RE: bypassing defining prefix keys

[Drew Adams]

> > Here's why. In dired.el, instead of defining `*' and `%' as
> > prefix keys, a shortcut is taken. `*' and `%' are each bound to nil,
> > so that they are undefined in `dired-mode-map', and then each of the
> > `*-<whatever>' and `%-<whatever> key sequences is bound directly in
> > `dired-mode-map'. That is:
> >
> >  (define-key dired-mode-map "*" nil)
> >  (define-key dired-mode-map "*/" 'dired-mark-directories)
> >  ...
> >
> > This explains the behavior I get, but I wonder if `*' and `%' should be
> > defined this way.
>
> Before the remap feature existed you had to remove the existing binding
> for "*" (from suppress-keymap) before you could redefine it as a prefix
> key.

I'm not sure what you're responding to. Yes, any existing binding has been
removed by binding them to nil. And?

`*' and `%' are _not_ then defined as prefix keys. The question is whether
they should be. Is there a good reason not to define them as prefix keys?