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Add concept of "usual erasure key" to explain about DEL.

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Richard M. Stallman 2001-04-01 03:32:04 +00:00
parent 1c830003f9
commit cdf648ca67
1 changed files with 19 additions and 15 deletions
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34
man/trouble.texi
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@ -139,28 +139,32 @@ normally, and how to recognize them and correct them.
@subsection If @key{DEL} Fails to Delete
@cindex @key{DEL} vs @key{BACKSPACE}
@cindex @key{BACKSPACE} vs @key{DEL}
@cindex usual erasure key
Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET}
or @key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase
the last character that you typed. We call this key @key{DEL}.
Every keyboard has a large key, a little ways above the @key{RET} or
@key{ENTER} key, which you normally use outside Emacs to erase the
last character that you typed. We call this key @dfn{the usual
erasure key}. In Emacs, it is supposed to be equivalent to @key{DEL}.
When Emacs starts up using a window system, it determines
automatically which key should be @key{DEL}. In some unusual cases
Emacs gets the wrong information from the system. If the @key{DEL}
key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably what
happened---Emacs ought to be treating the @key{DELETE} key as
Emacs gets the wrong information from the system. If the usual
erasure key deletes forwards instead of backwards, that is probably
what happened---Emacs ought to be treating the @key{DELETE} key as
@key{DEL}, but it isn't.
With a window system, if the @key{DEL} key says @key{BACKSPACE} and
there is a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere, but the @key{DELETE} key
deletes backward instead of forward, that too suggests Emacs got the
wrong information---but in the opposite sense. It ought to be
treating the @key{BACKSPACE} key as @key{DEL}, but it isn't.
With a window system, if the usual erasure key is labeled
@key{BACKSPACE} and there is a @key{DELETE} key elsewhere, but the
@key{DELETE} key deletes backward instead of forward, that too
suggests Emacs got the wrong information---but in the opposite sense.
It ought to be treating the @key{BACKSPACE} key as @key{DEL}, but it
isn't.
On a text-only terminal, if you find the @key{DEL} key prompts for a
Help command like @kbd{Control-h}, instead of deleting a character, it
means that key is actually sending the @key{BS} character. Emacs
ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it isn't.
On a text-only terminal, if you find the usual erasure key prompts
for a Help command, like @kbd{Control-h}, instead of deleting a
character, it means that key is actually sending the @key{BS}
character. Emacs ought to be treating @key{BS} as @key{DEL}, but it
isn't.
In all of those cases, the immediate remedy is the same: use the
command @kbd{M-x normal-erase-is-backspace-mode}. That should make