, `C-s' (isearch) is easy to type when the little finger
is at the far left of the main row and the first finger is on the key
third from the left on the main row.

On my keyboard, the default position for the key labeled `Ctrl' is
second from the left on the lowest row.  This position is fairly
common.  (Sometimes that key is farthest left on the bottom row.)

Either way, when the control key is located at the lower left, the
`C-s' (isearch) interactive command is hard to type.  Either you must
twist your hand to the left so the little finger can reach the key or
you must use some other finger, such as your thumb.  (I find that I can
move my thumb to press the key labeled `Alt' which is to the right of
the key labeled `Ctrl', but that I have a hard time moving it far
enough to reach the key to its left.)

Either way it is typed, the lower left key location provides for a
poor user interface.  Consequently, that key location on the lower
left should be used only for rarely pressed key strokes.

Unfortunately, because some keyboard makers have not yet left the
mechanical typewriter era, they produce keyboards, like mine, that
have the wrong labeling and the wrong defaults for a decent user
interface.  

A novice Emacs user who does not know how to redefine keybindings will
be hurt by such defaults.

Does your tutorial tell such a user how to define his or her keyboard
more usefully?  Could you show us the section and the various commands
for people using keyboards different layouts?

-- 
    Robert J. Chassell            address@hidden  address@hidden
    Rattlesnake Enterprises       http://www.rattlesnake.com
    Free Software Foundation      http://www.gnu.org   GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8