Re: `C-b' is backward-char, `left' is left-char - why?

[David Kastrup]

"Drew Adams" <address@hidden> writes:

>> >> > Enabling (or disabling) as an option - is that impossible?
>> >>
>> >> Certainly not.  You can set the option like so:
>> >> (global-set-key (kbd "<left>") 'backward-char)
>> >
>> > Not at all what I meant, as you no doubt know.
>> 
>> I know, but is it worse than "(setq backward-is-always-left t)"?
>
> Of course it is.  It affects only one command.  Presumably your option
> would affect all or most of the commands that are directional.

So you get the keybinding "backward-char" for C-b, and the keybinding
"maybe-backward-char-if-backward-is-always-left-is-set-and-left-char-otherwise"
for left.

Namely two different bindings, one looking up backward-is-always-left,
one ignoring it.

What is that supposed to buy you over backward-char and left-char?

> The point was that the default bindings of various commands have come
> in sets, and we are breaking up some of those sets.

So it appears that you want to have left-char and right-char, after
picking their choice of forward-char and backward-char, to check if any
of the latter have a remapping in place.

> The question was whether this is necessary.

That question has been answered.  That you refuse to hear the answer
does not change that.

-- 
David Kastrup