Hash key (#) in MACL

[alms@cambridge.apple.com (Andrew L. M. Shalit)]

   I'm trying to type a hash character in MACL 1.3.1. I'm using a
   standard UK keyboard on an SE/30, which has a pound sign where the
   hash would normally be. In most applications, I can get a hash by
   typing <option>3, but this doesn't work in MACL.

Fred (the MACL editor) uses the option key as the emacs 'meta' modifier.
This overrides the use of the option key to access the extended
character set.

There are two ways around your problem:

  1) in the general case, you can access any option character by
     typing control-q followed by the option character.  Control-q
     'quotes' the following keystroke, preventing it from being used
     as a command.

  2) The following form will define the 'meta-3' command to insert
     a hash character.  This is probably what you want to do.

            (comtab-set-key *comtab* '(:meta #\3)
              #'(lambda ()
                  (ed-insert-char #\#)))

There are a couple chapters in the manual on using and programming
Fred, which would probably be helpful if you need more information.

    -andrew