Re: / is NOT a good shortcut

[Christian Rose <menthos menthos com>]

Jörgen Lundberg wrote:
> > Tell me how the location of / is standard?
> > Many European keyboards have it as SHIFT + 7 whereas the UK and the US
> > have it as an easily accessible button next to the right shift.
> 
> I believe all scandinavian keyboards use SHIFT+7 for /. I can't speak for
> other european countries though.

Yes, you're perfectly right. But let's have a look to make sure:

Belgium		Shift + :
Denmark		Shift + 7
France		Shift + :
Germany		Shift + 7
Italy		Shift + 7
Netherlands	/
Norway		Shift + 7
Spain		Shift + 7
Sweden		Shift + 7
Switzerland	Shift + 7
UK		/
US		/

I might also add that the Swedish and the Finnish keyboard layouts are
identical so Finland uses Shift + 7 too, and that the Netherlands /
isn't at the same spot as the UK and US ones.


> > SHIFT + 7 for / makes it *somewhat inconvinient* as a shortcut key, and
> > is the reason why / isn't used as a shortcut key anywhere else.
> 
> I agree. Ctrl + / is a really bad default shourtcut if you don't live in a
> english speaking country.

Yes. Of course, when emacs was designed, keyboard layouts weren't as
standardized as they are know (most UNIX people using terminals also
used american keyboards that came with their rare and expensive
terminals) but that doesn't make them good keyboard shortcut examples
today, when most people use layouts that let them type their native
characters in an easy way, and when native layouts are the ones that
always come with new computers and almost all users get experienced
with. I'd say on the contrary, given the / example above, and the \
example mentioned earlier in another mail.


Christian



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Christian Rose
http://www.menthos.com                    	    menthos@menthos.com
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