Re: Looking for the "best" notation for key-binding

[Stefan Monnier]

>>> I think the vector notation is a good choice:
>>> (global-set-key [C-∫]               'backward-sexp) ; A-C-b
>> This likely won't work.  You need
>> (global-set-key [?\C-∫] 'backward-sexp) ; A-C-b
>> instead.  Yes, it's an annoyance.  You have to understand the
>> distinction between keys that emit characters and other keys (that emit
>> symbols).
> Yes, it stopped working.

When did it work?

> So ∫ is a symbol just as © or Ω?

AFAIK they're all characters (my use of `symbol' was in the Lisp sense
of symbol as opposed to integer, string, cons, float, ...).

> What makes the distinction?

The code that turns GUI events into Lisp events, mostly.  The general
rule is that keys which should self-insert get turned into
character-events, while other (special) keys get turned into symbol-events.

> Unicode character classes?

Unicode has nothing to do with it, no.


        Stefan