Re: B [backspace] should act like B [delete]?

[Karl Kleinpaste <karl@justresearch.com>]

Kai.Grossjohann@CS.Uni-Dortmund.DE writes:
> Normally, <backspace> and <delete> both generate DEL, and DEL (\177)
> is bound.  Binding <backspace> or <delete> overrides that generation
> of DEL.

No, not so.

Under X, the key labelled "<-" generates keysym Backspace and the one
labelled "Del" generates keysym Delete.  XEmacs knows the difference,
annoyingly.  Experiment with xev(1), and you'll see what I mean.  If
Emacs hides the distinction, it has done you a disservice.

Having grown up on the VT100 (aka "God's") keyboard¹, I inverted the
sense of these 2 keys on X keyboards for many, many years, because
Delete Belongs At The Upper Right Of The Main Keyboard².  The number
of conflicts this causes, with applications which want to react to
keysym Backspace but are blissfully unaware of Delete, has gotten
large.  So I finally gave in, tweaked my stty(1) invocation in
.bash_login, undid the key inversion, and went in search of unexpected
misbehavior with respect to Backspace and Delete.

My hands still want desperately to type "B <-", which is why I'd like
for the B summary submap to do -delete-article in that case.
Generally speaking, Backspace and Delete both do deletion-related
things, so it seemed to be a sensible suggestion.

--karl

¹ I have a VT102 of my very own.  Really.
² Under X, I *still* invert the placement of the `~ and ESC keys -- I
even switch their keycaps -- because Escape Belongs At The Upper
Left Of The Main Keyboard. :-)